Special Collections
District List: NYC Reads 365 - Third Grade
Description: NYC Reads 365 is a literacy initiative of the New York City Department of Education to create a new generation of readers. This list of high-interest titles is curated by NYC school librarians for students in Grade 3 and is updated each school year.
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EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken
by Sally Warner and Jamie HarperEllRay Jakes is tired of being bullied by fellow classmate Jared Matthews. But when EllRay tries to defend himself, he winds up in trouble. Then his dad offers him a deal: If he stays out of trouble for one week, they'll go to Disneyland! EllRay says he can do it. But saying it and doing it are two very different things.
EllRay Jakes Stands Tall
by Sally Warner and Brian BiggsEllRay Jakes finally grows up (a little) by playing basketball in this ninth book in the series. There's a new game in town--basketball! Or in Ellray's case, pre-basketball. Coach Havens has all the third graders dribbling, passing, and shooting, and he's quick to compliment EllRay's skills. No one else seems to notice them, however, and as 'the shortest kid in the class,' EllRay is still chosen last for teams at recess. What's a short guy gotta do to get noticed?? When EllRay comes up with a plan that involves the off-limits teacher's lounge, everyone does a double take! PRAISE FOR THE ELLRAY JAKES SERIES:"Warner is a dead-on observer of playground politics, and has a great ear for dialogue."--School Library Journal on EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken!"...ideal for reluctant readers."--Booklist on EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken!"Young readers can identify with EllRay, who is neither a bad seed nor a goody-two-shoes; he and his sense of humor are just right."--Kirkus on EllRay Jakes Is a Rock Star!"The EllRay Jakes stories are just right for his real-life peers."--Kirkus on EllRay Jakes Walks the Plank
EllRay Jakes Is Magic
by Brian Biggs and Sally WarnerSmall kid. Big Stage. Does EllRay have a talent to put on show for the entire school? When EllRay and his friends hear about the school talent show, they're not impressed. They're too old for that stuff. But their teacher, Mrs. Sanchez, isn't so quick to let her students off the hook. Five students absolutely must try-out, and EllRay somehow ends up being one of them. Now he has to figure out something he's talented at....like, maybe magic? But now the pressure's on. It's up to EllRay to take the stage and show his classmates and the whole school that he's not only talented but magic.
Stick Dog Slurps Spaghetti
by Tom WatsonIt's slippery. It's slurpable. It's spaghetti!Perfect for fans of Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the previous Stick Dog books, Tom Watson's hilarious Stick Dog Slurps Spaghetti is not to be missed.Stick Dog and his gang of hungry hounds want to play tug-of-war. Their search for rope leads to something even better--spaghetti! Once they get a taste, they must get some more.It will be their most difficult mission ever--and will demand all of Stick Dog's problem-solving skills. They'll need to scale the tallest mountain in the suburbs and sneak into a restaurant filled with people.Dangerous humans--a strange-talking girl, a huge chef, and a penguin-man--lurk around every corner. But there's more than danger in the air. Stick Dog has caught the scent of something even more scrumptious than spaghetti. And he'll risk everything to find out what it is.
Stick Dog Chases a Pizza
by Tom WatsonIn Stick Dog Chases a Pizza, Tom Watson's hilarious follow-up to Stick Dog and Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog, Stick Dog returns with the same crazy crew. This time these canine friends have discovered a newfangled flavor--and it's even more delicious than hamburgers and hot dogs. It's pizza! And they won't be satisfied until they get some slices of their own. But it won't be that easy. There's a kitten to rescue, a plan to make, and the messiest--and most dangerous--game of catch they've ever played. Pizza is on the menu, but only if their mission succeeds. Perfect for fans of Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the previous Stick Dog books.
Stick Dog Tries to Take the Donuts
by Tom WatsonThe Stick Dog series continues in Tom Watson's hilarious Stick Dog Tries to Take the Donuts!Stick Dog and his team of strays are off on another outrageous canine caper. To snatch some breakfast treats for his hungry pals, Stick Dog will need to stop a moving truck, outfox a man on a telephone pole, and calm down a very caffeinated Karen. But that's not all. He'll also need to manage the greatest confrontation in history when his good friend Poo-Poo comes face-to-face with the ultimate enemy--a squirrel.With Stick Dog's smarts, daring, loyalty--and patience--he just might lead his buddies to the best breakfast ever. Perfect for fans of Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the previous Stick Dog books.It's morning. The dogs are hungry. It's time to take the donuts!
Stick Dog Craves Candy
by Tom WatsonPerfect for fans of Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the previous Stick Dog books, Tom Watson’s hilarious series continues with Stick Dog Craves Candy—a fun Halloween adventure!Stick Dog and the gang are on their usual hunt for food, but there is something unusual going on. Little humans are dressed up as creepy witches and spooky ghosts, all carrying big orange buckets!Their search leads them to something unexpected and delicious and sweet—candy! Once they get a taste, they will stop at nothing to get more. The gang will have to avoid terrifying witches and even escape a creepy haunted house! Will Stick Dog's smarts, courage, and patience be enough to lead his buddies to the best treats ever?Witches, and ghosts, and goblins...and Stick Dog and friends! Oh my!
Stick Dog Dreams of Ice Cream
by Tom WatsonThe Stick Dog series continues in author-illustrator Tom Watson's hilarious Stick Dog Dreams of Ice Cream. In the follow-up to Stick Dog, Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog, and Stick Dog Chases a Pizza, Stick Dog and his pals are back, but this time the temperature is rising and they're all feeling the heat. They need cold, cold ice cream on this hot, hot day. It will take all of Stick Dog's smarts to guide his friends to a scrumptious ice cream feast. They'll battle a water-attacking machine, discover rainbow puddles, and chase the strangest, loudest truck they've ever seen. But there's a looming threat to their mission--Stick Dog gets spotted by a human. And the police are on his tail. If he's captured, Stick Dog may never see his friends again. If he escapes, it's ice cream for everyone. Perfect for fans of Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the previous Stick Dog books.
Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog
by Tom WatsonIn Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog, Tom Watsons hilarious sequel to Stick Dog, Stick Dog returns with the same crew of friends, and theyre hungrier than ever. As the dogs embark on their quest for hot dogs, they learn theyre not the only ones on a mission--a band of raccoons are following close behind, and theyre ravenous, too In this second book, Stick Dog and his four friends, Poo-Poo, Mutt, Stripes, and Karen, must execute a master plan for stealing hot dogs. The closer they get to the hot dog vendor, the more difficult their mission becomes. With the same hilarious antics, the five dogs are met with many challenges along the way, including having to distract the frankfurter guy and Karen getting locked in a humans house. No matter what, these dogs have their eyes--and stomachs--on the prize.
On a Beam of Light
by Jennifer Berne and Vladimir RadunskyA boy rides a bicycle down a dusty road. But in his mind, he envisions himself traveling at a speed beyond imagining, on a beam of light. This brilliant mind will one day offer up some of the most revolutionary ideas ever conceived. From a boy endlessly fascinated by the wonders around him, Albert Einstein ultimately grows into a man of genius recognized the world over for profoundly illuminating our understanding of the universe. Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Radunsky invite the reader to travel along with Einstein on a journey full of curiosity, laughter, and scientific discovery. Parents and children alike will appreciate this moving story of the powerful difference imagination can make in any life.
Inspector Flytrap
by Tom AnglebergerWith easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, this early-chapter-book series is a must for beginning readers. Inspector Flytrap in the Da Vinci Cold introduces kids to the humorous and wacky world of Inspector Flytrap's Detective Agency, home to the world-renowned solver of BIG DEAL mysteries. The plant detective works tirelessly with his assistant Nina the Goat on his community's unsolved cases. There's no case too big, but there are definitely cases too small for this endearingly self-important plant detective. Combining wacky humor and a silly cast of characters with adventure, friendship, and mystery, the powerhouse team of Tom Angleberger and Cece Bell have created a uniquely engaging series that is perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Ricky Ricotta, Captain Underpants, and the Galaxy Zack series.
How To Swallow A Pig
by Steve Jenkins and Robin PageIn the latest eye-catching escape into the kingdom of Animalia, Steve Jenkins and Robin Page reveal the skills animals use to survive in the wild in an imaginative and humorous how-to format. With step-by-step instructions, readers learn about specific behaviors; how to catch thousands of fish like a humpback whale or how to sew up a nest like a tailorbird. This fascinating and fun illustrated nonfiction melds science, art, biology, and the environment together in a detailed and well-researched book about animals who live and survive in our world today.
Flora And Ulysses
by K. G. Campbell and Kate DiCamilloWinner of the 2014 Newbery Medal. Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry -- and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.
Newbery Medal Winner
Crenshaw
by Katherine ApplegateIn her first novel sinceThe One and Only Ivan, winner of the Newbery Medal, Katherine Applegate delivers an unforgettable and magical story about family, friendship, and resilience. Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either.
His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again. Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything? Beloved author Katherine Applegate proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary.
Nominee for the 2018 Young Reader's Choice Award (Pacific Northwest Library Association)