Books for Third Graders

Third graders gather more information by reading than ever before. They are interested in nonfiction books about people and the things they do. Stories with outrageous characters tickle their funny bones. Having a variety of materials available: magazines, newspapers, books—encourages reading as a leisure activity. Reading aloud with third-graders should be an essential part of their lives.

	Bang-Campbell, Monika. Little Rat makes music. Little Rat loves the violin but hates to practice, until her teacher suggests she perform a duet with one of the advanced students at the holiday concert. AR=3.3 EJ BANG-CAMPBELL
	Barrows, Annie. Ivy and Bean take care of the babysitter. When Bean's parents leave her in the care of her older sister Nancy for the afternoon, she enlists her neighbor and best friend Ivy to come over and teach Nancy how to be a really good babysitter. AR=3.1 EJ BARROWS
	Browne, Anthony. Willy's pictures. Willy the Chimp loves to paint, and he knows that every picture tells a story. Learn about some masterpieces while enjoying Willy's interpretations of "Mona Lisa," "The Gleaners," and other famous works of art. AR=3.0 P BROWNE
	Child, Lauren. What planet are you from, Clarice Bean? Clarice must do a school project on the environment, so she and her family become eco-warriors in an attempt to save an old tree on their street. AR=3.8 P CHILD
	Erickson, John R. Hank the Cowdog; Drover's secret life. Drover C. Dog--faithful sidekick to Hank the Cowdog--tells the story of his life, from being the runt of the litter with dreams of being a handsome prince, to how he came to Loper and Sally May's ranch. AR=3.6 J M ERICKSON
	Franco, Betsy. Birdsongs. Throughout the day and into the night various birds sing their songs, beginning with the woodpecker who taps a pole ten times and counting down to the hummingbird who calls once. AR=3.8 P FRANCO
	Halls, Kelly Milner. Dinosaur parade : a spectacle of prehistoric proportions. A procession of marching children join in the dinosaur parade, showing the relative size between humans and the prehistoric creatures, and including facts about different dinosaur groups. AR=3.2 J567.9 HAL
	Lowry, Lois. Gooney Bird Greene. A most unusual new student who loves to be the center of attention entertains her teacher and fellow second graders by telling absolutely true stories about herself, including how she got her name. AR=3.9 EJ LOWRY
	McDonald, Megan. Judy Moody: around the world in 8 ½ days. Judy Moody's new friendship with Amy Namey causes problems with her old friends and the school project they are working on together. AR= 3.3 EJ MCDONALD
	McDonald, Megan. Judy Moody declares Independence. After learning about the American Revolution, Judy Moody makes her own Declaration of Independence and tries to have more freedoms. AR=3.4 EJ MCDONALD
	Osborne, Mary Pope. Season of the sandstorms. Guided by a magic rhyme, Jack and Annie travel to ancient Baghdad on a mission to help the Caliph disseminate wisdom to the world. AR=3.9 J FIC OSBORNE
	Scieszka, Jon. Oh say, I can't see. What really happened on the night General George Washington and his army crossed the Delaware? History may never be the same. AR=3.7 JSF SCIESZKA
	Stolz, Mary. Storm in the night. During a thunderstorm, Grandfather's gentle voice carries Thomas off to a time when Grandfather was a boy. AR=3.2 P STOLZ
	Stuve-Bodeen, Stephanie. Babu's song. In Tanzania, Bernardi's mute grandfather makes him a wonderful music box and then helps him realize his dream of owning a soccer ball and going to school. AR=3.4 P STUVE-BODEEN
	Teague, Mark. Dear Mrs. LaRue: letters from obedience school. Gertrude LaRue receives paw-written letters from her dog Ike, begging her to let him leave the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy and come back home. AR=3.6 P TEAGUE [also: JSP P TEAGUE]
	White, Ruth. Buttermilk Hill. When Lindy's parents divorce and gradually begin to make new lives for themselves she finds all the changes difficult, but in time she starts to find her own way. J FIC WHITE
	Yolen, Jane. Commander Toad and the Planet of the Grapes. In search of new worlds to explore, Commander Toad and his crew land their space ship "Star Warts" on the strange Planet of the Grapes. AR=3.8 EJ YOLEN