Book Recommendations

I wrote this annotated bibliography for a class last summer and wanted to share it. These are some of my favorite chapter books. They're all great for read alouds! Many may be too challenging for independent reading for a third grader, but if you're looking for a great book to enjoy with your child, here are several. Let me know what you think! ~ Amy

Avi (1995). Poppy. HarperCollins Children’s Books: New York, N.Y.

Poppy is a mouse. When Ragweed takes her out to Bannock Hill to propose, Mr. Ocax (an owl who rules over the mice) attacks the two mice and kills (and eats) Ragweed. Poppy uses her wit and intelligence to outsmart Mr. Ocax and to, ultimately, relocate her hungry family to a safer and more abundant home.

Baum, L.F. (1956). The Wizard of Oz. Random House, Inc. New York, N.Y.

If your child has seen the movie, he is still in for a treat! Dorothy and her friends have some similar and some delightfully different experiences on their journey through Oz in this book. One of the main reasons that this book really “works” for young children is because in each chapter, a complete story is told.

Dahl, R. (1988). Matilda. Puffin Books. New York, N.Y.

Roald Dahl’s books are consistently fabulous, but Matilda is so brilliant that she can control people and move objects using her “eye power”. Her parents never understand her. Only her teacher loves and appreciates her. Matilda is a gifted child who is well liked by her peers at school.

DiCamillo, K. (2003). The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread. Candlewick Press. Cambridge, MA.

Despereaux is not like other mice. He is diminutive (except for his large ears), cultured (he loves to read), and in love with a princess. When he is thrown in the castle dungeon, he must use his talent for storytelling to stay alive and, hopefully, to escape.

Erdrich, L. (1999). The Birchbark House. Hyperion Books for Children: New York, N.Y.

If you loved Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series as a child, your child probably will, too. She might also enjoy Louise Erdich’s The Birchbark House.

The Birchbark House tells the story of Omakayas, a seven-year-old girl of the Ojibwa tribe, and her family in the year 1847. Omakayas is a contributing member of her family who scrapes animal hides (although she hates doing it), watches over her baby brother, and frightens crows away from the corn. She and her sister even ensnare some the crows in a net, kill them, and pluck them to prepare them for cooking. The story begins in summer. In the winter, a sick visitor comes to their lodge and leaves a devastating illness (small pox) in his wake. The events that follow help Omakayas discover her true calling. Omakayas also learns why she has a special connection with an elder in the village, Old Tallow.

The author of this book, Louise Erdrich, is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwa. The research behind this work of historical fiction is thorough and accurate. Erdrich has incorporated many Ojibwa words and phrases into the text and has included a glossary at the end.

Grahame, K. (1908). The Wind in the Willows. Aladdin Paperbacks: New York, N.Y.

The adventures of four friends – Toad, Mole, Water Rat, and Badger – are depicted in this classic story. Toad is especially hilarious. After he is imprisoned for stealing a car, he escapes (with the help of a little girl) and the fun begins!

Konigsburg, E.L. (1967). From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Scholastic, Inc.: New York, N.Y.

When Claudia Kincaid decides that her family doesn’t appreciate her, she convinces her brother, Jamie, to run away with her. Jamie is delighted at the thought of living in the woods, so he is a little disappointed when Claudia reveals that she plans to hide out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. At the Museum, the Kincaid children end up solving a great art mystery with the help of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (and her “mixed-up files”).

Milne, A.A. (1926). Winnie-the-Pooh. Dutton Children’s Books: New York, N.Y.

Winnie-the-Pooh may be a bear of “very little brain”, but Christopher Robin is a boy with a great imagination! There’s a lot of fun word play in this book. It’s not to be missed.

In this book, Pooh is involved in many misadventures. He gets stuck in Rabbit’s hole, tries to gather honey, and finds Eeyore’s lost tail. Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, and Owl (no Tigger), as well as Christopher Robin and Pooh, are all featured in this classic.

Montgomery, L.M. (1908). Anne of Green Gables. Scholastic, Inc.: New York, N.Y.

When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert of Green Gables send word to an orphan asylum in Nova Scotia to adopt a boy to help out around the farm, they are surprised that the message is misconstrued. Matthew goes to the train station to pick up the boy and finds Anne. Confused, he takes her to Green Gables and there she remains. Anne’s personality is so endearing and she is so clever that Matthew and Marilla cannot help but love her.

White, E.B. (1970). The Trumpet of the Swan. Scholastic, Inc.: New York, N.Y.

Who doesn’t love Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little? Well, The Trumpet of the Swan is another treat from E.B. White.

Louis is a little swan who cannot “talk” (i.e. trumpet) like the other swans. After his father steals a trumpet from a music store, Louis uses it to communicate with other swans. Louis also attends school where he learns to read and write using a piece of chalk and a slate. Louis vows to repay his father’s debt and to win the heart of the swan of his dreams. He becomes famous around Boston in the process.