3rd Grade Summer Reading List
Name:________________________
Please read 3 books from the list below. Challenge yourself and choose different authors.
Roald Dahl RL 3.9 for most books Int. 3-6
Mary Pope Osborne - Magic Tree House series RL 2.6 - 3.5 Int. 3-6
Geronimo Stilton - Geronimo Stilton series / Thea Stilton series / Cave Mice series RL 2.8 – 4.5
Megan McDonald - Judy Moody series RL 3.1 Int. 3-6
Kate Klimo - Dog Stories series RL 4.2 - 4.7 Int. 3-6
Liz Kessler - Emily Windsnap series RL 4.5 Int. 3-6
Sarah Mlynowski - Whatever After series 2.8 Int. 3-6 Virginia Readers’ Choice 2013-2014
Books from the new American Girls series RL 4.6 - 4.9
Who Was… Who Is… biographical series
RL 4.9 Int. 3-6 (Must read 2)
Montegomery, R.A. – Choose Your Own Adventure RL 4.0 Int. 3-6
Steven K. Smith - The Virginia Mysteries RL 3.9 Int. 3-6
You may also choose from this list of individual books as part of your three books to read.
Katherine Applegate - The One and Only Ivan RL 3.6 Int. 3-6
Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal and a #1 New York Times bestseller, this stirring and
unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of
unexpected friendships. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated novel
is told from the point-of-view of Ivan himself.
Having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown
accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan
occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a
baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.
Virginia Readers’ Choice 2013-2014
Linda Urban - Hound Dog True RL 4.1 Int. 3-6
Do not let a mop sit overnight in water. Fix things before they get too big for fixing.Custodial
wisdom: Mattie Breen writes it all down. She has just one week to convince Uncle Potluck to take her on
as his custodial apprentice at Mitchell P. Anderson Elementary School. One week until school starts and
she has to be the new girl again. But if she can be Uncle Potluck's apprentice, she'll have important work
to do during lunch and recess. Work that will keep her safely away from the other fifth graders. But when
her custodial wisdom goes all wrong, Mattie's plan comes crashing down. And only then does she begin
to see how one small, brave act can lead to a friend who is hound dog true. Virginia Readers’ Choice
2013-2014
Judy Cox - Secret Chicken Society
RL 3.2 Int. 3-6
This warmhearted chapter book about an environmentally-conscious family will provide plenty of
clucks and lots of chuckles for young readers. When Daniel's class hatches chicks as a science project,
he adopts them. His eco-friendly family can't wait to raise their own eggs--until they discover that chickens
can get into a surprising amount of trouble. In fact, Daniel finds out that his favorite bird, Peepers, isn't a
hen but a rooster, and therefore illegal to keep in the city of Portland. The Secret Chicken Society is
quickly formed to save Peepers. Virginia Readers’ Choice 2014-2015
Betsy Byars - Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society RL 3.4 Int. 3-6
From the trio who gave readers The SOS File (2004), this collection of short stories combines the
bedrocks of mass appeal: dogs, humor, and short chapters brimming with illustrations. The stories include
a mix of contemporary and historical, ranging from the Egyptian pharaohs to the Grand Ole Opry. Most
pack a strong dose of laughs, such as “Mimi’s Guide to Life,” which includes tips on good places to hide
after “bathroom indiscretion.” Others are poignant, like the one about the dog that serves as a makeshift
guide dog after a Civil War battle leaves his owner limping and blind. As a whole, the collection is slightly
uneven. Weaker elements, such as an overlong introduction to the book’s premise, are balanced by
stronger ones, like the thrilling account of a dog that unwittingly captures a bank robber. Expressive,
energetic pencil illustrations adorn nearly every page, breaking up the text for struggling or reluctant
readers.
MacLachlan, Patricia – Arthur, for the Very First Time RL 3.5 Int. 3-6
Arthur Rasby is ten years old and having the worst summer of his life. His parents don't listen to
him, so he writes everything down -- everything that's real -- in his journal. But when he goes to stay with
his Great-Aunt Elda and Great-Uncle Wrisby on their farm, his world is turned upside down. For the first
time Arthur wonders what's real and what's not.
His aunt and uncle do things Arthur's parents would never do -- like climbing out windows to sit in trees,
singing to their pet pig, and speaking French to a pet chicken. Life on the farm happens much too fast to
write down -- sometimes wonderful, sometimes terrible. Arthur begins to understand there is more than
one way of seeing and doing and loving. And he realizes there's a whole world just waiting to be
discovered. ALA Notable Children’s Books 1995
Spinelli, Jerry – Crash
RL 3.6 Int. 3-6
Crash Coogan, rising football sensation, and his friend, Mike make a regular practice of tormenting
the school nerd, Penn Webb, but when Mike takes a prank too far, Crash finds himself locked in a moral
dilemma. ALA Notable Children’s Books 1997
Creech, Sharon – Replay: A New Book RL 4.4 Int. 3-6
Both uproarious and tender, this story of Leo, 12, captures his big, noisy, extended Italian family
with pitch-perfect dialogue that will sweep readers right to the end of the story. Creech's short yet layered
chapters are filled with parallels to think about (including an awkward contrivance when Leo stumbles on
his dad's journal, written when Dad was Leo's age) but nothing slows down the action. Leo has wild,
private fantasies of himself as a hero and a genius. Meanwhile, he is thrilled to act in the school play,
even if his role is the Old Crone, and great scenes capture the joy and the awful mess-ups of rehearsals
and the final performance (the short play appears as an optional read at the end of the book). The
compelling drama is the family story, some of it told as a play--the farce of fights, grudges, and putdowns
in Leo's crowded home and across generations, and also the anguish of family secrets. Who is the
Rosaria Dad writes about in his journal? Why is Dad sad and angry? What changed him during the last
few years? There are no easy resolutions, only haunting questions about growing up. ALA Notable
Children’s Books 2008
RL = Reading level
The 1st number indicates the year and the 2nd number indicates how many months into that
school year.
Int. = Interest level
Represents the grade level range