Grade 3 Guys Read

Third graders are all over the place with reading, so when we make up our "Silver Knight" list for grade 3, we are sure to include chapter books at various levels and various interests in mind. Here's the full list.

Here are three engaging chapter books that particularly suit third grade BOYS.

Ball Hogs, by Rich Wallace

This is the first in the "Kickers" series all about soccer. Boys at AISB are already really enjoying this book. It's about Ben and his friends in grade 4. The chapters alternate between action on the soccer field and action at recess on the four-square court. No matter what field he's on, Ben's nemesis, Mark, is bigger and stronger, and he's arrogant enough to drive a boy mad. Ben wants to win at everything he does, but his team can't win a game as long as Mark hogs the ball. Will they ever learn to play as a team? Illustrated. 128 pages.

Mom, There's a Dinosaur in Beeson's Lake!, by Trudi Trueit 

Ten year old "Scab" is trying to get up the courage to swim in the deep end of the pool, but instead of facing his fears he tries all kinds of tricks to get out of swimming lessons. In this transitional reader, there are plenty of funny scenes, text boxes with quirky observations about life, and a main character with lots of spunk. And the dinosaur? Oh, it's part of the story, but not in the way you might think! It's a fun read. Illustrated. 160 pages.

The Case of the Lost Boy, by Dori Hillestad Butler

This is the first in the "Buddy Files" series. Buddy is a lovable golden retriever who solves mysteries with his nose and by making lists. He narrates the action so we get the dog's eye view on human behavior and how dogs think. In this volume, his boy is lost. We're nervous about this since there's a "stranger danger" possibility that's a bit scary. A compelling conflict (hard to find in transitional readers) and engaging voice make this a winner. Illustrated. 128 pages.

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Book-a-Day: Fall Break

We planned a relaxing vacation for fall break (no sightseeing!) so I set a goal to read a book each day.  Here's the round-up! Since there are several titles, I'll keep it brief.

Saturday

Chapter Book

The Georges and the Jewels, by Jane Smiley

Young Abby lives on a horse farm, so riding horses every day is no big deal. But one horse, one of the "Georges" (geldings) proves to be a major challenge. She's scared to ride him and her fear becomes emblematic of some of the personal hurdles she's facing: her relationships with her friends and with her father are at a critical point. She needs to stand up to them and voice her feelings, but it will take a kind of courage she doesn't yet have.

This will be most appreciated by tweens who love horses; those who don't may find the level of detail around this topic overwhelming. I loved it!  (Illustrations of various equipment for horses. Recommended for grade 5+)

Sunday

Chapter Book

Every Soul a Star, by Wendy Mass

The stars align to bring together four preteens for the event of a solar eclipse. Each is at a turning-point in his or her life, and each comes to the event with that baggage. Through preparations for the momentous occasion, they come together, recognizing strengths they hadn't seen in each other before (and in themselves as well).

Each chapter is narrated by one of the characters, giving the novel a unique mix of voices and sense of drama. We come to admire each character and we miss them when the story is over. (Recommended for grade 5+)

Monday

Chapter Book

Eleven, by Lauren Myracle

The concept of this novel is fun: each chapter is a month in an eleven year-old's life, from her birthday through the year. We get a real sense of the ups and downs of being a tween through this structure. Friendship woes, boy/girl tension, parent problems - it's all here but with an upbeat, hopeful tone. We start off with a birthday party gone awry when Minnie's planned activities get hijacked by a popular girl's decision to play on the house's electric staircase chair instead. 

Minnie is charming and very much a regular girl dealing with common tween issues. A fun and affirming read for girls of this age. (Recommended for grades 4+)

Tuesday

Chapter Book

Eggs Over Evie, by Alison Jackson 

Evie's dealing with her parents' divorce (and her father's impending twins with his new wife). Part of what keeps her going as she navigates the change in her relationship with her parents is cooking. She and her father share of a love of good food, and she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. Recipes tied to the plot are interspersed throughout the story.

In addition to her life as a budding chef, she has friendships and a crush on a boy in her cooking class to figure out. Will she be able to mix up a way to keep all of the ingredients in her life coexisting happily?  (Illustrated. Recommended for grades 5+) 


Wednesday

Chapter Book

Over My Dead Body (43 Cemetery Road), by Kate Klise

This is the second book about three unlikely housemates: Seymour, the abandoned boy-genius; Ignatius, the curmudgeon-y writer; and Olive, the 125 year-old ghost. The problem this time: will the three be able to stay together? An anonymous letter threatens to ruin everything they've created: their family and their series of books about ghosts. Seymour is taken away to live in a foster home until his (evil) parents return, and Ignatius ends up in jail for trying to keep him at 43 Cemetery Road. Will Olive be able to find a way to restore their happy home?

(Illustrated. Recommended for grades 3+)

Thursday

Chapter Book

The Fairy-Tale Detectives, by Michael Buckley

Orphaned sisters are taken to live with their previously-thought-dead grandmother, and oldest girl is highly skeptical about who "grandma" really is. But when the grandmother's house gets mysteriously crushed, the sisters quickly become embroiled in a mystery. Grandma Grimm reveals that they are related to the Brothers Grimm, who wrote the true (not fairy-tale) stories of evil and wicked characters and monsters who lived long ago. These creatures are out to kill the last remaining Grimms. Will the Sisters Grimm be able escape from them and keep their family lineage going? 

(Illustrated. Recommended for grades 4+)

Friday

Picture Book

Let the Whole Earth Sing Praise, by Tomie dePaola

In his signature folksy style, dePaola illustrates a poem he wrote which is inspired by scripture from the Old Testament. The theme: Everything in our universe praises God through its beauty. For example, "...Showers and Frost and Ice and Snow. Bless God..."

He leads us in from space to atmosphere, to landforms, to living creatures, to ourselves - and accompanies each layer with artwork of stunning simplicity.

A gorgeous book, small in size, wonderful for lap reading, especially in homes where religious thinking is welcomed. (Recommended for all ages)

Saturday

Book of Poems

A Dazzling Display of Dogs, by Betsy Franco (Illustrated by Michael Wertz)

This is such a cool poetry book! The writer has created concrete poems (the words of the poem form shapes) all about dogs. The poems range from funny to sweet and each perfectly captures the essence of "dogness." 

Happily, the illustrations are a perfect fit. They have a retro feel, a bright graphic vibe that treats the letters as part of the visual appeal. 

This one takes some time to read and pore over since there's so much to see. A total winner. (Recommended for grades 2+)

Sunday

Picture Book

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, by Laban Carrick Hill (Illustrated by Bryan Collier)

This story in poem tells about the life of a American slave potter, an artist unknown in his time. A sense of halting English mirrors the real poems he sometimes left on the pots he threw. But the imagery, the richness of language is here too: a lump of clay begins to take the shape of a jar, "its walls rise up like a robin's puffed breast..." and it becomes almost mythical in its greatness - so large it could hold him in an embrace.

This Caldecott Honor's illustrations are earthy and warm, a mix of watercolor and collage, that keep Dave solidly real and show his world in all its grittiness.

(Recommended for grades 2+)

Two Grippers!

This week I am celebrating the arrival of a new shipment of books. These are student requests, or recommendations from library friends, or books I read over the summer that I thought our students would like.

The two titles below were the first I grabbed out of the box. They are both "grippers", though for very different reasons.

Okay For Now, by Gary D. Schmidt

Our narrator, Doug, has just moved to a new town thanks to his father's inability to hold down a job. The town is nothing special and Doug's first response to new people is surliness combined with regret. He doesn't want to be like his older brothers or his father: angry and bitter and mean, and yet his defenses are up. He's prepared to be hated since that's what he gets at home.

Doug's been dealt a losing hand. He's trying to find a way out, and the starting point begins at an unlikely spot: his public library. There he discovers a book of Audubon plates, kept in a glass case. Drawn to the birds and a need to figure out how they were created, he finds purpose and passion.

The supporting characters round out the novel. They are mostly adults: some we love, some we hate. They give Doug a foil to test himself on. How will he respond to the kindness of his science teacher? How will he react to the brutal unfairness exhibited by his PE teacher? The choices he makes as he interacts with them move him forward to shaping the "him" he wants to be. 

So why so gripping? Partly it's our love for Doug and our intense yearning to see him find something good in life, partly it's our rage about the brutality he faces and gracefully rejects, partly it's our fear that he has more hard times ahead. Mostly it's great writing, engaging us through direct address and sardonic tone. Our narrator checks to be sure we're paying attention and punctuates a rough patch with a simple "terrific" to let us know exactly how he feels (So NOT terrific!).

Recommended for grades 5 and up.

Black Radishes, by Susan Lynn Meyer

Gustave enjoys a happy childhood in 1940's Paris until his parents force the family to move to the countryside to lay low during a time of increasing antisemitism. As with other Holocaust-era novels, our characters have no idea of the horrors to come; they make their choices in disbelief as circumstances become worse and worse. With each decision, they imagine that it can't get worse.

Such is the case here as well. But here, we have a rendering of the downward spiral as seen through the child's eyes and set in the seemingly harmless French countryside. The town Gustave's family moves to provides some small comfort: although they cannot escape France altogether due to bombed bridges, it is not inside the German occupied zone. Perhaps they can weather the war, and piece together a life based on necessary risks such as crossing the line for food.

This is the tension that keeps us turning the pages. Gustave is a charming though not particularly complex character, and we want his life story to end well. At the same time, we know what could happen. Will the necessary risks lead them to freedom or despair? This is the question of all such novels and it never fails to grip readers.

Recommended for grades 4 and up.

Book-a-Day Reads #2

It's been a fun week of reading in and among trips to Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts. Here's a round-up of books from this week.

Some of these are not in our library collection yet, but those with stars (*) will be! 

In the comments, what's your favorite summer read so far?

Chapter Book

*  Inside Out & Back Again, by Thanhha Lai

A novel told in free verse, this historical fiction story feels like a personal narrative. It tells the story of Ha, a Vietnamese girl, whose family flees their home just before the fall of Saigon during the Vietnam War. We follow her journey crammed in with other refugees on the boat, arriving at a refugee camp, getting sponsored and moved to Alabama, and navigating the strange ways of the English language and social rejection by her peers. Throughout the narrative, effectively told in tight lines of free verse, the image of her father looms as a reminder of the casualties of war. He was taken prisoner when she was too young to remember, but his presence in the story mirrors his presence in her mother's memory: she keeps him alive through hopes that he may one day be found safe and join them.

This is a haunting but uplifting story of a girl deeply affected by the horrors of war. Recommended for Grades 4+

Early Reader

Bink and Gollie, by Kate DiCamillo (AISB library has it!)

It's all about character and voice in this free-wheeling early chapter book. Bink, the spunky little girl, and her friend (babysitter?), Gollie, are fun and funky. They go about their day bantering, teasing, and showing their imaginative powers to make the most of their times together. Chapters center on Bink's love of a crazy pair of socks, the confusing concept of compromise, and a pretend trek up a mountain. Tony Fucile's cartoony illustrations are full of movement and mischief and capture the characters' personalities perfectly.

Recommended for grades 1-3

 

Chapter Book (series)

* Till Death Do Us Bark, by Kate and Sarah Klise

This is the third in the 43 Cemetery Road series, a series about a boy who lives with a ghost and a grumpy writer. This mystery is a fun one to solve. Old Noah Breth dies, leaving his fortune to his two bitter children IF they can solve his riddles and find the cash. Clues surface all over town, as reported in newspaper articles and relayed through various personal correspondence. The scrapbook format creates a tone of reader-as-detective as we piece together the solutions, most likely before the characters do. Another fun addition to a creative series.

Recommended for grades 3+

Chapter Book (series)

The Hostile Hospital, by Lemony Snicket (AISB Library has it!)

The Beaudelaire siblings are trying to clear their names against murder accusations by the local newspaper. They begin their investigation at Heimlich Hospital but quickly run into various nefarious characters who want them dead. The biggest crisis is trying to stop a "craniocotemy" which will divest Violet of her head! Littlest sister, Sunny, has a larger role in this installment, and her monosyllabic contributions are hilarious. 

Another adventure in a series recommended for grades 4+.
 

I listened to the audio version of this read by Tim Curry. He adds distinctive voices for each character and is perfectly snarly when needed.
 

Graphic

* Zita, the Spacegirl, by Ben Hatke

Zita and her friend find a strange red device in a huge hole near their homes. When Zita encourages the boy to press it, a crack in the sky opens and he's abducted right in front of her. What's a gal to do? Save him, of course! 

She enters a world of rusty robots, freaky talking machines, and double-crossing characters in her frantic attempt to save her friend. 

Gorgeous full-color art, glossy pages, and spare text will appeal to grades 3+

Graphic

Spiral-Bound, by Aaron Renier

Elephant wants to try his hand at sculpture and be part of the city's scultpture garden exhibit. Rabbit wants to be an investigative reporter. Both get their wish, but not before a zany cast of characters rollicks through a loosely-structured mystery about a deadly sea creature.

Black and white illustrations. Numerous apostrophe errors. 

This is a fun read, but I won't be buying it for our library.

Ok for grades 3+

(This one is not found on Library Thing, so I'm using an amazon image)

Book-a-Day Reads

It's summer! Time to make more time to read!

Thanks to a group of "tweeps" on twitter, I'm setting a goal to read one book each day of the summer. I'll try for mostly chapter books but will throw in picture books and graphic novels, too.

For Book Talk Tuesday, I usually feature three books around a theme. But in the spirit of free-choice, I'll feature some of my weekly book-a-day reads instead. See more great book talks at this week's guest host site: Smithville Elementary Library.

In the comments, have you set some goals for your summer reading this year? 

Chapter Book

The Penderwicks, by Jane Birdsall 

This is a fun, happy book with an appealing "kids vs. grownups" theme. A set of four sisters meets a lonely boy who lives at the main house of the cottage they're renting for the summer. They all quickly become embroiled in the kinds of adventures that involve running and playing outdoors, evading his sinister mother, and concocting ways to entertain themselves (which half the time takes the form of some kind of rescue of the littlest sister or bunny). 

The children are so self-sufficient and engaged in the outdoor word, the story has a old-time feel.
Recommended for grades 4+

Chapter Book

Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog, by Garth Stein 

Anyone who has a dog knows that s/he is a keen observer of family dynamics and the trusted confidante of all its members. Just imagine if we could know all the dog knows! In this novel, we can. 

Told from the dog, Enzo's, point of view, we follow a family's growth from man and dog, to man, wife, child and dog, and through a painful loss. Enzo's voice is smart and compassionate as he relates the family's struggles and his own role in them. Just as we imagine of our own dogs, he takes his position seriously, protects mightily, and reflects regularly on the oddities of human behavior.

Tear-jerker alert! Recommended for sophisticated readers in grades 5+ due to adult themes such as marital issues and a custody battle.

Note: This is the young readers version of the novel The Art of Racing in the Rain. The covers are similar, but the young readers edition (shown here) has a puppy on it, not an adult dog.

Picture Book

Perfect Square, by Michael Hall

Following up the success of My Heart is Like a Zoo, Hall continues to use his signature style of clean lines and primary colors to reveal geometrical shapes in new ways.

This time a square undergoes a harsh change each day of the week but turns them into opportunities to become something new. When the week ends, he realizes he's missing the changes. How can he regain the beauty he experienced before? The ending creates a deeply satisfying solution, simple but powerful. This makes an excellent springboard for an art project, as well as a discussion starter about optimism.
Recommended for grades K+

Three New Chapter Books!

We have 287 new books in our library! Here's the full set:

I'm reading like crazy to get ready for next year's Golden Dragon list (books for grades 4/5 shared with the international schools in Vienna, Prague, and Warsaw). See this year's list here.

These are some I read this week:

Falling In, by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Isabelle Bean, considered "strange" at school, comes into her own in a most unusual way. She "falls in" to a fantasy world on the other side of a door (ala The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe) and meets characters and circumstances that require her to take a leadership role. She meets Young Hen who is lost and needs to find her way back to her siblings. And the woman who takes them in, Grete, has been accused of being a child-eating witch and wants to set things right. Through her connection with these two, Isabelle sees a new side of herself, a magic she's always wondered about. A fantasy setting with realistic coming-of-age themes, this will appeal to more than just fantasy-lovers. Recommended for grades 4 and up.

(more reviews @LibraryThing)

Keeper, by Kate Appelt

Wait for it. The plot, that is. The first 100 pages set up the reason that Keeper, age 10, decides to boat out to sea - flashbacks provide context and character motivation. Eventually we realize that this misguided journey IS the conflict, a symbol of the internal struggle between Keeper and her own memories. Then suddenly, the slow build up of tension breaks into full-on suspense as we follow Keeper anxiously into ever-deeper and more dangerous waters. Recommended for only the most introspective and patient upper elementary readers.

(see other reviews @LibraryThing)

One Crazy Summer, by Rita Willams-Garcia

The winning element in this historical fiction novel is the main character's voice. The oldest of three sisters in a motherless family, Delphine takes charge of her two younger sisters for a summer, a summer she could never have seen coming. It's 1968 when she flies with her sisters from Brooklyn to Oakland, California to meet their runaway mother. But whatever mothering they expected doesn't materialize. Instead, they are left to fend for themselves, navigating the free breakfast line, new friendships, and politically charged landscape. They join the Black Panther summer camp and learn to speak the "Power to the People" to advocate for equal rights for black people. With their mother's talent for poetry and her dedication to the cause, it's no surprise the three sisters end up sharing a common bond with her. But it's hard going, creating a relationship with a woman who never wanted to be part of their lives; will their mother be able to see them for who they are? And how they are part of her? A good mix of family relationships, tension, and history, this is recommended for grades 4 and up, with a book talk filling in history of the civil rights movement as needed.

(see other reviews @LibraryThing)