23 Chapter Books for 4th Graders, Recommended by Teachers

Precocious young Matilda tries to use brainpower to outsmart and withstand her dreadful family and horrifying headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. She finds solace in books and seeks support and guidance from her loving and kind teacher Miss Honey. This is a go-to title for a class novel, or as part of a small-group author study of the incomparable Roald Dahl.

Buy it: Matilda

Our list of chapter books for 4th graders would not be complete without a series by the iconic Judy Blume. Her spot-on portrayal of sibling relationships and the common troubles and fears kids experience hits the mark time and time again. Readers can enjoy five unique stories told from different perspectives with the same great premise. Can’t get enough of Judy Blume? Check out our list of Judy Blume books for more recommendations!

Buy it: Fudge series

Jessie understands the world through math and logic, while her brother Evan understands people. Although they see the world differently, both have the same goal of selling the most lemonade before school starts. These books are ideal for character study, including investigating character traits, relationships, and responses to events.

Buy it: The Lemonade War series

A mysterious tollbooth changes everything for Milo, and his perspective on life will never be the same. Philosophical yet approachable, this is a one-of-a-kind classic. Share it as a read-aloud or book club book to make sure kids have plenty of opportunities to mull over its intrigue together.

Buy it: The Phantom Tollbooth

Nick is a fifth grader who has a propensity to push the boundaries at school. When he comes up with the brilliant idea to rename the word for pen, calling it a “frindle” instead, the new lingo catches on and spreads in the school, community, and beyond. Suggest this entertaining title for kids’ independent or book club reading; you’ll introduce them to a classic author they can enjoy all year.

Buy it: Frindle

This unforgettable tale of a china rabbit’s long journey back home is one of our all-time favorites. Full of hope, longing, and enduring love, this book is at once heartbreaking and awe-inspiring. Share it as a touchstone read-aloud or class novel that you’ll refer back to all year long as you explore different literary themes.

Buy it: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Everyone in Mibs’ family has their own unique “savvy,” a magical power that they discover at age 13. Right before Mibs uncovers hers, something terrible happens. Now she must figure out how to make things right by harnessing her new superpower. We recommend this book as a class read-aloud so everyone can enjoy the beautiful storytelling and imaginative plot together.

Buy it: Savvy

Anna would rather escape into the world of a book than deal with the challenging dynamics of 4th grade friendships. But as she comes to terms with being different from her peers as an Asian American, she learns what it means to be a good friend. Readers will appreciate the authenticity and realistic storylines in these easy chapter books for 4th graders.

Buy it: Anna Wang series

“Scoob” and his G-ma go on an unforgettable road trip that reveals important truths about the past and their lives along the way. Share this fast-moving tale to shine a light for kids on the topics of civil rights, racism, and segregation via an engaging story.

Buy it: Clean Getaway

Lina is excited to finally move to the United States from China and join family she hasn’t seen for five years. But life in America isn’t quite like her parents’ cheerful postcards depict it. Kelly Yang is fast becoming a must-read middle grade author to introduce to kids. Share this title to get students thinking and talking about expectations vs. reality and build background knowledge about immigration experiences. Also check out the sequel, Finally Heard.

Buy it: Finally Seen

On a mission to save his school, 12-year-old Jake finds some jelly beans that turn him into a genius. Can he navigate life as a middle schooler while possessing these new skills? Fast-paced and full of adventure, this sci-fi series is a great pick for reluctant readers looking for a page-turner.

Buy it: The Smartest Kid in the Universe series

When a family unexpectedly acquires a food truck, they decide to go all in on selling peach pies. Each series installment tells about another level of their entrepreneurial adventures, including the many mishaps and challenges they experience along the way. These readable, fast-moving stories help build kids’ reading stamina and comprehension skills—and may motivate them to think about their own business aspirations!

Buy it: The Great Peach Experiment series

After losing everything, Ellie and her family escape to the woods of Maine to start a new life. Beautifully written and emotionally deep, this historical-fiction novel paints an accurate and vivid picture of life during this time. Share it to build kids’ knowledge about the Great Depression era and introduce them to the power of historical fiction to transport readers to different times and places.

Buy it: Echo Mountain

Through magical realism and powerful storytelling, award-winning author Pam Muñoz Ryan beautifully portrays immigrants’ experiences in this compelling story. Missing his mother, who abandoned him as a baby, 11-year-old Max embarks on a journey to discover secrets of the past. Share this story to stretch kids’ thinking and discussions about books.

Buy it: Mañanaland

Brewster Gaines loves making video content and dreams of getting a million views. As his ambitions grow, his movie project gets more and more complicated. Tap into kids’ YouTube obsessions to get them interested in reading. This story will both hook them and give them new perspectives.

Buy it: A Million Views

In the series opener, captive gorilla Ivan’s life purpose is to entertain visitors at the mall where he lives. He’s content enough to enjoy TV and treats until a young elephant named Ruby arrives and changes everything. Share this as part of a study of friendship themes or points of view, or simply as a class read-aloud to start the year. These books are especially good for boosting readers’ confidence and stamina, since they look long but actually contain less text on each page.

Buy it: The One and Only Ivan

Ten-year-old Opal experiences loneliness, longing, and finding connection in a new town where her dad is a preacher. When stray dog Winn-Dixie comes into her life by chance, new relationships and opportunities open up, helping her make sense of the past. This is one of those classic animal chapter books for 4th graders that you can read aloud or explore with book clubs every single year and always find new ideas to consider.

Buy it: Because of Winn-Dixie

These moving stories are told by Pax, a fox whose family was killed when he was a kit, and Peter, the boy who rescues him. The two are close companions, until they are accidentally separated and must find each other again. These books get rave reviews from a wide range of readers, even those who don’t usually choose animal chapter books. They are ideal for building comprehension skills for books with multiple narrators.

Buy it: Pax series 

This graphic novel stars Ash, who lands himself a volunteer commitment at an animal shelter after some poor behavior choices. He doesn’t consider himself a “dog person” at first, but his connections with the shelter residents slowly change his thinking. Share this book with any dog lovers on the hunt for their next easy read. We love that each chapter opens with information about a different dog breed too.

Buy it: Dog Trouble

This series stars twins Claudia and Reese, who get into an out-of-control prank war with each other. Kids love the blend of text messages, photos, and screenshots with traditional text, and will eagerly keep reading to find out about each twin’s next move. Share this series with kids who need a reading momentum reboot—they’ll fly through all four titles in the series.

Buy it: The Tapper Twins series

A group of unlikely new middle school friends band together under the guise of creating a pickle-making club—but really, they’re in it for the pranks. This book has wide appeal, making it work well for a class read-aloud or to hand to that reader who’s already read everything.

Buy it: Pickle

P.T. Wilkie is determined to save his grandfather’s Florida motel, and he goes into full kid-hero mode to make it happen in this series of funny chapter books for 4th graders. These books have equal parts wackiness, humor, and entrepreneurial spirit—plus the satisfaction that comes from kids winning against greedy grown-ups. Share this energetic series to motivate reluctant readers.

Buy it: Welcome to Wonderland series

Imagine being sent to a totally different planet, where aliens that look like giant mosquitos are normal and you’re the weird one. That’s just what happens when a group of Earth refugees lands on Planet Choom. This engaging novel will make kids laugh and make them think about complex themes like bias and tolerance. It’s a great book to engage 4th grade readers in discussion and response.

Buy it: We’re Not From Here