3rdgradereading

Written by Brian P. Cleary
Illustrated by Martin Goneau

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The author of the Words are CATegorical series has done it again.This time he brings us Butterfly, Flea, Beetle, and Bee: What is an Insect? which is part of the new series Animal Groups are CATegorical. The book introduces readers to the world of insects in a clever, rhyme filled, funny manner. The insect names are written in color which makes for easy identification. The colorful illustrations make this book a fun read for any 3nd grade student. The story is zany enough to keep kids engaged and informative enough to provide a learning experience at the same time. The illustration style along with the fun approach to what could otherwise be creepy, off-putting, and gross, makes insects seem interesting and makes a fan out of even the most squeamish third grader.
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Written and illustrated by Nic Bishop

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Magnificent, crisply detailed photographs make possible the difficult feat of looking at snakes with unbiased eyes. Nic Bishop, the author and illustrator of the book, does not gloss over the many dangerous snakes that exist; it is just that the photographs show the reader the beauty and diversity of this misunderstood species of reptiles.

Only some snakes are dangerous, but all snakes share basic common features. The author presents this information in an interesting manner. If you were a snake, he tells us, you would be about four times longer than you are now, and only a few inches thick. The book draws in third grade readers with such imagery. “..if you were like many snakes, you would only have room for one large lung.” Wow! How do they breathe with just one lung?
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Written and illustrated by Ted and Betsy Lewin

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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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Writtten and illustrated by Gail Gibbons

Outstanding Science Trade Book 2013 from National Science Teacher’s Association and Children’s Book Council (click here for more info)

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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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By Jeanne Walker Harvey

Illustrated by Shennen Bersani

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What do you do with a sea lion who refuses to live in the wild? That’s the problem facing scientists at the Marine Mammal Center in California after they rescue an orphaned Steller sea lion. Without their help, the sea lion, whom they named Astro, would not have survived. But after he was full-grown and released into the wild, Astro kept coming back. He was so bonded to humans that he could not live in the wild.
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By Cathryn Sill
Illustrated by John Sill

Outstanding Science Trade Book 2013 By the National Science Teacher’s Association and the Children’s Book Council (click for info)

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About Habitats—Oceans provides a good introduction to the world beneath the surface of the salty water that covers more than two thirds of our planet.
In spare text that presents basic facts about animals, plants, geological features, and the ecology of the ocean, the author provides the sort of basic information young children are often interested in. Throughout the book, information is presented as straightforward facts, not as a narrative. The language is simple and quiet, leaving room for questions from children or discussion questions from the adult reading the book to them. As such, the book would be a good read-aloud book, and would work well as a starting point for further ocean-related investigation or activities.
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