It never ceases to amaze me how many parents come into the library looking for a book that's good "for a fifth grader" or "for a second grader" or "for my child's grade level". This is always incredibly frustrating for me because not all kids of the same age or in the same grade will react the same to a given book. And not every kid in a given grade will read at the same level. There is no single "perfect book" that's good for a kid just because they're in a certain grade. It's really much more important that we know what sorts of things your kid is interested in and what kinds of books they have read recently. Do they like sports? Adventure stories? Fantasy? Mystery? It really doesn't do your child any good if they aren't reading something they'll enjoy, even if it is at their reading level, because if they don't enjoy it they won't want to keep reading!
The moral of my story and my message to parents is: Take your kids to the library with you and help them pick out books. Help your child think about what type of book they want to read, and don't stress out about "grade level" material. Reading of any sort is beneficial. While it is certainly a good guideline to know what grade your child is in and how voracious of a reader he or she is, it is certainly not the only factor that is important when looking for the perfect book.
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