You need books that are engaging and fun for your 3rd grade readers. These books also need to build essential reading skills and have cultural relevance. However, these characteristics just scratch the surface! We’ve got you covered, teacher friend,. This post shares 3rd grade reading books that won’t bore your students. Get ready to jazz up reading time in your classroom!
You can also grab some free 3rd grade literacy worksheets at the end of this post.
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What Are Good 3rd Grade Reading Books?
With so many book options out there, how in the world do you choose the best books for 3rd graders?
It may seem overwhelming trying to choose a “just right” book for your students or children. This criteria will get the ball rolling for you:
- books that can also be used to teach inferencing, main idea, and using context clues
- reading material that is rich with vocabulary words that students need to learn
- 3rd grade read-alouds that also expose students to high frequency words
- a moral or lesson that students can understand
- diversity and representation that can appeal to different students
- interesting and fun to read!
Not only do all the books on this list meet these points, but they are also on a 3rd grade reading level.
Plus, don’t be afraid to include books and magazines into your reading rotation that are just for “pure fun!”
This would be any reading material your children will love simply because the topic is something they are excited about.
You may even find one of those options below.
Story Books for 3rd Graders with Pictures
To kick off our list, let’s start with picture books that have captivating stories 3rd graders will enjoy.
My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook
Any Julia Cook read-aloud is a win-win in my book, but this one especially delights me!
I’ve used this book so many times as a mentor text to help students who struggle with blurting out or interrupting others.
Not only does it address appropriate social skills, but it also has a great rhyme scheme that allows you to review certain phonics rules.
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
It’s impossible for me to read this book without crying! Every time I read it, I get teary-eyed.
The main character Jeremy lives with his grandma who does the best she can to afford all they need.
But Jeremy wants the fresh new shoes everyone else wears to school, which his grandma can’t afford.
Through interesting twists and turns, Jeremy has the chance to do something sacrificial and loving for a classmate named Antonio who also desperately needs new shoes.
This book teaches SO many wonderful character lessons to 3rd graders.
Plus, it is fulled with pages that give you the chance to teach inferencing skills.
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Another great one to add to your collection of 3rd grade reading books has Camilla Cream as the main character.
Camilla loves peas, but refuses to eat them at school because she doesn’t want others to make fun of her.
The moral of this story is timeless.
According to Common Sense media, at least 56% of kids in the US have their own social media account.
And sadly, many young girls suffer from the comparison trap, which leads to unbelievable social-emotional harm.
This simple 3rd grade read-aloud shows a girl who has to practice healthy self-acceptance, which I think is a message that all kids need to hear.
Culturally Diverse 3rd Grade Read-Alouds
Before moving forward with the rest of our 3rd grade reading books, I want to pause and address the difference between each type of book.
What is the difference between a picture book, read-aloud, and chapter book?
- Read alouds can be any reading material that you read out loud while students listen. You can read shorter books and longer chapter books to your students.
- Pictures books are highly illustrated, which means they have a lot of images. The pictures are usually an important part of the story.
- Chapter books or novels tend to be longer, with more words and a more complex plot. They also tend to have fewer pictures.
And third graders benefit from having exposure to each type of book.
So without further ado, let’s dig into some culturally diverse books to read to third graders.
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
As the book summary states, “Having just arrived from Korea with her family, Unhei feels anxious about making friends and worried no one will be able to pronounce her name.”
During back to school season, I usually whip this book out to build a classroom community of respect while we learn each other’s names.
Freedom on the Menu by Carole Boston Weatherford
Although many people refer to this book as a Black history Month read-aloud, I believe it can be read any time of the school year.
Realistic fiction read-alouds that show students standing up for what’s right gives young readers the motivation to apply that in their lives.
The main character is a black little girl named Connie who struggles to understand Jim Crow laws and why people are treated differently.
This book also features great examples of vocabulary, colloquial phrases, and more.
Ron’s Big Mission by Rose Blue & Corinne J. Naden
Nine-year-old Ron has an important mission at his local library, and he needs lots of courage to meet his goal.
I love using books with main characters who are near my students’ age. Grade 3 and 4 students are typically between 7-9 years old, so this book makes a good upper elementary read-aloud.
Plus, it’s based on a true story. So, it allows you to teach compare-and-contrast with fiction vs. nonfiction texts.
Chapter Books for 3rd Grade Students
As 3rd grade readers transition from learning how to read into more reading that helps them learn new topics, they can handle longer texts.
Although they still need read-aloud, partner-reading, and whole-group reading time, they can also enjoy reading some chapter books independently.
These novels make good choices for 3rd grade reading books that you will enjoy with your kiddos.
Charlottle’s Web by E.B. White
Although this book was written around 1952, it still touches the hearts of upper elementary students!
It also exposes them to the lifestyle of some kids who lived in a different timeframe--no cell phones or video games here!
Fern is a little girl who adopts and raises a pig named Wilbur.
My favorite aspect of this book is that it teaches kids to have empathy for characters you wouldn’t normally empathize with, such as:
- A spider named Charlotte
- The runt pig Wilbur
- Even the “arrogant” rat Templeton
Be prepared to have deep book talks with this one!
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Of all the children’s novels I’ve read with students over the years, this one is my all-time second favorite!
Top favorite is Bud, Not Buddy which I highly recommend as a 4th or 5th grade novel!
Opal is a lonely little girl, living in a trailer park with just her dad who preaches at the local church.
Along the way, she makes several unexpected friends, including her new best friend–a stray dog that she names Winn-Dixie.
Every year that I read this book, students raved about how much they loved it!
There are so many great sections that challenge students to define words in context, which is a skill 3rd graders must master for their standardized tests.
More 3rd Grade Chapter Books to Try
As always, I highly recommend having a variety of books with representation for all 3rd graders.
These chapter books below provide that diversity in different ways through the main characters and storyline of the books:
How Do You Keep 3rd Graders Motivated to Read?
Maybe you aren’t just running low on book ideas, but you also need some tips for your reluctant readers.
It can be frustrating to purchase all these engaging books, only to present them to uninterested students.
Maybe a combination of these ideas will reignite your students’ love for reading:
- use reading games during partner reading time
- keep students motivated to finish a class novel by allowing them to watch the movie when you finish the book together
- let students use book talk prompt cards while they read with a partner
- if your school uses Accelerated Reader or some other reading points program, hang a fun banner above your library area that allows students to keep track of their points
To keep my students from any anxiety they may feel about having their points displayed, I gave each one a secret number that I wrote on a clothespin. Only they and I knew their number.
Then they discreetly moved their clothespin to a new section of the banner when their points grew.
- MORE IDEAS FOR READING INTEREST:
- give students reading challenges instead of reading logs
- a small classroom transformation like a “Reading Camp” theme with desk tents made out of draped plastic sheets can really boost engagement
- use magazines with magazine scavenger hunts
- incorporate a mix of printable vs. digital e-books
Hopefully these ideas will help you get the ball rolling with jazzing up your reading time!
Free 3rd Grade Reading Activities
Along with the book ideas above, I want to offer more free tips and some reading activities you can use.
These reading worksheets offer spiral literacy practice aligned to 3rd grade academic standards.
If you want to know more about how to use them, get all the nitty-gritty details in this blog post: What You Need to Know About 3rd Grade Spiral Literacy Practice
Before you head over there, here’s your freebie:
Happy Reading π
