Island of the Blue Dolphins - Scott O'Dell, Lois Lowry

Another great book for a fifth grade class, this story of a girl's isolation and strife living alone on an island is simply amazing! A book about survival, isolation, and patience would be a really wonderful text for a class to dive into and discuss. I think a fifth grade teacher could have students divide into small groups to talk about the story and journal about how they would react/feel if they were left alone on an island and had to work for survival. The teacher could give students specific prompts on what to write or certain passages to focus on in their journals about the story. A tale that will really inspire students, this story is great for discussing, writing, and inspiring!