Judy Blume’s books are loved by generations for a reason. The iconic and best-selling author created heartwarming stories for younger children that are full of humor and honesty and reveal what it’s really like to be a young child discovering the world. His groundbreaking middle-grade books were among the first to tackle previously taboo topics like racism, bullying, and spirituality. While those topics sometimes spark controversy (such as a recent attempt to ban two of his books from Texas school libraries), they’re also what make each story so entertaining and impactful.
here are our favorite, loveliest and most important judy blume books (in chronological order) that belong in everyone’s classroom library.
You are reading: Judy blume books for 5th graders
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the one in the middle is the green kangaroo
Freddy feels like a “big big middle-nothing” stuck right in the middle between his big brother and little sister, so when the opportunity arises to star in the school play and finally shine, Freddy jumps!
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shop now: the middle one is the green kangaroo/amazon and the middle one is the green kangaroo/bookstore
iggie’s house
iggie’s house, originally published in 1970, tells the story of a black family who moves to a white neighborhood and winnie, a sixth grader, who wants to be their friend.
shop now: iggie’s house/ amazon and iggie’s house/ bookstore
are you there god? it’s me, margaret
margaret, a sixth grader, doesn’t come from a religious family, but she talks to god about everything, from friends and family to who she likes.
shop now: are you there god? it’s me, margaret/ amazon and are you there god? it’s me, margaret/bookstore
then again, maybe not
thirteen-year-old tony miglione gives us a glimpse into the mind of a teenager trying to figure out the real world.
buy now: maybe not/ amazon and maybe not/ bookstore
freckle juice
andrew wants to have freckles like his friend nicky. But when his know-it-all classmate Sharon sells him her secret freckle juice recipe for fifty cents, it turns out to be a disaster. Will Andrew figure out a way to get rid of his freckles and show them all off?
shop now: freckle juice/ amazon and freckle juice/ bookstore
it’s not the end of the world
Karen, a sixth grader, feels like her world is ending because her parents are getting divorced. what can she do to keep them together?
buy now: it’s not the end of the world/ amazon and it’s not the end of the world/ bookstore
fourth grade tales of nothingness
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Peter Hatter is terrified of a little brother for two years. Fudge is constantly annoying and disruptive, but when he runs off with his brother’s pet turtle, it’s the final straw for Peter.
buy now: stories of a fourth grade nothing/ amazon and stories of a fourth grade nothing/ bookstore
also known as sheila the great
city girl sheila tubman gets emotional when her parents tell her they’re spending the summer in the country. Appearing to be brave and confident, but secretly full of insecurities, will Sheila survive the summer and face her fears?
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denie
7th grader deenie just wants to be an ordinary high school girl. But when she’s diagnosed with scoliosis, she’s suddenly faced with doctor visits, body stockings and, worst of all, a terrifying brace.
shop now: deenie/ amazon and deenie/ bookshop
the pain and the big one
Eight-year-old “La Grande” and her six-year-old brother “Pain” take sibling rivalry to new levels as they compete to be their parents’ favorites. narrated in two parts, one from the point of view of each sib, each of them is convinced that in the end they win.
buy now: the pain and the large/ amazon and the pain and the large/ bookstore
fat
one of blume’s best-selling books, blubber is a timeless take on bullying and how quickly thoughtless words can do harm.
buy now: blubber/ amazon and blubber/ bookshop
starring sally j. freed as herself
a heartwarming story about a fifth-grade girl who approaches life after World War II with endless curiosity, a wild imagination, and plenty of humor.
shop now: starring sally j. freedman as herself/ amazon and starring sally j. freedman as herself/bookstore
super sweet
peter hatter thought he was too busy with his little brother’s annoying fudge, but now his parents tell him they’re having another baby…and moving to new jersey for a whole year! how can peter survive?
buy now: superfudge/ amazon and superfudge/ bookshop
as long as we’re together
Twelve-year-old Stephanie finds herself miserably caught in the middle between her lifelong best friend, Rachel, and her new girl, Alison.
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shop now: while we’re together/ amazon and while we’re together/ bookstore
fudge-a-mania
fudge, peter’s little brother, is now five years old and has a crush on peter’s nemesis, sheila tubman. So when Peter finds out that his family is renting the house next door to the Tubmans for three whole weeks over the summer, he’s not sure he can survive.
shop now: fudge-a-mania/ amazon and fudge-a-mania/ bookshop
here it is for you rachel robinson
Rachel, a seventh grader, is a serious student, a talented musician, and an amazing friend. but she has a hard time maintaining her perfect life when her older brother gets kicked out of boarding school and returns home.
shop now: this is for you, rachel robinson/ amazon and this is for you, rachel robinson/ bookshop
double fudge
In the latest book in Blume’s Fudge series, Peter Hatcher faces double trouble dealing with his annoying little brother Fudge and his mini-me cousin.
buy now: double fudge/ amazon and double fudge/ bookshop
soupy Saturdays with the pain & the big one
Seven short stories from the brother/sister team of pain and the big one reveal the everyday love/hate relationship between siblings with humor and warmth.
buy now: soupy saturdays with pain & the great / Amazon and soupy Saturdays with pain & the big one/ bookstore
He’s gone, he’s gone, he’s gone! with pain & the big one
more adventures with the pain and the big one as they travel to the beach, the mall, and even the ER.
buy now: it’s gone, it’s gone, it’s gone! with pain & the big one / amazon and it goes, it goes, it goes! with pain & the big one/ bookstore
fresh area with pain & the big one
While the road isn’t always easy for this brother/sister team at home, deep down they know they will always have one another’s back, especially at school.
buy now: cool zone with pain & the great / amazon and cool zone with the pain & the big one/ bookstore
friend or demon? with pain & the big one
Sometimes the relationship between siblings can be complicated. Bold siblings Abigail and Jake are devoted to each other, even as they ride the roller coaster between fun and joy, conflict and disagreement.
buy now: friend or demon? with pain & the great / amazon and friend or demon? with pain & the big one/ bookstore
do you have any favorite judy blume books? share in the comments below.
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