Terrific Books for Third & Fourth Graders

Fiction

  • Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. 2012.

    When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides he must find her a better life.

  • Bently, Peter. Vampire School: Casketball Capers. 2011.

    Lee and his friends Billy and Bella are on the St. Orlok's casketball team. They're getting ready for the game against the Chaney Street Werewolves. But when the other team arrives, some of them aren't planning on playing fair. Lee needs a plan!

  • Brezenoff, Steven. The Burglar Who Bit the Big Apple. 2011.

    While in New York City, Samantha "Sam" Archer and her friends find themselves immersed in a run of crimes at sightseeing locations.

  • Bruel, Nick. Bad Kitty Meets the Baby. 2011.

    Bad Kitty is not pleased when a baby joins her family. Includes fun facts and tips for training a cat to perform tricks.

  • Cronin, Doreen. The Trouble with Chickens. 2011.

    A hard-bitten former search-and-rescue dog helps solve a complicated missing chicken case.

  • Galante, Cecilia. Willa Bean's Cloud Dreams. 2011.

    Willa Bean, who wants to master flying before starting school at Cupid Academy, celebrates her unconventional looks and unique personality, but struggles to accept that cupids learn to fly at different times.

  • Han, Jenny. Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream. 2011.

    Korean American Clara Lee longs to be Little Miss Apple Pie, but must overcome her fear of public speaking to enter the competition.

  • Harkrader, Lisa. The Adventures of Beanboy. 2012.

    Wheaton, Kansas seventh-grader Tucker MacBean loves comic books, so when his favorite comic has a contest to create a sidekick, he is hopeful that he can win, thereby fixing his struggling family.

  • Hest, Amy. Letters to Leo. 2012.

    Fourth-grader Annie Rossi loves writing letters about her life and reading them to her new dog, Leo. Annie has lots of stories to tell, and Leo is the perfect listener.

  • Hines-Stephens, Sarah. Midway Monkey Madness. 2011.

    When a carnival comes to Metropolis, the evil ape Gorilla Grodd turns a festival of fun into a day of destruction! Beppo the Super Monkey, along with the Wonder Twins, must stop his madness.

  • Ibbotson, Eva. The Ogre of Oglefort. 2011.

    A routine magical mission turns out to be anything but when the Hag of Dribble, an orphan boy and a troll are sent to rescue a princess.

  • Levine, Gail Carson. A Tale of Two Castles. 2011. [also available on audio]

    Twelve-year-old Elodie journeys to Two Castles in hopes of studying acting. She is instead apprenticed to a dragon, who teaches her to be observant and use reasoning, thus helping her discover who is poisoning the king.

  • Lin, Grace. Dumpling Days. 2012. [also available on audio]

    Pacy and her family go to Taiwan to celebrate Grandma's sixtieth birthday, and Pacy is excited when her parents sign her up for a Chinese painting class, but she cannot speak the language and struggles to make friends and understand the teacher's instructions.

  • Look, Lenore. Ruby Lu Star of the Show. 2011.

    Ruby Lu's father loses his job on her first day of third grade, which causes many things in her life to change. She is willing to help out, but giving up some things seems impossible.

  • Paterson, Katherine. The Flint Heart. 2011. [also available on audio]

    A once-adoring father is transformed into a cruel and merciless brute after discovering an enchanted charm. The man's son, Young Charles, is determined to win back his father's true nature.

  • Reh, Rusalka. Pizzicato: The Abduction Of The Magic Violin. 2011.

    While visiting the studio of violin-maker Archibald Archinola, Darius Dorian finds a strange old fiddle. It turns out that Pizzicato has the power to heal. But when Dr. Needham hears about the instrument, the powers of evil are unleashed.

  • Service, Pamela. Escape From Planet Yastol. 2011.

    Eleven-year-old Joshua Higgins' prize-winning science fiction novel draws the attention of sinister blue aliens who capture Josh and his sister, and take them to the planet Yastol, the setting of his novel.

  • Vande Velde, Vivian. 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel (Divided By) 1 Dog = Chaos. 2012.

    A dog chases a squirrel into an elementary school one night, creating monumental chaos.

  • Voigt, Cynthia. Young Fredle. 2011. [also available on audio]

    As Fredle the mouse struggles to return home, he faces danger and predators, makes some important discoveries and allies and learns the meaning of freedom.

  • Weeks, Sarah. Pie. 2011. [also available on audio]

    After the death of Polly Portman, whose award-winning pies put the town of Ipswitch, Pennsylvania, on the map in the 1950s, her devoted niece Alice and Alice's friend Charlie investigate who is going to extremes to find Aunt Polly's secret pie crust recipe.

Graphic novels

  • Holm, Jennifer L and Matthew. Squish: Super Amoeba. 2011.

    Squish, a meek amoeba, must emulate his favorite comic book hero when his best friend is threatened by a bully.

  • McGuiness, Dan. Pilot & Huxley: The First Adventure. 2011.

    Pilot and Huxley are best friends. When they get zapped into another dimension by aliens, they find getting back to earth has become a lot harder than saving the world.

  • Trondheim, Lewis. Monster Mess. 2012.

    Peter and Jean learn that when they draw a monster on paper, it comes to life! After creating Oko, who jumps off the page and proceeds to make a huge monster mess, there's only one solution: draw a good monster. That's where Kriss comes in.

Nonfiction

revised May 2012