FOURTH GRADE READING LIST

for Mr. Mialky's Class






Fiction      

26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie De Paola 
An autobiography by the popular children's author. He describes the year before his family moved from an apartment into their new home on Fairmount Avenue. The book gives glimpses into his childhood and connects with his picture books.

Abel's Island by William Steig 
When Abel tries to rescue Amanda's scarf, he is swept away into a torrent of water and finally lands on an island. Here the lazy and pampered Abel must take care of himself and find a way home.

Ace the Very Important Pig by Dick King-Smith
Farmer Tubb's amazing pig, Ace, winds up on television for his cleverness.

Afternoon of the Elves by Janet Taylor Lisle
Hillary doesn't believe the mean things she hears about Sara-Kate, and leaves her comfortable surroundings to explore the elves' village in Sara-Kate's back yard.

All About Sam by Lois Lowry
Anastasia Krupnik's little brother Sam gets a chance to tell his own story about life in the Krupnik family.

Amber Brown Wants Extra Credit by Paula Danziger
Amber Brown is in 4th grade. Her parents get a divorce, her best friend Justin moves away, and she gets in trouble in school (sequel to Amber Brown Goes Forth).

Babe and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure by Dan Gutman
With their ability to time travel using vintage baseball cards, Joe and his father have the  opportunity to find out whether Babe Ruth really called his shot when he hit the home run in the third game of the world series against the Chicago Cubs.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kae DeCamillo
Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie.

Beetles, Lightly Toasted by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
A boy competes with his know-it-all cousin by creating recipes from unusual food sources and testing them on unaware friends and family.

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
Nine-year-old Beezus Quimby has her hands full with her little sister, Ramona. Sure, other people have little sisters who bother them sometimes, but are there any in the world like Ramona?

Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson
The six horrible Herdmans, the worst kids in the history of the world, cause mayhem throughout the school year. Sequel to Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

The Boy Who Owned the School by Gary Paulsen
A funny book about a shy boy who doesn't like to talk to anyone or be noticed. He's flunking English and has to work on the set of the school play to get extra credit.

Catch That Pass by Matt Christopher 
One of a long series of books about football, baseball, hockey and other sports.

Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
The story tells of the two days after John acquired the chocolate touch — the magic that turned everything he touches into chocolate.


Coffin on a Case by Eve Bunting
Twelve-year-old Henry Coffin, son of a private investigator, helps a gorgeous high school girl in a dangerous attempt to find her kidnapped mother.

Dead Letter by Betsy Byars
Herculeah Jones and her best friend Meat set out to crack the case of a mysterious note which she finds in the lining of a second-hand coat.

Dear Mrs. Ryan by Jennifer Jones
In an effort to get their mother to stop writing about them in her books, Harvey and his best friend try to make a romantic connection between her and their school principal.

Encyclopedia Brown and the Case Of Pablo's Nose by Donald Sobol 
America's "Sherlock Holmes in sneakers" continues his war on crime in 10 more cases, the solutions to which appear in the back of the book.

Fat Fanny, Beanpole Bertha, and the Boys by Barbara Ann Porte 
To raise money, Bertha and Fanny decide to teach Fanny's triplet brothers to tap dance.

The Fighting Ground by Avi
Jonathan learns about war the hard way when he runs away to join the American Revolution.

Ginger Pye  by Eleanor Estes
Jerry and Rachel are very proud of the dog they purchased for $1, and are puzzled and upset when they must solve the mystery of who stole Ginger on Thanksgiving Day.

Harvey's Horrible Snake Disaster by Eth Clifford
Harvey tries to hide the fact that he is petrified of snakes.

Hey, New Kid by Betsy Duffey
When his family moves in the middle of the school year, third-grader Cody decides to start fresh; instead of being ordinary Cody, he's going to be Super Cody.

Homer Price by Robert McCloskey 
Classic story of an all-American boy growing up in a small midwestern town. Continued in Centerburg Tales.

Hot and Cold Summer by Johanna Hurwitz
Two inseparable 10-year-old boys discover there is room in their friendship for another person, and it really doesn't matter if she is a girl.

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Two boys set out to prove that worms can make a delicious meal.

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Betty Bao Lord
A Chinese girl moves to Brooklyn where she makes new friends, discovers baseball, and becomes a Brooklyn Dodgers fan.


Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks
A nine-year old boy receives a plastic Indian, a cupboard, and a key for his birthday, and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes to life.

Jim Ugly by Sid Fleischman 
The adventures of Jake and Jim Ugly, Jake's part-mongrel, part-wolf dog, as they travel through the Old West trying to find out what really happened to Jake's father.

Just Like Mike by Gail Herman 
Michael's mother is remarrying, and soon Michael will have a new family, a new home, and a new dad. Worst of all, though, he's going to have a new name; Michael Brown will be Michael Jordan.

Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
Three friends meet up with dragons, giants and wizards when they are sent back in time by a magic book.

Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff 
During a summer spent at Rockaway Beach in 1944, a girl's friendship with a young Hungarian refugee causes her to see the war and her own world differently.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The first volume in the well-known series of books about a pioneer family's struggle to survive in the wilderness.

Little Ships: The Heroic Rescue at Dunkirk in World War II by Louise Borden 
An English girl and her father take their sturdy fishing boat and join scores of other civilian vessels crossing the English Channel to rescue Allied troops.

Matilda by Roald Dahl 
Super-bright first-grader Matilda is upset when the evil school principal Miss Trunchbutt goes after the teacher, Miss Honey.

Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson
Marly and her brother experience new adventures and friends when they move to the country, including helping to get in a neighbor's maple sugar crop.

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Paul and Maureen work together to bring Phantom and her new foal, Misty, to Chincoteague.

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is a smart and caring lady who helps out the neighborhood kids by curing them of "bad habits" such as quarreling, not picking up toys, and every not-so-nice trait that's been attributed to children.

Off and Running by Gary Soto
When they learn that Rudy and Alex, two fifth grade class clowns, plan to run against them in the school elections, Miata and Ana know that they face a difficult race.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Fantastic adventures of a red-headed Swedish girl with extraordinary power, who has a monkey and a horse for companions.

Poppy by Avi
Mr. Ocax the owl rules the territory where Poppy, a young deer mouse, lives with her large, extended family. The mice have agreed to obey Mr. Ocax and, in exchange, he has promised to protect them from danger.

Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson 
The animals on Rabbit Hill are full of anticipation about the new family about to move into the big house.

Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary 
Ramona copes with a wedding, a new arrival in her family, a death, and her father's new job.

Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
Thirteen-year-old fraternal twins Dallas and Florida have grown up in a terrible orphanage but their lives change when an eccentric but sweet older couple invites them each on an adventure, beginning in an almost magical place called Ruby Holler.

Saffy’s Angel by Hilary Mckay
After learning that she was adopted, 13-year-old Saffron’s relationship with her eccentric, artistic family changes, until they help her go back to Italy where she was born to find a special memento of her past.

Shiloh by Phyllis Naylor
Eleven-year-old Marty Preston finds a mistreated beagle pup in his hometown of Friendly, West Virginia. The dog was abused by his owner. What should Marty do about it?

Shooting Star by Sheila Klass
Annie Oakley, a girl who prefers hunting over sewing, breaks free from conventional behavior for girls and becomes a sharpshooter and entertainer.

Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac
After her parents disappear and she is turned over to the care of a strange “great-uncle,” Molly must rely on her dreams about an old Mohawk story for her safety, and maybe even her life.

Sounder by William Armstrong
A poor sharecropper's family suffers when the father is unjustly imprisoned, and is kept growing by courage and love.

Soup in Love by Robert Newton Peck
As Valentine's Day approaches, Soup and Rob learn that there are several different kinds of love.

Space Race by Sylvia Waugh
When he learns he and his father must soon leave Earth, 11-year-old Derwent is upset, but an accident separates the two of them and makes Thomas’ situation much worse.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Fourth grader Peter must deal with his 2-year-old brother, Fudge, and his disgusting cuteness and propensity for complicating Peter's life.

Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander
Jason's amazing cat, Gareth, takes him on exciting adventures through time and space.

Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age and His Search for Soft Trousers by Raymond Briggs
To the dismay of his parents and friends, a prehistoric boy continually thinks of making things softer, warmer and nicer, rather than being content in a world of stone.

Wanted ... Mud Blossom by Betsy Byars
A side-splitting trial ensues after Pap's dog, Mud, is accused of eating the class hamster.

What Would Joey Do? by Jack Gantos
Joey tries to keep his life from degenerating into total chaos when his mother sends him to be home-schooled with a hostile blind girl, his divorced parents cannot stop fighting, and his grandmother is dying of emphysema.

Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
Prince Brat has a whipping boy named Jemmy who takes the blame for all the bad things the prince does.

Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
As Palmer nears his birthday, he finds himself dreading the town's annual Pigeon Day, when the new 10-year-olds must participate in a dreadful way.

Non Fiction         

Coyotes in the Crosswalk by Eve Bunting
Learn how all sorts of unique and wily wild creatures have made themselves at home in the cracks and crannies of our cities and towns.

Dolphin Treasure by Wayne Grover
In this sequel to Dolphin Adventure, a man searching for buried treasure off the Florida coast is cast adrift by a storm until a dolphin comes to his aid.

Don’t Know Much About the States by Kenneth C. Davis 
Every state boasts a claim to fame: its rich history, natural splendor, advancement of the arts, or unique contribution to American life. Check out what’s said about the place you call home, and learn surprising facts about the rest of the country.

Feathers, Flaps & Flops: Fabulous Early Flyers by Bo Saunders
This is a look at the wonderful world of flight and people like Jimmy Doolittle, Beryl Markham and “Wrong Way” Corrigan whose colorful exploits helped advance the airplane flight.

Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh
Details of some of the wonderful inventions that women have made over the years, and how they helped make our lives easier.

Hurricanes: Earth’s Mightiest Storms by Patricia Lauber
Tells how hurricanes form, how scientists study them, and how they have affected people and the environment.

Illustrated Book of Myths: Tales and Legends of the World by Neil Philip
A gathering together of many of the most popular myths from all over the world, including great classical tales from Greece and Rome and myths from the Norse, Celtic, Egyptian, Native American, Aboriginal, African, and Asian traditions.

It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles: Poems by Jack Prelutsky
Collection of humorous poetry such as “You Can’t Make Me Eat That!”

Paper Airplane Book by Seymour Simon
An explanation of how things fly, plus directions for making your own paper airplanes.

Biography 

Bill Peet: An Autobiography by Bill Peet
In words and pixyish pictures, the children’s book writer who animated major Disney films remembers his childhood and career.

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King by Doreen Rappaport 
Dr. Martin Luther King was an American civil rights advocate, who lived from 1929 to 1968, when he was asasinated. He worked tirelessly toward freedom for all Afro-Americans.

Michaelangelo by Diane Stanley
Biography of the Renaissance sculptor, architect and poet, known for his work of the Sisteen Chapel.

Tallchief: America’s Prima Ballerina by Maria Tallchief
Maria Tallchief describes her childhood on an Osage reservation in Oklahoma, the development of her love of ballet, and her departure to New York where she rose to success.
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