Great Books for Third and Fourth Grade
Easy Readers
Wiley and the Hairy Man by Molly Bang 64 pages
- With his mother's help, Wiley outwits the hairy creature that dominates the swamp near his home by the Tombigbee River. Check our catalog
Baseball Ballerina by Kathryn Cristaldi 48 pages
- A baseball-loving girl worries that the ballet class her mother forces her to take will ruin her reputation with the other members of her baseball team. Check our catalog
Gus and Grandpa by Claudia Mills 48 pages
- Gus and Grandpa have a loving, warm relationship. Check our catalog
Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat 60 pages
- Nate the Great solves the mystery of the missing picture. Check our catalog
Chapter Books
The Absent Author by Ron Roy 87 pages
- Dink Duncan and his two friends investigate the apparent kidnapping of famous mystery author Wallis Wallace. Check our catalog
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park 69 pages
- In her own words, a young girl describes her feelings about starting kindergarten and what she does when she decides not to ride the bus home. Check our catalog
Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne 68 pages
- Meet Jack and Annie as they travel back to the time of the dinosaurs in this first book of the Magic Tree House series. Check our catalog
Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police by David Adler 118 pages
- Andy and Tamika are watching their neighbor's house while they are away, but when strange and troubling things start happening inside the house, the police do not believe the children. Check our catalog
Poppy by Avi 147 pages
- Poppy the deer mouse urges her family to move next to a big field of corn, but Mr.Ocax, a terrifying owl, has other ideas. Check our catalog
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt 139 pages
- The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing any older. Check our catalog
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume 40 pages
- Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys his friend’s freckle recipe for fifty cents. Check our catalog
The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron 71 pages
- Relates episodes in seven-year-old Julian's life which include getting into trouble with his younger brother Huey, planting a garden, what he did to try to grow taller, losing a tooth, and finding a new friend. Check our catalog
The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Catling 87 pages
- What if everything that touched your lips turned to chocolate? Check our catalog
The Dog that Pitched A No-Hitter by Matt Christopher 42 pages
- Mike's telepathic dog sends him signals on the pitcher's mound. Check our catalog
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary 155 pages
- When Henry adopts Ribsy, a dog of no particular breed, humorous adventures follow. Check our catalog
The School Story by Andrew Clements 196 pages
- After twelve-year-old Natalie writes a wonderful novel, her friend Zoe helps her devise a scheme to get it accepted at the publishing house where Natalie's mother works as an editor. Check our catalog
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis 245 pages
- Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids. Check our catalog
Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl 196 pages
- A young English boy describes his relationship with his father and the special adventure they share together. Check our catalog
Amber Brown is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger 80 pages
- Amber finds 3rd grade hard when her best friend Justin moves away. Check our catalog
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo 270 pages
- The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin. Check our catalog
Half Magic by Edward Eager 217 pages
- Faced with a dull summer in the city, Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha suddenly find themselves involved in a series of extraordinary adventures after Jane discovers an ordinary-looking coin that seems to grant wishes. Check our catalog
The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright 175 pages
- Four New York City siblings decide to pool their resources so that each can do a special thing on the Saturday that is his turn to receive the combined allowance. Check our catalog
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes 80 pages
- When ragged Wanda brags that she has one hundred dresses at home, the other girls in her class don’t believe her. Check our catalog
The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald 175 pages
- The exploits of the Great Brain of Adenville, Utah are described by his younger brother, frequently the victim of the Great Brain's schemes for gaining prestige or money. Check our catalog
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman 90 pages
- A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws. Check our catalog
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett 86 pages
- A boy takes along chewing gum, two dozen lollipops, a package of rubber bands, six magnifying glasses and seven hair ribbons when he goes off to Wild Island to rescue a baby dragon. Check our catalog
Honus and Me by Dan Gutman 140 pages
- Joey, who loves baseball but is not very good at it, finds a valuable 1909 Honus Wagner card and travels back in time to meet Honus. Check our catalog
Runaway Radish by Jessie Haas 56 pages
- When Radish the pony grows too big for the girls who own him, he goes to live at a horse camp where there are always new children for him to train. Check our catalog
The Big Nap: from the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko by Bruce Hale 113 pages
- Someone is turning the students at Emerson Hickey Elementary into zombies, and it's up to fourth-grade private eye Chet Gecko to find out who. Check our catalog
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry 173 pages
- The determination of two youngsters to win a Chincoteague pony is greatly increased when the Phantom and her colt are among those rounded up for the yearly auction. Check our catalog
Bunnicula by James Howe 98 pages
- Though scoffed at by Harold the dog, Chester the cat tries to warn his human family that their foundling baby bunny must be a vampire. Check our catalog
The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson 231 pages
- Odge Gribble, a young hag, accompanies an old wizard, a gentle fey, and a giant ogre on their mission through a magical tunnel from their Island to London to rescue their King and Queen's son who had been stolen as an infant. Check our catalog
Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster 255 pages
- A journey through a land where Milo learns the importance of words and numbers provides a cure for his boredom. Check our catalog
Lady Lollipop by Dick King-Smith 123 pages
- A quick-witted swineherd and a pig named Lollipop are royally rewarded after they reform a spoiled princess. Check our catalog
Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise 138 pages
- When the principal asks a fifth-grader to write a letter regarding the purchase of a new drinking fountain for their school, he finds that all sorts of chaos results. Check our catalog
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg 162 pages
- Claudia and her little brother, Jamie, run away from home to go live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, only to discover someone is also living there. Check our catalog
Catwings by Ursula Le Guin 39 pages
- Four young cats with wings leave the city slums in search of a safe place to live, finally meeting two children with kind hands. Check our catalog
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle 203 pages
- Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government. Check our catalog
The Princess Test by Gail Carson Levine 91 pages
- In this humorous retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Princess and the Pea," Lorelei must pass many difficult tests in order to prove that she is a true princess and win the hand of Prince Nicholas. Check our catalog
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis 183 pages
- Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter. Check our catalog
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord 169 pages
- In 1947, a Chinese child comes to Brooklyn where she becomes Americanized at school, in her apartment building, and by her love for baseball. Check our catalog
Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace 112 pages
- There are lots of children on Hill Street, but no little girls Betsy's age. So when a new family moves into the house across the street, Betsy hopes they will have a little girl she can play with. Sure enough, they do--a little girl named Tacy. Check our catalog
Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry 88 pages
- A most unusual new student who loves to be the center of attention entertains her teacher and fellow second graders by telling absolutely true stories about herself, including how she got her name. Check our catalog
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan 58 pages
- When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay. Check our catalog
The Quigleys by Simon Mason 148 pages
- The adventures and misadventures of the four members of the Quigley family-Mum, Dad, Lucy, and Will. Check our catalog
Judy Moody by Megan McDonald 160 pages
- Third grader Judy Moody is in a first day of school bad mood until she gets an assignment to create a collage all about herself and begins creating her masterpiece, the Me collage. Check our catalog
7 x 9 = TROUBLE by Claudia Mills 103 pages
- Third-grader Wilson struggles with his times-tables in order to beat the class deadline. Check our catalog
Amelia Works it Out by Marissa Moss 40 pages
- Amelia draws on her artistic talent to earn money for something special that she really wants. Check our catalog
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 144 pages
- When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs. Check our catalog
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell 184 pages
- Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life. Check our catalog
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson 128 pages
- The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm. Check our catalog
The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey 121 pages
- Two mischievous boys turn their ill-tempered school principal into a superhero in an outrageously funny book featuring comics and flip-o-rama art. Check our catalog
The Many Adventures of Johnny Mutton: Stories and Pictures by James Proimos 42 pages
- Although he is a sheep, Johnny Mutton goes to school, competes in the spelling bee, and dresses up for Halloween while always remaining true to himself. Check our catalog
The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson 117 pages
- The six horrible Herdmans, the worst kids in the history of the world, cause mayhem throughout the school year. Check our catalog
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell 115 pages
- Because of a bet, Billy is in the uncomfortable position of having to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. The worms are readily supplied by his opponent, whose motto seems to be the bigger and juicier the better! Check our catalog
Wedding Flowers by Cynthia Rylant 72 pages
- Ten-year-old cousins Lily, Rosie, and Tess return to their aunt's house on Cobble Street to help her plan the perfect wedding. Check our catalog
Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka 55 pages
- Joe receives a magic book for his birthday present from his uncle. Joe, Fred and Sam are transported to a time when evil knights, fire-breathing dragons and vile-smelling giants roamed the land. Check our catalog
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden 134 pages
- A country cricket, unintentionally arrives in New York City and is befriended by Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat. Check our catalog
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket 162 pages
- After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune. Check our catalog
Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatly Snyder 215 pages
- A group of children, entranced with the study of Egypt, play their own Egypt game, are visited by a secret oracle, become involved in a murder, and befriend the Professor before they move on to new interests, such as Gypsies. Check our catalog
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol 88 pages
- Try to crack these ten brain-twisting mysteries along with Encyclopedia Brown and his famous computerlike brain --the answer to all the mysteries are found in the back! Check our catalog
All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor 188 pages
- The adventures of five sisters growing up in a Jewish family in New York in the early twentieth century. Check our catalog
Secret Identity by Wendelin Van Draanen 138 pages
- Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd, tired of being called names by the class bully, has a secret identity--Shredderman! Check our catalog
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 184 pages
- Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him. Check our catalog
Little Wolf's Haunted Hall for Small Horrors by Ian Whybrow 125 pages
- In a series of letters to his parents, Little Wolf describes his attempts to create "the scariest school in the world" and convince his ghostly Uncle Bigbad to teach a magic class. Check our catalog
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder 237 pages
- A year in the life of two young girls growing up on the Wisconsin frontier, as they help their mother with the daily chores, enjoy their father's stories and singing, and share special occasions when they get together with relatives or neighbors. Check our catalog
Folk & Fairy Tales
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka 52 pages
- Young subversives everywhere will love these ten fractured fairy tales. Check our catalog
Not One Damsel in Distress: World Folktales for Strong Girls by Jane Yolen 116 pages
- A collection of thirteen traditional tales from various parts of the world, with the main character being a fearless, strong, heroic, and resourceful woman. Check our catalog
Lon Po Po by Ed Young 32 pages
- Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother. Check our catalog
Non-Fiction
Gross Universe: Your Guide to All Disgusting Things Under the Sun by Jeff Szpirglas 64 pages
- The book reveals the science behind all the disgusting things that kids love to talk about. From mucus to vomit, from farts to phlegm, nothing is off-limits. Check our catalog
Poetry
Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme by Jack Prelutsky 23 pages
- Encourages children to write poetry by providing complete poems by various authors as well as the opening lines of poems by Jack Prelutsky which young readers are asked to complete. Check our catalog
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein 166 pages
- A boy who turns into a TV set and a girl who eats a whale are only two of the characters in a collection of humorous poetry illustrated with the author's own drawings. Check our catalog
A Poke in the I by Paul B. Janeczko 35 pages
- Thirty concrete poems of all shapes and sizes are carefully laid on large white spreads, extended by Raschka's quirky watercolor and paper-collage illustrations. Check our catalog
Insectlopedia by Florian Douglas 47 pages
- Presents twenty-one short poems about such insects as the inchworm, termite, cricket, and ladybug. Check our catalog
Biography
26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola 71 pages
- The popular author-illustrator recalls a year from his childhood, including memories of kindergarten and moving to a new house. Check our catalog
updated 9/7/07
