5th Grade

In fifth grade, kids are reading extensively and are expected to have solid reading comprehension skills.

Resources for 5th Grade

Cover of Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates

Amos Fortune, Free Man

Newbery Medal biography of an African-born man enslaved in colonial New England who bought his freedom and that of others.

Cover of Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Bud, Not Buddy

Newbery Medal novel following a ten-year-old orphan across Depression-era Michigan in search of the father he thinks he has found.

Cover of The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

The Sign of the Beaver

Newbery Honor survival story set in 1768 Maine, in which a settler boy and a Penobscot boy teach each other to live in the wilderness.

Cover of Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Newbery Medal biography-novel of Nathaniel Bowditch, the self-taught sailor-mathematician who rewrote the book on navigation.

Cover of Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad

Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad

Rosemary Sutcliff's vivid prose retelling of Homer's Iliad, widely used to introduce middle-grade students to the Trojan War.

Cover of The Golden Goblet

The Golden Goblet

A Newbery Honor novel set in ancient Egypt, commonly paired with ancient-history studies for grades 5-8.

Cover of The Bronze Bow

The Bronze Bow

Elizabeth George Speare's Newbery Medal novel set in Roman-occupied Galilee, a mainstay of ancient-history literature lists.

Cover of Famous Men of Rome

Famous Men of Rome

Memoria Press's classical-education reader covering Rome through short biographies, from Romulus to Constantine.

Cover of The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey

The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey

Sutcliff's companion volume to Black Ships Before Troy, retelling Homer's Odyssey for middle-grade and early high school readers.

Cover of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

The classic illustrated introduction to the Greek gods, goddesses and heroes — a staple read-aloud in classical homeschool programs.

Cover of Learning How to Learn by Barbara Oakley, Terrence Sejnowski and Alistair McConville

Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying

Barbara Oakley's bestselling learning-science guide rewritten for ages 10-17, teaching focused and diffuse thinking, chunking, and how to beat procrastination.

The 50 States: Activity Book

The 50 States: Activity Book

The hands-on companion to The 50 States atlas—maps to label, puzzles, and fact files that turn U.S. geography into an active, screen-free homeschool project.