Grade 3 Book List
Interactive Read Aloud Lesson that Develops Vocabulary and Comprehension with Questions
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The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering is a 2004 Newberry Medal winner. The main plot follows the adventures of a mouse named Despereaux Tilling, as he sets out on his quest to rescue a beautiful human princess. The novel is divided into four chapters and a coda. Each chapter tells the story from the perspective of a different character: Despereaux, Roscuro, Miggery Sow, and all together.The novel is divided into four books. Book I covers Despereaux's childhood; Book II focuses on Roscuro, a dungeon rat with a mysterious past. The third book is about Miggery Sow, a servant girl who is sold by her father for a red table cloth, a handful of cigarettes and a hen. The first three books are set years apart, all building up to the fourth book, which concludes the novel. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. This book can be used as a read aloud in grades 2-4 and as a literature circle book in grades 5-6.
Comprehension Questions:
1. How is Despereaux different from the other
mice?
2. What happens when Despereaux’s sister Merlot tries to teach him
to nibble paper? How does this affect the rest of the story?
3. Why does
the King tell the Princess not to speak with Despereaux? When Despereaux leaves
the Princess, he says to her, "I honor you." Why?
4. Why does the Mouse
Council call Despereaux before them? What is their decision?
5. Who is
Gregory, and how does he help Despereaux?
6. Who is Miggery Sow? How does
she come to be at the castle?
7. Who are Boticelli and Roscuro? Why does
Botticelli tell Roscuro to take the red cloth from Miggery Sow’s father? What
does Roscuro believe the cloth will do?
8. What does the Queen love more
than anything in the world? Why is it banned from the kingdom?
9. What is
Roscuro’s plan for the Princess? What does he think he will gain from this
plan?
10. What do Miggery Sow and the Princess Pea have in
common?
11. Who is the threadmaster, and what is his job? How does he end
up helping Despereaux?
12. When Despereaux comes upon Cook in the
kitchen, what is she doing? Why is Cook afraid?
13. When Despereaux goes
down into the dungeon to save the Princess, what four things do the rats smell?
Why?
14. Which two characters lose their tails in the story, and
how?
15. Does Despereaux succeed in his quest to save the Princess? What
is the outcome of his quest?
16. What does the author hope the reader
will find in the story?
Comprehension Questions:
1. How is Despereaux different from the other
mice?
2. What happens when Despereaux’s sister Merlot tries to teach him
to nibble paper? How does this affect the rest of the story?
3. Why does
the King tell the Princess not to speak with Despereaux? When Despereaux leaves
the Princess, he says to her, "I honor you." Why?
4. Why does the Mouse
Council call Despereaux before them? What is their decision?
5. Who is
Gregory, and how does he help Despereaux?
6. Who is Miggery Sow? How does
she come to be at the castle?
7. Who are Boticelli and Roscuro? Why does
Botticelli tell Roscuro to take the red cloth from Miggery Sow’s father? What
does Roscuro believe the cloth will do?
8. What does the Queen love more
than anything in the world? Why is it banned from the kingdom?
9. What is
Roscuro’s plan for the Princess? What does he think he will gain from this
plan?
10. What do Miggery Sow and the Princess Pea have in
common?
11. Who is the threadmaster, and what is his job? How does he end
up helping Despereaux?
12. When Despereaux comes upon Cook in the
kitchen, what is she doing? Why is Cook afraid?
13. When Despereaux goes
down into the dungeon to save the Princess, what four things do the rats smell?
Why?
14. Which two characters lose their tails in the story, and
how?
15. Does Despereaux succeed in his quest to save the Princess? What
is the outcome of his quest?
16. What does the author hope the reader
will find in the story?
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Clementine by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Alral Frazee is a great interactive read aloud for grades 3-5. In this first book of the series, Clementine tries to help out her friend Margaret, but ends up in a lot of trouble for it. Things get worse each day of the week, until finally she's worried that Margaret is right: Clementine's parents might consider her "the hard one" in the family. They're up to something mysterious; are they thinking they'd be better off if they only had her little vegetable-named brother, "the easy one?"
Click here to get comprehension/discussion questions as well as writing and drawing prompt ideas and suggested projects while reading this book with your class!
Click here to get comprehension/discussion questions as well as writing and drawing prompt ideas and suggested projects while reading this book with your class!
Low Level and High Interest
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Cheyenne Again written by Eve Bunting and Illustrated by Irving Toddy is at an interest level for grades 3-5 and at a reading level for grade 2. In the late 1880s, a Cheyenne boy named Young Bull is taken from his parents and sent to a boarding school to learn the white man's ways. Young Bull's struggle to hold on to his heritage will touch children's sense of justice and lead to some interesting discussions and perhaps further research.
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The Chocolate Touch written by Patrick Skene Catling is at an interest level for grades 3-5 and at a grade 2 reading level. In a laugh-out-loud hilarious twist on the legend of King Midas, a boy acquires a magical gift that turns everything his lips touch into chocolate. Can you ever have too much of your favorite food? John Midas is about to find out….
Word-Play, Joke, and/or Manga
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Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What is an Adjective? by Brian Cleary and illustrated by Jenya Prosmitsky is a great word-play book for third graders! The best-selling Words Are Categorical series introduces young readers to different types of words through rhyming verse and illustrations of comical cartoon cats. Offering a lighthearted perspective, each title shows readers the fun and entertaining world of language.Simple, rhyming text and colorful cartoon cats help children expand their vocabularies and gain an appreciation for the rhythm of language in this lighthearted book of rhyming verse. Adjectives like frilly, silly, polka-dotted, fizzy, and spunky are printed in color, and all the words will tickle you pink!