JULIE'S TOP TEN LIST
These books are the top ten contemporary realistic fiction books for kids in grades 4-6, according to me! The list is in alphabetical order based on the author's last name. All of the titles on this list are also available in audio format.
The citations use the following format:
Author. Title of Book. Illustrator (if there is one other than the author). Number of pages. Year of publication. If the book has won a Newbery Award, it will be noted here. (The book’s call number)
1. Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. 160 pp. 1970. (J BLUM J)
This is the story of Margaret Simon, an 11 year old girl who just moved from New York City to New Jersey. She is going through a lot of changes and is trying to fit in with her new friends. Nancy, Gretchen, Janie and Margaret form a secret club called the PTS club (Pre-Teen Sensations) to talk about boys and other girl stuff. Margaret is confused though by her religious beliefs with a Jewish parent and a Christian parent. Margaret’s solution is to have personal conversations with God so she can express her questions about religion, boys, puberty and growing up. This is a must read for all preteen girls!
This book is also recommended by: Best Books for Children, 7th Edition; Children’s Reading Choices; Children’s Literature Lover’s Book of Lists
2. Byars, Betsy. Summer of the Swans. Illustrated by Ted CoConis. 144 pp. 1970. Newbery Medal Winner, 1971. (J BYARS B)
As the story begins, 14 year old Sara is bored with summer, unhappy with her big feet and her orange sneakers they are in and annoyed by her little brother, Charlie, who is mentally challenged. She wants to be more like her older sister Wanda. The three siblings have been raised by their aunt since their mother’s death six years ago. Sara is going through changes she does not understand. How can everything around her be the same, but her be so unhappy now? She struggles with this question, until one night when Charlie disappears. Sara searches for him with Joe Melby, who she didn’t like before then. It ends up being the longest night of her life and she will never be the same. This Newbery Award winning book tells a warm story of growing up and the emotions that go with it.
This book is also recommended by:Best Books for Children, 7th Edition; Best of the Best for Children
3. Cleary, Beverly. Dear Mr. Henshaw. Illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky. 144 pp. 1983. Newbery Medal Winner, 1984 (J CLEAR B)
This book is cleverly told through letters from Leigh Botts to his favorite author, Boyd Henshaw and later through Leigh’s diary. It begins when Leigh is very young, evident by the misspellings in his letter. Very quickly, the letters show that he is in sixth grade and has an assignment to do so he sends Mr. Henshaw a list of questions. Mr. Henshaw answers his questions with silly answers and sends Leigh a list of questions he wants him to answer. Leigh’s mom makes him do it and the series of letters the answers produce tell us much about Leigh’s life. His parents are divorced and his dad is on the road as a truck driver. He misses his dad and his dog, Bandit and now his mom has to work a lot of the time, so he is lonely. He continues to write to Mr. Henshaw and later to “Pretend Mr. Henshaw” in a diary. This Newbery Medal winning book is a funny and creative story about dealing with divorce, problems at school, and other sixth grade problems.
This book is also recommended by:Great Books for Boys; Best Books for Children, 7th Edition;ALA’s Booklist Magazine;School Library Journal;Horn Book;Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
4. Clements, Andrew. Frindle. Illus. by Brian Selznick. 112 pp. 1996. (J CLEME A)
This book features Nick Allen as he begins fifth grade. Nick is a creative troublemaker. When his teacher, Mrs. Granger, tells the class that we decide what words will go into the dictionary by the words we use, Nick wonders what would happen if he tried to invent a new word and get it into the dictionary. So he invents the word “frindle”. The other children use the word but they are punished by Mrs. Granger. Frindle catches on and Nick becomes famous! But does he reach his goal of getting his word into the dictionary? Boys and girls alike will enjoy reading about Nick and his creative plans in this humorous story that shows the power children can have to make a change.
This book is also recommended by:Great Books for Boys; Best Books for Children, 7th Edition; Horn Book; ALA’s Booklist Magazine; School Library Journal
5. Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons. 280 pp. 1994. Newbery Medal Winner, 1995
(J CREEC S)
Salamanca Tree Hiddle is a 13 year old girl traveling by car with her grandparents from Ohio to Idaho. Along the way, she tells them the story of her friend Phoebe and her family problems. We also find out more and more about Salamanca and her family’s troubles. Her mother left Salamanca and her father one morning and has not returned. The trip she is taking with her grandparents is to go see her mother and she has this idea that if they can make it to Idaho by her mother’s birthday, she will be able to bring her home again, even though her father tells her this is not going to happen. Along the way, Sal and her grandparents stop at many places and have many adventures. You will not soon forget the story of Salamanca in this touching, funny and adventurous Newbury Medal Award winning book that teaches us not to judge a man “until you’ve walked two moons in his moccasins”.
Other awards this book has won: ALA Notable Children's Book, 1995; School Library Journal Best Book, 1994; Notable Children's Trade Book in Language Arts; Bulletin Blue Ribbon Books 1994
6. Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham -1963. 210 pp. 1995. Newbery Honor Book, 1996. (J CURTI C)
This Newbery Honor Book tells the story of the “Weird Watsons”: 10 year old Kenny, his older brother Byron, his little sister Joey and his Momma and Dad as they leave Flint, Michigan and head to Birmingham, Alabama to visit family. The Watsons are African American and the year is 1963. While in Alabama, something shocking happens that will change Kenny’s vision of the world. This book deals with serious topics such as racism and prejudice but is also a very funny, touching look at family life and the love between brothers and sisters.
This book is also recommended by: Best Books for Boys; Best Books for Children, 7th Edition; ALA’s Booklist Magazine; School Library Journal; Children’s Literature Lover’s Book of Lists
7. DiCamillo, Kate. Because of Winn Dixie. 184 pp. 2000. Newbery Honor Book, 2001. (J DICAM K)
This story begins by introducing us to a 10 year old girl named India Opal Buloni and her father, the Preacher who just moved to Florida. India goes to the grocery store and there is a dog inside, running around and causing a commotion! When the manager threatens to call the dog pound, India claims him as her own, and then has to convince the Preacher they should keep him. She names the dog Winn Dixie. Winn Dixie has a unique personality and he makes friends better than anyone. They have many adventures that summer and make many new friends. The Preacher also opens up to her and tells her about her mother, who left them. Many good things happen that summer and all of them are because of Winn Dixie. This Newbery Honor book is a wonderful book about friendships and forgiveness mixed in with humor.
This book is also recommended by:Best Books for Children, 7th Edition; ALA’s Booklist Magazine; School Library Journal; Horn Book; Parent’s Choice Award Winner, 2000
8. Konigsburg, E.L. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. 176 pp. 1975 (1967 orig.) Newbery Medal Winner, 1968. (J KONIG E)
When Claudia decides to run away, she needs to take her younger brother Jamie because he is the one with money. But she is the one with the plan. They run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They live at the museum, eating at the restaurants and sleeping in Marie Antoinette’s bed. They have many adventures at the museum, but Jamie begins to get homesick. When a sculpture called “Angel” arrives at the museum and brings with it a mystery, Claudia decides she will not go home until she solves it. The two go to visit Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the person who donated the statue. She guides them toward the answer to the mystery. This Newbery Medal Award book is a fun, imaginative, and suspenseful fantasy come true for any child who has imagined running away.
This book is also recommended by: Best Books for Children, 7th Edition; Great Books for Girls; Kids Review Kids’ Books; Best Books for Kids who think they hate to Read; Children’s Literature Lover’s Book of Lists
9. Sachar, Louis. Holes. 240 pp. 1998. Newbery Medal Winner, 1999. (J SACHA L)
This exciting Newbery Award Winning book is actually three stories in one. The main story is about Stanley Yelnats; a boy falsely accused of stealing a pair of sneakers and then sent away to a juvenile attention home because of it. The home is called Camp Greenlake, but there is no lake. It is all dry dirt and the boys are required to dig holes five feet wide and five feet deep all day long in the hot Texas sun. But there are two other stories: the second story is about Stanley’s great grandfather and an ancient curse that was placed on the Yelnats family because of him and the third story is about a teacher and a humble onion seller that fell in love many years ago. These stories are woven together in a fantastic way. Holes has humor, suspense, mystery, romance, crime and action. It is a must read for everyone!
This book is also recommended by: Best Books for Children, 7th Edition; Horn Book; School Library Journal; Best Books for Kids who Think They Hate to Read; 1998 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature
10. Spinelli, Jerry. Maniac Magee. 192 pp. 1990. Newbery Medal Winner, 1991.
(J SPINE J)
This Newbery Award winning book may not seem like realistic fiction, because there are so many legends about Maniac Magee. However, he is just a boy named Jeffrey Magee whose parents die while he is young, and he is sent to live with his aunt and uncle. They fight over him until they do not speak to each other. One day he has had enough and runs away. He ends up in a town called Two Mills which is divided with the white people in the West End and the black people in the East End. Jeffrey becomes friends with a black girl named Amanda Beales and her family takes him in. From that point on, he has to deal with the racism in the town that comes from both sides. He never backs down and has some hilarious adventures. This book is very funny and exciting to read, but it also reminds us that we cannot judge someone until we know them.
