25 Books for 4th Graders Our Kids Loved Most

Stanley Yelnats, wrongly accused of stealing, is sent to a juvenile detention camp where he befriends a ragtag group of boys who dig holes all day. But what are they looking for?

Auggie was born with a severe facial deformity that leaves him looking a lot different than the other kids, and Wonder chronicles his first experience attending school.

C.S. Lewis has enchanted children (and adults) for generations with this classic chapter book about four siblings who, while hiding in a wardrobe in their new home, suddenly walk through the back of it and find themselves in a fantastical land of perpetual winter. Their adventures beyond the wardrobe, as well as the story preceding this discovery, are covered in the seven books of the Chronicles of Narnia.

A young orphan escapes his lonely life by setting off on a journey inside of an enchanted peach. Along the way, he meets a host of magical creatures, makes new friends, and finds the home he always wanted.

Lisa R said:  No author better captures the feeling of being a child lost in a world of arbitrary and ridiculous adult rules than Roald Dahl. The imaginative and often slightly naughty heroes in his many classic chapter books for kids consistently captivate readers with their mind bending adventures.

Vanessa M. said:  This series is a collaborative effort from favorite young adult authors (like Rick Riordan and Gordon Korman). The adventure fiction books star siblings that traverse across the globe searching for clues to piece together their family's mystery. This is a great book series for fourth graders to sink their teeth into as it will keep them engaged and reading for a long time!

Matilda is a classic children's book about a brilliant young girl named Matilda who loves to read but is mistreated by her neglectful parents and tyrannical headmistress. 

Vanessa M. said:  I enjoyed reading this book aloud to my 7 & 5 yr olds, and they loved it as well. When we finished reading the book, we had a family movie night where we baked a huge chocolate cake (as a nod to Bruce Bogtrotter) and watched the movie together!

Beth Wood said:  This series about a brother and sister and their competition to have the best lemonade stand is one of my daughter's all-time favorite reads! It talks a lot about math, business and marketing ideas that kids will understand and is filled with lots of laughs along the way!

Kelly R said:  My kids loved this one in fourth and fifth grade. A famous game maker designs a town's new library and opening night is celebrated with an escape room-style challenge.

Kelly R said:  This is a fun book for 4th graders that inspires thought about how familiar words come to be, when a kid decides to make up a new word for the ordinary pen - and it catches on!

Kristy Pepping said:  This is a great book for fourth graders and comes with a message of accepting people for who they are. Aven was born without arms and when she gets stares from strangers, she makes up silly stories as to how she lost them. But she doesn't let this stop her from doing anything. Aven moves to Arizona with her family and meets Connor who also has a disability. They learn despite their disabilities, they can do great things together and are capable of a lot more than they thought they were.

Kristy Pepping said:  This fun graphic novel was a favorite of my fourth grade girl as the main character is super relatable and a Girl Scout just like she is. Raina, a 6th grader, falls and knocks two teeth out. This is followed by needing braces all while navigating the joys of middle school like boys and issues with friends.

Tim Ponisciak said:  These are popular books for 4th graders about cats and the clans they live with and the battles they take on against other clans. There are a lot of books.

Kelly R said:  These are great books for 4th graders about globe-trotting siblings hunting for treasure. Highly recommended by my book-loving son, but I think they'd be equally great for reluctant readers.

When a robot finds herself stranded on a remote island, she must adapt and learn to live with the native animals in order to survive.

Kelly R said:  My son and daughter both loved this book in 4th grade, a unique technology-meets-nature story with fantastic illustrations.

Alexandra F. said:  We are all huge fans of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy, so we were excited to read this, her debut five book children's series, for our family book club. It's a great fantasy adventure story about a tween boy from NYC who falls down a mysterious chute in his apartment's laundry room into a fantastical land under the ground populated by gigantic mice, cockroaches, bats and other creatures, including a race of humans who have been there for centuries. Of course, he encounters many conflicts and adventures while he's down there - it's a fun read, and we enjoyed the whole series.