Great Fiction Books for 3rd Graders

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Angleberger, Tom, author.

Hoping to become the greatest detective that ever grew, Inspector Flytrap, a Venus Flytrap, and his assistant, Nina the Goat, investigate "big deal" mysteries at an art museum, a cookie shop, and a garden.

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Brooks, Molly (Molly Grayson), author, illustrator.

"Sanity and Tallulah live in a space station at the end of the galaxy. When Sanity's illegally created three-headed kitten escapes, the girls have to turn their home upside down to find her in this graphic novel"-- Provided by publisher.

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Cameron, Neill.

"London! The future! Alex and Freddy are just like any other brothers. They squabble. They drive their parents crazy. There's only one difference... They're the most powerful robots on Earth! But Alex and Freddy will soon discover that they're not the only super-powered robots around. For an evil robotic mind is making sinister plans, and their lives won't stay peaceful for much longer..." -- Amazon.com.

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Cho, Tina M., author.

"A ... picture book featuring a Korean girl and her haenyeo (free diving) grandmother about intergenerational bonds, finding courage in the face of fear, and connecting with our natural world"-- Publisher's description.

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Dominguez, Angela, author.

Stella Diaz wants to be friends with the new boy in class, but sometimes she accidentally speaks Spanish instead of English and pronounces words wrong, which makes her turn roja. In addition, she has to get over her fear of speaking in front of the class.

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Elliott, Zetta, author.

In Brooklyn, nine-year-old Jax joins Ma, a curmudgeonly witch who lives in his building, on a quest to deliver three baby dragons to a magical world, and along the way discovers his true calling.

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English, Karen.

Gavin wants to make a good impression at Carver Elementary, where no one knows he excels at soccer and skateboarding, but an annoying big sister, a bully, and his great aunt's Pomeranian are not helping.

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Jun, Nie, 1975- author, illustrator.

"Four short stories set in a hutong, or residential alleyway, of Beijing, China. Yu Er, her grandfather, and their eccentric neighbors and experience the magic of everyday life"-- Provided by publisher.

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Manternach, Karla, author.

"Third-grader Meena Zee navigates the triumphs and challenges of family, friendship, and school while being diagnosed with epilepsy"-- Provided by publisher.

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Medina, Juana, 1980- author.

A spunky young girl from Colombia loves playing with her canine best friend and resists boring school activities, especially learning English, until her family tells her that a special trip is planned to an English-speaking place.

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Nelson, Marilyn, 1946- author.

The drawings of an introverted young girl make a powerful impression at a peaceful protest her family engages in.

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Nilsson, Ulf, 1948-2021 author.

"Someone's stealing the squirrel's nuts, and it's up to Detective Gordon to catch the thief. Unfortunately, solving this crime means standing in the snow and waiting for a long time... If only he had an assistant -- someone small, fast, and clever -- to help solve this terrible case. Then Detective Gordon would be able to go back to doing what he's best at: thinking, eating cakes, drinking tea, and stamping important papers." --Publisher description.

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O'Neill, Kay (Cartoonist), author, illustrator.

After discovering a lost Tea Dragon in the marketplace, apprentice blacksmith Greta learns about the dying art form of Tea Dragon caretaking from the kind tea shop owners.

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Wang, Jen, 1984- author, artist.

Growing up in the same Chinese-American suburb, perfectionist Christine and artistic, confident, impulsive Moon become unlikely best friends, whose friendship is tested by jealousy, social expectations, and illness.

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Watson, Renée, author.

The Hart family of Portland, Oregon, faces many setbacks after Ryan's father loses his job, but no matter what, Ryan tries to bring sunshine to her loved ones.

Summaries provided by DPL's catalog unless otherwise noted. Click on each title to view more information.

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