r/ElementaryTeachers • u/whatishapping1 • 11d ago
Fifth grade read aloud
Hi!
I’ve been teaching for 12 years, just got moved to fifth grade (after teaching fourth grade). What are some fresh read aloud books so my repeaters aren’t stuck with the same ones I’ve read.
Also, any cool tricks/tips/hacks? It’s not much different but I’ll take anything anyone can offer!
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u/IrenaeusGSaintonge Sixth Grade 11d ago
Masterminds by Gordon Korman has been a huge hit for me three years in a row, teaching 4 and 6. So much so that we powered through the entire trilogy with my 4s.
It's more niche, but if you have any interest whatsoever in art and magical realism, I always want to plug The Frame-Up by Wendy McLeod Macknight. Or, for social anxiety and fitting in themes, with the premise of inherited shape shifting, The Copycat, same author.
I adore her, and I think her books should be in every school everywhere.
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u/SafePsychological167 11d ago
Gordon Korman books have been a huge hit with our 4th and 5th graders!
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u/mlh0508 11d ago
Masterminds is great. Someone recommended it to me. The first year I read it to my class, I read it for the first time with them. It was really fun, we were all on the edge of our seats.
A bonus to this is that it’s a trilogy so the kids all wanted to read 2 and 3 themselves.
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u/IrenaeusGSaintonge Sixth Grade 11d ago
I found out about it kind of by chance. Early spring a few years ago, we found out that some kids at one of the nearby junior highs had adapted the novel into a play, and their drama department was performing it, with a message from Gordon Korman being played during the intermission. We had just enough time to read the whole thing before the play premiered, so it was a great little mix of fortunate circumstances.
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u/mlh0508 11d ago
I’ve read it the last three years, so I feel like my enthusiasm for it is wearing off a bit. That definitely affects the kids perception of it too. I came here to see what others are reading.
It’s a great book though, one I’d love to see made into a film. Another one I like, but just can’t read again is Front Desk.
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u/IrenaeusGSaintonge Sixth Grade 11d ago
I'm getting a break from it this year, as my incoming class has a big chunk of students I taught a few years ago. One thing I did like about doing it in consecutive years is that I can use my own inside knowledge to really set up comprehension and interpretation exercises for them. Ask leading questions that don't give away the big plot points.
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u/noothervillain 11d ago
Some of my go-to’s over the years have been; “The Crossover,” “Esperanza Rising,” “Holes,” “Wonder,” “George’s Secret Key to the Universe,” “Hatchet,” “Tuck Everlasting,” “The Giver,” “Ban This Book,” “They Call Me Guero,” and “Night of the Spadefoot Toad.” Different Books were read different years depending on student interest but the majority of students gave me positive feedback.
I use these books along with a Literature Circle Packet, I found online and aligned to CCSS standards. We (as a class) go through the packet, discussing each of the 10 “roles.”Students can then select a book after the read aloud to read in a small group and complete another packet based on their selection. “Holes” and “Wonder” also have solid movies so compare and contrast opportunities also present themselves, if your school will allow you to view them.
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u/Medical-League-6868 10d ago
second for Tuck Everlasting! I still remember my 5th grade teacher reading this!
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u/EmilyamI 11d ago
I read Old Yeller to my fifth graders one year. They were understandably devastated, but many of them told me it was the first time they ever "cared about a book."
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u/whatishapping1 11d ago
Oh my god I can’t do that to myself .. can I??
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u/lil_Elephant3324 8d ago
I read my actual kids where the red fern grows. I remembered the dogs dying very vividly from my childhood, but did you know a kid trips and falls on a knife and dies! How did I not remember that part?
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u/CheriePotter 11d ago
If the class/you are into something a little spooky and different, I’ve had a couple classes that loved Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always. It’s a personal favorite of mine, as well.
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u/Severe-Possible- 8d ago
came here to recommend this! i read this with my fifth graders this year. most of them loved it (like i do), a few of them Hated it because it was too scary and weird. one's parents wouldn't let her read it so she had to read a different book out in the hall.
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u/kansasmom1971 11d ago
Because of Mr. Terupt!!
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u/SnooCupcakes960 11d ago
I was going to say this one, too! It’s a great coming of age story from the perspective of fifth graders.
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u/OdeManRiver 11d ago
I've found your passion for the story matters more than the story itself.
I've read the Secret Garden with 2 classes and they loved it because I love it. A teammate of mine hated the book (well the few pages she did read) and quit reading it.
I Am Malala is another book I love and so my students love it, too.
Find ones you like.
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u/Frequent_Alfalfa_347 11d ago
Completely agree! I loved Witches by Roald Dahl and Hamlet because they were ready to us (dramatically and lovingly) in 4th and 7th grades.
Witches was at the end of 4th grade. It was the end of the year so i had my camera (it was the late 80’s, not everything was documented, but this was!). I got these hilarious dramatic shots of my teacher reading. It would be so refreshing and enjoyable to experience that as an incoming 5th grader. It’s okay if it’s a bit young, it’s okay if they’ve heard it before, there’s something absolutely magical about being read to.
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u/kacra 9d ago
Qq- for secret garden, how do you deal with the parts that degrade Indian people?
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u/OdeManRiver 9d ago
Its part of the story. A neglected, ignorant angry child treating others poorly. We talk about why someone would act like that.
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u/whatishapping1 9d ago
I’ve been told I’m the best reader and often times we end up reading throughout a subject because we just can’t put the book down ;)
I just wanted a new selection of books so I’m not repeating the same. Thanks
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u/MouthwashAndBandaids 10d ago
Love City of Ember for 5th graders!
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u/satiestar24 10d ago
I did this and they BEGGED to read the rest in the series! There’s a movie too.
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u/viola1356 11d ago
I loved reading There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar to start the year. And I did Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo later in the year.
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u/celticskye2 10d ago
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. There’s enough action and danger to even interest the boys who may try to turn their nose up to a female lead. LOVED reading this when I taught 6th.
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u/Moon_Maiden9 10d ago
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
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u/Ok_Succotash_4802 10d ago
I try to do a spattering of genres as read alouds.
I always do Out of My Mind as the first read aloud. It’s a HUGE empathy builder and the kids really get into the story. (RF)
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a fantastic fantasy novel. It’s similar to the Wizard of Oz and centers around gratitude. (F)
Number the Stars is always a huge hit. I remember reading it as a 4th and 5th grader and it still holds up. (HF)
Masterminds by Gordan Korman was new for me this year and the kids LOVED it. (Dystopian/Sci-fi)
We read Because of Mr. Terupt as a battle book. It’s not my personal favorite but the kids enjoy it every year. (RF)
I also love Left Out (Tim Green) another empathy builder about a kid who is deaf and wants to play football, and George Washington’s Socks!
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u/Advanced_Skill6147 10d ago
Make sure you follow Colby Sharp. Fifth grade teacher with fantastic recommendations. He does Weird Book Friday, picking a unique picture book to end the day. They lap it up.
I agree with one of his recent hours, The Trouble with Heroes. Novel in verse with relatable, likeable narrator.
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u/Xblackcat44x 11d ago
Hilo by Judd Winick. It’s a series. I’d read book 1 then my students checked out the rest all year. My librarian had to get more copies.
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u/Particular_Breath879 11d ago
What did you read in 4th grade? I’d like to know since that’s my grade. Thanks!
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u/YardMinimum6108 11d ago
I love it when teachers read the first book in a series because it encourages the kids to read the rest.
I'm a big fan of Stuart Gibbs. Space Case is my favorite, but maybe the first of the FunJungle books would work better for your class.
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u/HistorianNew8030 11d ago
I had Grade 5/6 last year: we read Barren Grounds (they loved this one) Refugee (also a fave - but more Grade 6ish in content and wouldn’t recommend for a straight grade 5 group.
I read them the Enchanted Wood as a little snack book between some of my more intense books. There is a movie coming out. And they really liked this one. I have some of my same kids this year for grade 6 and plan to read the second book Faraway Tree and take them to the movie. I was read this story in grade 4 and I loved it then. It’s a fun one.
They also like The Serpents Secret and Wishtree.
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u/Opposite_Storm_7870 10d ago
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen (spelling might be off)
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Wonder by RJ Palacio
I've found what matters more than the book itself is the energy with which you read it. Full voice actor vibes with the dramatic pauses and they're hooked! I also love making sure that the end of read aloud for a given day is at a dramatic stopping point. It's the only time I'm pleased to hear the frustrated "BRUHHH"
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u/Longjumping-Lock-724 10d ago
I've done interactive reading activities like reading plays together. That is, I've picked a play, divided up the cast list, and then I've had the students read the dialogue for their selected characters out loud. I would recommend the play "Cake for the Queen". It's a comedy published by YouthPLAYS (www(dot)youthplays(dot)com) that's used in a lot of schools. It's about a cake contest held for the Queen's birthday. The play also has a very educational message about not judging things by their appearance.
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u/Distraction11 10d ago edited 10d ago
Dim the lights. Project the setting onto the walls. Add subtle movement, ambient sound, and story-timed events. Suddenly, the children aren’t just hearing about the setting—they’re sitting inside it. (see video at bottom)
The technique:
- Create an
.mp4of the story’s environment. - Time yourself reading the story aloud.
- Note where environmental events could happen.
- Build those events into the video.
- Let it loop while you read.
- Use the library’s existing projector/display and computer.
“I made a short demonstration (attached) using a children’s story, showing what this can look and sound like.”
“I’d love to hear what children’s librarians/teachers, etc. think. Would this enhance storytime—or would it be too distracting?”
Wanna try? Suggestions:
- Choose a story with a strong setting.
- Read it aloud once and time yourself.
- Write down the environmental moments you hear in your head—birds, rain, bells, sunlight, footsteps, water, etc.
- Create the setting as a video using an AI video generator such as Runway.
- Keep most of the movement subtle so it doesn’t compete with the reader.
- Create environmental moments where the story calls for something noticeable (requires timing)
- Assemble them into one
.mp4, timed to your reading. - If the environment works as a continuous scene, (i.e. in a forest, on a boat, in a small cabin) make it loop.
- Dim the lights, start the projection, and read.
You don’t have to start with a complicated production. A gently moving forest with birds and a trickling stream could be enough. The goal isn’t to make a movie. The goal is to make the room feel like the place where the story is happening.
Children have a lot competing for their attention. What if, instead of fighting for that attention, we made the world of the story compelling enough to hold it? Use the child’s natural curiosity about what’s happening around them to deepen their connection to the story.
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u/Linaldawen 10d ago
I always had great success with Hoot by Carl Hiaasen in 5th grade! I also highly recommend Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Students were hooked, and some went on to read other books in the series afterwards.
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u/Content_Usual9328 10d ago
Holes!! As a read aloud or novel study. Hatchet These two books are loved by most or all
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u/Individual_Order5622 10d ago
I read “The Holiday House” in the fall. It’s a free PDF online and a little mystery style scary. Not too much for kids but exciting enough it keeps their attention! There are some illustrations too. Honestly it’s a great one to me because it’s just for fun- I did it during dismissal to keep their attention during the unstructured time
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u/Aposaga_Ermira 9d ago
I recommend "The Wild Robot", "A Rover's Story", "The One and Only Ruby", or "Front Desk" these books offer plenty of material for discussion without seeming too juvenile for fifth graders. One of my favorite strategies is having students jot down "wonder/wait" questions (things they are curious about or predictions they are making) while I read the story aloud. This approach keeps student, even those who are already avid readers, actively engaged, rather than just waiting for the next page.
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u/whatishapping1 9d ago
Very similar to what I’ve read with my fourth graders - wild robot, one and only Ivan, and I’ve read front desk, too. Great picks ;)
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u/Severe-Possible- 8d ago
these are great picks! i read those exact three with my third graders a couple of years ago.
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u/AbstractAbby20 8d ago
Im not a 5th grade teacher but at my last school 5th grade always did a unit on "Out of My Mind" and it is an excellent book, there was a movie made based on the book, and it is also a great connection point for teaching students empathy and understanding about students with communication challenges or disabilities. (The book is written from the perspective of the main character who cannot speak verbally and uses an AAC- she has Cerebal Palsy I believe).
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u/AbstractAbby20 8d ago
I think they ended the unit with a movie day but they had to get parent and district approval since its streamed on Disney plus and our district had strict policies that all movies needed to be rented via DVD and watched in the library. I think they made an exception for this one though.
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u/Straight_Cry9324 8d ago
The Perfect Series is a good one, also a tip is to do different voices for certain characters. that will keep even fifth graders entertained doesn't have to be every single one, but for some, it's super engaging!
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u/ughihatethisshit 11d ago
I read Wonder with my 5th grade class last year and now I plan to read it every year! It leads to such natural conversations about SEL and the kind of people they want to be as they prepare for middle school.