Grade 3: Overview: Great Grade 3 reads from the Concordia Library

Third graders, here are some books you might like!

Click the book titles to see if the books are currently available in our library.

Dylan is looking forwards to getting his superpower, especially since his older brother and sister have really cool ones. But when his tun comes Dylan is hugely disappointed to discover that he can talk to Iguanas. How rubbish is that! But when the supervillan Celina Shufflebottom kidnaps all superheroes, It’s up to Iguana Boy to think outside the (pizza) box and use his chatty team of iguanas to rescue them.

Nelson is a nerd! Unfit, uncool and totally awkward! But when he wakes up on his tenth birthday, he discovers that he is a Ninja. THE LAST NINJA ON EARTH!

Each book in this series follows a different child on the Outdoor Activity Camp. Once they are given the magical compass, they meet the inspirational adventurer in an amazing place where they learn new facts and skills that they can take back into their real life.

Portico Reeves is the greatest superhero a lot of people have never heard of! He likes it that way. The no one can get in the way of him keeping other people safe. A hilarious and action-packed sequel to Stuntboy, in the meantime from this award-winning author.

The Poppers unexpectedly come into possession of a penguin, then they get a penguin from the zoo who mates with the first penguin to have 10 baby penguins. Before long, something must be done before they eat the Poppers out of house and home!

From his beginnings as a maltreated German police dog to subsequent adoption and new life as a beloved movie star, this suspenseful story is filled with both love and hope along with false accusations and jail time. Zip through this heart-warming story incredible true story. Fantastic black-and-white illustrations throughout.

Easily one of the best books for third grade, Mesopotamian Blue cat, Varjak Paw, has never been Outside before; he and his family have always lived in the isolated house at the top of the hill. But Varjak is forced out into the city when the sinister Gentleman and his two menacing cats take over his home. With help from his mystical ancestor, Jalal, Varjak manages to overcome challenges such as self-survival and a threat from the gangland cats, and he ultimately discovers the terrifying secrets behind the Vanishings. But can he save his own family from their fate?

The lavishly illustrated woodland tale is about growing up, moving on and finding community. When Papa doesn’t return home Mama is forced to move the family to a run-down apartment oak with a dodgy landlord. Can a dead tree full of annoying neighbours ever be home? This charming tale reminds us that we can flourish wherever we are.

Here’s Paddington once more, just returned from a visit to Darkest Peru and his Aunt Lucy’s birthday celebration at the Home for Retired Bears. Now that Paddington is home with the Browns, he’s free to cause his usual kind of trouble: dabbling in the stock market, trying a career as a barber, even taking a turn at the ballet. But the promise of international fame doesn’t turn this bear’s head. Not for long, at least. Indeed, readers will agree, it’s far better to be simply a bear called Paddington.

This story is a beautiful tribute to the power of friendship touching on love and death as well. It’s a classic for a reason and one of the best-written children’s books in existence.

Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George, and Snowbell the cat. Though he's shy and thoughtful, he's also a true lover of adventure.

I loved this story and think that everyone should read it. Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"—people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with her crow friend Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this "wishtree" watches over the neighborhood. You might say Red has seen it all… until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experiences as a wishtree are more important than ever.

Translated form the Mandarin for an English-speaking audience this was voted overall winner in the Panda Book Awards for Middle readers in 2022. A young white fox dreams of being human. When his parents are taken from him, long-held secrets and a legend about a miraculous treasure rise to the surface in this perilous quest for self-discovery. When a young white fox named Dilah discovers a human family, he begins to dream of being human himself. But when his parents are assassinated, long-held secrets and a legend about a miraculous treasure rise to the surface. A treasure with the power to make animals human... The clues to its location are contained in a moonstone buried beneath their den. But evil blue foxes seek the treasure too and Dilah must race to find it first. Along the way, he meets all sorts of other creatures: a friendly seal, an ancient tortoise, and a fierce leopard -- but can he stay one step ahead? Check out the sequel White Fox in the Forest too.

Peter Nimble and his fantastic eyes by Jonathan Auxier

Peter is a 10 year old blind orphan who has only known a life of thievery. When he steals a box with magical eyes he is transported to a hidden island where he is offered the chance to go on the quest of a lifetime. This is a swashbuckling adventure full of action.

Eleven-year-old Thom Ngho is keeping a secret: she’s strong. Like suuuuper strong. Freakishly strong. And it’s making it impossible for her to fit in at her new middle school. In a desperate bid to get rid of her super strength, Thom makes a deal with the Monkey King, a powerful deity and legendary trickster she accidentally released from his 500-year prison sentence. Thom agrees to help the Monkey King get back his magical staff if he'll take away her strength. Soon Thom is swept up in an ancient and fantastical world in where demons, dragons, and Jade princesses actually exist. But she quickly discovers that magic can’t cure everything, and dealing with the trickster god might be more trouble than it’s worth.

This series is all about ordinary people becoming extraordinary heroes. In this story the children meet a mortal named Perseus who misleads the, Luckily they have each other and quite a few magical objects! They will need them when they find the terrifying hairy snakes!

In this first book, two friends discover a letter from their favorite librarian saying she’s trapped in a book. They decide to go into a book to rescue her. They arrive in 19th century England to help a detective find a stolen gem.

When Tomas discovers a strange old tree at the bottom of his grandad's garden, he doesn't think much of it. But he takes the funny fruit from the tree back into the house - and gets the shock and delight of his life when a tiny dragon hatches! The tree is a dragonfruit tree, and Tomas has got his very own dragon, Flicker ... And then something extraordinary happens - more dragonfruits appear on the tree. Tomas is officially growing dragons ... 

These friends accidentally travel from England to the Never Land fairy world of Tinker Bell. What adventures they will have?!

It's not easy to be the sole mythical creature in a school for reptiles and amphibians, especially because he can't breathe fire like other dragons (as the school bully loves to remind him). Danny Dragonbreath is a dragon without dragon fire and good friends who make his life more…complicated but interesting.

Harriet is not your average princess and when Harriet hears of twelve mice princesses cursed to dance all night long, she knows she's just the rodent to save them. Never mind that the princesses' father, the Mouse King, had more of a boy hero in mind. Handsome princes are so overrated.

Can a bully be defeated by a magical love potion? Jolina can't take Claudine's bullying any longer! The taunts and teasing are too much. Though Jolina knows she's still in training to use her grandfather's arbularyo magic, she sneaks into his potions lab to get her revenge. Jolina brews a batch of gayuma, a powerful love potion. And it works. The love potion conquers Claudine's hateful nature. In fact, Claudine doesn't just stop bullying Jolina -- now she wants to be Jolina's BFF, and does everything and anything Jolina asks. But magic comes with a cost, and bad intentions beget bad returns. Controlling another person's ability to love -- or hate -- will certainly have consequences. The magic demands payment, and it is about to come for Jolina in the form of a powerful storm...

Our main characters are some of the rare children who when of a certain age, can summon a spirit animal. These heroes must use their new bonds with their animals and each other to save the world from a dark and evil force. An awesome series.

They sound like the Bad Guys, they look like the Bad Guys . . . and they even smell like the Bad Guys. But Mr Wolf, Mr Piranha, Mr Snake and Mr Shark are about to change all of that! Mr Wolf has a daring plan for the Bad Guys first good mission. This is a hilarious award-winning series full of amazing illustrations.

Not every dragonet wants a destiny ... Clay has grown up under the mountain, chosen along with four other dragonets to fulfill a mysterious prophecy and end the war between the dragon tribes of Pyrrhia. He's not so sure about the prophecy part, but Clay can't imagine not living with the other dragonets; they're his best friends. So, when one of the dragonets is threatened, all five spring into action. Together, they will choose freedom over fate, leave the mountain, and fulfill their destiny -- on their own terms.

The year is 50BC, and all Gaul is occupied. Only one small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. But how much longer can Asterix, Obelix and their friends resist the mighty Roman legions of Julius Caesar? Anything is possible, with a little cunning plus the druid Getafix's magic potions!

It’s the same thing every day for Babymouse. Where is the glamour? The excitement? The adventure? Nothing ever changes, until . . . Babymouse hears about Felicia Furrypaws’s exclusive slumber party. Will Babymouse get invited? Will her best friend, Wilson, forgive her if she misses their monster movie marathon? Find out in Babymouse: Queen of the World, a graphic novel with attitude.

MANGO and BRASH are the INVESTIGATORS:
sewer-loving agents of S.U.I.T.* and scourge of supervillains everywhere! With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve! Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks—or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp?

Weird. Quirky. Funny. I think all three describe this new graphic novel from the creator of Captain Underpants. In the first story, a police officer and a dog are joined together — the top from the dog, the bottom from the officer to make: Dog Man. Dog Man solves crimes and has adventures, the likes of which will entertain you for hours

No grizzly has ever killed a human in Glacier National Park before... until tonight. Eleven-year-old Melody Vega and her family come to Glacier every year. Mel loves it here — the beautiful landscapes and wildlife make it easy to forget her real-world troubles. But this year is different. With Mom gone, every moment in the park is a reminder of the past. Then Mel comes face-to-face with a mighty grizzly. She knows basic bear safety: Don't turn your back. Don't make any sudden movements. And most importantly: Don't run. That last one is the hardest for Mel; she's been running from her problems all her life. If she wants to survive tonight, she'll have to find the courage to face her fear.
Based on the real-life grizzly attacks of 1967, this bold graphic novel tells the story of one of the most tragic seasons in the history of America's national parks — a summer of terror that forever changed ideas about how grizzlies and humans can exist together in the wild.

Grace and her friends must protect a newly hatched dragon from mysterious evildoers. When Grace moves to Hong Kong with her mom and new stepdad, her biggest concern is making friends at her fancy new boarding school. But when a mysterious old woman gifts her a dragon egg during a field trip, Grace discovers that the wonderful stories of dragons she heard when she was a young girl might actually be real--especially when the egg hatches overnight. The dragon has immense powers that Grace has yet to understand. And that puts them both in danger from mysterious forces intent on abusing the dragon's power. And now it's up to Grace and her school friends to uncover the sinister plot threatening the entire city!

The Zita books rock — they’re full of adventure, humor, and fantastic characters!! Zita is an awesome, courageous problem-solving heroine who accidentally gets stuck in space while trying to save her friend from kidnappers and save the universe.

This beautifully ilustrated picture book by the Native American storyteller, Joseph Bruhac, is the story of the famous warrior hero of the Lakota Sioux tribe, Sitting Bull. As a child, "Slow" was slow at everything he did. He wished he could have a stronger name. His mother and father told him that he must earn a better name by brave and wise actions. "Slow" gradually proves his bravery, but it takes an encounter with the enemies from the Crow tribe before "Slow" is able to earn his new name.

Set in the late nineteenth century and told from young Anna's point of view, Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton comes from Maine to the prairie to answer Papa's advertisement for a wife and mother. Before Sarah arrives, Anna and her younger brother Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she sing? Will she stay?This is an award-winning book that is a must read. I loved it!

Heard the one about Hercules slaying a lion with his bare hands and making a cloak from its skin? That was no cloak--Hercules was wearing the lion. We're talking Siegfried and Roy here! Sure, Hercules had great big muscles. But he had an itty-bitty brain. He couldn't have done even one heroic deed if that lion hadn't been there, telling him exactly what to do. Check out the entire hilarious Myth-o-mania series on Sora.

Kaspar the cat first came to the Savoy Hotel in a basket - Johnny Trott knows, because he was the one who carried him in. Johnny was a bell-boy, you see, and he carried all of Countess Kandinsky's things to her room.
But Johnny didn't expect to end up with Kaspar on his hands forever, and nor did he count on making friends with Lizziebeth, a spirited American heiress. Pretty soon, events are set in motion that will take Johnny - and Kaspar - all around the world, surviving theft, shipwreck and rooftop rescues along the way. Because everything changes with a cat like Kaspar around. After all, he's Prince Kaspar Kandinsky, Prince of Cats, a Muscovite, a Londoner and a New Yorker, and as far as anyone knows, the only cat to survive the sinking of the Titanic…

In the midst of a boring summer, soon-to-be fifth grader Angie DelMar discovers something amazing about the eccentric woman who's just moved into town. She is actually a mad scientist who plans to take over the world by enlarging and controlling insects! With the help of her friends Cooper, Genevieve, and Harvey, Angie nabs the mixture and flees. But before they reach safety, the friends encounter a day care center where the mixture is accidentally released. Soon the town is overcome by gigantic toddlers! Can the friends save the town, defeat the scientist, and restore the bawling, blubbering behemoths to their cute and cuddly size?

Ever-punctual Anna Gain is never late, and she's certainly never late for the school bus. Every day she catches it in perfect time. But not today. After a series of absurd events cause Anna to miss the bus, she's transported one minute back in time - only to be stuck re-living the same sixty seconds again ... and again ... and again ... Is fate trying to teach Anna a lesson? And will she ever escape? A laugh-out-loud and punny take on 'Groundhog Day' from a top-notch author-illustrator pairing

It's time to elect a new president of the Neighborhood Cat Coalition! Who will win the election? The candidate chosen by the kitties on the right side of the street or the candidate chosen by the kitties on the left side of the street? When election time rolls around, one candidate (guess who?) will discover that she never bothered to register to vote and the entire election will be decided by a surprise, last minute absentee ballot sent by Old Kitty. A great fun read.

When a session of extreme dancing leaves Maisie in hospital with a broken leg, things take a turn for the weird! Strange noises in the ward at night, missing cuddly toys and a sandwich trolley that only ever has TUNA sandwiches. Could Maisie's leg be CURSED? If it is, and it DEFINITELY IS, then everything is DOOMED!

Hilarious, illustrated school-based antics where everything that happens leads to DRAMA and RUNNING AROUND and even some FAINTING!

Meet Weir Do.
No, that's not a typo, that's his name!
Weir Do's the new kid in school. With an unforgettable name, a crazy family, and some seriously weird habits, fitting in won't be easy . . . but it will be funny!

Who wouldn't want to live in a treehouse? Especially a treehouse that has a bowling alley, a see-through swimming pool, a tank full of sharks, a library full of comics, a secret underground laboratory, a games room, self-making beds, vines you can swing on, a vegetable vaporiser and a marshmallow machine that follows you around and automatically shoots your favourite flavoured marshmallows into your mouth whenever it discerns you're hungry. Check out this amazing series and watch the Treehouse grow.

The 43 Old Cemetery Road early reader series is a funny and punny adventure with a kid, a cat, a grumpy ghost, and a really cool writing style in letters, emails, newspaper clippings, jokes, and more. These books are addictive!

I love Alvin Ho and cannot resist encouraging you to pick up one of these books. Alvin suffers from anxiety over many things and this leads him to become mute at school. Nevertheless, his family life, antics and tales of how he navigates “scary things” make me laugh. 

Barry can’t wait to tell his friends that they’ve been invited on his family minivan vacation to Plonkton. But the weekend by the sea doesn’t turn out to be the keelfest Barry was hoping for. It’s all his best mate Bunky’s fault for going and falling in love. OH. MY. UNKEELNESS!

A quick and funny third grade read. Clementine is a riot with her out -of-the-box look on life. I love her thoughts on what paying attention means, or rather what she chooses to pay attention to.

There was a terrible mistake - Wayside School was built with one classroom on top of another, thirty stories high (The builder said he was sorry.) Maybe that's why all kinds of funny things happened at Wayside-especially on the thirteenth floor. Check out all the funny stories in this popular series.

Trouble always seems to find Calvin even when he's doing his best to avoid it. At home he has to give up his room to a girl from Texas. At school he's got a couple of bullies to avoid. To make matters worse, one of the bullies has a crush on the girl from Texas! A very entertaining read.

Our hero Ben is bored beyond belief after he is made to stay at his grandma’s house. She’s the boringest grandma ever: all she wants to do is to play Scrabble, and eat cabbage soup. But there are two things Ben doesn’t know about his grandma.
1) She was once an international jewel thief.
2) All her life, she has been plotting to steal the Crown Jewels, and now she needs Ben’s help… A story of prejudice and acceptance, funny lists and silly words.

Stick Dog is hilarious. Why is he called Stick Dog? Because our author/narrator can’t draw. And also, because he likes sticks. The funny cartoonish illustrations make this story of stray dogs easy to read, and very entertaining. 

A princess should be as good as she is beautiful. So says The Art of Being a Princess, which Princess Imogene is supposed to be reading. But since she is neither particularly good nor all that beautiful, she skips her homework to visit the pond. There she meets a talking frog who claims to be a prince under a witch's spell. Imogene kindly kisses him to remove the spell - and gets turned into a frog instead! Now the only way for the princess to un-frog herself is to convince someone else to kiss her. But before she can figure out a plan, Imogene gets kidnapped and becomes the unwilling star attraction in a third-rate traveling theater company. Can she find a way to undo the witch's spell - or will she be frogged forever?

James Bond meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid with this groundbreaking fully-illustrated chapter book series Mac B., Kid Spy. The precious Crown Jewels have been stolen, and there's only one person who can help the Queen of England: her newest secret agent, Mac B. Mac travels around the globe in search of the stolen treasure...but will he find it in time?

Ada moves to a new neighborhood where she observes everything that happens out her window. She and a new friend notice a distraught neighbor whose dog is missing and they determine to solve the mystery. Along with another neighbor boy, they use science and technology to solve the mystery of the missing dog

I loved this Sherlock-inspired book because it’s very well written and tells a great story. John Watson and his mom move to Harlem. There he meets a unique girl named Shelby Holmes who reluctantly allows him to tag along with her as she solves her latest crime — the mystery of who took a posh, show-dog from a classmate’s secure house.

The adventures of Sherlock Sam continue! Together with his loyal sidekick robot Watson, Sherlock Sam is fast becoming Singapore's Greatest Kid Detective! In Sherlock Sam and the Ghostly Moans in Fort Canning, mysterious sounds fill the air at one of Singapore's most-loved historical attractions. Ghosts don't exist, or do they? Will this mystery prove too difficult for Sherlock Sam to solve? 

The A to Z Mysteries series rocks! None of the books need to be read in any particular order, each has a self-contained mystery. This series is SO popular with third graders, In this story, the famous writer that is coming to the bookstore doesn’t show up. Dink and his friends, Josh and Ruth Rose, must find out what happened.

Will your 8 year olds enjoy reading about children of thieves who really want to do good things, not bad things like their parents? When these kids’ parents steal a monkey from the zoo, the kids must figure out how to return it without their parents figuring out that their children are up to … good.

Opal’s preacher father is always too busy and her mother has been gone since Opal was three, something Opal has always wondered about. But Opal finds someone to care, a stray dog that she names Winn-Dixie, and that dog brings hope and meaning into 10-year old Opal’s life. Brilliant, heart-warming storytelling. 

Asian American Mindy has lots of adventures. In this one Mindy is excited to celebrate the Lunar New Year! Even though it’s the first one without her mom, Mindy is determined to enjoy the day. She decides to make traditional Korean New Year food, a rice cake soup that’s her favorite. But things aren’t going quite to plan, and the celebration doesn’t feel the same as it did before. With the help of her family and friends, can Mindy find a way to still enjoy her old holiday traditions, and create new ones along the way? Check out the other titles in the series.

I really loved this story told in first-person from Eleanor’s point of view. It’s about the friendship challenges when Eleanor gets jealous of a new girl she thinks her best friend Pearl might like better than her.

Young Amar'e Stoudemire is back in the all-star basketball adventure--STAT: Standing Tall and Talented!
Eleven-year-old Amar'e Stoudemire has had a lot of success playing in tournaments and street ball. But now it's time to try out for his school's team. Amar'e is good enough to play with the older kids, and should probably be a starter. But the players that have been there the longest, generally get the most playing time. Amar'e must deal with helping his team in a different way than he's used to.
Based on the life of All-Star NBA sensation Amar'e Stoudemire, who overcame many obstacles to become one of the most popular figures in sports today

Just like her mother, 3rd grader Marty loves animals. She wants to “adopt” a chimp in the chimp sanctuary. To raise money, she decides to pet sit. Soon she gets more pets than she and her friends can handle including a trash-talking parrot, a python who escapes, and a gerbil who might just be that big bulge in the snake. Luckily, Marty’s cool grandma helps save the pet-sitting business from total disaster.

A favorite series that you’ll also love! Alexander discovers his new town is FILLED WITH MONSTERS! And, he’s right in the middle of everything especially after he finds an old notebook of drawings and facts about monsters. Fun with an edge of scary.

Dylans creepy hobby is getting gravestone rubbings from the old cemetery. He thinks that one from Dr. Naper, Cedarvilles own Dr. Frankenstein, would make a perfect addition to his history project. Getting the rubbing is more difficult than Dylan thought! Will he and his history partner uncover the mystery of Dr. Naper? The ending is Up2U, so which ending will you choose?

The first book of the fabled classic Goosebumps. The house is a freebie. Is haunted. The entire town is, as well. Two siblings discover that fears do come true. The story bears a classic uniqueness of Stine but a cliffhanger ending is his trademark.

The Aldens visit the upstate New York town where the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" was set and discover a headless horseman mystery all their own! Their friend's ghost tour business is threatened by a spooky figure on horseback who is throwing gory pumpkins. Who—or what—is haunting Sleepy Hollow?

Learn survival tips by reading about fascinating true stories. Other titles include, Tornado, a flood, being lost at sea, on a desert island or an animal attack

From the incredibly popular series this book explains how emeralds are formed, mined and turned into jewellry. Find out how valuable emeralds are and discover some famous emeralds.

Make way for the world’s weirdest, most wonderful creatures and fun and informative book with beautiful illustrations.

What would happen if sixteen sea creatures met in a tournament? Who will be the ocean champion? Who do you think would win?

Gorgeously illustrated this book is a collection of 10 myths, traditional tales and real-life stories. Suitable for anyone who is concerned about our planet and its future.

Do you believe in dragons? Now, for the first time, the long-lost research of renowned nineteenth century dragonologist Dr Ernest Drake is presented in all its eccentric glory, happily bridging the gap between dragon legend and fact. The meticulous Dr Drake assigns Latin names to various dragon species, ruminates on why dragons are able to speak, speculates on how they could fly, and explains the true purpose of their notorious hoarding habits. A must read for all dragon enthusiasts!

All around the world -- in the sea, in the soil, in the air, and in your body -- there are living things so tiny that millions could fit on an ant's antenna. They're busy doing all sorts of things, from giving you a cold and making yogurt to eroding mountains and helping to make the air we breathe.

Crazy-but-true stories about the living world as well as a handful of stories that are too crazy to be true—Can you separate facts from fakes! Did you know that there is a fungus that can control the mind of an ant and make it do its bidding? Would you believe there is such a thing as a corpse flower—a ten-foot-tall plant with a blossom that smells like a zombie? How about a species of octopus that doesn’t live in water but rather lurks in trees in the Pacific Northwest?

A children's book packed with 100 bedtime stories about the life of 100 extraordinary women from the past and the present, illustrated by 60 female artists from all over the world.

- Humorous Handy Hints that relate directly to the text are provided on each spread
- High interest topic for children of all ages
- Draws in even the most reluctant reader with a light hearted tone and hilarious illustrations
- The cultures and traditions of ancient civilizations spring to life in the pages of this series
- Includes glossary and index

Check out the whole ‘You wouldn’t want to be…’ series

Learn how this son of German immigrants from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, turned his small food-packaging company into a booming business known for its fair treatment of workers and pioneering safe food preparation standards. This American success story follows Heinz from his early days as a pickle and vinegar merchant in the 1800s to the name behind the nation's number-one brand of ketchup. The name that's on everyone's lips is now part of the Who Was? series.

Check out all the fascinating people in this great introduction to Biographies.

Like the tree planted to honor her birth, Pear Blossom is beautiful, and the pride of her elderly mother and father. But then her mother dies, and her father remarries. Pear Blossom’s step mother resents her new daughters’ beauty. Out of jealousy, she makes Pear Blossom perform impossible chores while her own daughter, Peony, watches idly. But fortunately, Pear Blossom is not alone. With the help of magical creatures—togkabis—she can accomplish each task, and triumph over her stepmother’s cruelty