Third Grade Summer Reading

Summer reading is a great way to get your child interested in books, on his or her own terms. For the best books for third grade summer reading, we turned to the nation’s finest independent bookstores to get their favorites, from classics to new releases, swashbuckling adventures to the just plain fun, silly or sweet. Here are their recommendations for a summertime full of fantastic books:

Fog Magic by Julia L. Sauer

Greta loves the fog and senses something magical about it, which leads her on a time-traveling adventure. This book is a classic, and its blend of reality and magic make it a great introduction to fantasy. Recommended by Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, CO. Where to buy.

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

A group of children decide they should be orphans, as in so many classic tales, while the parents have ideas of their own based on Hansel and Gretel. This is a hilarious homage to so many classic tales. Recommended by Powell’s Books, Portland, OR. Where to buy.

Barnstormers Game 3: Three Kids, a Villain, and Great Balls of Fire by Phil Bildner and Loren Long

Griffith, Ruby and their mother continue to travel with the Travelin’ Nine baseball team. Chicago is the setting for game three and for a confrontation with the evil Chancellor who seeks possession of the siblings’ magic baseball. Recommended by Prairie Lights Books, Iowa City, IA. Where to buy.

Polkabats & Octopus Slacks by Calef Brown

These 14 poems may just be the funniest you've ever read. If it's off-the-wall slapstick and silly pictures that get you giggling, then try these! Recommended by 57th Street Books, Chicago, IL. Where to buy.

The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye

An ordinary princess runs away from home to experience everyday life, and learns a lot about herself in the process. Recommended by Linden Tree Children’s Recordings and Books, Los Altos, CA. Where to buy.

The Dragon Slayers Academy (series) by Kate McMullen

Laugh out loud funny, these books are perfect for boys who like to laugh. Every dragon has its weakness; the dragon hunter just needs to discover the secret. Wiglaf and Eric (Erica in disguise) discover that their dragon’s Achilles Heel is Knock-knock jokes.Very silly, funny, and adventurous, this series is a great find. Recommended by Kepler’s Bookstore, Menlo Park, CA. Where to buy.

Want to see more from Education.com’s book list? Here’s a collection of our favorite books for third grade:

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary (Harpercollins, 1992)

Ramona tries to be good, but the prospect of pulling Susan’s boing-boing curls proves a little too hard to resist. Introduce kids to the series star Ramona, and you’ll be introducing them to a friend for life! (Readers who want a more contemporary protagonist will fall in love with Clementine by Sara Pennypacker).

Frindle by Andrew Clements (Aladdin, 1998)

A boy invents a new word and makes an adversary of his dictionary-devout teacher. Could it be that teachers are real people, too? This author is a master of stories set at school, with conflicts that kids will readily recognize.