Good Books for 3rd Graders

 

The Fran That Time Forgot by Benton

When her embarrassing middle name is revealed at school, mad scientist Franny K. Stein experiments with time in order to return to the past and give herself a more dignified name.

 

I’m Still Scared by DePaola

Tomie De Paola remembers how the beginning of World War II affected his family. Even though he was only in second grade, he remembers his uncle's decision to enlist in the army, his mother making blackout curtains, preparing for air raids, and seeing the destruction of war in newsreels.

 

Mercy Watson to the Rescue by DiCamillo

After Mercy the pig snuggles to sleep with the Watsons, all three awaken with the bed teetering on the edge of a big hole in the floor.

 

Diary of a Killer Cat by Fine

Tuffy the pet cat tries to defend himself against accusations of terrifying other animals and murdering the neighbor's rabbit.

 

Janey and the Famous Author by Hahn

Third-grader Janey is so excited about meeting her favorite author at a literature festival that she almost ruins the day for her entire class.

 

Fashion Kitty by Harper

After a stack of fashion magazines falls on Kiki Kitty's head while she is blowing out the candles on her birthday cake, Kiki turns into Fashion Kitty, a feline superhero who saves other kitties from fashion disaster.

 

Bravo Grace by Hoffman

Grace is leaving her Nana and moving next door when her Ma gets married again and she soon becomes a big sister.

 

Andy Shane and the Very Bossy Dolores Starbuckle by Jacobson

Andy Shane hates school, mainly because of a tattletale know-it-all named Dolores Starbuckle, but Granny Webb, who has taken care of him all his life, joins him in class one day and helps him solve the problem.

 

Pinky Dinky Doo: Polka Dot Pox by Jinkins

When her brother catches a cold, Pinky Dinky Doo, an imaginative young girl, tells him a silly story about the time she and her classmates caught the Polka Dot Pox.

 

Nancy Drew Notebooks: The Kitten Caper by Keene

Nancy Drew and her friends interview their neighbor Terry Smith who takes in stray cats and kittens and finds homes for them. When Cottonball and Coco go missing, it's up to Nancy to find them.

 

Martin Bridge, Ready for Takeoff by Kerrin

Meet Martin Bridge, a boy whose plans for a brilliant rocket, a substitute bus driver, and a very old hamster go terribly wrong in this trio of stories.

 

Katie Kazoo: Gotcha, Gotcha Back by Krulik

When the magic wind turns fourth-grader Katie into her friend George, who has been playing practical jokes to liven up their school, she has to figure out how to get him out of trouble and sooth everyone's hurt feelings.

 

Morgy Coast to Coast by Lewis

After moving to Massachusetts and starting fourth grade, Morgy continues to experience a lot of changes in his life, including learning to play hockey and the trumpet, and adopting a greyhound named Dante.

 

Goony Bird Greene by Lowry

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.

 

Stink the Incredible Shrinking Kid by McDonald

The shortest kid in the second grade, James Moody, also known as Stink, learns all about the shortest president of the United States, James Madison, when they celebrate Presidents' Day at school.

 

Bella Baxter and the Lighthouse Mystery by Mason

Bella and her friend Trudy try to uncover the mystery of the lighthouse and a long-kept secret.

 

Down Girl and Sit: Smarter than Squirrels by Nolan

Recounts the adventures of a rambunctious dog who thinks her name is Down Girl and her next door neighbor, Sit, as they try to keep the world safe from dangerous squirrels, the paper boy, and a frightening creature named Here Kitty Kitty.

 

Canyon Catastrophe by Perlman

With the help of his aunts and his trusty racecar, undercover agent Otto Pillip sets out to stop a criminal from blowing up the Grand Canyon. Includes words spelled backwards, anagrams, and palindromes.

 

Only Emma by Warner

Third-grader Emma's peaceful life as an only child is disrupted when she has to temporarily share her tidy bedroom with four-year-old Anthony Scarpetto, a bona fide "pain in the patootie."

 

Beany and the Meany by Wojciechowski

When Beany's best friend Carol Ann pairs with the new girl at school to create a science project, Beany must work with the class bully, Kevin.

 

Best School Ever by Barbara Robinson

 

The BFG by Roald Dahl

 

Brother Eagle, Sister Sky:  A Message from Chief Seattle by Susan Jeffers

 

Charlotte's Web by E.B White

 

Brown Series #1 by Donald J. Sobol

 

Go Free or Die by Jeri Ferris

 

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

 

The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco

 

Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard

 

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater

 

Ramona Quimby, age 8 by Beverly Cleary

 

Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

 

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

 

Walking the Road to Freedom by Jeri Ferris