Book Clubs in Third Grade

Third grade students are engaged in book clubs this fall. Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express  by Megan McDonald and Ivy and Bean Book One by Annie Barrows are the choices for this first round of book clubs.

Investigating character by determining the personality traits of the main characters and finding the proof in the text is a way for students to think deeply about the story and to deepen their comprehension. Both of these books have writing that students can enjoy reading with expression and increase their fluency as they act out sections of the books. The plot is exciting and often surprising in both of these books.

Great conversation that includes students making connections to their own lives and to characters in other books is part of every book group session. Writing about their ideas allows students to further develop their thinking about the text. Both Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express and Ivy and Bean are part of a series. We are already seeing students choose other books from both of these series to read independently. When students read several books in a series, they can really sink into their reading as they already understand the structure of a book.