Help me tweak my 4th grade reading list.

[Rivka]

I had a huge amount of fun putting together grade-by-grade reading lists for elementary school, a while back. Of course, however, as time marches on those lists become less appropriate given what's already been read. For example, I put Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on the third-grade reading list, and then, by the first day of third grade, it turned out that she had finished Half-Blood Prince.

 

I need to make some substitutions to the 4th grade list, mostly because we've read some of the books very recently as read-alouds. Here is the current version:

 

1. The Book of Three. Lloyd Alexander. 1964. RL 5.5, GL 4-7
2. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Mark Twain. 1876. RL 5.9, GL 4-7
3. Number the Stars. Lois Lowry. 1989. RL 5.1, GL 4-6
4. Where the Red Fern Grows. Wilson Rawls. 1961. RL 6.4, GL 4-6
5. Anne of Green Gables. L.M. Montgomery. 1908. RL 5.9, GL 4-7
6. The Time Garden. Edward Eager. 1958. RL 6.9, GL 4-7
7. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Mildred Taylor. 1976. RL 6.9, GL 4-6
8. Savvy. Ingrid Law. 2008. RL 8.5, GL 4-7.
9. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Brian Selznick. 2007. RL 5.2, GL 4-7
10. Little Men. Louisa May Alcott. 1871. RL 8.4, GL 4-7 
11. The Egypt Game. Zilpha Keatley Snyder. 1967. RL 5.9, GL 6-8  
12. A Wrinkle in Time. Madeleine L’Engle. 1962. RL 5.8, GL 4-7 
13. Catherine, Called Birdy. Karen Cushman. 1994. RL 7.5, GL 6-8
14. The Princess and the Goblin. George MacDonald. 1872. RL 7.5, GL 5-7
15. Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Robert O’Brien. 1971. RL 5.8, GL 4-6
16. Danny the Champion of the World. Roald Dahl. 1975. RL 5.5, GL 3-5

 

The Book of Three, Tom Sawyer, and A Wrinkle in Time are the ones I most want to replace, because all three have been read-alouds in the last six months or so. (We've also read Anne of Green Gables, but personally I think that stands up to millions of re-reads. Plus it was longer ago.)

I am particularly interested in including well-written modern books in my reading lists. Suggestions?

[dewdropfairy]

Have you considered finishing the Chronicles of Prydain? My son read those last year and really enjoyed all of them.

[LibraryLover]

Mysterious Benedict Society? ( I'm guessing she has read those.)

 

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

 

Cushman has written a book about the Salem witch trials that was pretty good. Can't recall the title.

 

The Van Gogh Cafe by Rylant

 

Jinx by Sage Ashwood

 

 

[Aurelia]

I don't know how many titles you're looking to replace, so here are a few suggestions:

 

The Black Cauldron, Lloyd Alexander

Momo, Michael Ende

Bambi, Felix Salten

Seven Little Australians, Ethel Turner

The Giver, Lois Lowry

My Family and Other Animals, Gerald Durrell (may work best as a read-aloud due to some advanced vocabulary)

The Stones are Hatching, Geraldine McCaughrean

A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula LeGuin

Captains Courageous, Rudyard Kipling

Laddie: A True Blue Story, Gene Stratton-Porter

Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

 

[Rivka]

Thanks for the recommendations! In case anyone is interested, I wound up with this final list:

 

1. Number the Stars. Lois Lowry. 1989.
2. Where the Red Fern Grows. Wilson Rawls. 1961.
3. The Time Garden. Edward Eager. 1958.
4. Savvy. Ingrid Law. 2008.
5. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Brian Selznick. 2007.
6. Little Men. Louisa May Alcott. 1871.
7. The Egypt Game. Zilpha Keatley Snyder. 1967.
8. Catherine, Called Birdy. Karen Cushman. 1994.
9. The Princess and the Goblin. George MacDonald. 1872.
10. Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Robert O’Brien. 1971.
11. Danny the Champion of the World. Roald Dahl. 1975.
12. Tuck Everlasting. 1975.
13. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. Jacqueline Kelly. 2009.
14. Emily of New Moon. L.M. Montgomery. 1923.
15. Saffy's Angel. Hilary McKay. 2002(?)
16. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. Christopher Paul Curtis. 2000.