Book Lists for Book Groups

Updated 10/30/09

The following lists are of books that Jennifer or I have either already used in book groups, or books that we will be using in book groups. The lists are not in alphabetical order; they are in the order in which we have read them.  Books that have been used more than once over the years are marked with a star (*); we have found these starred books to be good books for discussion.  New books will be added to the list as my book groups choose new titles.

These books are mostly newer titles, since the kids who attend our book groups enjoy discovering new authors and new books, but there are some classics mixed in.

You will note that these books tend to be at a high-ish reading level for the grade; this is because of the composition of our book groups.  The children and teens who join our groups are already great readers, and appreciate a challenge.

It should also be noted that for a short time I ran a combined 4th and 5th grade book group, and thus some titles are shared in those two grades.

As a rule, I do not use structured discussion guides for my book groups.  This is for two reasons: 1) I believe strongly that a library book group needs to function in an entirely different way from a school reading group, and with that in mind I use a reader response philosophy in my groups, sometimes using questions posed by Aidan Chambers in Tell Me, but more often using my own scribbled bunch of questions, or questions that arise as the group discusses the book.  2) Having taught reading in an elementary school for almost four years, I am very comfortable with this rather free-form approach.  Other people may not feel at ease running a book group without a proscribed list of questions; if you fall in that category, try doing a Google search on your chosen book title.  Oftentimes someone, somewhere, will have posted a reading guide online.

3rd Grade ~ Books with (J) after them were chosen and used by Jennifer

  • Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
  • Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins *
  • Welcome to the Bed and Biscuit by Joan Carris
  • Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye by Geronimo Stilton *
  • Being Teddy Roosevelt by Claudia Mills
  • Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker by Megan McDonald
  • A Girl, A Boy, and A Monster Cat by Gail Gauthier
  • The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
  • Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost by Cornelia Funke *
  • Lady Lollipop by Dick King-Smith (J)
  • Martin Bridge Ready for Takeoff by Jessica Scott Kerrin (J)
  • Maybelle in the Soup by Katie Speck (J)
  • Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi (J)
  • Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson (J)
  • Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley (J)
  • Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume (J)
  • The Gecko and Sticky: Vilain’s Lair by Wendelin Van Draanen (J)

4th Grade ~ Books with (J) after them were chosen and used by Jennifer

  • The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo *
  • Half Magic by Edward Eager *
  • Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements *
  • A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann Martin
  • Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
  • Poor Little Witch Girl by Marie Desplechin
  • Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost by Cornelia Funke *
  • Ghosthunters and Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost by Cornelia Funke
  • Fergus Crane by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
  • The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman
  • The Dragon of Never-Was by Ann Downer
  • The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
  • Fergus Crane by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
  • The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley *
  • My Haunted House by Angie Sage (J)
  • Medusa Jones by Ross Collins (J)
  • Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (J)
  • Chicken Feathers by Joy Cowley (J)
  • Gully’s Travels by Tor Seidler (J)
  • Highway Cats by Janet Taylor Lisle (J)

5th Grade

  • Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements *
  • A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann Martin *
  • Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins *
  • Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean
  • Larklight by Philip Reeve
  • The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages *
  • Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
  • The Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton *
  • Crispin: Cross of Lead by Avi *
  • Magyk by Angie Sage *
  • The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
  • Five Children and It by E. Nesbit *
  • Crispin: At the Edge of the World by Avi
  • Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
  • Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques
  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
  • The Kid Who Ran For President by Dan Gutman
  • The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
  • Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
  • Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
  • Savvy by Ingrid Law
  • Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes
  • The Traitor’s Gate by Avi
  • The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

6th Grade

  • The Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton *
  • Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce
  • Operation Red Jericho by Joshua Mowll
  • At The Firefly Gate by Linda Newbery
  • Magyk by Angie Sage
  • Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass
  • The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke *
  • The Falconer’s Malteser: A Diamond Brother’s Mystery by Anthony Horowitz
  • Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart *
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
  • The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
  • Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
  • White Sands, Red Menace by Ellen Klages
  • 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
  • Masterpiece by Elise Broach
  • Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams
  • The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
  • Into the Wild by Erin Hunter
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart
  • Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
  • Saffy’s Angel by Hilary McKay
  • Wild Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff
  • The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
  • Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver

Teen ~ 7th – 9th Grade

  • Sand Dollar Summer by Kimberly K. Jones
  • Blackthorn Winter by Kathryn Reiss
  • Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
  • Day of Tears by Julius Lester
  • Finding Miracles by Julia Alvarez
  • Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins
  • Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
  • The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
  • Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
  • Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
  • Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
  • Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
  • I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter by Lynn Cullen
  • Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
  • Red Sea by Diane Tullson
  • Uglies by Scogtt Westerfeld
  • Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz
  • Incantation by Alice Hoffman
  • Peeled by Joan Bauer
  • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
  • Witch Child by Celia Rees
  • The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
  • The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
  • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  • Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce
  • Darkwing by Kenneth Oppel
  • Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce
  • The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo
  • The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

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