Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Top Books for 4th Grade
20
items This is my 6th year as a teacher (1 year in 2nd grade and 5 years in 4th), and through the years I have grown my classroom library to include some truly amazing books. Reading (specifically read aloud) is my favorite subject to teach, and the list co...
My start of the year read aloud book five years running by the same author as the book Holes! The story follows the main character, Bradley, who is the meanest student and biggest trouble maker in the entire 5th grade. This story is not only hilariou...
There's A Boy in the Girls' Bathroom
A wonderful book to use to help student practice making inferences and predictions! This is a worldless picture book, so when I “read” this book to my students I have a different volunteer for each page explain what’s going on in the story making inf...
Pancakes for Breakfast: Tomie dePaola - Books
One of the best picture books I have every read with a powerful and emotional message based on real-life events from Patricia Polacco’s life.
The Junkyard Wonders - Books
I first read this book with my first group of 4th graders that I student taught for a read aloud, and now that I’m a teacher I use it as one of two whole group novel studies during the school year. This book does a great job of teaching students new ...
The Lemonade War (The Lemonade War Series, 1)
A book of spoonerism (a poetry type where you swap the first letters/letter sounds of two words, ex: bunny rabbit turns into runny babbit) that makes teaching fun for you and your students!
Runny Babbit - Shel Silverstein
I can’t say enough amazing things about Jennifer Nielsen books, and this one is my very favorite! I use this as one of my read aloud books, and it’s an excellent way to introduce historical fiction (and specifally the topic of the Berlin Wall) to stu...
A Night Divided (Scholastic Gold) by Nielsen
My second whole group novel study of the year! 4th graders really get into this book, and I love how it bounces back and forth with story lines from the present day characters to the characters in the past while simultaneously connecting the two toge...
Holes (Holes Series) by Louis Sachar
This book made me cry the first time I read it and was one I didn’t discover until I was an adult. I love to read this at the beginning of the year to remind each student that they are made uniquely them are are special in so many ways even if it doe...
You Are Special (Max Lucado's Wemmicks ...
This is the read aloud book that I end the school year with and I think it’s a perfect end of the year book.
The Unteachables by Gordon Korman
This is the second book in my read aloud rotation, and I love that it’s apart of a series so if students like the first one they can continue reading since I have the rest in my classroom. The plot twist at the end is incredible, and it’s always cool...
The City of Ember (Book 1) by Jeanne
The picture book version of the movie Elf! Students love it, and the stories give you plenty of opportunities to do fun voices while reading aloud.
Elf: Classic Illustrated Storybook (Pop Classics)
The perfect read aloud to share with your class right before Thanksgiving! The students think it’s awesome that it’s the same author/illustrator as the Dog Man and Captain Underpants books that they love!
Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving (Scholastic)
I read this on the last day of school every year, and it always makes me cry when I get to the last few pages. I also have my students sign this each year.
A Letter From Your Teacher: Last Day of School
I always read this on the first day of school, and the plot twist at the end gets my students every time. It’s a great book to help remind them that everyone, even teachers, get nervous sometimes.
First Day Jitters (The Jitters Series)
An excellent story to use when teaching about plot twists. I focus a few days specifically on fractured fairy tales as most kids know the originally so it’s easy for them to spot the differences.
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs - Books
Every year I have students that tell me this is their favorite read aloud book. It has just enough suspense that makes it interesting without being too scary, and I love how it ties together all the people you meet along the way at the end of the boo...
Abduction!: Kehret, Peg: 9780142406175
I never read this book or the series when I was younger, but I discovered it as an adult and love using it for read aloud. It’s an interesting idea for a story that isn’t like any of the other books I read aloud, and I have many students that want to...
Among the Hidden (1) (Shadow Children)
I use this book when I’m teaching visualizing, and while I’m reading I don’t show any of the pictures and ask students along the way what they think the picture on a given page might look like. They also work on a worksheet visualizing a beginning, m...
Dog Breath: The Horrible Trouble with Hally Tosis
Another Dave Pilkey classic and one of my favorites to read before Halloween! It always gets giggles from students, and it’s fun to point out the sneaky cats that appear throughout the pictures at the end of the story/seeing if any of the students no...
The Hallo-Wiener
This is the perfect book to read on or right before Valentine’s Day! It’s silly but still has a good message for the students about how your words can hurt people/the importance of being kind and inclusive.
Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink