Hey guys, It's my first year teaching third grade and I'm working on my classroom library. What are some books/series that your students love? And what are some of your favorite read-alouds? Thanks a bunch! Allison
Congrats on your move to third! I'm making the jump myself. Have you heard of the Clementine series? Think Junie B. Junes but for intermediate kiddos.
Series: Amber Brown Junie B. Jones A to Z Mysteries Magic Treehouse Flat Stanley Wimpy Kid Spiderwick Chronicles Clementine Mercy Watson Read aloud: Judy Blume books (tales of 4th Grade Nothing, Fudgemania, etc.) The Hundred Dresses James and the Giant Peach Among the Hidden Tale of Desperaux Because of Winn Dixie Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane So many good ones, too late to remember them all! 3rd grade is great fun - enjoy!
I always start the year with Judy Moody and the students then enjoy that series on their own. Next I read Charlotte's Web followed by a bunch of Roald Dahl.
SERIES: My Weird School/My Weirder School Judy Moody Junie B. Jones Ready Freddy Magic Treehouse Magic Schoolbus (Chapter book series) Ivy + Bean American Girl American Girl of Today My America Flat Stanley I Survived Ramona books A to Z Mysteries Calendar Mysteries Encyclopedia Brown Geronimo Stilton Horrible Harry Bailey School Kids Cam Jansen Frankly Frannie NOVELS Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Sarah Plain and Tall Freckle Juice Pippi Longstocking James and the Giant Peach Matilda Charlotte's Web Stuart Little Chocolate Fever Chocolate Touch As you can see, series books are very popular for this age group! I love them because when kids get hooked on a particular series they will read so many books, so fast. It's especially useful for reluctant readers. Magic Treehouse has turned so many boys I know professionally and personally into readers!
So I've been finding tons of great books that you guy have suggested at thrift stores and eBay. I think I have a little of all the big series and all the Dahl, cleary, and Blume books I can find. I have a pretty good collection of nonfiction too. I don't, however, have a lot of picture books. Do I need a lot of those, or do most of the kids stick to the chapter books by now? I figure I can always check read-aloud picture books from the library but I'm not sure how to go about putting them in my classroom library.
I would try to limit the amount of picture books you have in your library. I always try to have some lower level books for low readers that have a larger print with less pictures. I also have books up to 5th grade level for higher readers. I try to keep a good range. My experience is that if you have too many picture books that they will just sit there and look at the pictures instead of actually reading.
Books My Students like My students this year really liked: Magic Tree House Boxcar Children A to Z Mysteries GooseBumps This year I am going to add some Bailey School House Books and in the process of looking for some others. We did Units on the first Boxcar Children and while I was on Maternity Leave the Title One teacher did How to Eat Fried Worms with my whole class.
Same here. When I taught Special Ed, I had a student who hated reading. When he was introduced to the Magic Tree House series he wouldn't put them down. He was a fifth grader, but at the time these were on his reading level.
It is funny because each year my students like different series... I will buy a bunch of one and then the following year no one reads those! Before you invest too much money, I would see what your kids like. For example, not many of my kids really like Magic Treehouse anymore and I bought the whole entire series... oops! There have been a few "go to" books that seem to always work... Horrible Harry Roald Dahl - I do a lot for read aloud Diary of a Wimpy Kid - not my FAVORITE series but my boys will read and read for days with these books The Invention of Hugo Cabret (for your high kids... I always make a big deal when I pull it out of my "special" shelf) I always do a novel unit with My Father's Dragon - LOVE this book! Hundred Dresses Muggie Maggie Freckle Juice Wayside School Chocolate Touch Chocolate Fever Some of my favorite read alouds are... The Watchdog and the Coyotes by Bill Wallace (all his books are good) The Boys Start the War
My class loved the City of Ember and its sequel The People of Sparks. Hank the Cowdog is fun too. I put in some accents and voices and they really loved them!
Are there any suggestions for read alouds for the first few days? Also, when in the day do you read aloud to the students (from a novel?) Do you have them just sit at their desks? I'm new to third so I need ideas!
Bumping for more updated input: do the kiddos in 3rd still love the aforementioned series? Are there any books currently in your classroom that the students just absolutely loved?
These are all great. My coteacher and I always start with Sideways Stories from Wayside School as a read aloud. The kids love them. We also read aloud the BFG, and several Bill Wallace Books. A Dog Called Kitty becomes a favorite among my kids every year. We read Santa Paws at Christmas.
I just skimmed the thread. Most have already been mentioned except the Big Nate series and Robert Munsch. I have picture books in all levels as well as chapter books.
Great, thanks all! I found a thrift store that does $0.20 books on Saturdays from 10-5 so I plan to hit that up to see what all I can find! Imagine 25 books for $5... Yes, please!
Dan Gutman (and for the most part anything with humor!) Roald Dahl. Geronimo Silton. Any type of Guiness Book of World Record Books. The boys especially love the nonfiction. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Nate the Great.
A few of my class's favs include Despereaux and Treasure Fever (but I get pretty goofy with my char voices). They also love short fables.
"The World According to Humphrey" is always a huge hit with my kids, and I see them checking out other books in the series from the library.
