If you want to build vocabulary and reading comprehension skills, classic literature is a great place to start. These books have stood the test of time and are written by gifted writers who know how to craft a sentence. You will find more complex vocabulary in classic books too!
Here is a list of 5th and 6th grade readers for a child who loves animals and stories where unusual things happen. Below you will see each book’s estimated grade level and lexile level.
I’m listing them in the order I’m having my kid read them:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 5.9 grade level, 810 lexile level
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator 5.4 grade level, 720 lexile level
Matilda 5.2 grade level, 840 lexile level
James and the Giant Peach 6.7 grade level, 870 lexile level
Runny Babbit 4.2 grade level (a fun addition)
Number the Stars 5.2 grade level, 670 lexile level
The BFG 5.8 grade level, 720 lexile level
The Indian in the Cupboard 5.9 grade level, 780 lexile level
Lassie Come Home 5.8 grade level, 780 lexile level
Pollyanna 5.8 grade level, 870 lexile level
A Wrinkle in Time 4.7 grade level, 740 lexile level
Mary Poppins 6.1 grade level, 830 lexile level
Old Yeller 5.4 grade level, 910 lexile level
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 6.1 grade level, 940 lexile level
Adventures of Tom Sawyer 5.9 grade level, 950 lexile level
The Little Princess 5.5 grade level, 930 lexile level
The Secret Garden 6.8 grade level, 970 lexile level
Heidi 7.9 grade level, 960 lexile level
Anne of Green Gables 5.9 grade level, 990 lexile level
The Wizard of Oz 6.9 grade level 1000 lexile level
Black Beauty 6.4 grade level, 1010 lexile level
