Third Grade Read-Aloud Novels

From the publisher: "From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed. It all starts when Mary Poppins is blown by the east wind onto the doorstep of the Banks house. She becomes a most unusual nanny to Jane, Michael, and the twins. Who else but Mary Poppins can slide up banisters, pull an entire armchair out of an empty carpetbag, and make a dose of medicine taste like delicious lime-juice cordial? A day with Mary Poppins is a day of magic and make-believe come to life!"

From the publisher: The Caldecott medal-winning D'Aulaires once again captivate their young audience with this beautifully illustrated introduction to Norse legends, telling stories of Odin the All-father, Thor the Thunder-god and the theft of his hammer, Loki the mischievous god of the Jotun Race, and Ragnarokk, the destiny of the gods. Children meet Bragi, the god of poetry, and the famous Valkyrie maidens, among other gods, goddesses, heroes, and giants. Illustrations throughout depict the wondrous other world of Norse folklore and its fantastical Northern landscape.

From the publisher: Meet America's first folk heroes in these nine wildly exaggerated and downright funny stories. Here are Paul Bunyan, that king-sized lumberjack who could fell “ten white pines with a single swing”; John Henry, with his mighty hammer; Mose, old New York’s biggest, bravest fireman; Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, who could “outgrin, outsnort, outrun, outlift, outsneeze, outsleep, outlie any varmint”; and other uniquely American characters, together in one superb collection.

From the publisher: "Meet the Melendys! The four Melendy children live with their father and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, in a worn but comfortable brownstone in New York City. There's thirteen-year-old Mona, who has decided to become an actress; twelve-year-old mischievous Rush; ten-and-a-half-year-old Randy, who loves to dance and paint; and thoughtful Oliver, who is just six. Tired of wasting Saturdays doing nothing but wishing for larger allowances, the four Melendys jump at Randy's idea to start the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (I.S.A.A.C.). If they pool their resources and take turns spending the whole amount, they can each have at least one memorable Saturday afternoon of their own. Before long, I.S.A.A.C. is in operation and every Saturday is definitely one to remember."

From the Publisher:

James Herriot's Treasury of Inspirational Stories for Children collects all of the beloved veterinarian's delightful tales for young readers―all of them perennial favorites.
This complete edition is a wonderful addition to the libraries of all readers, great and small. From the moving holiday miracle of The Christmas Day Kitten to the adorable, rascally antics of Smudge, the Little Lost Lamb, here are Herriot's masterful stories for children gathered together in one classic volume for the entire family to share and treasure.

From the book: This is a book which mothers and fathers will sit up to finish, after the protesting child has been dragged firmly off to bed. Nobody who is once well along in this book will let the fortunes of Evert and Afke - and even more particularly, perhaps, of Simon - rest in uncertainty until tomorrow.... For this is more than just the charming account of certain Dutch customs, a description of what happens in the winter in Holland when there is ice on the canals; this is a good story. -Edna St. Vincent Millay (1934 Foreword)

From the publisher: "The Borrowers—the Clock family: Homily, Pod, and their fourteen-year-old daughter, Arrietty, to be precise—are tiny people who live underneath the kitchen floor of an old English country manor. All their minuscule home furnishings, from postage stamp paintings to champagne cork chairs, are “borrowed” from the “human beans” who tromp around loudly above them. All is well until Pod is spotted upstairs by a human boy! Can the Clocks stay nested safely in their beloved hidden home, or will they be forced to flee? The British author Mary Norton won the Carnegie Medal for The Borrowers in 1952, the year it was first published in England. This repackaged paperback edition still has the delightful original black-and-white illustrations by Beth and Joe Krush inside. A charmer!"

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett tells the story of Mary Lennox, a sickly, unloved little girl who was raised in India. After she is orphaned, Mary moves to England to the home of her uncle, Archibald Craven, at Misselthwaite Manor. While there, Mary discovers a hidden garden that has been locked for years. With the help of some new friends, Mary begins to thrive as she cultivates the garden and watches it bloom. One night, Mary discovers a sick boy named Colin in a secret bedroom in the house, and the two children realize they are cousins. Mary begins to visit Colin often, and through their friendship and the beauty of the secret garden he begins to grow and thrive as well. The Secret Garden reveals that love, tenderness, and the beauty of nature have the power to heal.

A secret passage leads to an extraordinary adventure.

Narnia is a world of woods and rivers and Talking Beasts. Two children from our world are the first to discover its Magic.

Digory and Polly become friends one cold, wet London summer, and find themselves thrust into a dangerous adventure when Digory’s uncle gives them magic rings and sends them hurtling to the “Wood between the Worlds.” They encounter the evil sorceress Jadis in a desolate universe, and struggle with her across worlds as she searches for a new land to conquer. Eventually they find their way to Aslan, the Great Lion, and witness the creation of Narnia.

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater is a classic work of imagination that always delights young readers.  Our Study Guide and Teacher Guide increase both the understanding of the text and develop Reading Comprehension skills.