Wonderful Books for 3rd Graders (with free printable list!)

Are you working on picking books for 3rd graders? Let me help you pick 3rd grade reading books that are engaging to kids and filled with rich vocabulary and story lines. Instead of spending hours at the library or searching through books on Amazon, check out these fun-to-read Books for Third Graders. Simply download pdf file with printable 3rd grade reading list and you are ready to help your third grader love reading!

Books for 3rd Graders

Most grade 2 students are reading well and able to pick up most picture books and short chapter books to read themselves. To help your 3rd grader pick some good quality books with great character development, story lines, rich language, and more – I’ve gathered this list of must read books for 3rd graders. This is such a great 3rd grade reading list homeschool to spend less time picking good books and more time READING!

Printable 3rd grade reading list

Books for Third Graders

Take a peak at these best books for 3rd graders to order conveniently online or scroll to the bottom of the post and grab the free printable 3rd grade book list”

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass follows a group of 4 children who are competing in a national competition to create the most delicious candy.

Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling is a tale of a cottonwood tree and the events that happen around it through history on the Great Plains.

Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry tells the story of a young spirited colt who is a runt, but eventually becomes famous for his remarkable feats.

Swift Rivers by Cornelia Meigs is an adventurous story of a young man named Chris who harvests the trees on his grandfather’s lands and attempts to float them down the Mississippi to the lumber mills in St. Louis.

Johnny Tremain by Esther Hoskins Forbes is a historical novel that takes readers through the events leading up to the American Revolution through the eyes of a young boy.

Calico Bush by Rachel Field tells the story of a young French girl named Marguerite who lives in colonial times as an indentured servant. But she uses her quick thinking and bravery to help the family who hired her.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham introduces readers to Nathaniel Bowditch, the author of The American Practical Navigator as he grows from a small child to an accomplished sailor.

The Journeyman by Elizabeth Yates follows a young man named Jared who meets a journeyman painter and starts an adventure that takes him from childhood to adulthood.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl is a fantastical story about a boy named James who drops magic crystals by a peach tree. When the peach at the top grows large enough to fit inside, James enters it and starts a magical new adventure.

Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka shares the memories and childhood stories of the author, and shows how his life experiences shaped his creative mind.

Little House in the Big Woods (Little House, No 1) by Laura Ingalls Wilder introduces readers to the Ingalls family and 4 year old Laura. Follow along as they detail their life experiences living in a log cabin in 1871.

The Twits by Roald Dahl is a story about the miserable, mean spirited Twits and their caged monkeys who have had enough of their meanness.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look follows a second grader named Alvin who is afraid of everything. But at home, he can be a superhero named Firecracker Man!

Clementine (Clementine, 1) by Sara Pennypacker introduces kids to Clementine, a funny young girl who is having a disastrous week. Can she find a way to turn it around and make the best of things?

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters (Reading Rainbow Books) by John Steptoe is a retelling of the Cinderella story, based on a traditional African folktale. When the king decides to take a wife, Mufaro brings both of his daughters to see him. Which one will be queen?

Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society by Betsy Byars shares the stories of twelve dogs throughout history, as told to the WOOF society of dogs.

Falling Up by Shel Silverstein is an anthology full of Silverstein’s hilarious poetry. The poems utilize a variety of styles and rhyming patterns, and they are paired with simple silly sketches.

The Mouse Family Robinson by Dick King-Smith is an adventure story following a family of mice on a quest to find a home free of danger from cats.

7 x 9 = Trouble! by Claudia Mills follows Wilson, a young boy who struggles with math and the timed multiplication tests from his teacher. With the help of his friends, can he conquer what scares him?

Maybelle in the Soup by Katie Speck tells the story of Maybelle, the little cockroach who lives under Mr. and Mrs. Peabody’s refrigerator, and what happens when she ventures out to try some delicious foods.

The Pippi Longstocking Series by Astrid Lindgren introduces readers to Pippi, the spunky little girl with the crazy pigtails, and her hilarious antics.

A Series of Unfortunate Events Series by Lemony Snicket follows the adventures of the unlucky Baudelaire children and all of the terrible things that they have to face and the tragedies they have to overcome.

The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop is an adventure story that follows a young boy named William who is gifted a model castle whose silver knight comes to life and opens up a world of magic to him.

Arithme-Tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes by J. Patrick Lewis is a book of rhyming riddles that use addition, subtraction, and multiplication to find the answers. The back of the book includes the answers in case the reader gets stumped.

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute: Lunch Lady 1 by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (2.2) tells an imaginative story about the lunch lady at Hector, Terrence, and Dee’s school, and what happens when she isn’t serving in the cafeteria.

A Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla (2.9) follows a young girl from England as she tries to bring her siblings to the American colonies to find their father.

Squanto, Friend Of The Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla (3.0) introduces readers to Squanto, the hardships he faced in life, and his interactions with the Pilgrims.

Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine (3.0) tells the story of Henry Brown, a slave who mailed himself to the North in a large crate to finally reach freedom.

Meet George Washington (Landmark Books) by Joan Heilbroner (3.4) teaches kids about the life and accomplishments of George Washington, from childhood to his time as the first President of the United States.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (3.4) is a story about a family in the late nineteenth century. When Papa puts out an advertisement for a wife and mother, Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton answers the ad and comes to the prairie from Maine.

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh (3.5) takes the reader to the wilderness on Hemlock Mountain. Jonathan has been told that there aren’t any bears on the mountain, but one winter night, he finds out they might be wrong.

Meet Thomas Jefferson (Landmark Books) by Marvin Barrett (3.5) introduces readers to the life and accomplishments of Thomas Jefferson, from his childhood in Virginia, to his time in the Oval Office.

The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh (4.0) teaches kids about the origin of the Thanksgiving holiday. The story follows Giles, Constance, and Damaris Hopkins as they travel to the New World on the Mayflower, and are greeted with new hardships, and Native Americans willing to help them.

Book Recommendations

3rd Grade Books

To make it easies to pick out books at the library I made a printable from this list. Just pick the style you like and print that page. Fold in half and laminate for a convenient bookmark. Use a dry erase markers to cross off books you’ve finished.

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