There's a ton of third grade reading in the bookstores/library but I wanted to introduce some literature to my 3rd grader. My son reads plenty of star wars, captain underpants and harry potter like books but I wanted to give him something more than that. Suggestions? Or urls to websites that have info like this?
thanks!
-bz
Winnie the Pooh is excellent.
But perhaps he is to old for it?
Since he seems to like fantasy and adventure I would recommend:
The Narnia books by CS Lewis are really good , and beautifully written. If he likes the Harry Potter books he might like them as well. He might be alittle young for them, but check them out for later use.
Anything by Lloyd Alexander - that´s also fantasy like tales.
My favorite is called The cat that said no, and other tales. The two first lifes of Lukas Kasha (if think the book is called that) is a very good book about a lazy young man. As a prank by a magician he is brought to another Kingdom where he becomes the king. There he must find a way to rule and create peace, not easy for somebody who mostly likes to lay down and do nothing...
Astrid Lindgrens books Mio, my mio, and the book The brothers Lionheart where read to me when I was a 3rd grader, and I really liked them. I found them a little bit scary. But not more than Harry Potter or Starwars I guess.
I think Sindhu was making a website about childrens books. She can probably give more advice.
"Man was made for joy and woe;
And when this we rightly know
Through the world we safely go" Blake
I read the Narnia books when I was 7 and I still have the original boxed set of them, I adored those books and I have still read them over the years. Sorry can't think of more boy appropriate books, I read a lot of W.O. Mitchell (Who has seen the Wind was a favourite) and other horsey related books.
How about some Stevenson. Some of his works are perfectly fit for kids (and grown-ups too). Fables and The Bottle Imp are the works that come to my mind right now. Also, may I suggest a children's version of the Odyssey? My 2nd grade teacher read it to us, and all the class (specially me) loved it. Made we want not to miss a single day at school
Ningún hombre llega a ser lo que es por lo que escribe, sino por lo que lee.
- Jorge Luis Borges
I was going to suggest Narnia too.
I'm not sure if they're well known in the US, but I adored reading Roald Dahl's children's books when I was that age (although I didn't read much til I was about 11). He has a slightly twisted, morbid imagination, fantastic and absorbing at the same time. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach and The Witches might capture your child's imagination.
"Do I dare disturb the universe?"
- T.S. Eliot
Roald Dahl has a fantastic imagination.
I'm in the US and I indeed grew up on Roald Dahl. I recently found out that he did adult oriented works too.
I don't remember the title, but I liked the one about the kid and his dad who owned the mechanics outfit. I think it has the name Danny in the title. Also, the Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is, well, wonderful.
You might want to think about The Hobbit too.
"Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone.
The people themselves therefore are its only safe depositories." -Thomas Jefferson
Danny: Champion of the World
is the title you are thinking of... Excellent, anything by dahl comes highly recommended.
It isn't usually considered 'boy' reading, but the 'Little house on the prarie' series by Laura Ingles Wilder does have one title that I particularly enjoyed around that age... Farm Boy (I think) and don't forget The Hardy Boy's series either...
just some random thoughts that popped into my head...
Narnia. There's no question these are the best children's books.
If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft, and of thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left, sell one, and with the dole buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.
I suggest the Tom Swift sereis. Aswell as the Hardy Boys series. I grew up with them and think they are great.
---------------
Stanislaw Lem
1921 - 2006, Rest In Peace.
"Faith is, at one and the same time, absolutely necessary and altogether impossible"
Okay, so I'm not the only one who would like to introduce literature into a young child's world. And by "literature" I mean books that are not about a farting dog, or psychotic posteriors (which my daughter is reading "The Day my Butt went Psycho"). I have tried introducing other books into her world, but the old school she went to until third grade did not promote reading at all. They had NO reading incentives and in no way shape or form did they encourage the students to do extra reading.
She just started at a new school and this one really encourages extra reading. And encourages reading different categories. They even read novels in class. The Narnia books are some they read in class. She is still not where I would like her to be in her reading levels but she has improved 150% from the year before.
Now that she is starting 5th grade in the fall, she is expected to read even more. So I have made a list of books that she can get "points" for reading. She has to get so many points by July 1st, and by August 1st. She can also earn extra activities (zoo outings, movies, etc..) by reading and earning extra points.
If they misbehave read them A Modest Proposal.
At that age I loved Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton. I'm sure I was the missing 8th member of the Secret Seven!!
How old is a child in 3rd grade in the US? I'm not sure.
Maybe Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials. I'm trying to force the trilogy upon my 9 year old sister but she'd much rather read "Sleepover Club" and "Babysitters Club" *rolls eyes*
Had I the heavens' embroidered clothes,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the clothes under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
Oooh Roald Dahl!! Danny, the Champion of the World was my favorite book for years and years.
Charlotte's Web is a great one too.
If you had to live with this you'd rather lie than fall.
You think I can't fly? Well, you just watch me!
~The Dresden Dolls
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
