My daughter is a first year teacher for fifth grade - what books could I get that would best help her build her library?

Suggestions, please?!

The most recent Guiness Book of World Records is always a hit with that age group.  The Sister's Grimm books are fun and anything by Gary Paulsen is a good choice.

Here are a few links to suggested books for grade 5.  She needs to be sure to have a good balance of fiction and non-fiction in her library.  We tend to have too heavy a focus on fiction, yet the big state tests focus 60-70% of their questions in reading on non-fiction selections.  Just a thought.

http://www.teachersfirst.com/readlist2.cfm?age=5

http://home.comcast.net/~ngiansante/gradefive.html

http://www.readingtokids.org/Books/BooksGrade.php#5

The Kids love the "Ripleys believe it or not" books

other great books:

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key series (Jack Gantos)

The Great Gilly Hopkins (and other Katherine Patterson books)

Bud, not Buddy (and other Christoper Paul Curtis books)

City of embers

The Series of unfortunate events

Septimus Heap books

Swindle

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (really popular!)

 Comics (like calvin and hobbes, garfeild, etc.)

What a great mom you are! Brava!

You can never go wrong with newberry award books or newberry-nominated books.  Also, include all the Harry Potter books.  Look at the social studies and science curriculum standards and find books related to those that they are studying.

The Hank Zipzer books by Henry Winkler are a huge hit with kids that age.  Even reluctant readers fight over who gets them next.

Tell her to check out the Scholastic reading club flyer ("Arrow" is for that age group). They offer a good mix of non-fiction and fiction books to build her library, and as she starts teaching and using the Scholastic clubs, she'll earn lots of bonus points from her students' orders and then she can get FREE books for her own library.

Rochelle

What good ideas!  Thanks!

That age group seems to really love non-fiction. As mentioned, order for her through Scholastic. She'll earn free books and they're pretty cheap!! She can also order book sets with her points! :)

I taught 5th grade for 20+ years and moved down to third grade.  I'm cleaning out all my 5th grade books that I am no longer using.  Check out what I have.  It may help!  I'll continue posting more as I carry them home from school.  I have over 1000 books to get rid of, but can only fit so many in my house at one time!

Some books that 5th graders are reading are:

Dairy of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Any books by Gordon Korman

Christopher Paul  Curtis books

Amelia books by Marissa Moss

I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Books by Mary Downing Hahn

I am a elementary librarian, hope this helps your daughter.

Vickie C.

Look for realistic or historical fiction. Our fifth graders love anything to do with the Civil War.  Anything by Gary Paulsen is good, too; he writes at a variety of reading levels.

If she has a lot of struggling readers, get the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House series or anything Beverly Cleary. Judy Blume's Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and the other Fudge books are wonderful, funny, and enjoyable at 4th-5th grades.