I get asked all of the time on Facebook what books I recommend for third grade read alouds or classroom libraries. I keep typing out my list of favorites and then it occurred to me- I should make this list a blog post! Duh! #alwayslearning
So here are some of my favorite books for third graders:
This is a short and cute book about a boy just starting the third grade. He wants to be cool, but how can he do that when his mom kisses him at the bus stop? He doesn’t even have the cool clothes! I like this book because it is funny and helps kids to see that coolness isn’t a matter of what you wear or what school supplies you have. This is perfect for the beginning of the year.
This is another short book that is perfect for the first month of school. It is about a third grade teacher that awards one student with the title of Third Grade Angel. Students are competing to be the best behaved and have the best character. They quickly learn how challenging it is to always do the right thing! It has a great message and will make your students giggle.
Oh my! I big puffy heart love this book! I like to read it towards the beginning of the year when we are starting writing workshop. Gooney is a new student in class and she has some crazy stories to tell. They all sound far fetched, but she insists that she only tells absolutely true stories. When telling her stories, Gooney teaches the class some great lessons about personal narratives and figurative speech. You have to get this one!
4. Miss Daisy is Crazy (from the Weird School series)
My lower level readers especially love this series, but rarely come to me knowing about the series. I often use this book in a book club early in the year. This book is about a teacher who convinces her class that she doesn’t know anything. The students end up teaching her math and spelling. Isn’t she one smart teacher?!
I read this book aloud to every single one of my classes. It is such a great story. The book is told from the point of view of a hamster, Humphrey. He is a class pet and goes home with a different student each weekend. You get a glimpse into the home life of the students in the class and it helps you to understand why they act the way they do in class. This book will make you laugh and still has a fun message. The series has several other books that my kids can’t wait to independently read after this read aloud.
I remember this book from when I was a kid. It is still just as fun. The stories are super funny and a little strange! I use this book as a read aloud. I love that every chapter is its own story. If you go a few days without reading (which I don’t know what you would!), you can pick right back up without having to review. There are several more Wayside School books that my kids get excited to read after we finish this one.
This book is AMAZING. I can read it every year and it never gets old and I am never able to finish it with dry eyes. The writing is incredible and you get so attached to the characters. It is the story of animals that are in a mall circus. They are not well cared for and dream about living in a zoo with other animals. Get this book. Like right now. I’ll wait….
8. Frindle
Who decided that a pen would be called a pen? In this book, a boy decides to rename the pen. He calls it a Frindle and starts a huge school controversy. The book is funny, but also very thought provoking. It really shows the power that one student can have. I often use this as a book club book with my highest readers.
The Who Was/Who Is series is excellent! I always have a group of students who love informational text. There are so many of these books that cover so many different topics. You can probably find some that fit in with student interests and science/social studies skills. I keep lots of these in our classroom library and use them for our informational text book clubs too.
10. I Survived
My third graders LOVED the I Survived series! The books are historical fiction. Each book takes place during a different historical disaster. Students learn some facts about the time in history, but it is fiction and very engaging to my readers. I highly recommend putting some of these in your classroom library.
Let me start by saying that, despite my blog name, I am not crazy about these books. But, who cares! My third graders love them and that is all that really matters. I firmly believe that kids should be aloud to read anything that gets them excited to read. The books are graphic novels and they deal with typical family and school problems that kids face. You need to have these in your class library. They will probably be the most loved books in your library!
12. Lemonade War
This is an adorable book about sibling rivalry. A brother and sister are competing to see who can raise the most money. My students always laugh at the fights these two have. They also learn a little about doing what is right when no one is watching. This book has lots of math in it! I love that! I recommend using this one as a book club so that everyone can see the math equations. There are more books in the series and my students are anxious to read them as soon as we finish!
I hope these recommendations help you to add amazing titles to your third grade library!
Are you new to teaching third grade? I wrote a blog post just for you with extra tips and resource suggestions!
Are you a third grade teacher?
I have a third grade teacher Facebook page. It is an amazing place to get ideas, tips and encouragement from other teachers. Click HERE and answer the questions too get signed up!
Have a Not So Wimpy Day!
What are your favorite books for 5th grade for book clubs?
Hi Lori,
You can read about some of my favorite 5th grade books and resources in this post: https://notsowimpyteacher.com/2019/08/my-favorite-resources-for-fifth-grade.html
What are you favorite 2nd grade books?
Hi Stan,
This blog post outlines some of my favorite second grade resources: https://notsowimpyteacher.com/2019/08/my-favorite-resources-for-second-grade.html
I love your site and the great info!! Do you have a site you’d recommend for 1st grade teachers?
If you are on social media, a great way to find out about other teacher-author sites is to join a 1st grade Facebook group.
Do you have a book list for second grade?
Hi Jennie,
This blog post includes great books for second grade. https://notsowimpyteacher.com/2019/08/my-favorite-resources-for-second-grade.html
Do you have a favorite list for 4th grade?
Hi Michaela,
This blog post lists some of my favorite fourth grade resources. https://notsowimpyteacher.com/2019/07/my-favorite-resources-for-fourth-grade.html
Hi!
I’m wondering if you’ve added/changed any books to this list in the past 4 years? Do you integrate any historical fiction with your SS units?
Thanks.
Thank you for the question! I am sorry, but this has not been updated. However, yes it is a great idea to integrate historical fiction into your SS units. The I Survived series is always a good selection, but there are also a ton of great historical fiction picture books to help teach different topics.