Best Books for Fourth Graders
Here are my favorite books to recommend to fourth graders (ages 9-10) to help them build their literacy skills and foster a love of reading. By fourth grade, students may not just want specific characters (looking at you, Dog Man) but may also identify which genres or story elements they enjoy most. Below are great books and read-alikes for 4th graders, organized by most requested genres.
A quick note: As Donalyn Miller said in The Joy of Reading, a list is only as good as its maker. While these titles have been successful with my own children and the families I’ve served, I don’t expect you to share them wholesale with yours. You know your community best! I hope you discover a few new titles that boost your readers’ advisory and build a connection with your readers.
Animal Books for Fourth Graders
The One and Only Ivan
By Katherine Applegate | 2012
2013 Newbery Medal Winner
After 27 years in captivity in a shopping mall, Ivan the gorilla gets a new companion. For fans of The Wild Robot.
Warriors: Into the Wild
By Erin Hunter | 2003
A house cat named Rusty is swept into the world of forest cat clans. For fans of Wings of Fire.
Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer
By Kelly Jones | 2015
ALA Notable Children’s Book
Sophie moves from the big city to a rustic farm where one of the chickens can move things with its mind, and she’s pretty sure another is invisible. Will she learn how to care for them before the chicken thief strikes? For fans of Flora & Ulysses.
Fantasy Books for Fourth Graders
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
By Kelly Barnhill | 2016
2017 Newbery Medal Winner
Luna is gifted powers and must hone them to save the world from an ancient evil. For fans of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Impossible Creatures.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
By C.S. Lewis | 1950
Four siblings walk through a wardrobe and into Narnia, where a witch has cursed the land with an eternal winter.
Rump
By Liesl Shurtliff | 2013
Kirkus Starred Review
Twelve-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone’s jokes, but his luck changes when he finds an old spinning wheel. For fans of Ella Enchanted and A Tale Dark & Grimm.
Funny Books for Fourth Graders
The 13-Story Treehouse
By Andy Griffiths | 2011
Andy and Terry live in a treehouse with a bowling alley, secret underground laboratory, and marshmallow machine. Enough said? For fans of Sideways Stories from Wayside School and Dog Man.
The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones
By Will Mabbitt | 2015
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Kidnapped by pirates after picking her nose, Mabel is trapped aboard The Feroshus Maggot and won’t be let go until she finds their treasure. For fans of Lemony Snicket.
A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic
By Philip Stead | 2026
5 Starred Reviews
When the castle’s 12-year-old goatkeeper, Bernadette, discovers her beloved turtle, Perseverance, has been turtle-napped to make soup, she sets out on a delightfully whimsical rescue mission. For fans of Kate DiCamillo and The Phantom Tollbooth.
Mystery Books for Fourth Graders
Space Case
By Stuart Gibbs | 2014
2015 Edgar Award Nominee
Dashiell must solve the murder of one of the moon’s most prominent doctors. For fans of the Spy School series.
Ruff vs. Fluff
By Spencer Quinn | 2019
Queenie the cat and Arthur the dog must put their rivalry aside to help their humans solve a murder. For fans of the A to Z Mysteries and A Dog’s Purpose.
Book Scavenger
By Jennifer Chambliss Bertman | 2015
NCTE Notable Children’s Book
Two friends discover an odd book that may include details about the latest game created by Garrison Griswold. For fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.
Realistic Fiction for Fourth Graders
The Penderwicks
By Jeanne Birdsall | 2005
2005 National Book Award Winner
The summer adventures of four sisters on the beautiful estate of Arundel. For fans of The Vanderbeekers and Little Women.
Ferris
By Kate DiCamillo | 2024
3 Starred Reviews
Ferris Wilkey learns a thing or two about growing up, saying good-bye to loved ones, and navigating the hilarious mischief of family during the summer before fifth grade. Enjoy the audiobook on family road trips, as adults will enjoy the humor and heartfelt hijinks, too.
Save Me a Seat
By Sarah Weeks & Gita Varadarajan | 2016
Kirkus Starred Review
Ravi & Joe appear to have only one thing in common: a bully named Dillon, but perceptions can be deceiving.
Graphic Novels for Fourth Graders
El Deafo
By Cece Bell | 2014
2015 Newbery Honor Book
Making new friends is tough enough without a hearing aid strapped to your chest.
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy
By Nathan hale | 2012
ALA Great Graphic NOvel
Learn the unbelievable tale of America’s first spy during the Revolutionary War.
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute
By Jarrett J. Krosoczka | 2009
2010 Eisner Award Nominee
This lunch lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes – she serves justice! For fans of Captain Underpants.
Nonfiction for Fourth Graders
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down
By Andrea Davis Pinkney and Illustrated by Brian Pinkney (323.119) | 2010
3 Starred Reviews
In 1960, students dared to sit at the “whites only” Woolworth’s lunch counter.
What Was the Titanic?
By Stephanie Sabol (910.916) | 2018
Learn how the “unsinkable” ship went down and how it was discovered almost 75 years later. For fans of the I Survived series.
Revolutionary Mary
By Karen Blumenthal and Illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley (921) | 2025
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
The only woman whose name is on the Declaration of Independence is the printer’s name. The true story of a brave woman who risked her life for freedom.
More Resources for Finding the Best Books for Fourth Graders
Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List from ALA’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table
Children’s 3rd-5th Grade Favorites from the Children’s Book Council
Great Books for Fourth Grade from the Princeton Public Library
SJPL Picks: Fourth Grade from the San Jose Public Library
Great Kids’ 2025 Non-Fiction from Libraries of Marin
Recommended Books from ALSC, including summer reading lists for Grades 3-5
