Recommended Books for Year 3

Sona Sharma, who lives in India, learns all about school elections. This is one book in a lovely young fiction series in which children learn about life in India, including the universal themes of friendship and family.

The childhood of French portrait artist Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun inspires this lovely story. It works well as a class read and for independent reading.

This is the first book in a series of young graphic novels inspired by Nintendo Game Boy. The full colour images and subject appeal will make this a popular choice in the class book collection.

We love this hilarious series. A sure fire choice for encouraging even the most reluctant readers in your class. We’ve had great success with this stories in our HaHaBoing reading club.

A gripping adventure for nature lovers. The short pacy chapters and copious illustrations will support newly independent readers.

The first book in the Wildsmith series has plenty of themes that could be discussed including issues around conservation and displaced families, so it would be a good choice for a read-aloud or a group reading book for year 3.  Also for class book corners for year 4.

This funny, fast-paced spy adventure series will keep independent readers in year 3 turning the pages. They are bound to want the other books in the series too.

What an absolute delight this new series from Derek Kielty is. Heavily and charmingly illustrated by Magda Brol and with a map and gallery of characters to support the reading. This could be read aloud to the class(use a visualiser to share the images) or for group or independent reading.

One of the books in Helen Peters’ Jasmine Green series of animal books. Helen Peters is a super storyteller and this story evokes a range of emotions. Ellie Snowdon’s black and white illustrations are supportive of children gaining independence and fluency.  One for the class reading corner.

A hilarious riff on The Boy Who Cried Wolf – in this instance the sheep who cried wolf. Knowing children in year 3 will be rooting for William who tries to alert his flock to the dastardly intentions of the school headmaster – a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Great fun and full-colour illustration.

The first of three stories about Yusuf and his family from Burhana Islam. Yusuf’s older sister is getting married. He’s ready for the delicious food, the fun with his cousins and the many presents… but he’s NOT ready to take her place as the responsible one. Laugh out loud funny. Humour is a great way to engage younger readers.

A lovely series for children from around 6 upwards.  ‘Nature Keepers’  are tiny secretive creatures whose daily tasks centre around caring for the environment. This book can be read as a standalone but it is the third book in the series if you like to read books in order. It addresses some powerful themes which could be discussed with a class or group. However, it is also well-placed in the class reading corner for independent reading.

In the land of Draconis, there are no dragons. Once, there were. Once, humans and dragons were friends and created the great city of Rivven together. But then came the Dragon Storm, and the dragons retreated from the world of humans. This is the seventh book in the action-packed fantasy series.

A lively adventure in Space for Suzie Wen, who loves inventing gadgets. This book has positive STEM messages for girls and an adventure everyone will enjoy. Our reviewer, Jane Atkin, writes, This was great fun to read, and I can imagine that a space mad Year 3 or Year 4 reader will be thrilled to find out about Suzie’s adventures in space. For independent reading. There are more out of this world adventures so Suzie enthusiasts to read.

This new series from Liz Flanagan tells the story of Rowan, whose escapes into the dark forest when her city is at war. Her she learns about her Wildsmith identity and her role in protecting the forest’s fantastical creatures. Our reviewer, Stephen Dilley writes’ Liz Flanagan keeps the action moving but does allow time to explore characters’ emotions – particularly Rowan’s growing awareness of her responsibility to the animals in her care and her acceptance that she will need to put their needs before her own.’ A lovely book to read aloud to a class in year 3 or 4.

Ivan lives in a land where the winter is dark and fearful. Starjik, King of Winter, steals Ivan’s little brother and Ivan braves the bitter cold to find him. This classic fantasy based on a traditional story is a lovely read aloud for a year 3 class.

Lovable but disaster-prone Mildred is a trainee at Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches, but she’s making an awful mess of it. She keeps getting her spells wrong and crashing her broomstick. Jill Murphy’s series about a school for witches has been a favourite class read-aloud for many years

A small boy who has been kidnapped by brigands, passes a dark and stormy night in their cave weaving for them incredible stories of their own exploits. Through the stories, he solves his own problem and manages to escape. A book that embodies the saying ‘stories take us places’. An enjoyable book to share with your class.

Why does Mulla Nasruddin spoon yoghurt into the river? What is the reason he rides his donkey backwards? Why does he paint a picture that is blank? These short stories that contain snippets of wisdom, riddles and jokes introduce children to  the folkloric character of Nasruddin who is known throughout the Middle East.

After the fall, Humpty Dumpty is a broken egg. Life is tough: he’s so afraid of heights. Inspired by bird watching, he decides to try and overcomes his fears. Resilience pays off – a great mindset message for readers in year 3, when persistence is often needed. A picture book that works for this age.

Charlie McGuffin has an incredible secret . . . He can change into animals. All sorts of animals: a flea, a pigeon, even a rhino. The trouble is, he can’t decide when – it only happens when he gets worried. This brilliant laugh-out-loud story is a good choice for bringing a class together. Underneath the humour are some serious themes about anxiety, which affect us all at some point.

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is – but she knows she needs to survive. A beautifully and enigmatically written and illustrated novel that works well as a class read-aloud. There are lots of opportunities for discussion themes such as what it means to be human, a topical issue as our developments with AI accelerate.

A charming story about a young boy who picks a strange fruit in his grandad’s garden and is surprised when it hatches into a baby dragon. Funny and heartwarming it’s a perfect choice for a read aloud in year 3. Confident readers will enjoy reading the story themselves. The text is well-supported by Sara Ogilvie’s characterful illustrations.

What would happen if we lost the happy endings to stories? A wonderful story about the power of stories with poetic text by Carol Ann Duffy and emotional illustration by Jane Ray, with magical contrasts of light and dark. It is a picture book that  children can read independently, but it’s a story that will be enriched by sharing and talking with the class or a group.

Children will be very familiar with the nursery rhyme ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’, but in this story, set in the 1920s,  the dish and the spoon end up travelling to New York. We follow their rising and falling fortunes before the redemptive feel-good ending.  A classic picture book take on Bonnie and Clyde, and although younger readers won’t get all the references to silent movies, there is plenty to explore in the text and images. A delight for children to share in small groups and with the class. This book is one of our choices for our Take One Book resource.

How do you smuggle a family of yetis from Tibet to England? When Agatha Farlingham is kidnapped by a yeti on a mountain in Tibet, she soon discovers that the hairy monster is clever and noble. His children are in danger from the modern world, and he needs her help. Children will enjoy this compelling adventure with its ecological themes. The darker themes that relate to Ibbotson’s own family experience in World War II are there for older readers. A magical warm-hearted class read-aloud.

The classic prototype story of a child detective. Emil and his group of newfound friends plot to outwit a thief who has stolen Emil’s money.  Humourous adventure in which good prevails and the hero, Emil gets a handsome reward. A good choice to read aloud to a class.

Like all fables, The Iron Man is a story that can be read and enjoyed by a wide age range, and it will carry different meanings according to age and experience. Readers in year 3 will enjoy this story which deals with the important theme of how we respond to people/things we don’t understand. The illustrated version by Chris Mould adds appeal for today’s children.

This wordless book by Jeannie Baker is about the regeneration of a neighbourhood through growing and gardening. All ages can appreciate it but it sits well here in year 3. Children will enjoy looking at this book in pairs and small groups. The wordless genre allows all children to participate and offers opportunities for rich language development, irrespective of reading attainment.

When Lenny’s father goes to fight in the Second World War, he gives his son a brass badge with two animals engraved on it: a lion for bravery and a unicorn for courage. Then, Lenny must go away, as he is evacuated from his home and family to escape the bombing. This longer picture book introduces children to the history of the Second World War in an approachable format and through the eyes of a child of similar age. Told with compassion and stunningly illustrated.