Books for this age group can help put first-time students and very young students at ease in a new environment. "Franklin Goes to School," by Paulette Bourgeois, and "First-Grade Jitters," by Robert Quakenbush, are two stories about starting school. "My School Community," by Bobbie Kalman, is a fun story focusing on how everyone in a school works together. Another fun read for young learners is "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," by Laura Numeroff.
Many books are suitable for creating a positive attitude for reading, especially from the first day. "Get Ready for Second Grade, Amber Brown," by Paula Danziger, introduces students to a young girl afraid of her second-grade teacher. It stresses the concept of making new friends as well. "The Adventures of Taxi Dog," by Debra and Sal Barracca, and "Dinosaurs Before Dark: Magic Tree House Series," by Mary Pope Osborne, are two excellent adventure reads for the second- and third-grade level.
It can more complicated to find books to appeal to children in fourth grade. Teachers may find adventure and humorous stories to be the best type of material for this grade level. "The Diary of a Wimpy Kid," by Jeff Kinney, is both adventurous and humorous. "Island of the Blue Dolphins," by Scott O'Dell, is a favorite among many elementary school teachers because parts of it are based on facts. "Jumanji," by Chris Van Allsburg, also can keep fourth-graders' interest.
Many books on the fifth-grade reading level are fictionalized descriptions of actual events. A great story to read aloud, perhaps over two or three days, is "On Board the Titanic: What It Was Like When the Great Liner Sunk," by Shelley Tanaka. Another historical read for this level is "I am Regina," which centers on a 12-year-old girl kidnapped by native Americans. Elementary school students of this age might also enjoy the fantasy series of Nicolas Flamel, by Michael Scott.