5th grade Realistic Fiction books
38 books in the realistic fiction genre commonly assigned to 5th gradestudents — every title’s grade range covers 5th grade, so each is grade-appropriate by curriculum placement. Each links to its reading level, themes, and the curricula that cite it.
Reading difficulty: the typical 5th grade text-complexity band is 740–1010L (Common Core Appendix A). Of the 8 realistic fiction titles here with a Lexile score, 5 are grade-level, 3 are more accessible, and 0 are stretch texts. Match a book to your reader’s measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
38 5th grade realistic fiction books
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A Boy Called BatElana K. Arnold
Amal UnboundAisha Saeed
Ban This BookAlan Gratz
Black Brother, Black BrotherJewell Parker Rhodes
BlubberJudy Blume
CrenshawKatherine Applegate
Dear Mr. HenshawBeverly Cleary
DogtownKatherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous LifeRachel Renée Russell · 890L
FerrisKate DiCamillo
Front DeskKelly Yang · 640L
Genesis Begins AgainAlicia D. Williams
GhostJason Reynolds · 730L
Ghost BoysJewell Parker Rhodes · 360L
HootCarl Hiaasen · 760L
Hope in the ValleyMitali Perkins
Invisible IsabelSally J. Pla
Look Both WaysJason Reynolds
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It AllChanel Miller
Mick Harte Was HereBarbara Park
Pie in the SkyRemy Lai
RulesCynthia Lord
Save Me a SeatSarah Weeks · 780L
ShilohPhyllis Reynolds Naylor · 890L
Show all 38 titles
- Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe · Jo Watson Hackl
- So B. It · Sarah Weeks
- Stand Up, Yumi Chung · Jessica Kim
- Stuntboy, In-Between Time · Jason Reynolds
- Surviving the Applewhites · Stephanie S. Tolan
- The Boy at the Back of the Class · Onjali Q. Raúf
- The Cybil War · Betsy Byars
- The Honest Truth · Dan Gemeinhart
- The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise · Dan Gemeinhart
- The Thing About Leftovers · C.C. Payne
- The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street · Karina Yan Glaser
- Ungifted · Gordon Korman
- Walk Two Moons · Sharon Creech
- You Are Here: Connecting Flights · Ellen Oh
Realistic Fiction books at other grades
3rd grade · 4th grade · 6th grade · 7th grade · 8th grade · 9th grade · 10th grade
Other 5th grade genres
Children's · Middle Grade Fiction · Picture Book · Middle Grade Fantasy · Fantasy · Middle Grade Graphic Novel · Historical Fiction · Nonfiction
← Full 5th grade reading list · All realistic fictionbooks →
Frequently asked questions
What realistic fiction books are good for 5th grade students?
38 realistic fiction books have a grade range that covers 5th grade and are assigned across US-school curricula — Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and state ELA standards. Each title on this page links to its full curriculum citations and reading level.
Are these realistic fiction books grade-appropriate for 5th grade?
Every title's grade range covers 5th grade. The typical 5th grade text-complexity band is 740–1010L (Common Core Appendix A); of the 8 books here with a Lexile score, 5 are grade-level, 3 more accessible, and 0 a stretch. Match a book to your reader's measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
How many realistic fiction books are on the 5th grade list?
This page lists 38 5th grade realistic fiction titles, ordered alphabetically. The list expands as more curriculum references are verified.
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