Books for 5th Grade

Explore 48 curated books for 5th Grade students. Each resource has been reviewed for quality and age-appropriateness.

Amos Fortune, Free Man

Newbery Medal biography of an African-born man enslaved in colonial New England who bought his freedom and that of others.

Bud, Not Buddy

Newbery Medal novel following a ten-year-old orphan across Depression-era Michigan in search of the father he thinks he has found.

The Sign of the Beaver

Newbery Honor survival story set in 1768 Maine, in which a settler boy and a Penobscot boy teach each other to live in the wilderness.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Newbery Medal biography-novel of Nathaniel Bowditch, the self-taught sailor-mathematician who rewrote the book on navigation.

The Golden Goblet

A Newbery Honor novel set in ancient Egypt, commonly paired with ancient-history studies for grades 5-8.

The Bronze Bow

Elizabeth George Speare's Newbery Medal novel set in Roman-occupied Galilee, a mainstay of ancient-history literature lists.

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Famous Men of Rome

Memoria Press's classical-education reader covering Rome through short biographies, from Romulus to Constantine.

The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey

Sutcliff's companion volume to Black Ships Before Troy, retelling Homer's Odyssey for middle-grade and early high school readers.

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

The classic illustrated introduction to the Greek gods, goddesses and heroes — a staple read-aloud in classical homeschool programs.

Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad

Rosemary Sutcliff's vivid prose retelling of Homer's Iliad, widely used to introduce middle-grade students to the Trojan War.

Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying

Barbara Oakley's bestselling learning-science guide rewritten for ages 10-17, teaching focused and diffuse thinking, chunking, and how to beat procrastination.

The 50 States: Activity Book

The hands-on companion to The 50 States atlas—maps to label, puzzles, and fact files that turn U.S. geography into an active, screen-free homeschool project.

History Year by Year: The History of the World, from the Stone Age to the Digital Age

DK's richly illustrated visual timeline of world history from the Stone Age to today—photographs, maps, and infographics that make a perfect homeschool history reference for ages 8–13.

The 50 States: Explore the U.S.A. with 50 Fact-Filled Maps!

An oversized, beautifully illustrated atlas of all 50 U.S. states—capitals, landmarks, animals, and famous figures—that turns American geography into a treasure hunt.

A Child's History of the World

V. M. Hillyer's warm, story-driven survey of human history from cave dwellers to modern times—a classic homeschool read-aloud spine for elementary and middle-grade students.

Maps: A Children's Illustrated Atlas

A gorgeously illustrated oversized atlas mapping 58 countries through their animals, foods, landmarks, and cultures—an enchanting introduction to world geography for children.

DK Knowledge Encyclopedia Science!

A visually stunning DK reference covering matter, forces, energy, chemistry, life science, earth science, and space—an ideal hardcover spine or companion for homeschool science across the elementary and middle years.

Janice VanCleave's 201 Awesome, Magical, Bizarre, & Incredible Experiments

201 safe, low-cost, hands-on science experiments across biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and astronomy using common household materials—a long-running homeschool favorite for elementary and middle school.

National Geographic Kids 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything!)

Thousands of true, bite-sized facts about science, nature, space, animals, history, and geography in National Geographic Kids' bold photo-packed style—a curiosity-building enrichment book for a wide range of ages.

Usborne 100 Science Experiments

100 simple, hands-on science experiments—crystals, circuits, balloon rockets, kaleidoscopes and more—with clear illustrated steps and explanations. A low-prep, household-materials activity book for elementary homeschoolers.

Everything You Need to Ace Science in One Big Fat Notebook

The Brain Quest team's wildly popular middle-school science study guide—notes, doodles, mnemonics, and quizzes covering the periodic table, forces, energy, space, earth science, and biology. A great homeschool supplement or review tool.

Evan-Moor Daily Reading Comprehension, Grade 5

Daily 10-15 minute reading comprehension practice for 5th graders with 30 weeks of strategy-based lessons across diverse text types.

Spectrum Test Prep, Grade 5

Comprehensive 5th-grade test prep covering advanced reading, math with fractions/decimals, and language arts with full practice tests.

Evan-Moor Daily Science, Grade 5

Fifth-grade daily science workbook with weekly units on life, earth, and physical science featuring hands-on experiments and critical thinking exercises.

Evan-Moor Daily Geography Practice, Grade 5

Fifth-grade daily geography workbook covering US regions, map skills, physical features, and human-environment interaction through weekly units.

180 Days of Geography for Fifth Grade

Full-year daily geography workbook for fifth graders with map skills, data analysis, and geographic reasoning aligned to social studies standards.

Kumon Grade 5 Decimals & Fractions

Advanced decimals and fractions workbook for fifth graders covering mixed numbers, fraction multiplication/division, and decimal operations.

Spectrum Language Arts, Grade 5

Fifth-grade language arts workbook with advanced grammar, writing mechanics, and composition practice aligned to current standards.

Spectrum Reading Workbook, Grade 5

Fifth-grade reading comprehension workbook with fiction and nonfiction passages, vocabulary building, and critical analysis exercises.

Spectrum Math Workbook — Grade 5

Comprehensive fifth-grade math workbook covering multi-digit operations, fractions, decimals, geometry, and data analysis with standards-aligned practice and answer key.

Spectrum Writing Workbook, Grade 5

Fifth-grade writing workbook bridging elementary and middle school expectations with advanced narrative, research-based, and argumentative composition practice.

Spectrum Spelling Workbook, Grade 5

Advanced spelling workbook for 5th graders covering Latin/Greek roots, prefixes, suffixes, morphology, and academic vocabulary.

Evan-Moor Daily Language Review, Grade 5

Daily 10-15 minute grammar, punctuation, and language mechanics practice for 5th graders with advanced sentence analysis.

Summer Bridge Activities: Bridging Grades 4-5

Upper elementary summer workbook for grades 4-5 with daily activities in reading, math, writing, science, and social studies to prevent summer learning loss.

Yoga for Children: 200+ Yoga Poses, Breathing Exercises, and Meditations

A comprehensive yoga guide for ages 2-12 with 200+ poses, breathing exercises, and meditations organized by age group and theme.

Human Body: A Visual Encyclopedia (DK)

A beautifully illustrated DK encyclopedia covering all human body systems with photographs, CGI artworks, and infographics for young learners.

Home School Family Fitness: The Complete Physical Education Curriculum for Grades K-12

A complete 40-week K-12 physical education curriculum with lesson plans, fitness tests, and sports labs designed for homeschool families.

Mark Twain Health, Wellness, and Physical Fitness Workbook (Grades 5-8)

A comprehensive health education workbook for grades 5-8 covering nutrition, fitness, mental health, substance abuse prevention, and personal wellness.

Coding Projects in Scratch

A beautifully illustrated Scratch programming guide with step-by-step coding projects for ages 8-14.

Lauren Ipsum: A Story about Computer Science and Other Improbable Things

A children's adventure novel that teaches computer science concepts through story — no coding required.

Coding for Kids: Scratch

A step-by-step Scratch programming guide for kids ages 8-12 with 10 creative coding projects.

Python for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming

A fun, illustrated guide to Python programming for kids ages 10 and up, with games and puzzles.

JavaScript for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming

A fun, illustrated guide to JavaScript programming for kids ages 10+, building games in the browser.

No More Meltdowns: Positive Strategies for Managing and Preventing Out-of-Control Behavior

A practical, four-step approach to preventing and managing meltdowns in children with autism, ADHD, and other behavioral challenges — with real-world scenarios and solutions.

Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism

A paradigm-shifting book that reframes autism as a difference to be understood rather than a disorder to be fixed, with practical guidance for parents and educators.

The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder

Over 100 playful sensory activities designed to help children with SPD build motor skills, body awareness, and sensory tolerance through fun, everyday play.

The Zones of Regulation: A Curriculum Designed to Foster Self-Regulation and Emotional Control

A widely-used framework that teaches children to identify their emotional states and use strategies to regulate their feelings and behavior across four color-coded zones.

The Out-of-Sync Child (3rd Edition): Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Differences

The essential guide for parents understanding Sensory Processing Disorder — how to recognize it, how it affects learning, and how to help your child thrive.