Realistic Fiction for 3rd Graders

This classic about a boy who won’t stop calling a pen a frindle is full of hijinks and the audiobook is funny beyond belief. Your kids will ask you to play this story of the boy who kept calling a pen a frindle until you’re sick of it. Such a fun, fun book! Great for introducing kids to chapter books and absolutely delightful!

Mr. Whiskers is a street-wise stray dog with a nose for trouble and a fondness for two girls he calls the Shenanigan Sisters. So when Misty and Zelda’s professor father is kidnapped, Mr. Whiskers follows that car, picking up vital clues. With the help of his street friends and the Shenanigan sisters, Mr. Whiskers leads the way to finding Mr. Shenanigan. I liked this better on audio and if your kids like gentle, quirky anima-led mysteries, they’ll enjoy this.

Ryan Hart and her family are going through many changes — new house, new baby, money struggles! Still, there are small joys. She doesn’t have to change schools and is still close enough to one of her best friends. With the new house and selling one of their cars, her parents can better deal with their financial struggles. Throughout this slice-of-life book, Ryan learns how to believe in herself, enjoy public speaking, be a bigger person, and love who she is. This is an absolutely delightful early middle-grade book with a memorable protagonist.

Brothers Lincoln and Hudson Dupré are constantly pretending to be on one adventure or another–and destroying their home in the process. Until their parents get an experienced babysitter who wrangles both boys using unconventional methods–much to their dismay. Their plot to get rid of her yields unexpected results. This hilarious graphic novel-prose hybrid shows the brothers’ imaginations in panels and the real story as plain text with illustrations.

Harriet’s mom is pregnant and has been placed on bed rest until the baby is born. Harriet, an energetic child, has been sent to Marble Island, where her grandmother lives and runs a bed and breakfast. She’s understandably frustrated and feeling abandoned by her parents. Thankfully, she takes her cat, Matzo Ball, with her. When she arrives at Marble Island, Harriet starts to learn more about her father’s childhood and discovers that they have more in common than she expects. Just Harriet is a charming, engaging chapter book/young middle grade book with a memorable, relatable protagonist.

Mindy and her father have recently moved from the city to a suburb in Florida, where she is the only Asian girl in her school. Mindy wants to be liked at her new school. Things start to look up for Mindy when the kids try and love her seaweed snacks. At first, she starts a snack trade-off but later decides to start selling the snacks so she can save up money to buy a puppy. However, Mindy’s new business and friendship run into some problems along the way. This series provides much-needed Asian-American representation, much like the Jasmine Toguchi books. If you’re looking for a chapter book with a sweet protagonist dealing with grief, moving, and fitting in with a new school crowd, this is your pick.

In the first My Weird School book ever, second-grade teacher Miss Daisy is in over her head at Ella Mentary School. She doesn’t even know how to add or subtract! But the students, like A.J. and his friends, have other things on their minds. Principal Klutz has promised their class that if they read a million pages in books, they can turn the school into a video-game arcade for one whole night! Perfect for reluctant readers and word lovers alike, Dan Gutman’s insanely popular My Weird School series has something for everyone.

This cute series about a group of friends who love crafts and all things DIY is perfect for little craft fiends who love books about friendship.

Twig and Turtle are two sisters whose parents have just moved into a tiny house! The family has done some major downsizing — the kids even had to choose just five toys they could keep, and now they have to clean up after playing with their toys. Both girls are also adjusting to a new neighborhood and new school. This is a delightful start to a compelling new chapter book series featuring two sisters whose lives are changed by a move to a tiny house. It’s perfect for kids navigating a move to another house, depicts a positive sister relationship, and shows kids how to handle bullying at school.

When a new kid comes to stay with his grandmother at the house next door, Shermy’s plans for a quiet, relaxing summer are completely upended. That’s because Shake is nothing like Shermy. And Shermy is nothing like Shake. Shermy likes to read quietly in the shade of a tree. He knows the proper way to do a puzzle. As the two boys are forced to spend more and more time together, will they learn how to get along? Or will it be one long countdown until Shake goes home?

Julia LOVES to swim and is excited to participate in Personal Best Day with her swim team. Unfortunately, she develops an ear infection and the doctor’s orders are clear: stay out of the water. But Julia won’t give up and tries several wacky ways to stop water from getting in her ears when she swims, with disappointing and hilarious results. Eventually, she learns there are different ways to be part of a team. I loved this chapter book, especially the depiction of Julia’s immigrant parents, their sushi shop, and Julia’s adventures in the library and with frenemies. It’s an excellent choice for older readers who want the comfort of pictures in their stories.

This is a hilarious and adorable chapter book about 6-and-a-half-year-old Ava Lin and her exploits in the first grade, which involve finding treasures, a maybe-new best friend, and lots of “explanation points.” This one skews much younger and may appeal to kids who aren’t quite strong readers yet, or for your advanced second graders. I loved it and smiled so much while reading it. It also features a mix of text, illustrations, and comic panels, which I enjoyed.

Emma McKenna is stoked for third grade until she discovers that her former best friend is also in her class. As she tries to make new friends and use her voice in her class, Emma learns that it’s okay to be herself and share her opinions, even if it’s different from others. This is the first book in the new series featuring several acclaimed authors including Karina Yan Glaser, Rajani LaRocca, and others. Each book in the series will focus on a different kid and be written by a different author.

Too Small Tola is a new chapter book from Atinuke featuring three stories about a girl living with her grandmother and siblings in Lagos, Nigeria. Everyone teases Tola — sometimes lovingly — for being so small. They think she can’t lift heavy loads or do other things because of her size. But Tola’s grandmother reassures her that you can be small, but mighty, and Tola proves that she is!

In this sweet, delightful story, Marya Khan has gotten herself in a fix by claiming she’s having a henna party for her birthday when, in reality, she’s having no party. Marya is convinced that all her classmates have more exciting lives than she does but over time, she realizes that no one has a perfect life and she needs to appreciate hers more.

This series is so quirky and humorous and my heart always goes out to Alvin on his quest to make new friends and talk at school despite being nervous and afraid of everything. Kids who are shy or struggle with social situations will find a sure friend in Alvin.

The Lemoncello Library series was a hit for many middle schoolers and the graphic novel version is even more accessible, especially for advanced third graders who can’t get enough of realistic graphic novels.

Omar is a young Muslim boy with a huge imagination. He and his family (his mom, dad, and two siblings) are adjusting to a new move (new house, new school) and approaching the month of Ramadan. Unfortunately, the adjustment process is NOT smooth. First, there’s a neighbor who doesn’t seem to like Omar’s family and a bully at school who keeps making fun of him. Things come a head when Omar and Daniel, the bully get lost together during a school trip. Can Omar escape all this trouble he keeps attracting? This is a charming chapter book about the life of a Muslim imaginative boy during Ramadan, adjusting to a new school, befriending a bully, and navigating family/sibling relationships.

Miles is devastated to be moving from his town to another one called Yawnee Valley. He loved his town, had good friends, and, most importantly, was well-known as the best prankster around. When he arrives in Yawnee Valley, he immediately discovers that there’s already a superb prankster there — with a secret identity no less. When Miles gets out-pranked by the Yawnee Valley prankster, it starts a prank war between both kids until they decide to join forces. The Terrible Two is a riotous, animated middle grade book about pranks, unlikely friendships, and cows.