Number the Stars is our top pick: a Newbery Medal winner set in Copenhagen in 1943 that gives fourth and fifth graders a real historical event to follow. This list is for teachers and families choosing a chapter book to read aloud. All ten are Newbery Medal or Honor books on the American Library Association's list, and we checked each title, author and publisher on a publisher page or the Open Library catalog.
| # | Name | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Number the Stars | Best for a World War II history unit | Paid |
| 2 | The One and Only Ivan | Best for talks about animals and kindness | Paid |
| 3 | Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures | Best for fans of comics and illustrated novels | Paid |
| 4 | Because of Winn-Dixie | Best for a first chapter book in 4th grade | Paid |
| 5 | From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler | Best for art and adventure lessons | Paid |
| 6 | The Tale of Despereaux | Best for fantasy fans | Paid |
| 7 | Island of the Blue Dolphins | Best for survival units | Paid |
| 8 | When You Reach Me | Best for upper elementary mystery lovers | Paid |
| 9 | Holes | Best for the top of fifth grade | Paid |
| 10 | Bridge to Terabithia | Best for talks about friendship and loss | Paid |
Lois Lowry — Houghton Mifflin, 1989
Annemarie and her best friend Ellen live in Copenhagen in 1943, where Nazi soldiers march and the Jews of Denmark are being relocated. It won the 1990 Newbery Medal on ALA's list. Fourth and fifth graders can follow a young narrator through a real historical event.
Watch for The threat to Jewish families is the heart of the book, so preview it and plan time for discussion.
Katherine Applegate — HarperCollins, 2012
Ivan, a gorilla, has lived 27 years behind glass in a shopping mall, passing time with painting and his friends Stella and Bob, until a young elephant named Ruby arrives. It won the 2013 Newbery Medal on ALA's list.
Watch for Ivan and the other animals live in captivity, which some children find upsetting, so be ready to talk.
Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K. G. Campbell — Candlewick Press, 2013
An adventure that mixes prose with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page black-and-white illustrations. Candlewick lists it for ages 8 to 12 at 240 pages. It won the 2014 Newbery Medal on ALA's list.
Watch for The graphic sequences are pictures, so you will need to show them or describe them when you read aloud.
Kate DiCamillo — Candlewick Press, 2000
Ten-year-old Opal, a preacher's daughter, walks into a supermarket and comes out with a dog who helps her make friends and ask her father about her mother. Candlewick notes a Newbery Honor, and ALA's list shows it in 2001.
Watch for Opal asks about her absent mother, so be ready for children to bring up their own families.
E. L. Konigsburg — Atheneum, 1967
Claudia plans to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with her younger brother Jamie. Simon & Schuster's author page says it won the 1968 Newbery Medal. It centres on two children hiding in a famous museum.
Watch for It was written in 1967, so some details such as prices and travel are dated; preview before you read.
Visit From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler ↗
Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering — Candlewick Press, 2003
The story of a small mouse with unusual talents, a princess, a servant girl and a rat who wants to ruin them. Candlewick lists it for ages 7 to 10 at 288 pages, and it won the 2004 Newbery Medal on ALA's list.
Watch for At 288 pages it is a long read, so plan to share it over a few weeks.
Scott O'Dell — Houghton Mifflin, 1960
The story of a young girl abandoned on a small island by her family and her village, and of her fight to survive. It won the 1961 Newbery Medal on ALA's list. It suits a unit on survival.
Watch for The girl is alone on the island, so the story carries loss and danger; preview it.
Rebecca Stead — Wendy Lamb Books (Random House), 2009
A sixth grader named Miranda gets mysterious notes after a falling-out with her best friend. Penguin Random House lists it as a mystery for ages 8 to 12 that won the 2010 Newbery Medal. The mystery unfolds through the notes.
Watch for The notes suggest someone will die, so preview it before you read it to a class.
Louis Sachar — Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Frances Foster Books), 1998
Stanley Yelnats is sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys dig holes all day, and learns about a curse on his family. Macmillan lists the Newbery Medal and National Book Award, 272 pages, ages 10 to 14.
Watch for Macmillan lists it for ages 10 to 14, so it fits the older end of this range best.
Katherine Paterson — Thomas Y. Crowell, 1977
A ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia becomes friends with a newcomer, and the two build a hideaway they call Terabithia. It won the 1978 Newbery Medal on ALA's list. Open Library notes that his friend meets an untimely death trying to reach it in a storm.
Watch for A central character dies, so read it first and be ready to talk with the class.
We weighed these, most important first. The order is our judgement against them, not a score or a vote, and a different teacher could reasonably order it differently.
We took no money, free products or affiliate commissions for any place on this list, and no link here carries a tracking code. Every fact was read on the maker’s own page on October 27, 2026; prices carry that date because they change. See how we choose and the ad-free promise.
Last checked October 27, 2026. Something out of date or missing? Tell us and we will fix it; makers can send corrections, never money.