Written by Kathie Kelleher
Illustrated by Dan Andreasen
A familiar tale with a quaint twist, The Night before Christmas Deep under the Sea is a nice story for a third grade class. Kathie Kelleher takes the cadence and cheerful spirit of Clement C. Moore’s original poem and places the story deep in the ocean. Dan Andreasen has created a merry setting with vivid colors and lively sea creatures.
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Written and illustrated by Ted and Betsy Lewin
Every April, the Westman Islands off the coast of Iceland become home to hundreds of thousands of puffins, making the islands one of the largest puffin colonies in the world.Adult puffins return to the island every year to lay eggs. By August, the young birds, called pufflings, are ready to leave home and fly off to sea. However, some of the birds become confused when they see the lights of nearby towns and flutter down into the streets instead of flying into the waves. Groups of children and adults, called The Puffling Patrol, roam the streets every night looking for lost birds and bringing them back to the beach so they can make it out to sea.
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Written by Lisa Wheeler
Illustrated by Barry Gott
The Greenblade Slackers and the Redscales go head to head in the action-packed Mega Bowl game in Dino-Football. If a teacher is looking to interest a very sports-minded boy in reading, this is a great option because it draws the reader into its plot.
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Written by Astrid Lindgren
Illustrated by Marit Tornqvist
In the Land of Twilight, author Astrid Lindgren takes the third grade reader on a magical adventure similar to Peter Pan.Young Goran is a sad little boy who has a bad leg. He over hears his mother and father discussing the possibility that he may never walk which makes him sad. The story poses realistic questions that a third grader would have including “Will I ever walk”, or “Will I ever be able to fish?”
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By Sid Farrar
Illustrated by Ilse Plume
Parents or teachers who want a book for beautiful poetry to read aloud to third graders, this is the book for you.Haiku is a fun form for anyone to try, but third graders always seem up to giving it a go. There are very few rules – just enough to give a budding poet some direction.
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Writtten and illustrated by Gail Gibbons
In her book Ladybugs, prolific author Gail Gibbons has crafted yet another solidly informative book for young readers. As in her other non-fiction books, Gibbons captures the interest of children reading at the third grade level by providing basic information young readers seek.
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Written and Illustrated by Julie Paschkis
It is rare that a picture book is so well written and carries with it several layers of meaning, but Mooshka: A Quilt Story is a real gem! It is a beautiful picture book that is not only about the life stories that can be found in the old scraps of a family quilt, but also of the love-hate relationship of a sibling for a new baby brother or sister.
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Written by Carrie A. Pearson
Illustrated by Christina Wald
Have you ever wondered how animals stay warm in winter? Have you ever wonder if they had that same question about us? A Warm Winter Tail, by Carrie A. Pearson, is a delightful story about the winter adaptation strategies of animals written with a fun little twist. Each page begins with the same question, “How do humans keep warm in winter, Mama?” asked by a sweet little creature who’s nestled with its family for winter. Each time Mama gives a little explanation, as if she really understood human behavior.
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By Loris Lesynski
Illustrated by Gerry Rasmussen
In a great picture book, words and illustrations work together seamlessly, each carrying its share of the load. Annick Press has got this down pat. Book after book that rolls off their press provides this incredibly rich reading experience where words and illustrations together set the mood: serious, funny or just plain silly.
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Written by David A. Adler
Illustrated by Edward Miller
Halloween is spooky-scary and so is math. David Adler puts them both together, using the imagery of Halloween, which is not really scary after all, to show that once you understand the principles of mathematics, it is not really scary either.
What a fun idea! Skeletons peek from cupboards, and oh my gosh you have to count them! Imagine dividing skeletons, adding bats, subtracting ravens; activities right up the alley for third grade readers. Yay! Yay! Bring them on, we will add, subtract, multiply and divide these spooky creatures.
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