20 Fantastic Books for Fourth Graders

I’ve put together some of my favorite books for 4th graders to read. Enter your email address below and I’ll send this printable book list straight to your inbox!

Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston
This is a fantasy book that earned a spot on many best of the year lists when it was published. I didn’t want to miss this story about a girl who is determined to find her missing brother and discovers that magic is real in the process. We all love this one!

Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
During World War II, four brothers are sent to rural London to keep them safe from the war. One of the children finds a cupboard that has the ability to transport them to a completely different world called Narnia. The series is full of excitement and adventure and has been loved for generations.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
This historical fiction book about World War II was the first chapter book I read on my own and I still love it all these years later. It’s a quick read – we finished it in about a week and it’s definitely worthy of a Newbery sticker.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
My grown girls listened to this over and over again last summer. Moving is never fun, but it’s especially unpleasant for Aven, who was born without arms. A new city and school means he has to explain himself over and over to a group of strangers. But in his new town, he befriends Conner, who also feels like an outsider at his school. And together, they begin to solve the mysteries at the dilapidated amusement park run by her parents.

The Penderwick Family by Jeanne Birdsall
The series is fairly new (in the last ten years), but it has a classic feel and we all love the story about four sisters and their summer vacation. There is a reason why these books are LOVED. We have listened to many of the books in the road trip series and we all love them.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Winner of the Newbery Medal, this unforgettable novel follows ten-year-old Bud Caldwell, an orphaned boy who escapes during the Great Depression with a suitcase of treasure and his own set of rules for life. Armed with one big clue about the father he’s never met (a flyer for musician Herman E. Calloway and his band, Dusky Devastators of the Depression) Bud embarks on a hilarious and hopeful journey to discover where he belongs.

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowl
Ella listened to the entire series and loved every second of it. My sisters have three boys and they are obsessed with it too. There are 13 books in the series and these tales of Vikings and dragons are fast-paced and fun. Don’t miss the audio version!

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
I read this one year ago when I was a school librarian and it was VERY popular with my students. Two siblings, Evan and Jessie, are both smart, but in different ways – one is smart in humans, while the other is smarter in mathematics. When they each bring their talents to the competition to sell the most lemonade, it will be an all-out battle.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
This is one of those middle grade novels that is taking the world by storm – it’s incredibly popular and for good reason. Mr. Lemoncello is a world famous game maker AND he designed the new town library. And on opening night, there will be a lock-in for kids where they’ll have to solve puzzles to find a hidden exit. (You can see why this book spent 100 weeks on the NYT Bestseller List). (Full review here)

National Park Mystery Series by Aaron Johnson
This 10 book series is perfect for readers who love exploring the outdoors, hunting, and coded messages! Jake, Wes, Amber and their family embark on a two-month journey to explore ten national parks. But when Jake receives a scrapbook filled with mysteries to solve from his late grandfather, he must decide whether to solve them himself or entrust the secrets to his friends.

Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
I’m pretty sure at this point that Bart and I can recite the entire book from memory since Star listened to it over and over again the year she turned 3. Beverly Clearly is a master and if you like the audiobook version – her version is a delight.

By Big Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman
We just listened to this book on our Disneyland trip about a butler and a boy who sneak aboard a ship from Boston headed to the California gold fields and our whole family is obsessed with it.

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
I am absolutely OBSESSED with this book and its companion book, Hate That Cat. If you think you don’t like poetry, this book may convince you otherwise. Jack’s teacher introduces his class to several famous poems and asks them to write their responses in blank verse, then write their own versions of the poems they like. The entire book is Jack’s responses to what they read or hear in class and sometimes his replies back to his teacher’s criticism and encouragement (which you never see, because it’s only Jack’s words in the book).

Matilda by Roald Dahl
Bart read this one aloud to Ella when she was about four and a half years old, and they both loved it. It was also one of my childhood favorites, but Bart had never read it, so it was great to see him experience it for the first time.

Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas
This is a very well-made graphic novel, with beautiful illustrations, great characters, and a fun storyline. This is a definite winner! Bree is excited for her first day at her new high school, until she finds out that the only elective still open is swim team. But how could he tell his friends and coaches that he couldn’t swim?

Ghost by Jason Reynolds
This one made it onto the Everyday Reading Book Club 2025 list! I read the first book in this series years ago and have been meaning to go back in time and read all four books in this series about four kids selected for an elite high school track team. This is a team that could make it to the Junior Olympics but only if they can come together. Very easy to read and awesome. We’ll only be covering the first one in book club but I plan on reading all four!

1. Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
   I still remember my mother reading this to us on a small playground in a park in Las Vegas when I was little. It’s cute and short (be warned that it may take you a chapter or two to understand it).