4th grade read-aloud chapter books
Looking for the BEST 4th grade read-aloud chapter books?
It can be tough finding a great read–aloud in the sea of chapter books.
Have you ever started reading a book that you love… only to realize that it is not grabbing your students’ attention?
Below I chose books that I have read and loved, and your 4th-graders will absolutely love too.
Each contains an Amazon Affiliate link to the book, but you can easily check it out from your library or grab it from a bookstore/Target/etc.
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What books make the best read-alouds?
I personally think the best read-aloud:
- Has a sequel or is the beginning of a series so that kids (especially the hesitant or indecisive readers) continue reading the books on their own.
- Are not popular books that kids would have necessarily chosen for themselves.
Read my list below to find out the BEST 4th-grade read-aloud chapter books!
The best 4th grade read aloud chapter books
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle
βWe canβt take any credit for our talents.Β Itβs how we use them that counts.β
This science fiction novel is a great choice for a 4th grade read-aloud.
The main characters travel across various galaxies to save the main character’s dad.
This book is perfect for any space–loving studentΒ (or if you’re studying space, this is a fun way to incorporate the space theme into your ELA block as well!).
This book is the beginning of a series, so yet again a good book to “hook” your 4th-graders into completing the series!
Click HERE to check it out.
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
βImaginary friends are likeΒ books. We’re created, we’re enjoyed, we’re dog-eared and creased, and then we’re tucked away until we’re needed again.β
Crenshaw is a great book for upper elementary kiddos.
It’s about a 5th-grader whose family is struggling with poverty (the story starts with the family on the brink of being evicted from their apartment and may have to move into their minivan).
The 5th-grader’s imaginary friend, a giant cat named Crenshaw, begins to visit him to help him through everything that he is experiencing.
As you can imagine from the summary, this book deals with some heavy topics.
However, this book is an incredible way to teach empathy to children and that others are dealing with things in their own lives that we may not realize.
Click HERE to check it out.
Holes by Lois Sachar
“When you spend your whole life living in a hole… the only way you can go is up.”
True story: my teacher read Holes to us when I was in 4th-grade!
It was the first year that the story came out – and I remember being BLOWN AWAY.
This book is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats (hello, palindrome!) who is sent to a juvenile delinquent center after being wrongly accused of stealing a pair of shoes.
The warden of the juvenile delinquent center is not quite who she seems, and the boys uncover secrets about the center and the purpose of why they are there.
There are two timelines going in this book that we see merge at the end of the story.
Every single chapter is a cliffhanger – this is an AMAZING book to read aloud and get every kid in the classroom hooked.
The girls and boys in your classroom will be absolutely captivated by this story and the twists and turns.
This book 100% can get your kids hooked on reading and shows them how dang good a fantastic book can be.
Click HERE to check it out.
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
“I’ll tell you what: If I could do it all over again, I’d spend more time helping others.”
This book is a huge favorite with many 4th-grade teachers, and I highly recommend it.
A robot washes ashore (the only robot that survives from his boat crash).
He must learn how to survive in the wild on an island full of animals that aren’t quite sure if they like him.
The robot has many human qualities and gets into quite a few predicaments and learns how to make decisions with his heart.
This robot somehow makes your heart smile and hurt all at the same time.
Yet again… this book made me cry at the end (but hey… what doesn’t?).
This book also has a sequel, which is always a plus to encourage students to read the sequel on their own (and trust me… they will want to!).
Click HERE to check it out.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
“When given the choice between being right or being kind – choose kind.β
This book always ends up on my personal tearjerker list (that part with Daisy the dog…oof).
Wonder is about a boy named Auggie who has a facial deformity.
He is starting school for the first time after being homeschooled all his life.
You follow him on his journey and struggle with feeling and looking different.
This is a book that teaches empathy and compassion and is a fabulous jumping–off point for social and emotional learning.
The story is sweet, sad, endearing, funny…. truly a beautiful book.
Besides the ability to make you cry… it also leads the pack in a fantastic read–aloud!
Click HERE to check it out.
Did I miss any of your favorites?
Let me know below if you have any other favorites that I missed!
And make sure to check out my list of the best 3rd grade read-aloud books.
Click HERE to read!
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