Staff recommendations for children at a third grade reading level.
Balloon toons
Dr. Bugspit and his top-secret Fix-It-Up syrup treat a variety of strange maladies at his outer space clinic.
Old favorites such as Rumpelstiltskin, Beauty and the Beast, Hansel and Gretel, and The Frog Prince.
Presents an illustrated introduction to the life and work of artist Horace Pippin, describing his childhood love for drawing and the World War I injury that challenged his career.
In Knob Creek, Kentucky, in 1816, seven-year-old Abe Lincoln falls into a creek and is rescued by his best friend, Austin Gollaher.
This is the captivating story of an amazing vessel, the people who built it, and its tragic demise during its maiden voyage across the Atlantic. Told through first-hand accounts and detailed illustrations of the events as they happened.
The year she is in the third grade is a sad time for Amber because her best friend Justin is getting ready to move to a distant state. Read more books about Amber Brown by this author.
Ten-year-old Amelia keeps a journal of the summer car trip she takes with her mother and sister to Grand Canyon, Death Valley, and their California home town to visit Amelia's best friend. Look for more Amelia titles and also the Max Disaster series by Moss.
Babymouse; #1
An imaginative mouse dreams of being queen of the world, but will settle for an invitation to the most popular girl's slumber party.
A guide to human and animal skeletons provides informative comparisons while sharing such facts as the number of bones in the human body and the ways that skeletal structures work. (Ask for other nonfiction books by Jenkins, too!)
Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon's freckle recipe for fifty cents.
Afraid he will always be an outsider like ex-planet Pluto, nine-year-old Oliver finally shows his overprotective parents that he is capable of doing great things without their help while his class studies the solar system.
Cobble Street Cousins
While staying with their aunt for a year, three nine-year-old cousins keep busy baking and selling cookies, putting on a poetry and singing performance, and more. First in the Cobble Street Cousins series.
Time Warp Trio; #1
Joe receives a magic book for his birthday present from his uncle. Joe, Fred and Sam are transported to a time when evil knights, fire-breathing dragons and vile-smelling giants roamed the land. First in the Time Warp Trio series.
Engaging text presents both basic information and fun, quirky facts about the insects' appearance, habits, and life cycle. (Ask for other nonfiction books by this author, especially Frogs and Lizards.)
When Nikki and her best friend, Deja, start a newsletter about what is happening on their street and in their school, they focus more on writing exciting stories than on finding the truth.
Larry, H. I. Zac Power ; 1.
Separated from his parents and older brother, twelve-year-old Zac, a secret agent of the Government Investigation Bureau, must rely on his own skills to obtain the formula for Dr. Drastic's secret Solution X.
Shredderman; #1
Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd, tired of being called names by the class bully, has a secret identity—Shredderman! First in the Shredderman series.
While searching for his mysteriously lost human family, Buddy the dog is adopted by another family and helps solve the mystery of their missing boy. Look for more Buddy File titles.
Joe Sherlock; #1
A super-sleuth fourth grader solves the case of a neighbor's haunted toolshed. First in the Joe Sherlock series.
In winning a medal she is no longer there to receive, a tight-lipped little Polish girl teaches her classmates a lesson.
When a boy working as a magician’s helper cannot find a puppet in the middle of a performance, the magician is furious. He points a long magical finger at the boy, and poof, the boy is suddenly in the strange Land of Story, where he must find the puppet he misplaced.
A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling. Read more Ralph stories in Runaway Ralph and Ralph S. Mouse.
Humorous poems about such strange creatures and people as Baloney Belly Billy and the Gloopy Gloopers.
A little girl moves to the United States from Mexico with her family and writes letters to her aunt in Mexico about her new life.
Laugh-out-loud tales of family life, including Julian’s attempt to grow taller, plant a garden, loose a tooth, and find a friend. Read more stories about Julian and his family by this author.
Six stories relate the adventures of three best friends, who happen to be toys.
Bloomsbury chapter books
When the Trolls move next door to the Priddles, both families find the other strange, which causes many misunderstandings.
Ten creatures wait, camouflaged in artful, full-page photographs, while playful poems offer clues about each animal's identity and whereabouts. Includes pages readers can lift. Look for more related titles by this author.
This playful retelling of the myth of Zeus proves that being small (and young) doesn’t mean you can’t be the hero, reign supreme and have fun.