Students who have learned to decode multiple syllable words are ready for literature at a bit higher level. The transition from Grade 3 books to Grade 4 reading level requires a shift in several ways that frequently requires explicit, direct instruction in comprehension strategies for tweens and teens with language-based learning issues:
1. Rapidly recognizing both short sight words and longer multisyllable words is necessary.
2. Gaining fluency of around 100 words per minute is when students are ready to move forward to a slightly higher level.
3. Comprehending a basic plot in a simple story. When transitioning to Grade 4 stories, students with reading issues often need to be instructed in how to identify literary elements and devices that make stories interesting. For nonfiction, students need to be able to identify the main idea of passages, summarize major details, and pull together inferential information from context clues.
Reading at Grade 4 is also a time when the transition to silent reading usually happens. Even if an older student is reading below grade level, this is still the level where the transition is likely to happen.
However, if your child has dyslexia, autism, or another language-based reading disability, the weaknesses in auditory processing can show up when the reader continues to want to read aloud or transitions to whisper reading. Allow the auditory input through whisper reading or following along in a book while listening to an audiobook. The transition to silent reading may happen soon, or the reader may continue needing to hear the text in order to comprehend.
Grade 4 books tend to have longer chapters and more pages. If your student finds a motivating book, most likely the title is part of a series. Providing more books in a series can help an older reader connect more fully with characters and anticipate events in the plot line, which helps with better comprehension.
This list will include fiction series, individual fiction, biographies, and nonfiction titles. If you are looking for fiction books, there are lots of new chapter books at the upper third grade and fourth grade levels; however, many of the newer books contain themes that don’t fit my main criteria of a story that has qualities of literary value rather than what I call trendy “junk reads.”
I try to find titles that represent various genres and can be analyzed for the literary elements and devices. My list is not comprehensive, so I’m sure you will find many titles that aren’t on my list that your older student with lower reading skills will like. Feel free to print out my list and add your own finds. Most of the books on this list can be found used on Amazon, Ebay, or Google Shopping.
Regarding nonfiction books, the list includes books that are not in textbook format but can be used for straight reading or for teaching research study skills.
The books that are overtly Christian have been marked with an asterisk*. If you are looking for Christian fiction or nonfiction books, my favorite publishers are Journey Forth, Lamplighters, and Bethlehem Books. Living Book Press is another homeschool source for quality fiction; however, it is difficult to evaluate the reading level since the descriptions do not identify a recommended level.
For nonfiction titles, I prefer Crabtree Publishing for secular titles and MasterBooks for Christian titles. I have also found that my students enjoy the biographies and nonfiction topics from National Geographic Kids, Stepping into Reading, and other leveled reader series.
You may also find other publishers in Rainbow Resources or Christian Book Distributors, both of which are retailers of homeschool curriculum and supplemental materials.
Enjoy the reads!
Fiction Series
- American Girl Series
- American Revolutionary War Adventures Series
- Betsy and Tacy Series
- Charlie Bumper Series
- City of Ember Series
- Classical Starts Books
- d’Aulaire Books
- Encyclopedia Brown Series
- Great Illustrated Classics Books
- Holling C. Holling Books
- Julie of the Wolves Series
- Little House on the Prairie Series
- Matt Christopher Sports Books
- National Park Mystery Series
- The 39 Clues Series, Rick Riordan
- The Indian in the Cupboard Series
- Warrior Cat Series, by Erin Hunter
Individual Fiction Books
- A Bear Called Paddington
- A Lion to Guard Us
- All of a Kind Family
- Alvin’s Secret Code
- Charlotte’s Web, E. B. White
- Cricket in Times Square
- D’Aulaire books
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- Emma’s Journal
- From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
- Granny Torelli Makes Soup
- Here Comes McBroom
- Holes
- Homeless Bird
- James and the Giant Peach
- Journey to Jo’burg
- Justin Morgan had a Horse
- Kneeknock Rise
- Knights of the Round Table (Stepping Stones)
- Mary Poppins
- M. C. Higgins, The Great
- Mr. Popper’s Penguins
- Number the Stars
- Onion John
- Pedro’s Journal
- Pilgrim’s Progress (Abeka) *
- Pippi Longstocking
- Ramona Books, Beverly Cleary
- Ruby Holler
- Shiloh
- Snow Treasure
- Stone Fox
- Stuart Little, E. B. White
- Tales from the Odyssey, Mary Pope Osborne
- The Arrow Over the Door
- The Bears on Hemlock Mountain
- The Chocolate Touch
- The Corn Grows Ripe
- The Door in the Wall
- The House at Pooh Corner
- The Hundred Dresses
- The Lemonade War
- The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Beverly Cleary
- The One and Only Ivan
- The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
- The Second Mrs. Gioconda
- The Secret Lake
- The Summer of the Swans, Betsy Byars
- The Tiger Rising, Kate DiCamillo
- The Toothpaste Millionaire
- The Wizard of Oz (Stepping Stones)
- Tirzah
- Toliver’s Secret
- Viking Adventure, Clyde Robert Bulla
- Wings of Fire
- Wish
Biographies
- Bound for Oregon
- Childhood of Famous Americans Series
- Heroes of Liberty Biographies
- Landmark Biographies: Meet ____.
- National Geographic Biographies (Level 2 or 3)
- Scholastic Easy Reader Biographies
- Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims
- The House That Jane Built
- The Story of ____: A Biography for New Readers
- Step into Reading 3
- Abe Lincoln’s Ha
- Albert Einstein
- Anne Frank
- Babe Ruth Saves Baseball
- Brave Clara Barton
- Christopher Columbus
- Cleopatra
- Dream March: Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Eat My Dust: Henry Ford’s First Race
- Eliza Hamilton
- George Washington and the General’s Dog
- Jackie Robinson
- Listen Up: Alexander Graham Bell
- Martin Luther King, Jr
- Pocahontas
- Sacagawea
- Take a Hike, Teddy Roosevelt
- Walt Disney
- Step into Reading 4
- Ballerina Dreams
- Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares
- Helen Keller
- I am Rosa Parks
- The Great Houdini
- Thomas Jefferson’s Feast
Nonfiction Books
- Historic Communities Series (Crabtree Publishing)
- I Survived Series
- Life in the Old West Series (Crabtree Publishing)
- My America Series
- Simple Machines (Crabtree Publishing)
- Spotlight on __Country___, Bobbie Kalman (Crabtree Publishing)
- The Science of Living Things Series (Crabtree Publishing)
- National Geographic Kids Readers 3
- Alien Ocean Animals
- Amazing Animal Journeys
- Ancient Egypt
- Animal Architects
- Bears
- Bling!
- Butterflies
- Cats vs Dogs
- Deadliest Animals
- Ellis Island
- Erupt
- Gallop!
- Ink: Octopi and Squid
- Mars
- Meteors
- Roar!
- Robots
- September 11
- Sharks
- Skyscrapers
- Squeak
- Water
- Whales
- What is an Archaelogist?
- Wolverines
- Woof!
- Step into Reading 3
- Balto
- Dolphins
- Francis Scott Key’s Start Spangled Banner
- Heavy Duty Trucks
- Hungry, Hungry Sharks
- Monster Bugs
- Monster Trucks
- S-S-Snakes
- Tentacles
- The First Thanksgiving
- Trains
- Twisters!
- Wild, Wild Wolves
- Step into Reading 4
- Amistad
- Choppers
- Discovery in the Cave
- Escape North! The Story of Harriet Tubman
- First Flight
- Hungry Plants
- Ice Mummy
- Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln
- Moon Walk
- Pompeii…Buried Alive
- Space
- The Titanic: Lost and Found
- To the Top
- Tut’s Mummy: Lost and Found
- Volcanoes: Mountains of Fire
- Wild Cats
