Edith Shipton appeared, as Cynthia had described, to be more nervous than a fifth-grader on speech day.
Perhaps most obviously, you could take the fifth-grader you know to the library or bookstore and let him or her pick out books!
If your fifth-grader wants a certain book that isn't available at the local library or bookstore, there are several ways you can get it.
If you know a fifth-grader who enjoys graphic novels or comics, hand him Brian Selznick's Caldecott Award-winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret.