Now that I have been teaching Grade 3 for a few years now, I am starting to be able to tell what kinds of books my students are bound to love! In the last couple of
weeks I have read and reviewed a few up and coming books that I think will be a hit in my classroom in no time. If you're looking for a few books that your kiddos in the Grade 2-4 range are bound to enjoy, read on: these are the books for you!
Linty: A Pocketful of Adventure
By: Mike Shiell
I fell in love with this book and can’t wait to purchase a copy for my classroom library! This graphic novel follows the life of a little ball of pocket lint from a pair of “too big” jeans in the bottom of a drawer. At first, life is pretty boring, but as a boy grows into his jeans Linty gets to go on adventure and meet friends such as an acorn and a cookie. This book is so cute and funny and I can definitely see my students laughing and enjoying the adventures in the life of this silly character.
The pictures are very well done and thought bubbles are fairly easy to read, so I think this book would be accessible for most young readers or English language learners. Graphic novels are very popular right now and so this book would also be something I think most students would gravitate towards. I so appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this great new book. I can’t wait to buy a copy and share it with my students!
Scaredy Squirrel Visits the Doctor
By: Melanie Watt
Melanie Watt does it again with her hilarious and fun Scaredy Squirrel series that addresses anxiety and mental health issues in a positive and humorous way. If you've never heard of Scaredy Squirrel before, he has some pretty bad anxiety about a lot of things that turn out usually to not be life threatening. His worries are pretty common kid worries, in this case he is worried about visiting the doctor, but they are so over dramatic and intense that they give children an outlet for their own fears and worries because they know he is just a silly squirrel. Most importantly, at the end Scaredy Squirrel realizes that visiting the doctors office isn't a bad thing, it can actually make you feel pretty good! If you've read any of her other works, you might already know that you've gotta grab Watt's latest book, but if you're new to this wonderful author, let me just tell you, she's Canadian, she's funny and creative, and she writes beautiful and entertaining children's books that young people can't get enough of. I would definitely recommend this book to families and teachers of children ages 4-9 and look forward to purchasing a copy of this book to add to my collection once it is published.
Pugs Cause Traffic Jams
By: Jennifer McGrath
This book is so fun and cute! The premise of the story is a little girl is looking for her lost pug, and while she searches her community she comes in contact with several people and their dogs doing stereotypical breed specific things (ex husky howling/singing, German Shepard doing police work), meanwhile her pug is causing chaos and creating traffic jams. The story has enough repetitive pieces to it that I think some young readers would be willing to try to read it and older readers will enjoy the familiar pattern. I would highly recommend this book for families and teachers of children 3-9, especially those who love animals!
Tea Time for Dinosaurs
By: A.J. Smith
This fun and hilarious picture book tells the story of two dinosaurs who do not fit in or meet dino stereotypes. Tyra likes to dance and Tops loves to play music, but when asked to ROAR and do other things that "normal dinosaurs" do, they would just prefer to have a tea party, something that does not go over well with other dinosaurs.... at first! This book is all about breaking norms or not fitting in the mould and not being afraid to do what you love and express who you truly are. I can definitely see this book becoming a fan favourite and look forward to purchasing a copy for my classroom library. I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the 4-9 age range. It would be perfect for shared reading and read alouds, with the text being simple enough that beginning readers might enjoy practicing their reading skills while having a fun time reading this book.
It's A Sign
By: Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey
Fans of Mo Willems will love this book, it is even endorsed by Elephant and Piggie! Similar to Willems books, this book has short sentences, simple speech bubbles and a funny and interesting premise. The animals decide to create a club, and with the introduction of each new character the idea for the club evolves until it has to do with paper, letters, words and signs! Additionally, there are lots of -at words which will help young readers decode and reinforce the cvc patterns their teachers are teaching them in a book that is more interesting than the typical “the cat sat on the mat” levelled or decodable books.
Quiet Please
By: Russ Willms
Another one for the Mo Willems fans - one review I had previously read describes this book as perfect for fans of Mo Willems (author of elephant and piggie and pigeon books) and as I was reading I thought, yes that is definitely true! As a grade 3 teacher I often have some students who are a little apprehensive or not quite ready for early chapter books. They tend to gravitate towards books like this one, which are funny, engaging and have some but not too many words on a page. This book has a fun premise, everyone is being loud while a giraffe is trying to read, and the giraffe’s annoyance will really get some kids laughing. I think this book would be a perfect addition to any preschool to grade 3 classroom library as well as for families of children these ages. I can see this book becoming a new favourite bedtime story in lots of households!
Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind
By: Monica Silvie
This is such a great book! It is about a little chickadee who leaves his nest and thinks he’s really stealth when he manages to rob a bird feeder! I love that it is a fictional story but has a lot of great information about birds! I could definitely see this book in my classroom and would highly recommend it for families and teachers of children approximately ages 4-9.
Stick and Stone Explore and More
By: Beth Ferry
Last, but certainly not least - Stick and Stone Explore and More is a great children's picture book! The first half is about a nature scavenger hunt where girl guides take objects that start with each letter of the alphabet. Stick and stone are both insulted by being called twig and rock, and terrified when they are tossed in a bucket. The story goes on to teach readers that they should leave nature where they found it and take only pictures. In the second part of the story they both narrowly escape being skipped on the lake and burned in a campfire, but luckily they are saved by the rain! With simple, unique characters, and an undercurrent of respecting nature, this is a great graphic novel for young readers. I would recommend this book for teachers and families of children in the 5-11 age range. I could definitely see my students reading this book again and again.
I hope you love my recommendations, and I'm really hoping my kiddos do too!