Grade 3: Fiction

Amelia Sparklepaw's Party Problem by Daisy Meadows Jess and Lily can't wait to celebrate their friend Goldie's birthday inFriendship Forest, but wicked witch Grizelda is determined to ruin the party! With the help of fluffy kitten Amelia Sparklepaw, can Lily and Jess rescue Goldie and save the day?

Flight of the Moon Dragon by Tracey West; Damien Jones (Illustrator) The prime dragon stone seems to be dying, and that means that the connection between the dragon masters and their dragons is also fading, so the six dragon masters must locate the hidden stone and learn what is causing the problem before their telepathic connection is completely gone

Sticker Girl by Janet Tashjian; Inga Wilmink (Illustrator) "Martina's always struggled to carve out her place at school, but she finds tremendous excitement in a treasure all her own: a sticker collection that comes to life!

The White Fox by Jackie Morris Lost, alone and far away from home, Sol feels a deep connection with the little Arctic fox he discovers down at the Seattle docks - he too feels lost in the big city. Dad is always busy working and Sol misses the grandparents they have left behind. So Sol decides to take the little fox back home, reuniting his own family in the process.

The Trouble with Twins by Martha Freeman; Cat Bowman Smith (Illustrator) When teenaged Holly takes charge of a birthday celebration for her two-year-old twin brothers, she gets more than she bargains for in mayhem, madness, and mess.

Legend of the Brown Ninja by Meredith Rusu

Katie Starting from Scratch by Coco Simon

The Jolley-Rogers and the Ghostly Galleon by Jonny Duddle (Illustrator) Ahoy, me hearties! Matilda and the Pirates Next Door return in a series of illustrated stories for young readers. Every full moon, a mysterious ship is seen off the coast of Dull-on-Sea. Then, the next day, gold and jewelry are missing from homes, shops, and museums all over town. Matilda needs the Jolley-Rogers' help to investigate. Can Matilda and Jim Lad retrieve the stolen booty from the mysterious ship before the moon fades? Or will they end up stuck on board with a crew of ghostly pirates forever?

The Haunted Howl by Eric Luper Getting lost in a good book has never been this dangerous! Cleo and Evan have a secret. A collection of books so dangerous they are locked up tight. A friend has vanished inside the pages of one of them. It's up to them to find the key that will set her free. THE CURSE OF THE FULL MOON MUST BE BROKEN! On a dark and stormy night, Cleo and Evan are haunted by a disaster. Evan has been bitten by a werewolf! If they can't find the cure -and the right key -before the full moon rises, he'll be stuck prowling the pages of this ghost story for good!

Quest by Aaron Becker Aaron Becker, creator of Journey, a Caldecott Honor book, presents the next chapter in his stunning wordless fantasy. A king emerges from a hidden door in a city park, startling two children sheltering from the rain. No sooner does he push a map and some strange objects into their hands than he is captured by hostile forces that whisk him back through the enchanted door. Just like that, the children are caught up in a quest to rescue the king and his kingdom from darkness, while illuminating the farthest reaches of their imagination. Colored markers in hand, they make their own way through the portal, under the sea, through a tropical paradise, over a perilous bridge, and high in the air with the help of a winged friend. Journey lovers will be thrilled to follow its characters on a new adventure threaded with familiar elements, while new fans will be swept into a visually captivating story that is even richer and more exhilarating than the first.

The Real True Friend by Abby Hanlon Fans of Junie B. Jones and Ivy and Bean will love this new story about the spunky little rascal with big ideas. The star of Dory Fantasmagory is heading to school. Her older siblings, Luke and Violet, warn her to leave her imaginary friend, Mary, at home--or better yet, leave her whole imagination at home!  But on her very first day she meets a new friend, a girl whose imagination and style are just about as wild as her own. Now she just has to convince her siblings that she's not making it all up! Filled with plenty of funny pictures, this book bursts with charm and impudence, making this a must-read for the chapter book set.  

The Poet's Dog by Patricia MacLachlan From Newbery Medal winner Patricia MacLachlan comes a poignant story about two children, a poet, and a dog and how they help one another survive loss and recapture love. 3 starred reviews. "Just what I needed," raves Brightly. "It's a heart-warming story of loss and love that filled me with hope for a better future and renewed my belief in good." Teddy is a gifted dog. Raised in a cabin by a poet named Sylvan, he grew up listening to sonnets read aloud and the comforting clicking of a keyboard. Although Teddy understands words, Sylvan always told him there are only two kinds of people in the world who can hear Teddy speak: poets and children. Then one day Teddy learns that Sylvan was right. When Teddy finds Nickel and Flora trapped in a snowstorm, he tells them that he will bring them home--and they understand him. The children are afraid of the howling wind, but not of Teddy's words. They follow him to a cabin in the woods, where the dog used to live with Sylvan . . . only now his owner is gone. As they hole up in the cabin for shelter, Teddy is flooded with memories of Sylvan. What will Teddy do when his new friends go home? Can they help one another find what they have lost?

Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson A funny, heartwarming, and heartbreaking contemporary story about three boys, one teacher, and a day none of them will ever forget. Everyone knows there are different kinds of teachers. The boring ones, the mean ones, the ones who try too hard, the ones who stopped trying long ago. The ones you'll never remember, and the ones you want to forget. Ms. Bixby is none of these. She's the sort of teacher who makes you feel like school is somehow worthwhile. Who recognizes something in you that sometimes you don't even see in yourself. Who you never want to disappoint. What Ms. Bixby is, is one of a kind. Topher, Brand, and Steve know this better than anyone. And so when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces that she won't be able to finish the school year, they come up with a risky plan--more of a quest, really--to give Ms. Bixby the last day she deserves. Through the three very different stories they tell, we begin to understand what Ms. Bixby means to each of them--and what the three of them mean to each other. John David Anderson is the author of Sidekicked and The Dungeoneers, proven winners with middle grade readers, and Ms. Bixby's Day is no exception.