Fifth grade summer book lists are distributed to students just before the end of the school year. Over the summer months, students can read the books on the list at their own leisure. If they need another copy of the list, it is usually available on the school system website, as well as at their local school. Also, some libraries and bookstores post copies of the lists for students to view.
The fiction list contains everything from contemporary stories about friendship to classic tales of adventure. Included are the classic works "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carrol, "The Secret Garden" by Frances H. Burnett and "The Black Stallion" by Walter Farley. Contemporary titles include "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher P. Curtis, "Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbitt and "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich. Other titles on the list also include "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin.
Works of poetry are selected to give students an idea of how many types of poetry are available and how words rhyme and have rhythm. These works of poetry include "Casey at the Bat" by Ernest L. Thayer, "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus and "Dust of Snow" by Robert Frost, as well as a retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf" by celebrated children's author Roald Dahl.
The non-fiction books mentioned on the list cover a wide variety of topics. Books covering science and the natural world include "Hurricanes: Earth's Mightiest Storms" by Patricia Lauber, "Good Pet, Bad Pet" by Elizabeth Schleichert and "Horses" by Seymour Simon. Some historical books featured are "Ancient Mound Builders" by Barrie Kavash and "We Are the Ship: the Story of Negro League Baseball" by Kadir Nelson. Such titles as "Telescopes" by Colin Ronan are also recommended.