Attention Third Graders!
Check out some of these
great reads!
1.
Adler, David A. Young Cam Jansen and the Speedy Car Mystery. Viking, 2010. At her school's
Green Fair, Cam and her friends are learning how to keep the earth green. Everyone is having fun
at the exhibits - until a student’s remote-controlled car goes missing! Was it stolen? It's up to
Cam and her amazing memory to find Speedy
2.
Byars, Betsy. Boo’s Dinosaur. Holt, 2006. When Boo brings home a dinosaur that only she can
see, her brother Sammy, doesn’t want to encourage her antics. Boo and her dinosaur are
inseparable until Boo says good-bye to the dino quite suddenly.
3.
Chabon, Michael. The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man. Balzer + Bray 2011. Awesome Man
can shoot positronic rays out of his eyeballs, fly as straight as an arrow, and hug mutant Jell-O!
Even villains like Professor Von Evil and the Flaming Eyeball are no match for this caped crusader.
But Awesome Man also has a secret. . . . Can you guess what it is?
4.
DiCamillo, Kate. Mercy Watson To The Rescue. Candlewick, 2009. To Mr. and Mrs. Watson,
Mercy is not just a pig — she’s a porcine wonder. And to the good-natured Mercy, the Watsons
are an excellent source of buttered toast, not to mention that buttery-toasty feeling she gets
when she snuggles into bed with them. This is not, however, so good for the Watsons’ bed.
BOOM! CRACK!
5.
Fucile, Tony. Let’s Do Nothing! Candlewick, 2009. Frankie and Sal have already played every
sport and board game invented, baked and eaten batches of cookies, and painted a zillion
pictures. What’s left to do? Nothing! Ten seconds of nothing! Can they do it? Can they act like
stone statues in the park? Can they simply hold their breath and not blink an eye?
6. Gibbons, Gail. Ladybugs. Holiday House, 2012. Most kids are familiar with the bright red, spotted
ladybugs. But different kinds of ladybugs are all different colors, such as orange, yellow, or black.
In her clear and kid-friendly style, nonfiction master Gail Gibbons introduces young scientists to
these beautiful beetles: their life cycles, what they eat, how they protect themselves, and lots
more.
7.
Gibson, Amy. Around the World on Eighty Legs. Scholastic, 2011. This illustrated collection of
poems provides information about animals from around the world.
8.
Hort, Lenny. Did Dinosaurs Eat Pizza? Mysteries Science Hasn’t Solved. Holt, 2006. There's a lot
we don't know about dinosaurs. We may not have all the answers—but laugh your way through
this fun-filled book and you'll discover the mysteries!
9.
Jenkings, Steven. Never Smile at a Monkey: And 17 Other Important Things to Remember.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006. When it comes to wild animals, everyone knows that there are
certain things you just don’t do. It's clearly a bad idea to tease a tiger, pull a python's tail, or
bother a black widow spider. But do you know how dangerous it can be to pet a platypus, collect
a cone shell, or touch a tang fish? Some creatures have developed unusual ways of protecting
themselves or catching prey, and this can make them unexpectedly hazardous to your health
10. Lies, Brian. Bats at the Ballgame. Houghton Mifflin, 2010. You’ll never forget your first game: the
green so green, the presence of heroes past, and togetherness with family and friends, rooting
for the home team. But you think humans are the only ones who enjoy America’s national
pastime? Grab your bat—the other kind—and your mitt, and join these captivating bats as they
flutter off to watch their all-stars compete. How about a mothdog? Or some Cricket Jack?
11. Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Are Friends. From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories
to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other—just as best friends
should be. Five tales recounting the adventures of two best friends - Frog and Toad.
12. MacLachlan, Patricia and Emily MacLachlan Charest. Once I Ate a Pie. Joanna Cotler, 2006.
Fourteen poems about dogs of different shapes and sizes.
13. McNulty, Faith. If You Decide to Go to the Moon. Scholastic, 2005. This book tells you how to get
to the moon, what to do after you land, and, of course how to get back home.
14. Munro, Roxie. Hatch! Marshall Cavendish, 2011. Nine birds, their eggs, and their nests.
15. Negron, Ray. The Greatest Story Never Told: The Babe and Jackie. HarperCollins, 2008. Stuck in
the hospital with serious illnesses, two boys get a surprise visit from Ray, a Yankee batboy who
whisks them away on a magical journey back in time to meet the legendary Babe Ruth. The
adventure doesn't stop there, as the Bambino takes them to see baseball hero Jackie Robinson
play at Ebbets Field. Along the way, the Babe and Jackie share some unforgettable lessons with
their young friends about baseball, friendship, and accepting others' differences.
16. Schulman, Janet. Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City. Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. The
birdwatchers of Central Park were buzzing–a young red-tailed hawk had been spotted, would he
stay? The bird they dubbed Pale Male not only stayed, he became one of New York City’s most
famous residents.
17. Shannon, David. Too Many Toys. Blue Sky Press, 2008. Spencer has too many toys! His father
trips over them, his mother falls over them, and the house is overflowing with junk. Now its time
to give some of the mountain of goodies away, but Spencer finds it hard. In the end, he fills a
box, but decides the one toy he can't part with is the box
18. Winter, Jonah. Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Atheneum, 2005. On an island
called Puerto Rico, there lived a little boy who wanted only to play baseball. Although he had no
money, Roberto Clemente practiced and practiced until—eventually—he made it to the Major
Leagues. America! As a right-fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he fought tough opponents—and
even tougher racism—but with his unreal catches and swift feet, he earned his nickname, "The
Great One."
19. Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner. Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our
Backyard. Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Alice's family plants a vegetable garden each spring, and this
budding naturalist reports all she sees about how the plants grow, what insects come to eat the
plants, and what birds and animals come to eat the insects. It's the food chain, right in her own
backyard!.
20. Stauffacher, Sue. Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson. Random House, 2011.
Althea is nothing but trouble! Everyone agrees: her mama, her daddy, her teacher, even the
policeman. But when Buddy Walker, the play leader on Althea's street in Harlem, watches her
play paddle tennis, he sees something more: pure possibility. Buddy buys Althea her very own
stringed tennis racket, and before long, she's on her way to becoming a great athlete—and to
proving that she's more than just trouble