Finding great books for your upper elementary students is easy when you have a list from the top librarians in America! Meeting at conferences and listening to children talk about their favorites, the American Library Association has released their list of the top kids books for 2015. These must reads are a great list to take to your local library and discover new worlds of fun and excitement sure to please even the most reluctant readers!
Battle Bunny
by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett, illustrated by Matthew Myers
Binny for Short
by Hilary McKay, illustrated by Micah Player
Binny’s family moves to a cottage by the seaside, where she finds adventure, a nemesis—and maybe even her long-lost dog. 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.
The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure
by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Kevin Cornell
Daring crime-solving chicks are out to solve a mystery. First in a series.
Dory Fantasmagory
by Abby Hanlon
Dory shows how much fun having an overactive imagination can be as she keeps herself entertained over the summer.
A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans
by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder
A story about dragons with a twist: Miss Drake (the dragon) has a new human pet!
Eddie Red, Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile
by Marcia Wells, illustrated by Marcos Calo
Sixth-grader Eddie is called on by the NYPD to help bust a gang of art thieves by using his photographic memory and talent for drawing. First in a series.
El Deafo
by Cece Bell
This graphic novel is both funny and realistic as it shares the story of going to school and making friends while wearing a large hearing aid.
Honey
by Sarah Weeks
When she realizes her dad may have a secret girlfriend, Melody sets out to find out who it is.
House of Robots
by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld
Sammy’s genius mom creates a robot and decides Sammy should take him to school so he can learn to be a student. First in a series.
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.
Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands
by Katherine Roy
This book investigates the mystery surrounding the great white shark.
Nightmares!
by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller, illustrated by Karl Kwasny
Twelve-year-old Charlie must save the day when nightmares start creeping into waking life. First in a series.
Project Blastoff
by Mark Kelly with Martha Freeman
Twins Mark and Scott Kelly are about to embark on an adventure of epic proportions as they build and engineer their own rocket ship. First in a series.
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.
The Sasquatch Escape
by Suzanne Selfors, illustrated by Dan Santat
Ben and his friend Pearl discover the new veterinarian office in their small town treats magical creatures, and they have the adventure of their lives as they track down a Sasquatch. First in a series.
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?
The Tapper Twins Go to War (with Each Other)
by Geoff Rodkey
Fraternal twins Reese and Claudia take sibling rivalry to a new level with their prank war. First in a series.
The Terrible Two
by Mac Barnett and Jory John, illustrated by Kevin Cornell
Two pranksters team up for the greatest prank ever. 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! First in a series.
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.
Tommysaurus Rex
by Doug TenNapel
Eli finds a full-grown T. rex on his grandpa’s farm and decides he would make the perfect pet.
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. First in a series.
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.
