45+ Best Books for 9-10 Year Olds: Chapter Books for Fourth Graders

This fabulous list of the best books for 9 year olds was so much fun to collate – there are so many great titles for fourth graders (many of which your 10+ year old will love too!!)

I’ve sorted the chapter book titles into a number of different genres – realistic fiction, historical fiction, mystery, fantasy and adventure, and more, although obviously many of these titles could easily fit into a number of related genres.

45+ Best Books for 9 Year Olds (Fourth Grade)

Like all of the titles in our Best Books for Kids collection, each of our great books for 9 year olds picks is linked to both Amazon and The Book Depository (these are affiliate links) where you can find reviews and age recommendations for any titles you are not familiar with.

Realistic Fiction for 9 Year Olds

Tales of Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume: Peter, aged 10, shares the story of the often embarrassing situations he is placed in when his parents need his help to wrangle his little brother – the always funny, sometimes infuriating, 3 year old known as Fudge. There are currently four books in the series. Available: Amazon  |  The Book Depository

Pippa’s Island: The Beach Shack Cafe (book 1 in the series) by Belinda Murrell: Pippa has just arrived in a new town and even living on a gorgeous island isn’t cheering her up. On top of worries about her new school and making friends, Pippa’s concerned about her mum’s plans to turn a rustic, old boatshed into a bookshop cafe – will they lose everything in this crazy venture? Available: Amazon  |  The Book Depository

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies: Evan and Jessie will be in the same fourth grade class next year as Jessie is skipping a grade. Evan is not happy about it because Jessie is the smart one and he’s scared to death of being embarrassed by her. Jessie can’t understand why Evan is so mad. She knows he’s popular with the other kids and could help her to fit in. Before they know it the siblings are embroiled in The Lemonade War where the first one earning $100 selling lemonade wins. But will sneaky tactics and sabotage see the siblings lose more than just money? Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Boy At The Back of the Class by Onjali Q Rauf: He’s nine years old (just like me), but he’s very strange. He never talks and never smiles and doesn’t like sweets. But then I learned the truth: Ahmet really isn’t very strange at all. He’s a refugee who’s run away from a War. A real one. Available: Amazon  |  The Book Depository

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes: The timeless story of young Wanda Petronski, and what it was like at school to be a poor girl with a strange name, with one faded blue dress that she wore everyday. She is bullied by the other students, teased for her one plain dress. Wanda claims she has a hundred dresses at home but the others know she is lying. The class feels terrible when Wanda is pulled out of the school, but by that time it’s too late for apologies. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Historical Fiction & Biographical Non-Fiction for 9 Year Olds

Inside Out & Back Again by Thannh Lai: A beautiful story of of family and immigration, shared in verse. Hà has only ever known Saigon but now the Vietnam War has reached her home, Hà and her family are forced to flee and they board a ship headed toward hope-toward America. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Stella By Starlight by Sharon M Draper: Growing up in Bumblebee, North Carolina, during segregation, Stella and her family are forced to endure the humilities of being an African American person living in the South. The KKK is alive and well. But Stella is encouraged by her parents to always act with courage and, through the course of the book, she learns that anyone can be a hero – no matter their size or the colour of their skin. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

An Elephant In the Garden by Michael Morpurgo: Inspired by historical truth, this is the story of an extraordinary animal caught up in a very human war. Lizzie and Karl’s mother is a zoo keeper. When the zoo’s director tells her that all dangerous animals must be shot before the town is bombed, their mother moves Marlene the elephant into their back garden to save her. But what happens when they must evacuate the city with an elephant in tow? Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

I Survived The Sinking of the Titanic (book 1 of the I Survived series) by Lauren Tarshis: Each book in this thrilling series shares the story of an important historic event, shared through the eyes of a young person who survived to tell the tale. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Horrible Histories book series by Terry Deary: This is one series of history books that proves history is absolutely not boring! In fact, it was just plain disgusting, bloodthirsty, gory, silly and downright nasty – which is exactly why kids love them! Over 30 titles in the series, exploring different time periods and historic events. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Do You Dare? series by various authors: A series of adventure-driven stories that bring to life significant events in Australian history. Filled with action, thrills and great characters in exciting times. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Our Australian Girl series by various authors: The Our Australian Girl books introduce a series of kind, clever, brave and independent girls, each of whom shares their own story of life during a significant era in Australian history over a series of four stories. There are over 40 books in total, telling the stories of eleven different girls living through events such as Australian settlement, the gold rush, the women’s suffragette movement,  World War 2 and more. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli: What if the princess didn’t marry Prince Charming but instead went on to be an astronaut? What if the jealous step sisters were supportive and kind?  Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls introduces one hundred remarkable women and their extraordinary lives, from Ada Lovelace to Malala to Amelia Earhart. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different by Ben Brooks: An extraordinary compilation of 100 stories of famous and not-so-famous men from the past to the present day, every single one of them a rule-breaker and innovator in his own way, and all going on to achieve amazing things. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Never Too Young by Aileen Weintraub: Meet 50 incredible kids who have had a positive impact in their communities and the world! Hailing from a variety of historical periods and backgrounds, and having made an impact in politics, sports, the arts, science and more, the kids featured are sure to inspire and empower young readers to have the confidence to do great things and make a positive difference. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Humour: Funny Books for 9 Year Olds

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins (book 1 in the series) by R.A. Spratt: Mr Green is the stingiest man in the world so it is of no surprise that he is having difficulty securing the services of a nanny for his three children. Until Nanny Piggins arrives. She’s a pig. And a rather unconventional nanny given her propencity for painting portraits of herself and eating a lot. Especially chocolate! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (book 1 of a series) by Tom Angleberger: Dwight talks to his sixth grade classmates via a wise and insightful origami finger puppet of Yoda. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless?!! Tommy and his friends need to work out if Origami Yoda is real, or is it just Dwight trying to play a prank. If they don’t find the answer soon, something very bad could happen to Tommy! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Funny Kid for President (first book in a series) by Matt Stanton: When Max is blamed by his teacher for the sneaky poo (!) found in the class storeroom (which he vigorously denies), he ends up running for Class President as a means to prove his innocence. But Max isn’t the ideal candidate and Mr Armstrong is determined to sabotage his campaign so Max is going to need to work out how to use his assets to his advantage! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor (first book in a series) by Jon Scieszka: In a combination of clever science, funny jokes and robot hijinks, we meet id-genius and inventor, Frank Einstein. He loves figuring out how the world works by creating household contraptions that are part science, part imagination, and mostly unusual. In book one, an uneventful experiment in his garage-lab, a lightning storm, and a flash of electricity bring Frank’s inventions, the robots Klink and Klank, to life! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sacher: Wayside School is a crazy, mixed up place for the absurd and the hilarious! It was supposed to have been built with thirty classrooms all in a row, instead it was built with all thirty on top of each other-thirty storeys high! It’s full of unusual characters too. Meet Mrs Gorf, the meanest teacher in the world, terrible Todd who always gets sent home early and John who can only read upside down! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Day My Butt Went Psycho by Andy Griffiths: Zack Freeman is ready to tell his story…the story of a brave young boy and his crazy runaway butt. A fun (but gross!) story of endurance across the Great Windy Desert, through the Brown Forest, and over the Sea of Butts before descending to confront the biggest, ugliest, and meanest butt of them all! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

For even more humour books, check out our collection of funny chapter books for 7-11 year olds.

Books For Fantasy & Adventure Thrill Seekers!

Fairest of All (book 1 in the Whatever After series) by Sarah Mlynowski: Once upon a time my brother and I were normal kids. The next minute we were magically transported us inside Snow White’s fairy tale. And we saved her from the poison apple! But now she won’t get her happy ending and it’s up to us to fix it. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Howl’s Moving Castle (book 1 of a series) by Diana Wynne Jones: When Sophie unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, she finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl – an ever-moving castle in the hills, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Rowan of Rin series by Emily Rodda: Rowan doesn’t believe he has a brave heart but when the river that supports his village of Rin runs dry, he must join a dangerous journey to its source in the forbidden Mountain. To save Rin, Rowan and his companions must conquer not only the Mountain but also the fierce dragon at its peak. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (book 1 Percy Jackson and the Olympians series) by Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson is a good kid, but lately he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from. She sends Percy to a summer camp for demigods where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (book 1 of the Time Quintet): Thirteen year old Meg and her younger brother, Charles Wallace, embark on a dangerous mission into the fifth dimension to find their missing father, a scientist who disappeared whilst working on a mysterious government project. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories book 1) by Chris Colfer: Twins Alex and Connor are about to discover that their grandmother is really the Fairy Godmother in an alternative world filled with all of their favourite fairy tale characters – The Land of Stories. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz: Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic tales. An irreverent, witty narrator leads them through encounters with witches, warlocks, dragons, and the devil himself as the siblings learn the true story behind the famous tales, how to take charge of their destinies and create their own happily ever after. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Doll People (book 1 of a series) by Ann M. Martin: Passed down from one generation to the next, the Doll family has lived in the same dollhouse, located in the same room of the Palmer family’s house, for 100 years. Mysteriously Auntie Sarah Doll suddenly disappeared 45 years ago and now Annabelle and Tiffany undertake a risky mission to find her. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Tail of Emily Windsnap (book 1 of the Emily Windsnap series) by Liz Kessler:  For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has seemed anxious to keep Emily away from the water. But when Mum finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily learns she’s half-mermaid! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende: hen Bastian happens upon an old book called The Neverending Story, he’s swept into the magical world of Fantastica, becoming a character in the story! When he realizes that this mysteriously enchanted world is in great danger, he also discovers that he is the one that has been chosen to save it. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Princess Academy (book 1 of a series) by Shannon Hale: Miri’s simple, village life is interrupted when the priests of their country mystically divine that the prince is to marry a girl from their village. The king’s ministers, appalled that the prince  must marry a rough, unsophisticated village girl, force all the marriageable teenage girls to live and be tutored in a harsh pricess academy for a year. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Fairytales for Feisty Girls by Susannah McFarlane: Girls can rescue themselves – just watch Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Thumbelina create their own happily ever afters in this beautiful and emboldening bedtime book for feisty readers. Available: Amazon  |  The Book Depository

How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the quiet and thoughtful son of the Chief of the Hairy Hooligans, tries to pass the important initiation test of his Viking clan by catching and training a dragon. But can he do it without being torn limb from limb?! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate: Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again. Crenshaw is a cat. He’s large, he’s outspoken, and he’s imaginary. He has come back into Jackson’s life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything? Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Hattie B, Magical Vet: The Dragon’s Song (book 1) by Claire Taylor-Smith: Hattie B is swept into the magical Kingdom of Bellua on her tenth birthday where she discovers that she has inherited the title of Guardian to the magical animals of Bellua from her Uncle, the Magical Vet before her. Unfortunately the evil King Ivar is determined to steal the magical talents of the residents of  Bellua and Hattie is charged with finding cures to the ailments that befall each magical creature as a result of King Ivar’s mischief. Available: Amazon  |  The Book Depository

Masterful Mystery Books for 9 Year Olds

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh: Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything she knows about everyone, even her classmates and her best friends. Then Harriet’s notebook ends up in the wrong hands and before she can stop them, her friends have read the always truthful, sometimes awful things she s written about each of them! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Friday Barnes, Girl Detective by R.A. Spratt: The first book in a fun series about an 11 year old girl detective-genius. With an extensive vocabulary and largely absent parents, Friday Barnes is not like other 11 year olds and has a hard time fitting in with her peers, but she does have a knack for noticing small details which makes her a perfect detective. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein: My daughters favourite book of 2018! When Kyle learns that the world’s most famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the town’s new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night, he’s determined to be there! But the tricky part isn’t getting into the library–it’s getting out. Kyle and his friends must solve every clue and puzzle to find the hidden escape route! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The 100 Year Old Secret (The Sherlock Files book 1) by Tracy Barrett: Xena and Xander Holmes have just discovered they’re related to Sherlock Holmes and they’ve inherited his unsolved casebook! The siblings set out to solve the cases their famous ancestor couldn’t – can two smart twenty-first-century kids succeed where Sherlock Holmes could not? Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Spy School (book one in the series) by Stuart Gibbs: Can an average, nerdy kid become a super spy? Ben Ripley might just be a middle school kid but he dreams of one day joining the CIA. When he’s mysteriously whisked away to a secret spy school it’s a case of mistaken identity but Ben plans to take full advantage of the mix-up and transform into the best undercover secret agent! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Case of the Missing Moonstone (The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency book 1) by Jordan Stratford: Imagine an alternate 1826, where Ada Lovelace (the world’s first computer programmer) and Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) meet as girls and form a secret detective agency! Their first case involves a stolen heirloom, a false confession, and an array of fishy suspects. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Chapter Books for 9 Year Old Animal Lovers

Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl: A clever fox outwits his three farmer neighbors to steal food for his family. Tired of being outsmarted, the farmers band together to put an end to Mr Fox’s thievery. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Blueback by Tim Winton: A beautiful story with conservation and sustainability messages, Blueback follows the life of a boy growing up beside the sea. Diving with his mother he meets a huge fish whom he befriends and names Blueback. The boy’s relationship with the fish and the sea go on to shape everything he does throughout his life. Available: Amazon  |  The Book Depository

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo: One summer’s day, ten-year-old Opal goes to the store for some groceries – and comes home with a scruffy, stray dog. But Winn-Dixie is no ordinary dog. This is an award-winning story of love and loss, of being selfish and then discovering what true love really means. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Wild Born (book 1 in the Spirit Animals series) by various authors: Enter the world of Erdas where every child who comes of age must discover if they have a spirit animal-a rare bond between human and beast that bestows great powers on both. Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan are chosen, and, with their spirit animals-a wolf, a leopard, a panda, and a falcon-they must defeat the Devourer. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Vet Volunteers series by Laurie Halse Anderson: In book one of the series, Fight for Life, when Maggie is called to help care for a series of sick puppies with her vet grandmother, she is determined to find the man responsible for the cruel, illegal puppy mill and have it shut down. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

You’ll find even more great books for 9-10 year olds in our lists of graphic novels for 9-12 year olds and 50 great read alouds to enjoy with older kids.

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