Ella Enjoyed: 5 Fourth Grade Books to Try
It’s been a bit since Ella shared some of her favorite books, and I’ve gotten a slew of messages asking if this series would make its return in 2020. Indeed it is!
Ella’s been reading more than ever, thanks to her new Kindle that lets her read in the dark and not keep Ani awake.
Here are five fourth grade books she’s recently loved. If you have a reader around this age or level, I hope you’ll find her suggestions helpful!
5 Fourth Grade Books to Try
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
777 pages
Holy smokes. I forgot how long this book was. The 1994 movie version of Little Women came out when I was 9 and my mom said that if I read the book first, she’d take me to see the movie. I’ve been a mega fan ever since. And then the stars aligned and the new movie came out when ELLA was 9 and I told her the same thing. She blazed through the book in a week or so and loved every page of it.
What Ella has to say: One reason I liked Little Women is that it has a good mix of real life, hardship, and romance. It also has strong characters and a good story. I loved going to see the movie with my mom and dad and it was fun to see a little bit different version of the story. I even made a book trailer for Little Women for school (my teacher has never read it!),
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
320 pages
We listened to this in the car as a family and all my girls were SO INTO it. There were so many good discussions that came from listening to it together – everything from how genes work to how we judge others based on appearance to sibling relationships.
What Ella has to say: This was a really sad book because people are so mean to Auggie. I like how it switches between narrators and I especially liked Jack. I liked how you couldn’t ever tell what was going to happen next and it was fun to hear all the different points of views.
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
352 pages
I read this nearly a decade ago and LOVED it, but I remember basically zero about it. Ella was such a fan that she begged Bart to listen to it after she finished and had the best time listening to him make predictions about the story.
What Ella has to say: I am obsessed with this book. One reason I liked it so much is that it doesn’t have a slow start (a lot of the times, I read the first chapter and am not sure if I want to keep reading). It’s about a boy named Sage who is an orphan and he’s taken by a man who is trying to find boys to pretend to be the lost prince of Carthya. I was super excited when I found out it was a series and I loved reading it on my Kindle that I got for Christmas. While I was reading it, I begged my dad to read it too and he made all kinds of guesses about what was going to happen (he’s too good at guessing what’s going to happen).
Babymouse by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm
96 pages
Ella has been reading this graphic novel series since she was four – it has such STRONG kid appeal and now, five years later, she still goes back to them all the time when she’s in between reads.
What Ella has to say: Babymouse is a really fun book for almost all ages. When I check them out from the library, my younger sisters read them too and tell me how exciting they are. I love that she has all kinds of adventures and that she’s not a model pupil and has a lot of funny things to say.
Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson
224 pages
You gotta love a series with 11 books in it. It starts out when Phoebe skips a rock across a pond and, completely by accident, smacks a unicorn square in the face. She gets one wish and, naturally, uses it to wish that the unicorn in question will be her BFF.
What Ella has to say: I really enjoyed these books from the beginning and I think it’s pretty good for 7-12 year olds. I like that they have a good sense of humor and that the parents are always playing video games. I love graphic novels and I took a liking to this series almost immediately when my mom got me a bunch of different graphic novels to try out.
Her teacher has never read Little Women? Shameful, I’d look into getting her into a different classroom! (JK) But seriously, it is hard to jmagine.
Hello could you please repost the food favorite books you posted along with this one from Ella today? I read it quickly and a couple hours later went back to look at it again and it’s gone, thanks.
It wasn’t supposed to go up today – it’ll go live on Tuesday!
Love her precious and insightful reviews! As a retired librarian, 35 years working in elementary, middle, and high school libraries, it brings me tremendous joy to see a young person so delighted by reading and sharing her enthusiasm😊
Did you read Little Women with her or did she tackle it all on her own?
All on her own!
I love this series since I also have a 4th grader. He’s not as strong a reader as Ella, of course, but these are good read-together books and I appreciate all the ideas and titles. Thanks to you and Ella!
Oh, I’m so glad to hear it!