Read Aloud Books for Fourth Grade

This book is so funny! The unteachables are a group of misfit kids that have been removed from the student body because they're notoriously difficult. Mr. Zachary Kermit is a burned out teacher just one year away from retirement. When the school superintendent assigns the unteachables to Mr. Kermit, it seems like things will only go from bad to worse. What ends up happening is hilarious and ultimately redemptive. This is a FANTASTIC book!

This is such a charming book. The Vanderbeekers are a big, diverse family living in a brownstone in New York City. When they find out their grumpy old landlord is kicking them out of the building, they have 11 days to change his mind.

This one is a beloved classic for a reason! I recently read this aloud with my own kids and was so pleased to see that it has stood the test of time. But really, a story about two kids running away to live in a museum and solving a big mystery is a story that will never go out of style.

Evan Treski and his younger sister Jessie are at war . . . a lemonade war. When Evan finds out that his math whiz sister has skipped a grade and will be in his class next year, he is mortified. He challenges her to a lemonade war. They each have a lemonade stand and the goal is to make the most money by summer's end. It's a really fun story to read aloud and one that so many kids can relate to.

The world's most famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, is opening a new library. For the big opening, he's invited a select group of kids to come spend the night at the library and compete in a game to solve puzzles and find a way to escape from the library. It's a wild ride and if your fourth grader enjoys this one, there's more in the series.

I absolutely adore this book. It is one of my family's most favorite read aloud books. Nan Sparrow is an orphan working a dangerous job as a chimney sweep in Victorian London. Life is bleak until she meets a golem, a mysterious creature made from soot and ash. It's one of the most beautiful friendships in all of children's literature. Note: this book tackles some big topics like antisemitism, child labor, poverty, and death.

This is the first book in a magnificent series! The book begins with a strange advertisement in a newspaper asking "Are you a gifted child looking for opportunities?" Dozens of children respond to the ad and are given a series of tests and puzzles to solve. Only four kids pass the test and are invited to go on a secret mission for the mysterious Mr. Benedict. It turns out to be an incredible adventure! The whole series is so much fun to read.

This classic book has been captivating readers for nearly 50 years. It's about the sweetest little mouse family, struggling to survive, and a society of super smart rats that escaped from a laboratory. It's a must read book!

I love this book -in fact, I love the whole series. And I love the Japanese anime movie version too (The Secret World of Arrietty). It's about a family of little tiny people that live below the kitchen floor of an old English manor house.

This is a realistic book about a wolf, based on the true story of a wolf called OR-7 who traveled a thousand miles across the Pacific Northwest. It's a wonderful read aloud book and great for animal lovers. I wrote a more detailed review here.

This is one of my favorite books I've ever read aloud. Minli lives with her parents at the base of a mountain in a small village. Every day they wake before dawn and work all day planting seedlings. But despite their hard work, they live on a meager amount of rice, always just getting by. One day, Minli decides she is going to find the old man in the moon and ask him how she can change her fortune. The story Grace Lin masterfully weaves together will captivate and enchant readers.

This book is so fun - it entertained our whole family on a road trip a couple years ago and we still talk about it. It's set in a small fictional town in 19th century Utah where J.D and his brothers make all sorts of hilarious mischief. Young J.D. both fears and idolizes his older brother Tom whom he calls the Great Brain, “a silver tongued genius with a knack for turning a profit.” But while the Great Brain is a character you’ll love to hate, he’ll also have you doubled over with laughter.

Note: This book does have a chapter where a boy attempts to commit suicide. It's lighthearted and there is a satisfactory resolution, but you should preview it before reading aloud so you're not caught off guard.

This is a great one to read and then watch the movie together (the movie is really well done!). Stanley Yelnats is suffering from a family curse that began decades earlier with this great grandfather. Because of the curse, Stanley finds himself unjustly accused of a crime and sentenced to a boy's detention center where he is forced to dig holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. This book is always a crowd pleaser!

I could not love this book more! The Tang family are recent immigrants from China in the 1980’s. It feels lucky when Mia’s parents get a job running the Calavista Motel. But the job isn’t quite what they thought it was going to be and they’re starting from zero in America.

It’s engaging realistic fiction based on the author’s own immigrant experience.

Would you want to live forever? That is the questions Winnie Foster must answer after she discovers a spring on her family's property with water that grants immortality. What Winnie soon realizes, however, is just how complicated the question really is. This is a beautiful classic book that everyone should read. (There's also a good movie version of this one too.)

Esperanza lives a privileged life at her beautiful home in Mexico. She has beautiful dresses, a happy family, and servants that keep life running smoothly. However, when a tragedy forces Esperanza and her mother to flee to California, she finds herself working at a farm labor camp. It's hard work and she has a lot of difficult lessons to learn, but readers will be inspired by Esperanza's ability to rise above her trials.

Ellie is a fun kid with a big personality. She loves to bake and dreams of becoming a celebrity chef with a cookbook of her own. Ellie also has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. She's used to making the best out of things, but when her mom tells her they're moving to help care for her ailing grandfather, Ellie really has to learn how to roll with it. This is a fun, sweet read with a main character you can't help but fall in love with.

This is a favorite at our house. Dallas and Florida are trouble twins that have been in and out of foster homes for years. They're pretty used to things feeling bleak, so when they are placed with the Moreys, an older couple with an inviting mountain home, they're not sure what to think. There's a big adventure in this book, but what I really love is the heartwarming story of finding a real home.

This book is amazing! You might not think it possible, but this story about making pottery in 12th century Korea is absolutely gripping. It's a perfect read aloud book for fourth grade.

Jackson and his family have hit a rough patch. Money is tight and they don't know how they'll pay the rent or even buy their next meal. It looks like they may have to move back into their minivan. And then Crenshaw shows up. He's a very large, outspoken cat. He's also imaginary. But he may have come into Jackson's life in time to help his family when they need it most. This is a beautiful book about friendship.

Tamaya and Marshall have been walking to and from school together on the same path for years, but when a bully challenges Marshall, he and Tamaya take a shortcut home to avoid the conflict. What should have been a short detour turns into a wild adventure when the kids get lost and discover the wonders of fuzzy mud. It's a captivating story!

Two brothers, desperate to escape from their abusive father, run away towards rumors of gold during the 1800’s Klondike Gold Rush in Alaska. But they’re not prepared  for the harsh Alaska climate, the steep gold rush competition, or the mystery they have to solve to survive. We really enjoyed this one!

This is a weird and quirky book that really charmed me. When she was very young, Bicycle was abandoned at a "mostly silent" monastery in Washington, D.C. She was wearing a t-shirt with a bicycle on the front so they called her “Bicycle” in the beginning, which officially turned into Bicycle in the long term too.

Bicycle is happy at the monastery, but when she finds out that Sister Wanda has signed her up for a "friendship camp" for the summer, Bicycle decides she'd rather make friends her own way and sets off on a cross country bike ride to meet her cycling hero. It's a strange adventure, but so fun!

This is fantastic historical fiction about the Civil Rights movement from a child's perspective. The Watsons are a hilarious, lovable family and the story is an excellent read aloud.

Eleven year-old Melody has cerebral palsy and she can't talk, or walk, or write. But she's also incredibly smart with a photographic memory and unique way of seeing the world. When she gets a special keyboard that allows her to communicate, she's so excited to go to school and finally connect with other kids. But it's not an easy journey and Melody has a lot to learn and a lot to teach. This is an incredible book, both moving and uplifting - great for a classroom read aloud!