15 Books to Read Next with Your 4th Grade Book Club

THEMES: Finding home, friendships, nature vs technology

Chance is a three-legged dog at the Dogtown shelter, where able-bodied and robot dogs compete for attention. Things start to change when a new robot dog, Metal Head, comes to the pound. He’s determined to run away (return home). So he hatches a plan with Chance and her mouse best friend to help an older dog get adopted in exchange for helping him escape. But things do not go to plan, and Chance, her mouse friend, and Metal Head spend a night on the streets on an emotional adventure. As someone who isn’t into animal books, I’m shocked by how much I liked this one. It’s charming, beautifully plotted, and full of suspense, heartwarming characters, and plenty of heart. It also has sweet illustrations and concise chapters.

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Visiting a dog pound, researching robots and how they work, writing about your dream pet, reading the sequel

THEMES: The power of stories, found family, selflessness, being brave

Perennial daydreamer Lucy Landry moves in with the family of a lighthouse keeper, Mr. Martin after the death of her guardian. Her overactive imagination initially puts off most of the Martin kids, but as Lucy fumbles through her day-to-day with the Martins, they start to fall for her spunky self, especially when she shares the riveting legend her father told her about a ruby necklace lost on a shipwrecked boat years before. Soon, Lucy convinces Ainsley, the oldest Martin, to go to Mermaid’s Corner with her to find the necklace. This charming young middle grade book is perfect for fans of classics and has serious cozy vibes for fans of The Penderwicks, The Vanderbeekers, and classic sibling stories. There’s also a fascinating history of the lives of lighthouse keepers, and I enjoyed learning a lot about them.

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Visit a local lighthouse, learn about a local legend, research, write about the difference between myths and legends 

THEMES: Life during the great depression, the power of persistence, horse riding contests

It’s the 1930s, and Bea wakes up in a hayloft to a note from her dad, who’s abandoned her and her little sister Viv to a family friend they’ve never met. There, Bea works hard to be helpful to Mrs. Scott, in the hopes that the farm owner will keep her and her sister forever. She also forms a bond with a wild horse on the farm, which may just be the key to keeping the failing farm afloat. Bea and the New Deal Horse is an inspiring historical fiction book about life in the Great Depression, community, and the animal-human bond. You can get my full discussion guide for this book here.

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Learn about the Great Depression, watch videos about horse riding contests, learn about horse behavior and anatomy, watch my book trailer

THEMES: Being a good friend, standing up for oneself, embracing your culture

Samira’s summer has taken a disappointing turn as her best friend Kiera seems to have dumped her, and someone has toilet-papered the tree outside her house. When a new girl moves in next door, she begins to pull Samira out of her self-imposed shell, helping her investigate the TP-ing. What Samira hoped would be a quiet summer licking her wounds becomes a full summer of figuring out family and friendships and finding the strength to be herself. I was VERY surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The writing is so accessible, and even though it’s over 300 pages long, I loved the short chapters and the relatable subject matter.

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Make a summer ideas list for the coming summer, write about what makes a good friend, write about better ways Samira could have handled certain issues in the book

THEMES: Empathy, bullying, tolerance, friendship

This is the story of two seemingly different boys – one Indian and one American. When Ravi’s family moves to America, he is shocked at how different things are. The things he liked about himself seem to neither impress nor be appreciated by his American classmates and teachers. Joe is a quiet, sensitive American who is regularly bullied by his classmates. The story follows both boys as they find a way to a solid friendship despite their differences. With a major focus on bullying, culture, food, and respecting differences, SAVE ME A SEAT is delightful, funny, and inspiring. A fantastic middle grade pick for teaching young boys and girls -everyone, really – empathy. 

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Loads of ideas from educators on Sarah Week’s website

THEMES: Friendship, sports, body image, bullying, father-son relationships, Latino culture

Marco and Isaac have been besties for as long as they can remember, and now they share one pain in common: both their dads aren’t in their lives as they’d like. At the start of middle school, both boys decide to help each other reach their goals. For Isaac, it’s getting better at more than just basketball — getting better grades and being more responsible. And for Marco, it’s learning a sport: basketball. I loved this look at a warm friendship bond between boys. There’s plenty of basketball, Latin-American family and warmth, and middle school antics, including bullying, comparison, and budding friendships.

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Free Teaching Guide from publisher 

THEMES: STEM (geology), family, friendships, speaking up, the value of determination

Vega is a precocious tween with plenty of strong opinions, determination, and a fierce love for her family. Her cousin Mila is timid and anxious, and after an incident, is spending the summer with Vega’s family in the California desert. When a meteoroid blazes through the sky one night, landing in Vega’s community, Mila, Vega, and Jasper, the son of a rock hunter, end up searching at night and have to navigate getting lost, injured, stuck in a flash flood, and warding off coyotes, among other dangers with surprising results. This is a good blend of STEM and survival with just enough relationship dynamics to keep readers going, creating a truly intriguing, suspenseful story told from the perspectives of all three kids.

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Free Educator’s Guide

THEMES: Baseball history, self-esteem, sibling relationships, Black sports history

Timothy Strickland, aka Pumpsie, is the often-ignored, almost-last child of his family. He loves baseball, and while he isn’t naturally talented, he works hard to overcome his fears. When a storm leads to Pumpsie getting forgotten and locked alone inside the stadium with a dog and two suspicious men. Pumpsie uses his smart thinking to keep the men away and uncover their sinister plan while trying to stay safe until the morning. The best way to describe this book is Home Alone, but make it Alone in the Park. Peak wish fulfillment with lots of sports and cultural details. It absolutely flew by for me. Kids who enjoy sports and large families in their stories will love this one!

ACTIVITY IDEAS: “Write about what you would do if you were left alone in your favorite place,” take a tour of a local baseball stadium

THEMES: Friendship, adjusting to change, perseverance, family

This is an engaging survival story about three cousins–two sisters and their cousin, Owen–who get separated from their parents when an earthquake strikes during a hiking trip. The three kids are dealing with individual challenges in their lives, and as they try to hike a long route to reconnect with their families, they also make time for healing together. I love how much this book celebrates nature while being appropriate for younger middle grade readers, and maintaining a strong sense of adventure. Also, one of the kids loves cooking, and I just adored all the foodie scenes on the trail. Hand to kids who loved Downing’s Just Keep Walking and Lang’s Out of Range. 

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Do a hike together, create a list of supplies you’d take on a hike, write a list of tips for a friend starting middle school

THEMES: Anxiety, friendships, art, humor, bullying

Andrew is having the WORST day. His shirt’s been torn by his class bully, a basketball has slammed into his face, leaving him with a black eye, and his grandmother with dementia has gone missing — all on his class picture day. It doesn’t help that Andrew has generalized anxiety. In his trademark humor, Harrell takes readers through Andrew’s day with spot illustrations, relatable storytelling, and plenty of heart.

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Watch the book trailer, learn about anxiety and coping strategies, discuss how popcorn is similar to anxiety (and make a batch of popcorn!)

THEMES: Living with OCD, parental separation, stand-up comedy, friendship, running a family business

Maya lives in NY with her mom and Babushka, who run a Russian bakery. Her dad is a lawyer who’s finally pursuing his stand-up comic dreams after separating from her mom. Maya is hoping her parents will get back together and keeps trying to engineer opportunities to make that happen, including using their school’s upcoming talent show, where she’s doing some stand-up comedy. She’s also noticing some of her quirks, like obsessive hand washing and an overwhelming need for symmetry when lining up her pencils more, as she feels more stress at home and school. This was very well written, and I found Maya’s jokes funny and I loved the therapy+ rep and the support Maya eventually receives. This is also a short book that reads quite young and slice of life despite the serious mental health themes.

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Host a talent show, research OCD and anxiety, take a field trip to a Russian bakery to try some of the food in the book

THEMES: Activism, family, music, friendship, being yourself, being brave

Amina has never been comfortable in the spotlight. She is happy just hanging out with her best friend, Soojin. Except now that she’s in middle school everything feels different. Soojin is suddenly hanging out with Emily, one of the “cool” girls in the class, and even talking about changing her name to something more “American.” Does Amina need to start changing too? Or hiding who she is to fit in? While Amina grapples with these questions, she is devastated when her local mosque is vandalized. This debut is perfect for fans of Front Desk.

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Free Reading Guide

THEMES: Environmental activism, immigration, music, poetry, friendship, mental health

In this sweet verse novel, we follow young Geetha, who has recently immigrated to the United States from India with her mother. Geetha’s parents are divorced, and her mom is on medication for depression. Between the rocky challenges of assimilation and coming to terms with her parents’ divorce, Geetha is having a rough time. Thankfully, she meets a new friend and gets a chance to rescue a seal, which gives her a new lease on life. I liked the writing in this one and think it could be a good way to introduce the verse format to younger readers. Readers who love books about music, friendship, and environmental activism will enjoy this one.

ACTIVITY IDEAS: Learn more about seals and how to support the environment, look up ways to support immigrants’ assimilation, learn to write poetry