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Rising 3rd Grade Summer Reading List

Rising 3rd Grade Summer Reading List

Posted on July 2, 2013May 21, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

This great summer reading list for Going Into 4th Grade is from my library. It’s a collaboration between the Newton Public School Library Teachers & the Newton Free Children’s Librarians. PickyKidPix also has a great list of chapter books she read at this same age when she was assigned five books to read during the summer before going into 4th grade.

Other lists here:

Rising Kindergarten Summer Reading List

Rising First Grade Summer Reading List

Rising Second Grade Summer Reading List

Rising Fourth Grade Summer Reading List

Rising Fifth Grade Summer Reading List

 

Going Into 4th Grade Summer Reading List

Little Dog, Lost by Marion Dane Bauer

A boy, a dog, and an old man are lonely before the boy plans a rally, the dog looks for a boy, and all the townspeople run to the old man’s aid when lightning strikes his home and something miraculous happens.

If You Spent a Day with Thoreau at Walden Pond by Robert Burleigh

In 1845 in Concord, Massachusetts, Henry David Thoreau began a radical experiment: he built a cabin in the woods and lived there, alone, examining the world around him. This book imagines a special day spent with the celebrated writer and naturalist through the eyes of a child.

If You Spent a Day with Thoreau at Walden Pond by Robert Burleigh and Wendell Minor

Look Up!: Henrietta Leavitt, Pioneering Woman Astronomer by Robert Burleigh

Henrietta Levitt was the first person to discover the scientific importance of a star’s brightness, so why has no one heard of her? Learn all about a female pioneer of astronomy in this picture book biography.

The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng

Follows a young Chinese American girl, as she navigates relationships with family, friends, and her fourth grade classroom, and finds a true best friend.

Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems by Kate Coombs

Twenty-three poems illustrated in watercolors include “songs” in praise of the ocean and the life within.

Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems by Kate Coombs

The Great Voyages of Zheng He by Demi

The life story of Zheng He, the great Ming Dynasty Chinese naval commander who led the world’s biggest fleet of ships, bringing peaceful trade to countries throughout Asia and Africa.

The Great Voyages of Zheng He by Demi

Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms: Magic, Mystery, & a Very Strange Adventure by Lissa Evans

As if being small and having S. Horten as his name isn’t bad enough, now 10-year-old Stuart is forced to move far away from all his friends. But on his very first day in his new home, Stuart’s swept up in an extraordinary adventure.

Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms: Magic, Mystery, & a Very Strange Adventure by Liisa Evans

Noah Webster and His Words by Jeri Chase Ferris

A portrait of the man who wrote the first U.S. dictionary traces his youth as a bookish Connecticut farm boy and his twenty-year effort to write the all-American dictionary that was published in 1828 when he was seventy years old.

Noah Webster and His Words by Jeri Chase Ferris and Vincent X. Kirsch

Double Dog Dare by Lisa Graff

When Kansas Bloom moves to California and joins the Media Club at school, he soon finds himself trying to outdo one of the other fourth-grade students in a “dare war” while vying for the job of on-air video homeroom announcer.

Double Dog Dare, Lisa Graff

Chickenhare by Chris Grine

Chickenhare and his turtle friend Abe find themselves on their way to being sold to Klaus, an insane taxidermist. With the help of two mysterious new companions, our heroes try to escape their dire fate, but they soon discover that might not be so easy when they get caught up in an adventure that could bring Klaus’s villainy to an end for good.

Chickenhare by Chris Grine

Bon Appetit!: The Delicious Life of Julia Child by Jessie Hartland

A picture book biography of Julia Child, the famous chef.

Bon Appetit!: The Delicious Life of Julia Child by Jessie Hartland

Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

When ten-year-old Zeus is kidnapped, he discovers he can defend himself with a magical thunderbolt.

(My 8-year-old son loves this series. We think of it as a starter Percy Jackson series.)

Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom by Joan Holub

Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty? by David Levinthal

Police detective Binky investigates the theft of a golden goose, the poisoning of Snow White, and other fairy tale crimes.

Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries by David Levinthal and John Nickle

Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs by Patrick J. Lewis and Jane Yolen

Offers morbidly humorous, pun-filled, illustrated epitaphs for animals that poetically describe how they met their ends.

Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs by Patrick J. Lewis and Jane Yolen

Hyde and Shriek: A Monsterrific Tale by David Lubar

Science teacher Ms. Clevis, one of the most popular teachers at Washington Irving Elementary School, splits into mean substitute Ms. Hyde and sweet sixth-grader Jackie after accidentally putting some chemicals into her breakfast smoothie.

Hyde and Shriek: A Monsterrific Tale by David Lubar

Clueless McGee by Jeff Mack

Through a series of letters to his father, a private investigator, fifth-grader PJ “Clueless” McGee tells of his efforts to discover who stole macaroni and cheese from the school cafeteria.

Clueless McGee by Jeff Mack

Oddfellow’s Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin

Although mute, Delia quickly becomes part of the “family” at a most unusual orphanage, where classes include Fairy Tale Studies, a field trip may result in a monster sighting, and classmates include a hedgehog and a boy whose head is an onion.

Oddfellow’s Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin

The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case by Alexander McCall Smith

Before becoming the first female private investigator in Botswana, eight-year-old Precious Ramotswe tracks down a thief who has been stealing her classmates’ snacks.

Lulu and the Duck In the Park by Hilary McKay

Lulu, who loves animals, brings an abandoned duck egg to school, even though her teacher has banned Lulu from bringing animals to school ever again.

Lulu and the Duck In the Park by Hilary McKay

I Don’t Believe It, Archie by Andrew Norriss

Strange things are always happening around Archie, but after he meets Cyd and makes friends with her, he finds these odd occurrences more enjoyable.

I Don’t Believe It, Archie by Andrew Norriss

Dogs on Duty: Soldiers’ Best Friends on the Battlefield by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Readers will follow man’s best friend onto the battlefield, showing readers why dogs are uniquely qualified for the job at hand, how they are trained, how they contribute to missions, and what happens when they retire.

Dogs on Duty: Soldiers' Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond
by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Stardines Swim High Across the Sky and Other Poems by Jack Prelutsky

A collection of sixteen humorous poems about such strange creatures as the stardine, slobster, and magpipe.

Stardines Swim High Across the Sky: and Other Poems by Jack Prelutsky and Carin Berger

Iva Honeysuckle Discovers the World by Candice F. Ransom

Eight-year-old Iva is sure that she’s destined for greatness, and this summer Iva has big plans to make her first great discovery: finding General Braddock’s treasure, which was buried somewhere in her small town of Uncertain, Virginia during the French and Indian War.

Iva Honeysuckle Discovers the World by Candice F. Ransom

The Golden Twine by Jo-Anne Rioux

With monsters slipping through the mountains into the valley of Galatea, Suri, an orphan, dreams of
becoming a monster tamer.

The Golden Twine by Jo-Anne Rioux

The Story of Silk: From Worm Spit to Woven Scarves by Richard Sobol

From nurturing the silkworms to weaving the fabric and photographing the children as they proudly model the finished product, this first-person narrative, illustrated with richly detailed photographs, chronicles the amazing process of creating one of history’s most desired textiles.

The Story of Silk: From Worm Spit to Woven Scarves by Richard Sobol

Animal Grossapedia by Melissa Stewart

Of course, animals can be cute and cuddly, but they can be downright gross, too! Many animals use pee, poo, and even puke for drinking, eating, and protecting. This book covers all the nastiest habits of the most disgusting creatures on the planet.

Animal Grossapedia by Melissa Stewart

Jack and the Baked Beanstalk by Colin Stimpson

After their café fails, Jack takes his mother’s last few pennies and exchanges them for a can of magic baked beans that then lead Jack on a journey to a giant who is bored with counting his fortune.

Jack and the Baked Beanstalk by Colin Stimpson

Penelope Crumb by Shawn Stout

Fourth-grader Penelope Crumb’s large nose leads to a family discovery.

Penelope Crumb by Shawn Stout

Stick Dog by Tom Watson

Stick Dog and his four friends – Stripes, Mutt, Poo-Poo, and Karen – will do anything to steal some sweet-smelling hamburgers from a family at Picasso Park!

Stick Dog by Tom Watson

You Never Heard of Willie Mays? by Jonah Winter

A visual profile of the record-setting baseball star traces his Birmingham childhood, achievements in the Negro Leagues, and fame as a center fielder for the Giants.

You Never Heard of Willie Mays?!
by Jonah Winter and Terry Widener

To view any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book. 

3rd grade summer reading list, 4th grade reading list, 4th grade summer reading list

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16 thoughts on “Rising 3rd Grade Summer Reading List”

  1. Barbara Mojica says:
    July 2, 2013 at 8:17 am

    Nice balanced list! A little bit of everything….

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 2, 2013 at 9:07 am

      Hi Barbara,
      I really love the reading lists from my library! They make a point of making sure every genre is represented.

      Reply
  2. maryanne @ mama smiles says:
    July 2, 2013 at 1:28 pm

    What a great book list! May steal some of these for Emma this summer 🙂

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 3, 2013 at 8:19 am

      Hi MaryAnne,
      I’ll bet your library has these books on the shelves! Mine won’t. My whole town will be reserving these books all summer! I tend to use older books or other town’s summer reading lists.

      Reply
  3. Ann says:
    July 5, 2013 at 12:10 pm

    If You Spent a Day with Thoreau and Look Up both look interesting. Although I can’t wait to show this list to my daughter and see what she wants to read! Thanks for this list!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 5, 2013 at 3:45 pm

      Hi Ann,
      Have you even been to Walden Pond in Concord? We haven’t! And it’s quite near us. I always have it on my list to visit every summmer but we never seem to make it there. That book might help inspire us: If You Spent a Day with Thoreau. I’d love to know what books your daughter is drawn too.

      Reply
  4. Ann says:
    July 6, 2013 at 10:23 am

    Yes! We lived close to there and went a bunch of times! Great place for a nature walk.

    These are the ones my daughter likes from this list…
    Water Sings Blue
    Look Up
    Who Pushed Humpty
    Last Laugh
    Jack and the Baked Bean Stalk

    I know my daughter pretty well, still was fun to see what she’d pick. Off to make our library list!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 7, 2013 at 6:56 am

      Hi Ann,
      Glad to know that Walden Pond is worth the trip. Your daughter’s book picks are so much fun!

      Reply
  5. Jeanette Nyberg says:
    July 6, 2013 at 9:18 pm

    Great list, as usual. I like your lists because they are varied and always contain several books we haven’t read. The end.

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 7, 2013 at 7:05 am

      Thanks Jeanette! I have to give credit to my local school and town librarians for the lists. They create them every year for summer reading and I’ve discovered the best books by using them (once I am able to get my hands on the books since my entire town is trying to read them.)

      Reply
  6. Cheryl Carpinello says:
    July 8, 2013 at 5:39 pm

    What a great reference for parents and kids! Thanks for sharing on the Kid Lit Blog Hop. Cheryl, Hop Hostess

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 10, 2013 at 3:38 pm

      Thanks so much Cheryl! Love the Kid Lit Blog Hop! Thanks for hosting!

      Reply
  7. Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews says:
    July 10, 2013 at 1:20 am

    So many great options listed here. My son also really enjoys the Heroes in Training series – they are pretty fabulous. Thanks for linking into the Kid Lit Blog Hop.

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 10, 2013 at 3:41 pm

      Hi Renee,
      We are enjoying the Heroes in Training series too! It’s a warm up for Percy Jackson! Thanks for hosting the Kid Lit Blog Hop!

      Reply
  8. Eric B says:
    July 27, 2013 at 10:29 am

    Great List, thank you! We’re pages away from the end of “The Year of the Book” so I’ve saved this list for later to pick out our next read!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      July 27, 2013 at 4:15 pm

      Hi Eric B,
      I’m so glad you like the list. My library puts out a great summer reading list every summer and I wanted to share it.

      Reply

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