Kids > Reading and writing > Booklists > Shorter Books for Taller Readers Grades 5-8
Shorter Books for Taller Readers Grades 5-8
Use this booklist to find fun, quick books to read. Each book's reading level is included at the end of the description.
Readers in Grades 5 and 6 • Reading Levels 2–4
- Alexander
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j ALEXANDERMotivated by her quest to learn a legendary rope trick, the magician Princess Lidi and her troupe embark on a journey through Renaissance Italy. RL 4
- Batten
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j583.75 B335h 2000 Beginning FactsFind out about the structure and behavior of various carnivorous plants, including the Venus flytrap, sundew, pitcher plant and bladderwort. RL 4
- Blume
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j BLUMEFaced with the difficulties of growing up and choosing a religion, a 12-year-old girl talks over her problems with her own private God. RL 3.5
- Couloumbis
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y COULOUMBIIn her efforts to hang on following the disappearance of her stepmother, Casey resorts to anything, including robbery. RL 3.5
- Daly-Weir
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j940.1D153k 1998William, a page in England in 1415, dreams of becoming a squire and hopes someday to be dubbed a knight. RL 3
- DiCamillo
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j DICAMILLO, CASSETTE Children DICAMILLOIndia 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. RL 4
- Figueroa
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jE Reader FIGUEROAWith his new spider-like abilities, Peter Parker can spin webs, climb buildings, and sense danger before it happens in this cartoon book. RL 2
- Fresh
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j FRESHIt's never easy being the new kid at school, especially if you're different from everyone else in class. CD performed by Doug E. Fresh is included. RL 4
- Gauthier
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j GAUTHIERIn this hilarious chapter book, Will and Rob begin to wonder if it is their mother's bran muffins that are attracting the aliens that keep showing up at their house. RL 4
- Gould
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j GOULD"Do you have what it takes to be a time soldier? Are you up for the adventure? Do you dare?" RL 3.2
- Hesse
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j HESSE, y HESSEA teenaged girl, rescued from the sea by researchers, must decide whether to stay with her fellow humans or return to the dolphins who raised her. RL 3.5
- Lewis
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jE Reader LEWISRead the story of the birth of Paricutin Volcano in the field of a poor Mexican farmer. RL 3
- L.L. Cool J
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j LLCOOLJ“Remember when you won how you laughed at your competition?” LL Cool J rhymes about winning and losing gracefully in basketball. Includes a CD performed by LL Cool J. RL 2.5
- Parks
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jB-P253i Beginning Facts, CASSETTE j323.092 PARKSThe black woman whose acts of civil disobedience led to the 1956 Supreme Court order to desegregate buses in Montgomery, Alabama, explains what she did and why. RL 3.5
- Sachar
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j SACHARBradley Chalkers, an 11-year-old misfit, learns to believe in himself when he gets to know the new school counselor, who is a sort of misfit too. RL 3.5
- Sanvoisin
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j SANVOISINA boy who hates books discovers an ink-drinking vampire in his father's bookshop and follows him to his underground vault. RL 4
- Smith
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j796.323 S644r 1999The emotions felt by basketball lovers on and off the court sizzle here through stories, poems and pictures. RL 4
- Stilton
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j STILTONThe gang from The Rodent's Gazette are dragged into a treasure hunt when they discover an old, mysterious map showing a secret treasure hidden on a faraway island. RL 3.5
- Williams
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j WILLIAMSTheir mother is working and their father has been sent to jail, so Amber and Essie take care of each other in these sometimes funny, sometimes sad poems and portraits. RL 4
- Zuchora-Walske
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j594.56 Z94g 2000Get up close and personal with a giant octopus, and learn what it eats, how it moves, and where it lives. RL 2.5
Readers in Grades 7–8 • Reading Levels 3–4
- Almond
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j ALMOND,y ALMOND, CASSETTE YA ALMONDAmong the cobwebs and dead flies in the old garage, Michael finds a mysterious creature. Is this stranger a bird, or maybe an angel? RL 3.5
- Anderson
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y ANDERSONAnything goes when geeky Anthony starts a war between the workers at two competing fast food restaurants. RL 3.5
- Avi
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y AVIWhen Philip, a high school freshman, is suspended for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" during homeroom, it soon becomes a national news story. RL 3.5
- Bauer
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y BAUERAt six-foot-three, Tree is the tallest 12-year-old ever seen in his town. Being a tree isn’t easy: Everyone expects him to play basketball, but Tree doesn’t even like sports. RL 4
- Clinton
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y CLINTONMalaak and her family are touched by the violence in Gaza between Jews and Palestinians when first her father disappears and then her older brother is drawn to the Islamic Jihad. RL 3.5
- Ewing
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y EWING, CASSETTE YA EWINGAfter his older brother is gunned down on the street, Tito learns that his brother may have hidden stolen drug money in their family home — money the dealers will kill for. RL 3.5
- Flake
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j FLAKETeenager Raspberry Hill tries to sort out her feelings of disgust, shame and love for her homeless, drug addicted father. RL 3.5
- Flinn
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y FLINNNick used to hit his girlfriend Caitlin. Now he’s in counseling, keeping this journal about himself and Caitlin, his anger, and living with his abusive father. RL 4
- Herrera
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y HERRERASixteen-year-old Cesar Garcia, who lives with his mother (his father left home), narrates his struggles with life as a Mexican-American high school student. RL 3.5
- Koertge
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y KOERTGEWith an arm and a leg that don’t work all that well, Ben, a shy high school student (with cerebral palsy) finds adventure and friendship in the company of Colleen, who’s pretty, fun — and a drug addict. RL 3.5
- Koontz
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j811.5 K818p 2001Read absurd poems from the master of terror. RL 3.5
- Kyi
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y KYIJen was at the party. A red-haired man was murdered in the upstairs bedroom — and now Jen wonders if her boyfriend knows what really happened that night. RL 3
- Levine
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j LEVINEWhen granted her wish to be the most popular girl in middle school, Wilma, an eighth grader, forgets that she will graduate in three weeks and her popularity will vanish. RL 3.5
- Logue
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y LOGUEBranko, a teenage boy from outer space, travels to earth on a mission to help save his planet. If he falls in love with the human girl Tonia, does he doom his mission to fail? RL 3
- Mackel
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j MACKELBullied and unhappy at school because of his weird stories about being an alien, Mike sends a distress call into space asking to be rescued from the ignorance and cruelty of his life on Earth. RL 4
- Na
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y NA, CASSETTE YA NAYoung Ju Park and her family, who are Korean, find it difficult to learn English and adjust to life in America. RL 4
- Peters
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j PETERS, y PETERSWhen she agrees to meet with Jasmine as a peer counselor at their middle school, Antonia never dreams that this girl with the black lipstick and pierced eyebrow will end up helping her deal with the serious problems she faces at home. RL3.5
- Salisbury
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y SALISBURY, CASSETTE YA SALISBURMokes is torn between obeying his father and being with his friends, who plan to go see a fight between an island boy and a sailor. RL 3.5
- Smith
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y SMITHFifteen-year-old Lucy, the largest girl in her school, leaves her small Alaska town and her alcoholic father and discovers hardship and friendship while posing as an adult aboard a commercial fishing boat. RL 4
- Stine
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y STINEAfter 16-year-old twins Destiny and Livvy are turned into partial vampires at a summer camp, they try to find the "Restorer," a person who can return them to normal. RL 3.5
- Tanzman
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y TANZMANLissa is worried about Rodney. She’s sworn to secrecy, but her lifelong friend is acting weird and increasingly hostile toward his abusive father. Then she learns in a chat room that Rodney intends to buy a gun. RL 3.5
- Van Draanen
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j VANDRAANERussell and Joey are bound together in a friendship based on neighborhood adventures, complaining about their older sisters, family secrets and guilt. RL 4
- Withrow
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j WITHROWGwen’s plans to spend eighth grade as a loner are upset by the new girl, Clara, who insists on being her friend. RL 4
- Wyeth
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j WYETHHaley holds her life together with the help of good people after her mother suffers a nervous breakdown and her brother is arrested. RL 3.5