Friendship Books for 3rd Graders

Long, long ago, the Sun and the Moon lived on the earth in the finest house on the savanna, with a door always open to welcome friends. So when their oldest friend Water finally came to visit, what could possibly go wrong? Was there really room enough for everyone? This warm African tale practices the ‘ough’ phonogram with lesson words ’though’, ’through’, ’enough’, ‘brought’, and ‘although’.

Zom is sure the husks will be the best desert neighbors ever - after all, they have their own little village, so they must have manners, right? But what happens when his friendly hello gets no reply? What about a cactus gift, or a ride on a freshly tamed camel? And when the husks suddenly lurch off toward the beach, what could possibly have grabbed their attention? This decodable reader practices the ’eigh’ phonogram in words like ’eight,’ ’neighbors,’ ‘weighing,’ and ‘weight.’

Zom has told Jack and Skel about the dolphin city for weeks - towers of coral, streets of shells, and dolphins that flip through seaweed hoops. But when the three friends finally dive beneath the waves, something is terribly wrong. Why are the dolphins so exhausted? What are those spiny green creatures smashing the reef to pieces? And can three small heroes really stand up to monsters twice their size? This decodable reader practices the ough phonogram in words like ’thought,’ ’tough,’ ‘rough,’ and ’thoroughly.’

Zom the zombie is tired of shuffling neighbors who only groan about brains. Can he find a friend who talks about literally anything else? When a golden hive buzzes in a nearby tree, Zom is sure he’s struck gold - a whole neighborhood of new pals! But bees are busy little workers, and shaking their home turns out to be a very bad hello. How can Zom make things right? This decodable reader practices the eigh phonogram in words like ’eight,’ ‘weight,’ ‘freight,’ and ’neighbor.’

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.’

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.’

What happens when a giant boy crawls out of his cave hoping to make a friend? Sen is gentle and kind, but his hands are HUGE and his voice shakes the rooftops! When the village children spot something enormous behind the hedge, they run for their lives. Can Sen show them he isn’t a monster before it’s too late? This decodable reader practices the soft g sound in words like ‘gentle,’ ‘giant,’ ‘village,’ ‘huge,’ and ’edge.’

Jack has never caught a fish in his life, but today feels different - today he’s sure he’ll reel in something amazing! So when his wobbly branch-and-string rod yanks hard and up pops a grinning green mermaid named Mer, what on earth is a pumpkin boy supposed to do? And why has Mer left her ocean friends behind? This decodable reader practices the kn phonogram in words like ‘knack,’ ‘knot,’ ‘knelt,’ and ‘knobbly.’

Have you ever waited weeks and weeks for someone special to arrive? When a cousin finally comes walking up the road, there’s one kid with a big, big plan: a farm to show off, a fish to catch with bare hands, and the best snack in the whole wide world. But can one day really be the best day ever? This decodable reader practices the ‘augh’ sound in words like ‘caught,’ ’taught,’ ’laughter,’ and ‘granddaughter.’

Red Bird thinks she’s the boldest, brightest bird in the yard - but is she really the best? Yellow Bird claims the tallest hill, Orange Bird bowls through a flock of startled white birds, and Green Bird leads a loopy crew through the trees. Then a wild gust roars in. Can six very different birds find something better than being the best? This decodable reader practices the ‘ui’ sound in words like ‘cruised,’ ’nuisance,’ ‘recruits,’ and ‘suits.’