Fifth Graders

I am always looking for picture book recommendations for fifth graders--fiction and non. Does anyone have 2-3 top favorites that are "guaranteed" to go over with this age group?

I am a K-5 library/media specialist and I am so glad you asked this question. Two books come to mind immediately. Both are based on real events. They are lovely picture books that will affect both boys and girls because of the messages they contain. They are powerful when read to the class and discussed.
The first one is The Faithful Elephants by {Yukio Tsuchiya}. It is the story of what happened to the elephants in a zoo in Japan during WW II. The author's point is that war affects not only people but innocent animals. It is one of his efforts to bring about world peace. Lovely book, one that you and the kids will remember for a long time.
The other one that comes to mind is Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by {Margo Theis Raven}. Another WW II story, it is about the pilot who flew over Berlin, dropping candy for the children. Powerful story based on a real-life event. Again, a great book to read with a class and discuss. The Amercian pilot who made the candy drop just died in the last couple of years. He was one of our little-known heroes. These are beautiful books that appeal to both girls and boys. Absolutely worth a teacher's time to use in the classroom. Don't be surprised if you see a tear or two. Our teachers have found that the books really touch the hearts of the kids.

I would also suggest Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki. It is the story of a young boy of Japanese ancestry sent to live in a relocation camp during World War II. The author touches on the total upheaval of their lives, the breakdown of traditional family roles, and the community effort to build a baseball diamond for their children. Highly recommended.

Some fifth graders read big, thick books like Harry Potter, but others tend to stick to sports or other past times then reading. So, I am making suggestions for both.

The Fish in room 11
Every Soul a star
Ramona

More suggestions soon!

Maybe these books would be good:

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

I would reccomend Small Steps by Lois Satchar, also.

Who is Melvin Bubble?; Miss Alainius; Math Curse; Science Verse; So You Want to be an Inventor: So You Want to be President; just to name a few - I use them in many ways with my gifted 4th and 5th graders. They love read alouds and these books are all great kick offs to deeper thinking.

At your convenience the links to the works indicated above
>2 LimoLady:
Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War by Yukio Tsuchiya
>5 read-a-lots2:
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
Small Steps by Louis Sachar
>6 MaryK98:
Who is Melvin Bubble? by Nick Bruel
Math curse by Jon Scieszka
Science Verse by Jon Scieszka
So You Want to Be An Inventor? by Judith St. George
So You Want to be President? by Judith St. George
Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster by Debra Frasier

John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith is a hilarious take on our founding fathers.

One of the best books for this age group I have read recently is Wednesday Wars. I also love A Long Way from Chicago and A Day No Pigs Would Die.