Two Terrific Books for 5th Graders
Esperanza rising is a fantastic book about a young girl's struggle as she must transform her life and move to The United States, in the face of losing her father and poverty. This book describes how young Esperanza grows up, and gains lessons and maturity throughout. The message is a powerful one for young students who are around her age, and perhaps most importantly, the main character is a strong, powerful female character, and many of the girls in class can be inspired by her triumph.
Hatchet is another of my favorite books, especially for the age range, and especially for the boys in class who are a challenge to find books that they are interested in. The story is a thrilling tale of survival in the wilderness of a young boy. The main character, being close in age to 5th graders, can also inspire and connect to the young audience. The students can become engaged in the literature as they fight along with Brian who must use clever thinking and problem solving skills to make it out of the wilderness alive.
