Read Alouds for 4th Grade Girls
August 25, 2021 4:55 PM Subscribe
What are your favorite current (within the last 5 years) read alouds for 4th grade girls at the beginning of the school year?
I'm a librarian at an all-girls school and I have my books set for every grade except 4th. Thanks!
I'm a librarian at an all-girls school and I have my books set for every grade except 4th. Thanks!
The Lumberjanes novel series is cute, overwhelmingly female, age-appropriate, and recent.
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:44 PM on August 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by tchemgrrl at 5:44 PM on August 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: A chapter a week. Third is doing Jasmine Toguchi or Ruby Lu. Lower grades are doing picture books. Thanks for asking clarifying questions. Yes, I saw Lumberjanes but it may be too long. I'll take another look tmw.
posted by bookworm4125 at 5:49 PM on August 25, 2021
posted by bookworm4125 at 5:49 PM on August 25, 2021
Murder Most Unladylike (US title) by Robin Stevens - first in a series about two girls at a boarding school in 1930s England who start a Detective Society.
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry, about seven girls at a Victorian boarding school who have to convince everyone that their headmistress is alive and also find out who killed her.
posted by mogget at 6:00 PM on August 25, 2021
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry, about seven girls at a Victorian boarding school who have to convince everyone that their headmistress is alive and also find out who killed her.
posted by mogget at 6:00 PM on August 25, 2021
These are a few top award winners from the last few years. I use Mackin to look at lists, and pick books for my school library. That is where I got these annotations from.
FRONT DESK by YANG, KELLY "Mia Tang has a lot of secrets.Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?"
PRAIRIE LOTUS by PARK, LINDA SUE "Prairie Lotus is a powerful, touching, multilayered book about a girl determined to fit in and realize her dreams: getting an education, becoming a dressmaker in her father’s shop, and making at least one friend. Acclaimed, award-winning author Linda Sue Park has placed a young half-Asian girl, Hanna, in a small town in America’s heartland, in 1880. Hanna’s adjustment to her new surroundings, which primarily means negotiating the townspeople’s almost unanimous prejudice against Asians, is at the heart of the story. Narrated by Hanna, the novel has poignant moments yet sparkles with humor, introducing a captivating heroine whose wry, observant voice will resonate with readers."
INDIAN NO MORE by MCMANIS, CHARLENE WILLIN
"When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home.
Regina Petit's family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government enacts a law that says Regina's tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes "Indian no more" overnight--even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations.
Now that they've been forced from their homeland, Regina's father signs the family up for the federal Indian Relocation Program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She's never met kids of other races, and they've never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism, personally and toward her new friends.
Meanwhile, her father believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like white Americans. But it's not that easy. It's 1957 during the Civil Rights era, and the family struggles without their tribal community and land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At least they are all together.
In this moving middle-grade novel drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis's own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian, American, or both? And will she and her family ever be okay?"
STRANGE BIRDS : A FIELD GUIDE TO RUFFLING FEATHERS by PEREZ, CELIA C"
When three very different girls find a mysterious invitation to a lavish mansion, the promise of adventure and mischief is too intriguing to pass up. Ofelia Castillo (a budding journalist), Aster Douglas (a bookish foodie), and Cat Garcia (a rule-abiding birdwatcher) meet the kid behind the invite, Lane DiSanti, and it isn't love at first sight. But they soon bond over a shared mission to get the Floras, their local Scouts, to ditch an outdated tradition. In their quest for justice, independence, and an unforgettable summer, the girls form their own troop and find something they didn't know they needed: sisterhood."
posted by momochan at 6:07 PM on August 25, 2021 [5 favorites]
FRONT DESK by YANG, KELLY "Mia Tang has a lot of secrets.Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?"
PRAIRIE LOTUS by PARK, LINDA SUE "Prairie Lotus is a powerful, touching, multilayered book about a girl determined to fit in and realize her dreams: getting an education, becoming a dressmaker in her father’s shop, and making at least one friend. Acclaimed, award-winning author Linda Sue Park has placed a young half-Asian girl, Hanna, in a small town in America’s heartland, in 1880. Hanna’s adjustment to her new surroundings, which primarily means negotiating the townspeople’s almost unanimous prejudice against Asians, is at the heart of the story. Narrated by Hanna, the novel has poignant moments yet sparkles with humor, introducing a captivating heroine whose wry, observant voice will resonate with readers."
INDIAN NO MORE by MCMANIS, CHARLENE WILLIN
"When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home.
Regina Petit's family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government enacts a law that says Regina's tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes "Indian no more" overnight--even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations.
Now that they've been forced from their homeland, Regina's father signs the family up for the federal Indian Relocation Program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She's never met kids of other races, and they've never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism, personally and toward her new friends.
Meanwhile, her father believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like white Americans. But it's not that easy. It's 1957 during the Civil Rights era, and the family struggles without their tribal community and land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At least they are all together.
In this moving middle-grade novel drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis's own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian, American, or both? And will she and her family ever be okay?"
STRANGE BIRDS : A FIELD GUIDE TO RUFFLING FEATHERS by PEREZ, CELIA C"
When three very different girls find a mysterious invitation to a lavish mansion, the promise of adventure and mischief is too intriguing to pass up. Ofelia Castillo (a budding journalist), Aster Douglas (a bookish foodie), and Cat Garcia (a rule-abiding birdwatcher) meet the kid behind the invite, Lane DiSanti, and it isn't love at first sight. But they soon bond over a shared mission to get the Floras, their local Scouts, to ditch an outdated tradition. In their quest for justice, independence, and an unforgettable summer, the girls form their own troop and find something they didn't know they needed: sisterhood."
posted by momochan at 6:07 PM on August 25, 2021 [5 favorites]
Much-loved fiction recommendations from my kid (and me!):
The Birchbark House — Louise Erdrich
All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook — Leslie Connor
Seedfolks — Paul Fleschman
The Lion of Mars — Jennifer Holm
Code Girls (young readers’ edition) — Liza Mundy
The War that Saved My Life — Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The Last Grand Adventure — Rebecca Behrens
The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James — Ashley Herring Blake
I Am Malala — Malala Yousafzi
From the Desk of Zoe Washington — Janae Marks
To Night Owl from Dogfish — Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer
Also: There are some amazing pictures book options—fiction and nonfiction— that would be great for read-alouds, especially in thematic groups, like . . .
Strong Women (biographies)
She Persister — Chelsea Clinton
Brave Girl — Michelle Markel
Eliza — Margaret McNamara
Maya Lin — Jeanne Walker Harvey
Shark Lady — Jess Keating
I Dissent — Debbie Levy
Grace Hopper, Queen of Computer Code — Laurie Wallmark
She Made a Monster — Lynn Fulton
There are also a lot of really wonderful picture books for starting conversations at any age:
The Day You Begin — Jacqueline Woodson
The Most Magnificent Thing — Ashley Spires
The Dinosaur Expert — Margaret McNamara
Minh Lê — Drawn Together
Cinderella Liberator — Rebecca Solnit
Something Happened in Our Town — Celano, Collins, and Hazzard
You Are (Not) Small — Anna Kang
Du Is Tak? — Carson Ellis
Walk On! A Guide for Babies of All Ages? — Marla Fraser
Her Right Foot — Dave Eggers
Mirror — Jeannie Baker
Maybe even poems? Firefly July edited by Paul Janeczko is one we return to a lot
There’s also good nonfiction for kid’s to be found on pretty much any topic your students are interested in—especially as picture books and as graphic novels. Some of our favorites:
A Black Hole Is Not a Hole —Carolyn DeChristofano
Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry — Neil DeGrasse Tyson
King George: What Was His Problem? — Steve Sheinken
Castle (or Cathedral or any of the books in this series) — David Macaulay
The Apartment — Alexandra Litvona (OK, this one is actually historical fiction, but it’s heavy on the history)
They Called Us Enemy — George Takei
Don’t discount graphic novels—the new version of The Babysitter’s Club as graphic novels is huge with the girls I know. The spine on Terri Libenson’s Inviaible Emile is nearly cracked in half from my kid rereading it. There are lots of good options in graphic novels if you let yourself browse the bookstore a bit
Oh, my. I just reread what I’ve written so far. I realize that this might not be quite what you’re asking for. However, this has given my kid and me a reason to jump from bookshelf to bookshelf in her room and pull much-loved favorites off the shelf to revisit them, and that has been a real joy. Thank you!
posted by TEA at 9:46 PM on August 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
The Birchbark House — Louise Erdrich
All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook — Leslie Connor
Seedfolks — Paul Fleschman
The Lion of Mars — Jennifer Holm
Code Girls (young readers’ edition) — Liza Mundy
The War that Saved My Life — Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The Last Grand Adventure — Rebecca Behrens
The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James — Ashley Herring Blake
I Am Malala — Malala Yousafzi
From the Desk of Zoe Washington — Janae Marks
To Night Owl from Dogfish — Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer
Also: There are some amazing pictures book options—fiction and nonfiction— that would be great for read-alouds, especially in thematic groups, like . . .
Strong Women (biographies)
She Persister — Chelsea Clinton
Brave Girl — Michelle Markel
Eliza — Margaret McNamara
Maya Lin — Jeanne Walker Harvey
Shark Lady — Jess Keating
I Dissent — Debbie Levy
Grace Hopper, Queen of Computer Code — Laurie Wallmark
She Made a Monster — Lynn Fulton
There are also a lot of really wonderful picture books for starting conversations at any age:
The Day You Begin — Jacqueline Woodson
The Most Magnificent Thing — Ashley Spires
The Dinosaur Expert — Margaret McNamara
Minh Lê — Drawn Together
Cinderella Liberator — Rebecca Solnit
Something Happened in Our Town — Celano, Collins, and Hazzard
You Are (Not) Small — Anna Kang
Du Is Tak? — Carson Ellis
Walk On! A Guide for Babies of All Ages? — Marla Fraser
Her Right Foot — Dave Eggers
Mirror — Jeannie Baker
Maybe even poems? Firefly July edited by Paul Janeczko is one we return to a lot
There’s also good nonfiction for kid’s to be found on pretty much any topic your students are interested in—especially as picture books and as graphic novels. Some of our favorites:
A Black Hole Is Not a Hole —Carolyn DeChristofano
Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry — Neil DeGrasse Tyson
King George: What Was His Problem? — Steve Sheinken
Castle (or Cathedral or any of the books in this series) — David Macaulay
The Apartment — Alexandra Litvona (OK, this one is actually historical fiction, but it’s heavy on the history)
They Called Us Enemy — George Takei
Don’t discount graphic novels—the new version of The Babysitter’s Club as graphic novels is huge with the girls I know. The spine on Terri Libenson’s Inviaible Emile is nearly cracked in half from my kid rereading it. There are lots of good options in graphic novels if you let yourself browse the bookstore a bit
Oh, my. I just reread what I’ve written so far. I realize that this might not be quite what you’re asking for. However, this has given my kid and me a reason to jump from bookshelf to bookshelf in her room and pull much-loved favorites off the shelf to revisit them, and that has been a real joy. Thank you!
posted by TEA at 9:46 PM on August 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
Liar and Spy By Rebecca Stead
Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech
posted by mai at 4:54 AM on August 26, 2021
Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech
posted by mai at 4:54 AM on August 26, 2021
This is the perfect age for the very first Lemony Snicket book. But The Wild Robot would be an appropriate but interesting choice.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:01 AM on August 26, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 10:01 AM on August 26, 2021 [3 favorites]
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posted by gideonfrog at 5:43 PM on August 25, 2021