The Best Read Alouds and Books for Upper Elementary

Teachers love children's books!  We love to inspire a love of reading in our 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade students.  It can be hard to sort through all of the options to choose the best books, however.  Libraries and bookstores are full of eye catching children's options, and more are being added daily!

Check out the book recommendations for different book categories below.  Some of the books are my personal favorites, while others are book recommendations from a variety of teachers that love reading to their students!

Find book recommendations for:

  • the best fiction chapter book read alouds
  • the best nonfiction book series
  • nonfiction books for students that love animals
  • wordless books for the upper elementary classroom
  • fiction books for teaching point of view
  • black history month biographies for upper elementary
  • authors of color that will help bring diversity to your classroom library
books about kids that are changing the world to inspire your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students

These books about kids who are changing the world are sure to inspire even your most reluctant reader in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade!

The best fiction chapter book read alouds for 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade students
After surveying over 300 teachers, I made a collection of the best fiction chapter books that engage students during a read aloud! Find the top 10 book recommendations here.
the best nonfiction book series for 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade students
After surveying over 300 teachers, these are the best nonfiction book series to get your students to love informational text! Find the book recommendations for 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade students here.
the best nonfiction books for students that love animals but don't like to read

These books are great for students that hate to read but love animals! Get your upper elementary students excited about reading nonfiction books. Find my favorite nonfiction animal books here.

the best wordless books for upper elementary students

Wordless books aren't just for preschoolers. They can be a fun and engaging way to teach a variety of reading skills to 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade students. Find my wordless book recommendations here.

the best fiction books for teaching point of view to third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade students

These fiction books make teaching point of view fun and engaging for your upper elementary students!

black history month biographies to teach upper elementary students about inspiring African Americans

These biographies of inspiring African American are great to use all year long.  Or, use them for black history month.  Find my favorite black history month biographies here.

the best fiction books for teaching point of view to third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade students
Back to school book recommendations for third, fourth, and fifth grade students.  These make fun read alouds for that first week of school.
nonfiction picture books that 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will love

These nonfiction picture books will help your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students learn to love reading informational text.

These 8 authors of color should be in every 3rd, 4th, and 5th classroom library
Being intentional about exposing your students to diverse literature is essential.  Check out these authors of color that will make a welcome addition to any classroom library.
A list of other books for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students to read if they loved Harry Potter

If you have students that loved Harry Potter and are looking for new books to read, then check out these recommendations.

Multicultural Read Alouds for third, fourth, and fifth grade students that will encourage them to be resilient and overcome obstacles

Help your third, fourth, and fifth grade students be inspired to persevere with these read alouds that encourage overcoming obstacles.   

The Best biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs to get 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students interested and reading
These biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs will inspire and motivate even your most reluctant readers in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.
biographies of U.S. Presidents to read aloud to 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students

These biographies of U.S. Presidents will engage and enthrall 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.  Maybe one of your own students will be inspired to become president one day!

multi cultural Cinderella stories from around the world to read aloud to upper elementary students
Teaching a Cinderella Unit?  These multicultural Cinderella stories from around the world will make a great addition!
Nonfiction and fiction books about monsters for a monster unit or Halloween read aloud in grade 3, grade 4, or grade 5

These monster books make great read alouds for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students around Halloween!  There are fiction book recommendations, and a nonfiction book about the Loch Ness monster.  🙂

The best haiku books for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom libraries

Introduce your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students to poetry with these haiku books.  There are books with funny poems, classic poems, nature poems, and more to draw in any reader.

These book recommendations are geared towards third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade students.

You might also like these tips and ideas for keeping your classroom library organized.

Never Stress Over Sub Plans Again!

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Make copies, find a fiction book, and you'll be ready for any emergency that comes your way!