I remember going to a literary conference a few years ago and watching this tall older man in a cowboy hat being lead down the hall by a group of librarians. I didn't know at the time that he was the author Richard Peck. I have since read and love his books.  I have no problem recommending his books to my 4th and 5th grade students.  I recently read his 2009 book,  A Season of Gifts.  It's a perfect book for the season as you read about a family and their eccentric neighbor, Grandma Dowdel, in the fall of 1958. They experience life in a small town as the new family. It is full of pranks, blunders, and a whole lot of love.

Other titles by Richard Peck include:
Here Lies the Librarian
A Year Down Yonder (Newbery Medal)
A Long Way From Chicago
Fair Weather