5th Grade Complete List (pdf) | Pick of the Decade Complete List (pdf)
Pick of the Decade 1995-2005: Best Fiction D'Adamo, Francesco. Iqbal , 2003. A fictionalized account of the Pakistani child who escaped from bondage in a carpet factory and went on to help liberate other children like him before being gunned down at the age of thirteen. Danziger, Paula. The United Tates of America , 2002. Eleven-year-old aspiring artist Skate experiences many changes when she enters middle school, finds her best friend drifting away from her, and loses her beloved great-uncle. (See also: The Cat Ate My Gymsuit , The Pistachio Prescription and This Place Has No Atmosphere .) Danziger, Paula and Ann Martin. P.S. Longer Letter Later , 1998. Twelve-year-old best friends Elizabeth and Tara-Starr continue their friendship through letter-writing after Tara-Starr's family moves to another state. (Sequel: Snail Mail No More .) De Guzman, Michael. Melonhead , 2002. Tired of living with his uncaring, divorced parents, Sidney, a twelve-year-old boy with an unusually large head, takes a bus trip across the United States which becomes a journey of self-discovery. DeFelice, Cynthia. The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker , 1996. After his family dies of consumption in 1849, twelve-year-old Lucas becomes a doctor's apprentice. (See also: Nowhere to Call Home ; Weasel , Devil's Bridge ; Lostman's River and Death at Devil's Bridge .) DiCamillo, Kate. The Tale of Despereaux , 2003. Despereaux Tilling has been different from all the other mice from the moment he was born. The large-eared rodent, enjoys reading fairy tales and falls in love with a real live princess, but when the other mice banish him to the dungeon, not only is his own life in danger, but his beloved princess's as well. Dorris, Michael. Sees Behind Trees , 1996. A Native American boy with a special gift to "see" beyond his poor eyesight journeys with an old warrior to a land of mystery and beauty. Dowell , Frances . Dovey Coe , 2000. When accused of murder in her North Carolina mountain town in 1928, Dovey Coe, a strong-willed twelve-year-old girl, comes to a new understanding of others, including her deaf brother. DuPrau, Jeanne. The City of Ember , 2003. In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions. (Sequel: People of Sparks .) Ellis, Sarah. Out of the Blue , 1995. After discovering that she has a 24-year old half-sister, Megan finds the well-defined edges of her life disappearing into confusion. Erdrich, Louise. The Birchbark House, 1999. Omakayas, a seven-year-old Native American girl of the Ojibwa tribe, lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter on an island in Lake Superior in 1847.
Farrell, Mame. And Sometimes Why , 2001. Eighth grader Jack is confused when he finds his relationship changing with his best friend, an athletic girl named Chris who has suddenly become attractive. Fenner, Carol. Yolanda's Genius , 1995. After moving from Chicago to Grand River , Michigan , African-American fifth-grader Yolonda, big and strong for her age, determines to prove that her younger brother is not a slow learner but a true musical genius. (See also: The King of the Dragons .) Finney, Patricia. I, Jack , 2004. Jack, a Labrador Retriever, tells about his daily life of food, walks, and the "apedogs" and "funny-looking dogs" (cats) in his pack, as well as how everything changes when a pretty girl dog moves into the neighborhood. Includes explanatory footnotes written by the cats. Flesichman, Paul. Seedfolks , 1997. One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city lot into a productive and beautiful garden, and in doing so, the gardeners are themselves transformed. Fletcher, Ralph. Fig Pudding , 1995. Cliff describes the excitement, conflict, and sudden tragedy experienced by his large and boisterous family during his eleventh year. Freeman, Suzanne. Cuckoo's Child , 1996. Eleven-year-old Mia refuses to believe that her parents are not coming back after they're reported lost at sea. Fuqua, Jonathan. Darby , 2002. In 1926, nine-year-old Darby Carmichael stirs up trouble in Marlboro County , South Carolina , when she writes a story for the local newspaper promoting racial equality. Gaiman, Neil. Coraline , 2002. In this chilling tale, Coraline ventures into a mysterious corridor that leads to an alternate reality where her "other" parents are nicer to her than her real parents. But as they gaze at her with their black button eyes, Coraline finds that they want to keep her forever. When they kidnap her real parents, Coraline sets out on a desperate and dangerous journey to set them free. Gantos, Jack. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key , 1998. To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his prescription meds wear off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired. (Sequels: Joey Pigza Loses Control and What Would Joey Do? ) Giff, Patricia Reilly. Pictures of Hollis Woods , 2002. What twelve-year-old artist Hollis Woods wishes for the most is a family. She always runs away from her foster homes until she meets Josie who is as good at carving as Hollis is at drawing. Soon their roles reverse and Hollis is caring for the elderly Josie, as she relives the summer with the Regan family and struggles to find a place to call home. (See also: All the Way Home and Lily's Crossing .) Gliori, Debi. Pure Dead Magic , 2001. When their father is kidnapped and danger looms, the Strega-Borgia children, their mysterious new nanny, and a giant tarantula use magic and actual trips through the Internet to bring peace to their Scottish castle. (Sequels: Pure Dead Wicked and Pure Dead Brilliant .) Gray, Luli. Falcon's Egg , 1995. While playing in Central Park one day, eleven-year-old Falcon discovers a red-hot egg. Afraid her mother won't let her keep it, she finds a way to hide it, but when it hatches she discovers it's not an unusual bird at all, but a dragon. (Sequel: Falcon and the Charles Street Witch .) Griffin, Adele. The Other Shepards , 1998. Teenage Holland and her younger sister Geneva , having always lived under the shadow of siblings who died before they were born, struggle to establish separate identities and escape from the oppressive weight of their parents' continuing grief. Grove , Vicki. Reaching Dustin , 1998. Fifth-grader Carly's assignment to interview a reclusive, brooding classmate leads her to discover some of the events that have caused his antisocial and abusive family's negative impact on their Missouri farming community, and Carly's family in particular. |
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