Best Realistic Fiction Books for 4th Grade Readers
Welcome to a world of imagination and wonder, where stories come alive and transport us to captivating realms. For 4th graders, realistic fiction opens doors to explore everyday life while engaging with relatable characters and situations. This genre not only entertains but also fosters empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the world. Here, we've curated a list of 25 realistic fiction books ideal for fourth graders, promising adventure, emotions, and valuable life lessons.
Best Realistic Fiction Books for 4th Grade Readers
What is Realistic Fiction?
Realistic fiction is a genre that encompasses stories set in a world that mirrors our own reality. It's characterized by narratives that could happen in real life, featuring believable events, settings, and characters. Here are key elements that define realistic fiction:
Real-Life Setting
Authentic Settings: The story takes place in settings that exist in the real world, whether it’s a city, town, school, or neighborhood. These settings are recognizable and relatable to readers.
Plausible Events
Believable Plot: The events and occurrences in the story are plausible and could happen in real life. While they might be fictional, they remain within the realm of possibility without fantastical or supernatural elements.
Everyday Characters and Situations
Realistic Characters: Protagonists and supporting characters resemble people we might encounter in our lives. They have flaws, emotions, and complexities that make them relatable.
Everyday Situations: The storyline of realistic fiction books revolve around everyday life events, challenges, and relationships. It could be about family dynamics, friendships, school experiences, or personal growth.
Exploration of Themes and Issues
Tackling Real Issues: Realistic fiction books often deal with real-world issues or themes such as identity, friendship, bullying, social issues, loss, or personal growth.
Reflecting Society: It reflects the societal norms, values, and challenges of the time or community it represents. These themes provide opportunities for readers to relate and learn about themselves and the world.
Absence of Supernatural Elements
No Fantasy or Magical Elements: Unlike fantasy or science fiction genres, realistic fiction books do not involve supernatural occurrences, magic, or fantastical creatures. Realistic fiction books remain firmly grounded in the real world and can be based on historic events..
Emotional Resonance
Emotional Depth: Realistic fiction stories often evoke genuine emotions in readers by portraying realistic emotional experiences and reactions.
Realistic fiction serves as a bridge between the reader's world and the fictional narrative, allowing them to engage deeply with characters and situations that reflect their own reality or that of others. It encourages empathy, understanding, and critical thinking by presenting relatable scenarios and characters within the bounds of the known world.
How to Select a Great Book for Realistic Fiction:
Selecting books for fourth graders involves considering their developmental stage, interests, and reading proficiency. Here are some tips to help choose engaging and suitable books:
Consider Reading Level and Interests
Reading Level: Look for books that align with their reading abilities. Check for recommended age ranges, Lexile levels, or ask their teacher or librarian for guidance.
Interests: Consider their hobbies, passions, or favorite topics. Whether it’s mysteries, adventures, animals, or sports, finding books that resonate with their interests can make reading more enjoyable.
Diversity in Themes and Characters
Diverse Characters: Seek books that feature a main character and supporting characters from various backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. It fosters empathy and broadens their worldview.
Themes: Look for books that touch on different themes like friendship, family, overcoming challenges, or self-discovery. This variety keeps reading engaging and thought-provoking.
Series and Standalone Books
Series: For avid readers, series books can be captivating. Introduce them to well-loved series with characters that grow and evolve across multiple books.
Standalone Books: Standalone stories offer a complete narrative in one book, providing a satisfying reading experience.
Engaging Formats
Illustrated Books: For younger readers or those transitioning to longer texts, illustrated books or graphic novels can be visually appealing and help with comprehension.
Interactive Books: Books with puzzles, activities, or interactive elements can keep them engaged and make reading a fun experience.
Check Reviews and Recommendations
Reviews: Look for reviews from educators, parents, or reputable book lists for recommendations. Websites like Goodreads often provide insights into a book's content and suitability.
Personal Recommendations: Consult librarians, teachers, or parents of children with similar reading interests for personalized suggestions.
Remember, the goal is to nurture a love for reading and encourage exploration. Offering a mix of challenging and enjoyable books helps develop their reading skills while fostering a lifelong passion for stories and learning.
Great Book Recommendations for Realistic Fiction for 4th Grade Students:
A Boy Called Bat
This sweet and thoughtful novel chronicles Bat’s experiences and challenges at school with friends and teachers and at home with his sister and divorced parents. Bat is the main characters nickname and as a kid on the autism spectrum and he falls in love with the baby skunk and they are a perfect pair. This trilogy is a proven winner in the home and classroom—kids love these short illustrated young middle grade books. The trilogy is A Boy Called Bat, Bat and the Waiting Game, and Bat and the End of Everything.
A Long Pitch Home
A sensitive and endearing and powerful story about a young Pakistani immigrant adjusting to his new life in contemporary America. Ten-year-old Bilal liked his life back home in Pakistan. He was a star on his cricket team. But when his father suddenly sends the family to live with their aunt and uncle in a new town in America, nothing is familiar. While Bilal tries to keep up with his cousin Jalaal by joining a baseball league and practicing his English, he has a hard time adjusting and wonders when his father will join the family in Virginia navigating being a new student.
A Long Walk to Water
This #1 New York Times bestselling novel is a powerful tale of perseverance and hope. A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about two eleven-year-olds in Sudan, a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the “lost boys” of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his great story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way.
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
One summer’s day, ten-year-old India Opal Buloni goes down to the local supermarket for some groceries—and comes home with a dog. But Winn-Dixie is no ordinary dog. It’s because of Winn-Dixie that Opal begins to make friends. And it’s because of Winn-Dixie that she finally dares to ask her father about her mother, who left when Opal was three. In fact, as Opal admits, just about everything that happens that summer is because of Winn-Dixie. Even after 20 years in print, this is still one of the best books for readers of all ages to return to time and time again. A heartwarming tale of a young girl named Opal and her unique bond with a stray dog named Winn-Dixie, exploring themes of friendship and community.
Crossover By Kwame Alexander
The film version and series is streaming now on Disney+. The Newbery Medal winner and Coretta Scott King Award–winning middle grade bestseller! Basketball and heartache share the court in this slam-dunk novel. 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood. He's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander. This story is written in a new way of prose and is great for even the reluctant reader.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Follow Esperanza’s journey from privilege to hardship in 1930s Mexico to a farm labor camp in California, showcasing resilience and the pursuit of the American Dream. Esperanza thought she'd always live a privileged life on her family's ranch in Mexico. She'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home filled with servants, and Mama, Papa, and Abuelita to care for her. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard work, financial struggles brought on by the Great Depression, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When Mama gets sick and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances--because Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.
Farmer Boy
The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of young people as both a unique glimpse into America’s frontier history and as heartwarming, unforgettable stories. The Little House series has captivated millions of readers with its depiction of life on the American frontier.
While Laura Ingalls grows up on the prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. Here Almanzo and his brother and sisters help with the summer planting and fall harvest. In winter there is wood to be chopped and great slabs of ice to be cut from the river and stored. Time for fun comes when the jolly tin peddler visits, or best of all, when the fair comes to town.
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Join Ally, a dyslexic student, as she discovers her strengths and talents with the help of a supportive teacher and friends, celebrating uniqueness, character traits and perseverance. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike. The author of the beloved heartfelt story gives readers an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who’s ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn’t fit in.
Fourth Grade Rats
Fourth graders are tough. They aren't afraid of spiders. They say no to their moms. They push first graders off the swings. And they never, ever cry. Suds knows that now he's in fourth grade, he's supposed to be a rat. But whenever he tries to act like one, something goes wrong. Can Suds' friend Joey teach him to toughen up... or will Suds remain a fourth-grade wimp? Now with brand-new illustrations, this sequel to Jerry Spinelli's Third Grade Angels is a classic story of fitting in (or not) and friendship. Even reluctant readers will want to add this to their reading list asap!
From the Desk of Zoe Washington
From debut author Janae Marks comes a captivating story full of heart, as one courageous girl questions assumptions, searches for the truth, and does what she believes is right thing—even in the face of great opposition. Zoe Washington isn’t sure what to write. What does a girl say to the father she’s never met, hadn’t heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who’s been in prison for a terrible crime? A crime he says he never committed. Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family. This is one of my favorite books of all time and a good book to read aloud for 4th grade up through middle school chapter books too.
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams? This first book in this series is a must read for students to discuss cultural diversity, immigration, and how to be a good friend.
Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life. This is a great realistic fiction book for advanced readers to discuss topics of violence, community, and police brutality.
Hello Universe
Newbery winners Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe is a funny and poignant neighborhood story about unexpected friendships. Told from four intertwining points of view—two boys and two girls—the novel celebrates bravery, being different, and finding your inner bayani (hero). Readers will be instantly engrossed in this relatable neighborhood adventure and its eclectic cast of misfits.
It's Like This, Cat
This 1964 Newbery Award-winning tale recaptures the excitement and challenges of growing up in the big city. After another fight with Pop, 14-year-old Dave storms out of their apartment and nearly gets hit by a car. Kate, the local cat lady, comes to the rescue, and Dave returns home with an ally: Cat, the stray tom that becomes Dave's confidante and his key to new friendships and experiences. Cat inadvertently leads Dave to Tom, a troubled 19-year-old who needs help, and Mary, a shy girl who opens Dave's eyes and ears to music and theater.
Just a Drop of Water
This touching 4th grade level and above story explores what it mean to have real friends, how you should react to a bully, and makes the events of September 11th, 2001 personal. In this story about growing up in a difficult part of America’s history, Jake Green is introduced as a cross country runner who wants to be a soldier and an American hero when he grows up.
Loser
From renowned Newbery-winning author Jerry Spinelli comes a powerful story about how not fitting in just might lead to an incredible life. This classic book is perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and Carl Hiaasen. Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like "Jabip." Other kids have their own new word to describe him, but Zinkoff is too busy to hear it. He doesn't know he's not like everyone else. And one winter night, Zinkoff's differences show that any name can someday become "hero."
New Kid
This timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, from award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself? This middle grade graphic novel is an excellent choice for tween readers, including for summer reading.
Number the Stars
Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.A modern classic of historical fiction, Number the Stars has won generations of fans and continues to speak to today's readers.
One and Only Ivan
The #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Award-winning novel The One and Only Ivan is now a major motion picture streaming on Disney. This unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated book is told from the point of view of Ivan himself.
Having spent twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.
In the tradition of timeless stories like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create an unforgettable story of friendship, art, and hope.
One Crazy Summer
In this Newbery Honor novel, New York Times bestselling author Rita Williams-Garcia tells the story of three sisters who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 to meet the mother who abandoned them. A strong option for summer reading—take this book along on a family road trip or enjoy it at home. In One Crazy Summer, eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She's had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a radical new life in California. But when the sisters arrive from Brooklyn to spend the summer with their mother, Cecile is nothing like they imagined. While the girls hope to go to Disneyland and meet Tinker Bell, their mother sends them to a day camp run by the Black Panthers. Unexpectedly, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern learn much about their family, their country, and themselves during one truly crazy summer.
Rules
This Newbery Honor Book is a heartfelt and witty story about feeling different and finding acceptance -- beyond the rules. Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your pants on in public" -- in order to head off David's embarrassing behaviors. But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?
Sarah Plain and Tall
This beloved Newbery Medal–winning book is the first of five books in Patricia MacLachlan's chapter book series about the Witting family. Set in the late nineteenth century and told from young Anna's point of view, Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton comes from Maine to the prairie to answer Papa's advertisement for a wife and mother. Before Sarah arrives, Anna and her younger brother Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she sing? Will she stay?
This children's literature classic is perfect for fans of historical fiction, and timeless stories using rich and beautiful language. Sarah, Plain and Tall gently explores themes of abandonment, loss and love.
Save me a Seat
Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they're both stuck in the same place: SCHOOL. Joe's lived in the same town all his life and was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own. Ravi's family just moved to America from India, and he's finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in. Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common -- but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.
Shadow Jumper
The truth is out there somewhere . . . but how far is Jack willing to jump to find it? Jack Phillips's allergy to sunshine confines him to the shadows, leaving him lonely and at risk of life-threatening burns every time he steps into the light. Shadow jumping on the rooftops at dusk makes him feel alive. And free. But Jack's condition is suddenly worse than ever and only his missing scientist dad can save him. As Jack and his new friend, Beth, begin their frantic search and delve into his dad's past for clues, they have no idea what they are about to uncover. Shocking rumors and dark secrets bombard them at every turn. Jack is brave on the roofs. But can he find the courage to face the truth? A story about friendship, family, loss, bravery and overcoming adversity.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
With more than a million copies sold, Newbery Medal winner The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a must-read for fans of classic children's literature or timeless fantasy fables.
Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is kind. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.
The Family Under the Bridge
The heartwarming and memorable Newbery Honor-winning book about finding family in the unlikeliest places, featuring artwork by beloved illustrator Garth Williams. This classic middle grade novel is a welcome and meaningful read, especially at Christmastime. Armand, an old man living on the streets of Paris, relishes his solitary life in the beautiful city. He is happy with his carefree existence, begging and doing odd jobs to keep himself warm and fed. With simple pleasures and no cares, what more could he need? Then one day just before Christmas, Armand returns to his favorite spot beneath the bridge to find three cold and hungry children. Although he has no interest in children, Armand soon finds himself caring for the small family. It does not take Armand very long to realize that he must do whatever it takes to get them a real home.
The Lemonade Crime
Friends, justice, and . . . lemonade? Evan and Jessie are hot on the trail of the missing lemonade-stand money. Follow this brother-sister duo as they take justice into their own hands and explore the meaning of fairness, integrity, and repairing relationships on the playground and in business in this installment of the award-winning Lemonade War series.Evan Treski thinks fourth grader Scott Spencer is their prime suspect, so he challenges him to a game of basketball. But his little sister Jessie disagrees. Her solution? Turn the playground into a full-blown courtroom with a judge, jury, witnesses . . . and surprising consequences.
The Parker Inheritance
When Candice finds a letter in an old attic in Lambert, South Carolina, she isn't sure she should read it. It's addressed to her grandmother, who left the town in shame. But the letter describes a young woman. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding its writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle.So with the help of Brandon, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert's history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets.
The Perfect Score
From the beloved author of Because of Mr. Terupt and its sequels comes The Perfect Score, a new middle-grade school story with a very special cast of unforgettable characters who discover that getting the perfect score—both on the test and in life—is perhaps not so perfect after all.
Where the Red Fern Grows
Read the beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man’s best friend.Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when he’s finally able to save up enough money for two pups to call his own—Old Dan and Little Ann—he’s ecstatic. It doesn’t matter that times are tough; together they’ll roam the hills of the Ozarks.
Wish
A touching, New York Times–bestselling story about a girl and her dog, perfect for young animal lovers.
Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true. That is until she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all.
"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio
A moving narrative about Auggie, a boy with a facial deformity, navigating through the challenges of fitting in at a new school, emphasizing kindness and acceptance.
The power of realistic fiction lies in its ability to resonate deeply with young readers, advanced readers, and the entire family, inviting them into worlds both familiar and unknown. These 25 books offer a tapestry of emotions, lessons, and adventures, providing fourth graders with a diverse range of stories to explore. Through these narratives, children can develop empathy, broaden their perspectives, and discover the essence of resilience and compassion. Let these books be companions on the journey of imagination and growth, leaving an indelible mark on young hearts and minds.
