In 3rd Grade, Series Books Reign Supreme!
Nov 04 '00
This year of teaching has been somewhat of a culture shock for me. I went from teaching highly intelligent fifth graders who love to read, to teaching average to below average third graders who don't care much for reading overall.
As soon as I realized how little my students did (and, in some cases, could) read, I became determined to change that. I spent a couple hundred dollars (without even realizing it!) on books that were easier than my easiest fifth grade books, and have been ordering nearly every multi-book pack offered by Scholastic, Trumpet, and Carnival. Reluctant readers are often only reluctant because they can't find something to read that interests them. This means that having a varied selection of books is crucial.
But after observing for a couple of months, I've come to an interesting conclusion. In this class of third graders, series books reign supreme! Almost all of the books being checked out from my classroom library are from one series or another. When I think about it, this makes sense. Series books are a "safe" choice--if you've read and enjoyed a book in the series, odds are that you'll both be able to read another book in the series and will enjoy it.
Here are some of the series being read and enjoyed in my classroom.
First Grade Reading Level - approximately
Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant - Tales about a boy and his large dog.
Amelia Bedelia series by Peggy Parish - Amelia Bedelia is a maid who constantly gets her directions mixed up. Great for learning about words with double meanings.
Second Grade Reading Level
Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park - Junie B. Jones is a spirited kindergartner whose big mouth gets her into one funny situation after another.
Marvin Redpost series by Louis Sachar - My students have really been getting into this series over the past couple of weeks. The books deal with very real worries of kids--nose-picking, being kidnapped at birth, getting to see your teacher's house, etc.
Horrible Harry series by Suzy Kline - Written by a retired teacher, the books are about troublemaker (but still lovable) Horrible Harry, from the perspective of his best friend, Doug.
The Polk Street School Kids series by Patricia Reilly Giff - This series is nice because each book is told from the point of view of a different student. Stories are about different school happenings.
Third Grade Reading Level
Amber Brown series by Paula Danziger - I can't wait for Epinions to add these books. They're about fourth grader Amber Brown, an only child caught between two divorced parents. These would be great for any child dealing with divorce.
Arthur Chapter Books "by" Marc Brown - This series seems to be one of the first that kids turn to when they first look for chapter books, probably because Arthur is such a familiar character.
The Littles books by John Peterson - A series of books about a family of little people and their adventures with other little people.
Eyewitness Readers, Level 3 and 4 by various authors - Most people have seen the Eyewitness series of hardcover books about almost any topic imaginable. These readers are by the same publisher. Levels 1 and 2 are kind of meatless, but levels 3 and 4 have some scientific substance to them. My students have particularly enjoyed Shark Attack (Level 3) and MicroMonsters (Level 4).
American Girls series by various authors - These books about Kirsten, Felicity, Addy, Samantha, Molly, and Kit (the new American Girl) are set in different periods in American history and are a great introduction to historical fiction.
Fourth Grade Reading Level - I don't have many students here yet, but there are a few!
Ramona books by Beverly Cleary - In my opinion, no child should grow up without meeting Ramona, Beezus, Howie, Henry, and Willa Jean.
Wayside School series by Louis Sachar - These books were also very much enjoyed by my fifth graders last year. The books are collections of wacky adventures at a mixed-up school.
Mary-Kate and Ashley books - These two girls have at least three or four series of books out, all of which are popular with pre-teen girls.
Other Series I'm Going to Check Out, But Haven't Gotten To Yet
Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne
Scooby Doo Mysteries by James Gelsey
A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy
Jigsaw Jones Mysteries by James Preller
Cam Jansen Mysteries by David Adler
(I guess I'm not a fan of mysteries--can you tell by the books I've saved for last?)
Not every child is going to love reading, but with the right books, I'm hoping to convert a lot of them! I hope these suggestions help you to help your child learn to love reading. Did I miss your child's favorite series? Add it in the comment section--I'm always looking for suggestions!
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