The Book List I Made for My Third Grader

Frindle by Andrew Clements
Andrew Clements is just a master of the school story, and this is his most popular one, about a boy who wants to get his whole school calling pens “frindles.” Andrew Clements is just a MASTER of the short middle grade novel.

The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Scene Catling
I read this when I was little and I still remember it so clearly – the idea of everything you touched turning into chocolate is so exciting. This is a fun, fast paced book that’s a perfect read aloud or solo read for middle grade readers.

Heartwood Hotel by Kallie George, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin I’m always on the lookout for chapter books with lots of illustrations for the middle elementary crowd. This one is about a little mouse who stumbles into a hotel in a storm and takes a job as a maid. (Full review here)

Too Small Tola by Atinuke
We’ve loved her sweet chapter book series Anna Hibiscus, and in this trio of witty stories set in bustling Lagos, Nigeria little Tola proves that being small doesn’t mean you can’t do big things. Full of humor, heart, and fun illustrations, Tola is another sweet heroine with determination and kindness.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
This was the series that hooked Star on audiobooks when she was 4. We also listened to the audiobook as a whole family and we were completely absorbed. It’s so wacky and strange but it’s a classic for a reason.

Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson
If you love the world of Ramona Quimby and the other inhabitants of Klickitat Street, you’ll love this book about another ordinary family living in Portland and dealing with the ordinary issues of growing up. The stories of Ryan Hart and her family are sweet and funny and ones that children will relate to – from moving to a new house to hunting for treasures at the Portland Saturday Market with her best friend. There are four books in the series, so you’ll be going for a while!

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
I’m pretty sure Ella has listened to this audiobook at least a half dozen times and it was one of my favorite books as a child. This one is a great one if your kids are a little younger, but still fun if they’re older too.

The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith
For mystery lovers, this one is perfect! It is essentially the origin story of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, introducing young Precious Ramotswe, long before she became Botswana’s most beloved detective. When a classmate is wrongly accused of stealing cake, Precious uses her sharp instincts and kind heart to uncover the truth—and discovers her calling as a detective.

Babe the Sheep-Pig by Dick King-Smith
I love all his books, but this is the most well-known and, in my opinion, the best. Ella fell asleep during the last chapter on a road trip, and Bart asked me to finish reading it. It’s just that good!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
This Caldecott winner is a wildly unique book that’s more than 500 pages long, but about 70% illustrations (stunning illustrations, I might add). It follows Hugo Cabret, a young orphan who lives in a little apartment inside the walls of a Paris train station and he keeps all the clocks in the station running smoothly and on time. In his spare time, he is also working on a secret project, for which he must steal parts from the mechanical toy shop in the train station. But when he’s caught by the grumpy toy shop owner and loses his notebook full of instructions for his secret project, he joins forces with the owner’s goddaughter, Isabelle, to get it back and complete his project. (Full review here)

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
This is a Newbery winner about three different characters – a tiny mouse, a rat who loves the light, and a little girl who wants to be a princess. And niiiiice short chapters. (Full review here)

The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng
Asian-American Anna finds friendship rather complicated. She would rather turn to the characters in her books for companionship. But throughout her story, she learns what is means to be a friend and what it takes to make friends.

Rooster and Squid by Jen Cole
Rooster the retriever and Squid the cat may be an unlikely pair, but together they stumble into mystery and adventure when a backyard picnic turns chaotic. It’s funny, sweet, charming, and even includes some handy pet care tips! It’s the perfect five book series for animal lovers and young detectives.

Happiness According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney
This is the newest book in this 13 book series (it came out this spring for its 20th anniversary). That being said, these books stand alone well, so you can jump right in to these classroom adventures with Humphrey, the class hamster.

1. How Tia Lola Came to Stay by Julia Alvarez
   After his parents split, Miguel isn’t exactly thrilled about starting over in Vermont…especially when his colorful, maybe-magical Tía Lola shows up from the Dominican Republic. With nods to Mary Poppins, she turns his world upside down in the most heartwarming way.
   
   

The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
Ella has been reading this series for the past couple of years – with 14 books, there are enough to keep your child busy for a while. Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark are bad guys. But . . . they want to be GOOD guys! Is it possible for these Bad Guys to turn into Good Guys? This is their first attempt! (Be warned that there is some bathroom humor from one of the characters).

Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol
I read and re-read these books as a child and loved trying to figure out the mysteries before flipping to the back to check out the answer. Also, I just really want an encyclopedic memory.

Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Lovelace
We only read the first one together, back when Ella was about 3.5, and they really are better for around that 3rd grade age. Super delightful and old-fashioned.