The Best Books for 4th Graders
Through the novels we read as children, we’re transported from our world into another and immersed in the experiences, struggles, and joys of historical or fictional worlds. Literature that’s focused on age-appropriate themes and studied actively, with supplemental materials to engage young readers, can help children learn the rules of grammar and spelling, develop empathy, encourage cognitive development and critical thinking, and open their hearts and minds to biblical truths.
4th Grade Novel Studies
Total Language Plus offers unique opportunities for novel studies for homeschooling families through comprehensive study guides focused on particular books appropriate for various grade-levels and stages of learning and development. Here are a few of our favorite books for 4th grade learners, for which we have created study materials.
Pippi Longstocking
Written in 1945 by Astrid Lidgren with illustrations by Ingred Vang Nyman, Pippi Longstocking follows the adventures of a pigtailed, redheaded girl with incredible powers and a unique personality. Pippi’s mother died when she was a baby, and after her father is supposedly lost at sea she moves into a new home in a small village in Sweden with her pet horse and a monkey named Mr. Nilsson.
She soon befriends her next door neighbors, Tommy and Annika, who join her on her wacky adventures. With super strength and a humorously limited understanding of social norms and behavior, Pippi is a unique, strong-willed character. Both female and male 4th grade students will love to read along as she attempts to enroll in school, performs at a circus, and falls into various hijinks.
Pippi Longstocking is a fantastic book for 4rd graders, as each chapter reads like a short story, providing a great opportunity to explore new story structures, tall tales, and cultural norms and differences. TPL’s study guide for this book introduces students to more complex vocabulary and literary techniques. Our Pippi Longstocking study guide engages the imagination and encourages creativity by instructing students to write their own tall tale with step-by-step guidance.
Shiloh
Beautifully written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and originally published in 1991, Shiloh is a Newbery Medal-winning children's novel that represents the first in a four-book series about a young boy and an abused dog.
The book follows the story of Marty, the story’s narrator and protagonist, who encounters an abused beagle owned by his cruel neighbor, Judd. Concerned for the dog’s wellbeing, Marty steals him, names him Shiloh, and creates a complex web of lies to keep the theft a secret and the dog safe. Although he is eventually discovered, Marty sees Judd shooting a deer out of hunting season and tries to blackmail him into selling Shiloh to him. Since Marty doesn’t have money to pay for the dog, he has to begin working for Judd and doing various chores to earn the right to keep Shiloh.
Shiloh is a unique tale full of heart and grounded in family values that will appeal to 4th grade boys and girls. It explores difficult and thought-provoking themes in an age-appropriate way, and gives young readers the opportunity to relate to complex characters. TLP’s study guide offers unique opportunities for novel studies by encouraging students to expand their understanding of vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and comprehension and to engage with the story’s moral and practical dilemmas.
The Sign of the Beaver
Published in 1983 and written by Elizabeth George Speare, The Sign of the Beaver is a historical novel for children. It follows an 18th-century American settler, a 13-year-old boy named Mat Hallowell. After Matt and his father build a log cabin in the woods of Maine, he is left alone while his father travels back to their previous home in Massachusetts to bring the rest of their family. Matt must learn how to survive in the wilderness, contending with various hardships and befriending a member of the native Beaver tribe named Attean.
TLP’s extensive study guide for The Sign of the Beaver features writing prompts covering comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, and grammar that enrich the student’s novel studies. It also includes additional learning ideas (such as hands-on activities and field trips) designed to enhance students’ learning experience.
The study guide is broken down into weekly units, which cover particular sections of the novel for young readers to consider in depth. Writing assignments are included that apply concepts in the story to the student’s life and emphasize biblical lessons that are connected to the story.