Children's Books for 3rd Graders

Meow is the boss of her whole neighborhood - nothing gets past her, not a moth, not a mouse, not even a funny-looking leaf. But what happens when a real, actual, wild ocelot shows up by the wheat rows, staring right at her chickens? He’s a heavyweight who outweighs her by a mile, so fighting is out. Can one small cat come up with a smart plan in time? This decodable reader practices the eigh phonogram in words like ’eight,’ ‘weight,’ ‘freight,’ and ’neighborhood.’

Dive beneath the waves and explore the huge ocean biomes of Minecraft! Did you know oceans cover more than half the whole world? From warm, sunny reefs bursting with tropical fish to frozen seas where only the toughest mobs survive, each ocean hides its own secrets. Who lurks in the dark depths? Which creatures can leap from the water and walk on land? This decodable reader practices the ph sound in words like ‘dolphins,’ ‘atmosphere,’ ‘amphibians,’ ’triumph,’ and ‘catastrophe.’

Jen says her wobbly duck is the fastest in town - but can a duck that barely lifts off the ground really beat a whole flock of sleek racers? When the Big Flock Race begins and the starting horn blows, will Jen’s feathery friend flap into glory or flop in front of the giggling crowd? This decodable reader practices the gn phonogram in words like ‘sign,’ ‘gnat,’ ‘reigned,’ and ‘resigned.’

Deep in an old, forgotten mine, Fig Pig grips his little lamp and marches bravely into the dark. But what lurks beyond the rusty rails and towering stone arches? A glittering chest? A snoring spider the size of a wheelbarrow? A wobbly walkway over bubbling lava? Fig Pig thinks he’s tough enough for anything - but can one brave little pig really handle all that? This decodable reader practices the ‘ough’ phonogram in words like ’tough,’ ’though,’ ‘brought,’ and ’enough.’

Rooster has spotted a mouse in his farmyard, and he’s certain this will be the greatest catch in farm history! But what happens when Mouse zips away in a flash and vanishes into a haystack? And whose angry WOOF is that behind the bushes? Can Rooster outrun a very big, very loud, very toothy problem? Feathers will fly in this farmyard chase! This decodable reader practices the ‘si’ making /zh/ sound in words like ‘confusion,’ ‘decision,’ ’treasure,’ and ‘vision.’

Spring has sprung, and Bug has a fizzy, buzzy, can’t-sit-still feeling in her belly - she wants to SING! But what happens when Duck only sings in the rain, Frog’s song has forty-seven verses, and Big Bird’s trill nearly blows Bug’s antennae off? Can one tiny bug find a song that’s truly her own, and maybe bring all her friends together too? This decodable reader practices the wr phonogram in words like ‘wriggle,’ ‘wrinkled,’ ‘wrist,’ ‘wrong,’ and ‘wry.’

What happens when a tiny toy boat meets a big, gray factory pouring dark gunk into the sea? When a child spots a bruised reef and drifting ghost-fish, can three huge letters carved in the sand really call for help? Will anyone up above look down in time to save the ocean’s juicy stories? This decodable reader practices the ‘ui’ sound in words such as ‘bruised,’ ‘cruise,’ ‘pursuit,’ ‘sluice,’ and ‘juicy.’

Ned is brave enough to fight zombies, skeletons, and spooky spiders, but tonight he needs something new: armor! And to make armor, he needs leather, and to get leather, he needs cows. Easy, right? But what happens when the cows refuse to stand still? Can Ned sneak, leap, and swing his way to becoming a real knight? This decodable reader focuses on the kn sound in words like ‘knight,’ ‘kneels,’ ‘knew,’ ‘knock,’ and ‘knuckles.’

Spot is the world’s greatest finder of things - lost socks, buried bones, even cheese that rolls under the fridge! So when he loses his girl Jane at the busy zoo, how hard can it be to track her down? But why does every clue lead him to the wrong animal? Can a very confused dog sniff out his best friend before the zoo swallows him whole? This decodable reader practices the soft c sound in words like ‘face,’ ‘race,’ ’nice,’ and ’entrance.’

Prince Din wants the biggest leaf ball in the kingdom, but the best leaves grow deep in the wild forest - where nobody dares to go! When a fierce tiger bursts from the bushes with gnashing teeth, the brave little prince finds himself hopelessly lost among the bamboo. Is that striped shadow really hunting him, or could it be something else entirely? This decodable reader practices the ‘gn’ sound in words like ‘gnarled,’ ‘reign,’ ‘sign,’ and ‘assign.’