Claudia Mills.  After Fifth Grade, the World!

Heidi tries a succession of ways to make her fifth-grade teacher less mean.

Mark Crilley.  Akiko and the Intergalactic Zoo

Fifth-grader Akiko's old friends from the planet Smoo return to Earth to take her to see an intergalactic zoo, where she has a harrowing adventure with a winged Zullziban girl.

Sheila Greenwald.  Alvin Webster's Surefire Plan for Success (And

How it Failed)   Gifted fifth grader Alvin Webster, accustomed to always being the best, the first, and the one with the most right answers, has some adjustments to make when he finds out he is getting a new baby brother at the same time he tries to tutor a less gifted student who does not want to be tutored.

Marissa Moss.  Amelia Takes Command

After successfully commanding the Discovery shuttle mission at Space Camp, Amelia returns to fifth grade where she deals with the bully who has been making her life miserable.

Tom Birdseye.  Attack of the Mutant Underwear

Fifth-grader Cody Carson keeps a journal of his hopes for a fresh start in a town where nobody knows about his humiliating mistakes of the past, but before school even begins so does his embarrassment.

Cynthia Voigt.  Bad Girls

After meeting on the first day in Mrs. Chemsky's fifth-grade class, Margalo and Mikey help each other in and out of trouble, as they try to maintain a friendship while each asserts her independence.

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.  Beetles, Lightly Toasted

Andy's entering the fifth-grade essay contest stirs his imagination to creative heights as he competes with his know-it-all cousin by making recipes with some unusual food sources and testing them on unaware friends and family.

Anne Schlieper.  The Best Fight

Fifth-grader Jamie, who goes to a special class because he has difficulty reading, thinks he's dumb until the school principal helps him realize that he also has many talents.

Bill Wallace.  The Biggest Klutz in Fifth Grade

Tired of being taunted for his clumsiness, Pat makes a bet that he can get through the summer and start sixth grade without breaking any bones or having to get stitches.

Betsy Cromer Byars.  Bingo Brown and the Language of Love

As fifth grader Bingo Brown strives for the triumphs of today and steels himself against the tribulations of tomorrow, he discovers that he will have to undergo a few more trials and triumphs before growing up.

Bill Wallace.  Blackwater Swamp

Having discovered the true nature of the old woman known as the Witch of Blackwater Swamp, fifth grader Ted must decide whether to come to her aid when she is accused of the thefts plaguing his small Louisiana town.

Judy Blume.  Blubber

Jill goes along with the rest of the fifth-grade class in tormenting a classmate and then finds out what it's like when she, too, becomes a target.

Nancy Matson.  The Boy Trap

Fifth grader Emma decides to do a science fair project to prove scientifically that girls are better than boys, but in the process, she learns more about herself, her friends and about research methods.

David A. Adler.  Cam Jansen and the First Day of School Mystery

On her first day of fifth grade, Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to help the police find a car thief. Includes a memory game.

Michele Torrey.  The Case of the Barfy Birthday and Other Super-

Scientific Cases   Fifth graders Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey use their detective and scientific investigation skills to solve cases which involve food poisoning, missing terns, a haunted treehouse, and a pig in a pit.

Barbara Ware Holmes.  Charlotte Cheetham, Master of Disaster

A fifth grader who simple can not keep from telling lies, Charlotte, in her desperation to be included by a group of girls in her class, tells her most outlandish tale ever.

Candy Dawson Boyd.  Chevrolet Saturdays

When he enters fifth grade after his mother's remarriage, Joey has trouble adjusting to his new teacher and to his new stepfather.

Jennifer B. Jones.  Dear Mrs. Ryan, You're Ruining My Life

In an effort to get his mother to stop writing about him in her books, fifth-grader Harvey and his best friend decide to try to make a romantic connection between her and their school principal.

Johanna Hurwitz.  DeDe Takes Charge!

A year after her father has left home for good, fifth-grader DeDe helps her mother cope with the realities of life after divorce.

Alison McDonough.  Do the Hokey Pokey

Anxious to fit in at his new school and make friends, fifth grader Brendan tries to avoid his embarrassing mother who loves to make a spectacle of herself.

Sue Stauffacher.  Donuthead

Franklin Delano Donuthead, a fifth-grader obsessed with hygiene and safety, finds an unlikely friend and protector in Sarah Kervick, the tough new student who lives in a dirty trailer, bonds with his mother, and is as "irregular" as he is.

Jamie Gilson.  Double Dog Dare

The fifth grade year gets off to a busy start as one student returns from winning a national Miss Pre-Teen Personality contest, a new girl with some interesting knowledge arrives, jealousy gets a grip on one particular student, and an "experiment" to see who's smart is conducted.

Donald J. Sobol.  Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective

Fifth-grader "Encyclopedia" Leroy Brown solves ten mysteries and, by putting the solutions at the back of the book, challenges the reader to do the same.

Andrew Clements.  Frindle

When he decides to turn his fifth grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control.

Kate McMullan.  The Great Ideas of Lila Fenwick

In a series of episodes, fifth grader Lila Fenwick has some truly amazing "Great Ideas" that get her out of and into all kinds of trouble.

Jamie Gilson.  Hobie Hanson, Greatest Hero of the Mall

When his town is devastated by a flood, Hobie's fifth grade class is forced to meet every day in the shopping mall.

Thomas Rockwell.  How to Fight a Girl

Joe and Alan's plan to get revenge on Billy backfires when their secret weapon, the prettiest girl in their fifth grade class, becomes Billy's friend instead.

Nancy J. Hopper.  I Was a Fifth-Grade Zebra

When other girls in her fifth grade class seem to be obsessed with boys, Chelsea Zeller tries to imitate her role model, Dian Fossey, as she examines her identity and her own feelings about boys.

Natalie Honeycutt.  Invisible Lissa

Lissa badly wants to get into Debra's exclusive fifth-grade lunch club, until she finds out what it is really like.

Jack Gantos.  Jack on the Tracks:  Four Seasons of Fifth Grade

Moving with his unbearable sister to Miami, Florida, Jack tries to break some of his bad habits but finds himself irresistibly drawn to things disgusting, gross, and weird.

Andrew Clements.  Janitor's Boy

Fifth grader Jack finds himself the target of ridicule at school when it becomes known that his father is one of the janitors, and he turns his anger onto his father.

Bruce Coville.  Jennifer Murdley's Toad:  a Magic Shop Book

When an ordinary-looking fifth grader purchases a talking toad, she embarks on a series of extraordinary adventures.

Susan Richards Shreve.  Joshua T. Bates Takes Charge

Eleven-year-old Joshua, worried about fitting in at school, feels awkward when the new student he is supposed to be helping becomes the target of the fifth grade's biggest bully.

Tom Birdseye.  Just Call Me Stupid

Terrified of failing and believing that he is stupid, a fifth grader who has never learned to read begins to believe in himself with the help of an outgoing new girl next door.

Andrew Clements.  The Landry News

A fifth-grader starts a newspaper with an editorial that prompts her burnt-out classroom teacher to really begin teaching again, but he is later threatened with disciplinary action as a result.

Nancy Steele Brokaw.  Leaving Emma

Fifth-grader Emma faces many unpleasant changes as her best friend prepares to move away, her father goes to Turkey for five months, and her mother starts college, but with the help of her great-aunt Grace, Emma becomes a lot more independent and self-reliant.

Johanna Hurwitz.  Llama in the Library

Fifth-grader Adam Fine thinks that his two llamas will be a hit at the grand reopening of the town's library.

Patricia Reilly Giff.  Love, From the Fifth Grade Celebrity

Casey enjoyed Tracy's company during summer vacation but becomes increasingly jealous of her irrepressible new friend when she joins Casey's fifth-grade class.

Mildred Pitts Walter.  Mariah Loves Rock

As fifth grade comes to an end, Mariah, who idolizes a famous rock star, experiences many misgivings, as does every member of her family, about the arrival of a half sister who is coming to live with them.

Janet S. Wong.  Minn and Jake

Fifth-grader Minn, the tallest girl in school, begins a rocky friendship with Jake, a new student who is not only very short, but is also afraid of the worms and lizards that Minn likes to collect.

Elizabeth Levy.  My Life as a Fifth-Grade Comedian

Although Bobby's father thinks that he might be expelled just like his older brother, with the encouragement of a new fifth-grade teacher, Bobby tries to channel his penchant for humor into a learning experience.

P. J. Petersen.  My Worst Friend

After a sharp-tongued fifth-grader undergoes surgery for a brain tumor she is uncomfortable because suddenly everyone is unnaturally nice to her.

Bill Brittain.  The Mystery of the Several Sevens

Mr. Merlin, a wizard disguised as a substitute teacher, magically transports two fifth graders to a fairyland where they must solve a riddle to find out who has stolen the seven dwarfs' bag of diamonds.

Amy McDonald.  No More Nasty

When Simon's Great Aunt Matilda becomes the substitute teacher for his unruly fifth-grade class, her unique way of looking at things gives the students a new perspective on learning.

Barthe DeClements.  Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade

A fifth grade class, repelled by the overweight new student who has serious home problems, finally learns to accept her.

Dean Hughes.  Nutty, the Movie Star

Eleven-year-old Nutty, hoping to improve his image with his fellow fifth graders, finds his popularity unexpectedly boosted when he gets a small part in a Hollywood movie.

Gary Soto.  Off and Running

When they learn that Rudy Herrera and Alex Garcia, two fifth-grade class clowns, plan to run against them in the school elections, Miata and her friend Ana know that they face a difficult race.

Peni R. Griffin.  Otto From Otherwhere

A ten-year-old alien boy travels through an interdimensional doorway to enter the lives of fifth grader Paula and her boisterous family for a year.

Gordon Korman.  Radio Fifth Grade

Mayhem breaks out in the fifth grade when the Venice Menace bullies his classmates into letting him become a regular guest on "Kidsview," the school's radio program.

Carol Fenner.  Randall's Wall

Artistically talented but socioeconomically underprivileged, a fifth-grade boy has built a wall of defense to protect himself from the pain of human relationships--a wall which begins to crumble when a dynamic and compassionate classmate decides to interfere in his life.

Patricia Reilly Giff.  Rat Teeth

Fifth-grader Cliffie feels that nothing has been right in his life since his parents got their divorce and his front teeth began growing out over his lower lip.

Vicki Grove.  Reaching Dustin

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.

Camille Yarbrough.  The Shimmershine Queens

Two fifth graders try to uplift themselves and their classmates out of a less than beautiful urban present by encouraging dreams and the desire to achieve them.

Wendelin Van Draanen.  Shredderman:  Secret Identity

Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd, tired of being called names by the class bully, has a secret identity--Shredderman!

Vivian Vande Velde.  Smart Dog

Fifth grader Amy finds her life growing complicated when she meets and tries to hide an intelligent, talking dog who has escaped from a university lab.

Graham McNamee.  Sparks

When Todd is both happy and anxious about trying to fit in with the regular fifth grade class but feels confused about how to relate to his former friends in the Special Needs class, a school assignment on the exploited pygmy, Ota Benga, helps give him confidence and clarity.

Karen English.  Strawberry Moon

While driving to Auntie Dot's house, Junie tells her children about spending fifth grade there during her parent's separation many years earlier, when finding a best friend seemed almost as important as seeing her mother again.

Laurie Myers.  Surviving Brick Johnson

Afraid of getting maimed for making fun of Brick, the husky new kid in his fifth-grade class, Nick decides that even his baseball collection will not protect him so he signs up for karate class, despite his little brother's reassurances that Brick is not a bully.

Bonnie B. Graves.  Taking Care of Trouble

Joel, a fifth-grader, is the only kid in Junior Adventurers who hasn't passed Emergency Preparedness, but when his best friend's pretty older sister begs in to take care of a toddler aka Trouble, Joel has hilarious adventures in babysitting.

Patricia Polacco.  Thank You, Mr. Falker

At first, Trisha loves school, but her difficulty learning to read makes her feel dumb, until, in the fifth grade, a new teacher helps her understand and overcome her problem.

Kelly Easton.  Trouble at Betts Pets

A number of changes are taking place in fifth-grader Aaron's life: business at the family pet shop is declining, forcing his parents to consider selling the store; luxury condominiums are going up on the land that houses a community garden, and Aaron gets to know his seemingly perfect classmate Sharon when she begins to tutor him in math.

Susan Richards Shreve.  Trout and Me

Ben's troubles at school get progressively worse when he starts hanging around Trout, a new boy in his fifth grade class, who is also labeled as learning disabled.

Colby F. Rodowsky.  The Turnabout Shop

In "conversations" with her dead mother, fifth-grader Livvy records her adjustment to living in Baltimore with a woman she had never met, and she comes to see the wisdom of her mother's choice as she gets to know the woman's large, loving family.

Marc Kornblatt.  Understanding Buddy

When a new classmate stops speaking because of the sudden death of his mother, fifth grader Sam tries to befriend him and risks destroying his relationship with his best friend Alex.

Beatrice Gromley.  Wanted, UFO

Fifth grader Elise is thrilled when a UFO appears in her friend Nick's backyard but shocked when she discovers why its occupants have come to Earth.

Andrew Clements.  A Week in the Woods

The fifth grade's annual camping trip in the woods tests Mark's survival skills and his ability to relate to a teacher who seems out to get him.

Ilene Cooper.  The Winning of Miss Lynn Ryan

No matter how hard she tries, Carrie fails to impress her attractive, new fifth-grade teacher who favors the more popular members of the class and either ignores or criticizes Carrie and her new friend Luke, the class nerd.

Patricia Reilly Giff.  The Winter Worm Business

When his look-alike cousin moves to town, acts like an idiot in school, and takes away his friend, fifth grader Leroy is sure his life is ruined.

Carol Fenner.  Yolonda's Genius

After moving from Chicago to Grand River, Michigan, 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.

Caroline Janover.  Zipper, the Kid with ADHD

Zach, a fifth-grader who has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, has trouble concentrating and controlling himself until a retired jazz musician who believes in him gives him the motivation to start trying to do better.