Suggesting books for upper elementary students can be tough. But not for the nation’s Children’s Librarians! They have collected the best book recommendations for summer 2014 and put them into one handy list. Check out the list and then check out a book!
The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut: Bowling Alley Bandit
by Laurie Keller
Arnie the pet “doughnut dog” always has a fun time at the bowling alley, until something causes his owner to throw gutter ball after gutter ball.
Battle Bunny
by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett, illustrated by Matthew Myers
Gran Gran gave Alexander a beautiful book about Birthday Bunny, but Alexander decides to “create” his own book about Battle Bunny, which suits his tastes much better.
Big Nate: In a Class by Himself
by Lincoln Pierce
Supremely confident middle- school student Nate Wright manages to make getting detention from every one of his teachers in the same day seem like an achievement. First in a series.
The Birchbark House
by Louise Erdrich
Omakayas, a young Ojibwa girl living near Lake Superior in the mid-1800s, cares for her baby brother and experiences the growing settlement of white people on her family’s land. First in a series.
Bluffton: My Summers with Buster
by Matt Phelan
Muskegon, Michigan, is an ordinary town until a band of vaudeville performers, including young Buster Keaton, decide to spend the summer there.
Clementine
by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee
While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret, eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping banish the pigeons from her apartment building. First in a series.
The Day-Glo Brothers
by Chris Barton
The true story of two brothers who, messing around in their basement, discover colors that glow in the dark.
Doll Bones
by Holly Black, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
Three friends set off for an adventure to bury a haunted doll made of the bones of a long-ago girl.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
by Chris Grabenstein
Kyle, a huge lover of games, gets to spend the night in Mr. Lemoncello’s amazing new library and join in the biggest game of all—with a prize beyond his imagination.
The Grand Plan to Fix Everything
by Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Abigail Halpin
Bollywood fan Dini is moving to India. Will she get a chance to meet her favorite movie star?
Inside Out and Back Again
by Thanhha Lai
Hà escapes South Vietnam with her family and finds that life is very different in the United States.
Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse
by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Josée Masse
Read these poems both forwards and backwards for a wild new spin on your favorite fairy tale characters!
The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart, illustrated by Carson Ellis
After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy
by Nathan Hale
Just before Nathan Hale is hung as a spy in the Revolutionary War, he tells a British soldier and the hangman a bit of American history.
Out of My Mind
by Sharon M. Draper
Considered by many to be intellectually disabled, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy is given her voice with a technological device, opening the door to a new life.
Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin
by Liesl Shurtliff
Twelve-year-old Rump goes on a quest to discover his true identity and to break a magical curse in this humorous take on the classic fairy tale.
Serafina’s Promise
by Ann E. Burg
Serafina, who lives in Haiti, longs to become a doctor, but how will she find the money and the time, when her family needs her help with chores, and earthquakes and floods keep setting them back?
Spirit Animals, Book One: Wild Born
by Brandon Mull
In Erdas, four children have four mighty spirit animals, but can these kids and their animals save their world? First in a series.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
by Tom Angleberger
Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future. First in a series.
The 13-Story Treehouse
by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton
Join Andy and Terry for adventures in their amazing treehouse, complete with bowling alley, see-through swimming pool, lemonade fountain, and man-eating- shark tank!
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made
by Stephan Pastis
Introducing Total Failure, Inc., the best detective agency in town, run by eleven-year-old Timmy Failure and his partner, Total, a 1,500-pound polar bear. First in a series.
Tuesdays at the Castle
by Jessica Day George
On Tuesdays, Castle Glower takes on a life of its own, magically rearranging itself. When the castle is ambushed, it’s up to Princess Celie to save the day. First in a series.
Weird but True: 300 Outrageous Facts
National Geographic Children’s Books, 2010
These facts are outrageous, wacky, funny, weird . . . and all true! You won’t be able to stop flipping through this incredible book.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
by Grace Lin
Minli and a dragon begin a quest to find the Old Man on the Moon, who may have answers to Minli’s family’s troubles.
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy
by Tui T. Sutherland
Five young dragons from different tribes must face treachery and deceit and work together to fulfill the prophecy that will bring an end to the dragon wars. First in a series.
