17+ Awesome Books for 3rd Graders

Camilla Cream is very worried about what people think of her. So worried, that she won’t eat lima beans because none of the other kids like them. Then on the first day of school she’s so worried that she breaks out in stripes! Actual, rainbow-colored, very conspicuous stripes all over her face and body. What will the other kids say? With quirky, bright illustrations and lively text, this hilarious tale will get your 3rd grade kid thinking about conformity, and why being different can actually be more fun.

Rink is a very unusual boy. Whenever there’s a full moon, he sprouts flowers all over his body, the “prettiest, sweetest-smelling and longest-lasting blossoms you ever saw. Even though no one knows his secret, he and his odd family are treated like outcasts in town and at school.He keeps mostly to himself until a new girl arrives at school with a unique secret of her own.

A screen adaptation of this popular book is now available on Netflix! Like her classmates, builder Iggy and inventor Rosie, scientific Ada is bursting with imagination, curiosity and aspirations of her own. She’s full of questions, like “how does the nose know there’s something to smell?” and “why does Dad’s cabbage stew smell bad?” What follows is a rollicking rhyming tale that introduces kids to the scientific method in a way that’s wildly entertaining. Inspired by famous mathematician Ada Lovelace and chemist Marie Curie, this installment of the Questioneers series celebrates STEM, girl power and women of science. You can find other books in the series on Epic, including “Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants” and “Rosie Revere Engineer.”

Meet Stella from the hugely popular Angry Birds game! Along with her friends Poppy, Willow and others she gets into all sorts of fun mischief in this colorful diary series. As the title suggests, Poppy loves pranks. This time she goes a bit too far and Stella and Dahlia ban her from pranking for a whole week. She decides she’ll just have to give up her Poppy-ness and becomes more like her friends. This is a cute addition to a series about the ups and downs of friendship and the importance of being yourself.

Bink and Gollie (one tiny and one tall) embark on three hilarious adventures involving painfully bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and other unlikely scenarios. Filled with imaginative antics, your kid will love the camaraderie and quick-witted banter between this precocious pair.

In the second volume in this super-popular graphic novel series, Greg Heffley is back for his first day of school. And he’s ready to put his entire summer vacation, including a very embarrassing incident behind him. Unfortunately, his older brother Rodrick knows all about it. In this hilarious sequel, Greg chronicles in his diary (ahem, journal) the pair’s brotherly antics, his attempts to navigate the hazards of middle school and most importantly his efforts to keep his secret under wraps. Fans of this popular series will love these video drawing tutorials and fun printables on Epic.

The 5th grade has just started for Robin Loxley, and the school bully, Nadia, already rules recess with an unfair Playground Tax. Robin refuses to be pushed around. So she has to stand up to Nadia, face the wrath of Assistant Principal Johnson, and become a legendary outlaw at Nottingham Elementary—all while forming a merry band of new friends along the way. Kids can’t get enough of this Robin Hood–inspired book series about defying expectations and writing your own story. If your kid loves this, check out the entire series on Epic. You can also get acquainted with author Gina Loveless (and main character Robin Loxley) in our post: “Meet Gina Loveless & Robin Loxley!“

This is not your average math lesson! A million is a big number, a billion is a really big number and a trillion is virtually unfathomable. In this fun, silly book, Marvelosissimo the mathematical magician will break down these concepts and show your kid, they’re not so intimidating. This classic picture book is an ALA Notable Book, a Reading Rainbow Feature Selection and a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book for Illustration. We highly recommend following along to this audio version with your own copy.

Meet Tom Percival’s Little Legends: pint-sized takes on the fairy tale characters we’ve  grown to love. In this first installment of the illustrated chapter book series, we first meet Jack and his talking hen, Betsy. They live in Tale Town, where  stories grow on trees and magical happenings are the norm. When he sees Anansi, the new kid in town secretly speaking to a troll, he’s sure he means trouble. And he’ll stop at nothing to prove it, even if he has to steal a spell to do it. Your kid will have a blast experiencing this and other classic stories in a fresh new way.

Monsters Mr. and Mrs. Onster have always wanted a monster child of their very own, but instead they get what appears to be… a human child. As their child (Marty) grows up, the Onsters become more and more concerned about his lack of monster traits. When it’s time for Marty to start school, though, his inner monster comes out when he stands up to the class bully to defend another kid. This brightly illustrated book is an entertaining and heartwarming way to teach your kid how to identify and manage their emotions, and cope with bullies.

One day, 10-year-old Henry discovers a wounded, prehistoric-like creature in the snow tunnels of his ski resort town. So he takes him back to his house on a makeshift sled, builds him a secret cave and begins to nurse him back to health. But soon he discovers there are other unusual creatures wandering through the town, and not all of them are friendly. Where did they come from? And can he keep his new friend safe?

Most of us think we know a few things about wolves: They run in packs, howl at the moon and seem a lot a lot like dogs, but is there more to these wild canines than conventional wisdom has us believe? From the Acclaimed National Geographic Kids series, comes this informative text filled with fun facts, quizzes and vibrant photos. Perfect for your animal-loving reader, it’ll teach them about the many different wolf species, how they’re different from dogs and so much more.

Whether she’s speaking her mind to her third-grade teacher or befriending the school bully, Ramona Quimby’s life is filled with relatable childhood moments. After she turns eight, she’s faced with more expectations and responsibilities. Her mother goes back to work so her father can go back to school, and it’s up to her to behave for Mrs. Kemp and ride the bus all by herself. Your kid will relate with Ramona’s ups and downs and laugh along with her timeless adventures.

Joe is white and Ravi is Indian American. Joe’s lived in the same town all his life, and Ravi is the new kid who just moved to the U.S. They don’t think they have much in common until they realize they have a common enemy: the class bully. The two form a friendship, and support one another as they both navigate the challenges of friendship, family and school.

From the Newbery Medal-winning author of “Holes” comes the first book in a hilarious chapter book series about a wacky 30-story school that was accidentally (oops) built sideways. Wayside School (especially in Mrs. Jewls’ class on the 30th floor) has some of the wackiest classes in town. Not to mention some of the oddest students! These zany characters include “quickest draw in class” Bebe who could draw a cat in under 40 seconds, John, who only reads upside down and Myron, the best class president ever. Kids will love these silly but relatable quick-read stories.

In the first book in this #1 New York Times bestselling series by “Dog Man” author and illustrator Dav Pilkey, hilarious grossness ensues when 4th-grade best friends George Beard and Harold Hutchins invent the wedgie-powered superhero Captain Underpants.
The only thing that class clowns George and Harold love more than jokes and pranks is making comic books, and that’s when they invent the greatest superhero in the history of their elementary school: Captain Underpants.

Faster than a speeding waistband! More powerful than boxer shorts! He can leap tall buildings without getting a wedgie. In other words, he’s the perfect hero to serve up plenty of giggles for kids in this age group.  

Parents everywhere can revel in nostalgia with this update to the classic series about four orphans who enter a world of freedom, adventure and self-reliance after discovering and moving into an abandoned boxcar. In this installment, Jessie is excited to work on her science fair project and eagerly wants it to have a positive impact. So she decides to test the local creek for signs of pollutions. Things take an unexpected turn when things start to go wrong with her experiment, and it’s up to her and her siblings to investigate.