Mrs. Thomas's Fourth Grade Website 
Grades 3-4
2011
Aldrin, Buzz. Look to the Stars. Putnam’s, 2009. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin
traces the history of air and space exploration from Isaac Newton to the
International Space Station and Mars using personal insights and
conversational text.
Anderson, Matthew T. Handel, Who Knew What He Liked. Candlewick, 2001. A
man who would later compose some of the world's most beautiful music is
shown as a stubborn little boy with a mind of his own.
Barton, Chris. The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's
Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors. Charlesbridge, 2009. Brothers Bob
and Joe Switzer had different interests and ambitions but worked together on
the dazzling creation of fluorescent colors.
Beard, Darleen Bailey. Annie Glover is Not a Tree Lover. Farrar, Straus and
Giroux, 2009. Fourth grader Annie is torn between supporting her “tree
hugging” grandmother who is trying to save a historic tree and her desire for
the new community swimming pool which would mean cutting down the tree.
Becker, Bonny. The Magical Ms. Plum. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. Each of the students
in Ms. Plum’s third grade classroom receives a visit from a magical creature
that comes out of her supply closet just for them.
Bidner, Jenni. Is My Dog a Wolf?: How Your Pet Compares to its Wild Cousin.
Lark, 2006. Examines the differences and similarities between dogs and wolves
with descriptions of how both have descended from the ancient wolf and how
they have evolved into two diverse species.
Bishop,
close views of the wildlife in a deciduous forest through breathtakingly beautiful
photography and informative text.
Brown, Don. A Wizard From the Start: The Incredible Boyhood and Amazing
Inventions of Thomas Edison. Houghton Mifflin, 2010. This picture book
shows that young Thomas Edison was a hard worker who was curious about
everything, read a lot of books, studied diligently for years, and was passionate
about inventing.
Bruel, Nick. Happy Birthday Bad Kitty. Roaring Brook, 2009. Bad Kitty's birthday
party seems to be going well until her presents begin to disappear. Is one of the
guests stealing them? Series
Buckley, Carol. Tarra and Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best
Friends. Putnam’s, 2009. This book shares the true story of an elephant
named Tarra who befriends a dog, Bella, at an elephant sanctuary.
Cheshire, Simon. The Curse of the Ancient Mask: And Other Case Files. Roaring
Brook, 2009. Become a detective and see if you can solve each mystery from
the clues Saxby gives as he works three cases in this fast-paced chapter book.
Series
Cleary,
the shopping center, he begins a series of humorous escapades and wanderings
in his quest to find his family. Series
Clements, Andrew. No Talking. Simon & Schuster, 2007. The noisy fifth grade
class of Laketon Elementary becomes suspiciously quiet when the boys
challenge the girls to a “no talking” contest.
Coombs, Kate. The Secret-Keeper. Atheneum, 2006. Kalli is entrusted with
everyone’s secrets until the potter’s son reveals the best secret of all.
Corey, Shana. Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular True Story of Annette
Kellerman, Who Swam Her Way to Fame, Fortune, & Swimsuit History!
Scholastic, 2009. This brightly illustrated picture book biography of Annette
Kellerman details how she overcame physical difficulties to become a world
famous swimmer, water ballerina, and swimsuit innovator.
Coville, Bruce. The Monster's Ring. Harcourt, 2002. Russell Crannaker's magic ring
enables him to turn into a monster on Halloween and ward off the class bully
once and for all. Series
Cowley, Joy. Snake and Lizard. Kane/Miller, 2008. Snake and Lizard's friendship
grows as they learn more about each other in this humorous chapter book of
likable desert characters.
Creech, Sharon. Hate That Cat. Joanna Cotler, 2008. Jack is studying poetry
again in school, and he continues to write poems reflecting his understanding
of famous works and how they relate to his life.
Crisp, Marty. Titanicat. Sleeping Bear Press, 2008. Every ship had a cat, and in
this historical fiction picture book, the story of the Titanic's cat is told; but just
where is the cat's luck during the Titanic's doomed voyage?
Dahl, Roald. Matilda. Viking, 1988. Matilda applies her mental powers to rid the
school of the evil headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore Miss Honey, her
nice teacher, to financial security.
Davies, Nicola. Extreme Animals: The Toughest Creatures on Earth. Candlewick,
2006. This amazing natural history book reveals how animals adapt to and
survive the harshest of conditions that would kill any human.
Demi. Marco Polo. Marshall Cavendish, 2008. Travel with the legendary explorer,
Marco Polo, through colorful, exotic lands, experiencing the dangers and
adapting to strange cultures over his 24-year, 3,000-mile journey through the
Dennis, Brian. Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle. Little,
Brown, 2009. Heartwarming true tale of a United States Marine and his canine
friend as they met and bonded in
Eilenberg, Max. Beauty and the Beast. Candlewick, 2006. This beautifully
illustrated version of the classic tale includes such interesting family members
as Beauty’s two spoiled sisters and her proud, adoring father.
Franco, Betsy. A Curious Collection of Cats: Concrete Poems. Tricycle Press,
2009. Full of humor and colorful illustrations, this book of concrete poems
about cats is a delight.
Franco, Betsy. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars: And Other School Poems for
Two Voices. Candlewick, 2009. Find a partner and enjoy reading poems
about life at school from this entertaining collection of poetry for two voices.
French, Jackie. How to Scratch a Wombat: Where to Find It ... What to Feed It ...
Why It Sleeps All Day. Clarion, 2009. This book tells you all you need to
know about caring for and living with wombats -- how to scratch their backs,
how to sing to them, and how to keep the "hairy brown rocks with legs" from
breaking your door down -- based on the author's thirty years of experience in
her Australian home.
Friedman, Laurie. Red, White & True Blue Mallory. Carolrhoda Books, 2009. On a
class trip to
about sites she visits, her bothersome loose tooth, the lack of attention from her
best friend, Mary Ann, and getting lost in a museum. Series
Gardiner, John Reynolds. Stone Fox. First published 1980. Willy hopes to win the
purse in a dog sled race in order to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's
farm.
Gibbons, Gail. Hurricanes!
present an overview of how hurricanes are formed, their categories, the
destruction they can cause, and how they are forecasted and tracked.
Giovanni, Nikki. The Grasshopper's Song: An Aesop's Fable Revisited.
Candlewick, 2008. It is the alleged "frivolous" grasshopper's day in court as he
tries to prove his case against the industrious ants who did not share their food
with him through the long, cold winter.
Goldstone, Bruce. Great Estimations. Holt, 2006. This book will show you how to
train your eyes and your mind to make really great estimations using
photographs and easy-to-follow text.
Greene, Stephanie. Happy Birthday, Sophie Hartley. Clarion, 2010. Sophie, who
is looking forward to her tenth birthday, has many ups and downs growing up
in a family with five kids.
Grindley, Sally. Dear Max. McElderry Books, 2006. Written in letter format between
a nine-year-old boy and a published author, this book deals sensitively with
loss within a family, disease, and bullying.
Gutman, Dan. Nightmare at the Book Fair. Simon and Schuster, 2008. Fifthgrader
Trip Dinkleman, who does not like to read very much, is hit on the head
by a bookfair case and becomes a character in a series of different books
including a horror story, an adventure, and a fantasy.
beautifully illustrated folktale is a West Indian variant of the Rumpelstiltskin
story.
Hansen, Rosanna. Caring for Cheetahs: My African Adventure. Boyds Mills, 2007.
Pounce into this colorful photo-essay about protecting endangered cheetahs at
a nature reserve owned by the Cheetah Conservation Fund in
Harley, Avis. African Acrostics: A Word in Edgeways. Candlewick, 2009.
Entertaining acrostic poems about African animals provide readers information
both about the animals as well as the various forms of acrostic poems.
Harper, Charise Mericle. Just Grace Walks the Dog. Houghton Mifflin, 2008. Grace
hopes to prove to her parents that she can be dependable and responsible
enough to have a real dog, not just the cardboard dog she has been pulling
around. Series
Helman, Andrea. Hide and Seek: Nature's Best Vanishing Acts.
This beautifully photographed book takes the reader to ecosystems around the
world to show how animals camouflage themselves for protection in each
unique habitat.
Hicks, Betty. Track Attack. Roaring Brook, 2009. Superfast Jazz, a budding track
star, is embarrassed by her overly enthusiastic father and his meddling at her
track meets and practices.
Holt, Kimberly Willis. Piper Reed Gets a Job. Holt, 2009. Piper starts a partyplanning
business in order to earn enough money to buy a clubhouse for their
Gypsy Club members, but she discovers the job is not nearly as easy as she
had thought. Series
Hopkins, Jackie Mims. The Gold Miner’s Daughter: A Melodramatic Fairytale.
Peachtree, 2006. In trying to pay her debt to mean ole Mr. Bigglebottom, Gracie
problems with the money hungry banker in this entertaining, melodramatic
fairytale.
Hopkins, Jackie Mims. Joe Bright and the Seven Genre Dudes. Upstart Books,
2010. Stella, the master storyteller of a storybook kingdom, is threatened by
Joe Bright's ability to tell stories and sends him deep into the dark forest, where
Joe meets the Seven Genre Dudes, brothers who care for various types of books
at the local library.
Hopkinson, Deborah. Keep On!: The Story of Matthew Henson, Co-Discoverer of
the North Pole. Peachtree, 2009. Well-researched text and striking drawings
portray the courage and determination of explorer Matthew Henson as he
traveled with Admiral Peary to the North Pole in 1909.
Hunt, Elizabeth Singer. The Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur:
2007. Nine-year-old Jack Stalwart works for the GPF, the Global Protection
Force, and travels to
dinosaur. Series
Jenkins, Emily. Toy Dance Party: Being the Further Adventures of a Bossyboots
Stingray, a Courageous
Plastic. Schwartz & Wade, 2008.
when the Girl starts spending time with Barbie dolls and at sleepovers.
Throughout their adventures in the house, they will learn if they can keep the
Girl's love. Series
Jenkins, Steve. Never Smile at a Monkey: And 17 Other Important Things to
Remember. Houghton Mifflin, 2009. Incredible cut paper illustrations
highlight eighteen creatures whose weapons of teeth, claws, spines, and venom
make them dangerous to humans, while the captivating text explains what you
should never do if you encounter one of these animals.
Judge, Lita. One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II.
Hyperion, 2007. The author relates the story of her grandparents’ efforts after
World War II to send packages of food, clothing, and shoes to their friends in
Klimo, Kate. The Dragon in the Driveway. Random House, 2009. Cousins, Jesse
and Daisy, along with their pet dragon, continue their battle against the evil
scientist who has plans to destroy the forest in order to find the magical golden
pickax that is buried there. Series
Klise, Kate. Stand Straight, Ella Kate: The True Story of a Real Giant. Dial
Books, 2010. The life of Ella Kate Ewing, an eight foot tall giant born in 1872,
is presented in this illustrated fictionalized biography.
Krosoczka, Jarrett. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.
In this graphic novel, the Lunch Lady and her sidekick, Betty, secretly fight
forces of evil when they uncover a plot hatched by a villainous teacher to
overrun the school with cyborg substitutes. Series
Krull, Kathleen. The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth. Alfred
A. Knopf, 2009. As a young boy in the early 1900's, Philo Farnsworth's
curiosity about how things work eventually led him to develop the idea of how
television could work.
La Fevers, R. L. Flight of the
is sent to live with a family cousin, the world's last beastologist, after his
parents are declared lost at sea, but danger mounts when he is brought on an
expedition to the
phoenix egg and rescue his guardian. Series
Lane, Kathleen. Nana Cracks the Case! Chronicle Books, 2009. Not your ordinary
grandma, Nana is aided by her grandchildren Eufala and Bog in nabbing a
candy thief for the Crispy County Police Department.
Larsen, C. S. Crust & Spray: Gross Stuff in Your Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat.
Millbrook, 2010. Prepare to be both grossed out and educated by the wacky
descriptions and graphic close up pictures of the fluids and ooze generated by
the human body.
Lin, Grace. The Year of the Dog: A Novel. Little, Brown, 2006. Frustrated at her
seeming lack of talent for anything, a young Taiwanese-American girl sets out
to apply the lessons of the Chinese Year of the Dog to her own life. Series
Low, Alice. The Fastest Game on Two Feet and Other Poems About How Sports
Began.
sports as well as a brief paragraph about the sport’s origin.
Lowry, Lois. The Birthday Ball. Houghton Mifflin, 2010. Princess Patricia Priscilla
is not looking forward to her birthday when she has to choose a suitor, so she
switches places with her chambermaid so she can attend school with the
commoners.
Lubar, David. Punished!
reference section of the library,
who puts a spell on him that is broken only by finding anagrams, palindromes,
and oxymorons.
MacDonald, Alan. Trolls United.
endearing troll family, Ulrik has to deal with his father coming to school,
worrying about making the soccer team, and hoping for a new pair of soccer
cleats. Series
MacDonald, Betty. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. First published 1947. Loved by children and
their parents, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle always knows just the right way to solve any
problem. Series
MacLachlan, Patricia. Sarah, Plain and Tall. First published 1985. This sweet
prairie tale of a family's experiences with Sarah, a mail-order bride from
begins with children Anna and Caleb worried that their new mother might not
like being away from the sea. Series
Markle, Sandra. Animal Heroes: True Rescue Stories. Millbrook, 2009. Nine
riveting tales share examples of animals saving humans, along with photos and
extra information and insights into animal behavior.
McCully, Emily Arnold. Wonder Horse: The True Story of the World's Smartest
Horse. Holt, 2010. Bill “Doc” Key, who was a former slave, trains his horse,
Jim Key, to recognize letters and numbers and perform around the country,
ultimately teaching others to treat animals humanely.
Mitchelhill, Barbara. The Graffiti Mystery. Stone Arch Books, 2009. Getting in a
few scrapes himself, Supersleuth Damian uses his smarts to solve the mystery
of who has been painting graffiti on the walls of the boys’ bathroom and the
principal’s car. Series
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds.
decisions about returning a dog to his abusive owner. Newbery Honor Book
1992. Series
Nivola, Claire A. Planting the Trees of
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008. This beautifully illustrated biography tells
how Wangari Maathai encouraged the people of
to restore their depleted land.
Nolan, Lucy. Bad to the Bone. Marshall Cavendish, 2008. Neighboring dogs, Down
Girl and Sit, are discovering that their owners are very hard to train. Series
O'Malley, Kevin. Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude.
writing a fairytale for school, a girl imagines a beautiful princess whose beloved
ponies are being stolen by a giant, and a boy conjures up the muscular biker
who will guard the last pony in exchange for gold.
Otfinoski, Steven. All in the Family: A Look-It-Up Guide to the In-Laws, Outlaws,
and Offspring of Mythology. Franklin Watts, 2009. Greek mythology hall of
famers meet the modern age in a new series that brings the superstars of Greek
mythology to life. Series
Pennypacker, Sara. Clementine’s Letter. Hyperion, 2008. After learning that her
favorite teacher will be leaving for a trip to
remainder of the year, Clementine devises a plan to get rid of the substitute and
get Mr. D'Matz to stay. Series
Petersen,
older brother is seriously hurt, Ryan must overcome his fears and go for help.
Polacco, Patricia. The Keeping Quilt. First published 1988. Follow the author's
family's quilt through several generations, from its creation by the first
generation immigrant family all the way to the present generation.
Rappaport, Doreen. Eleanor, Quiet No More: The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt.
Disney-Hyperion, 2009. Well-researched and powerfully presented, this
biography of Eleanor Roosevelt chronicles her life from a quiet, reserved child to
an outspoken champion for the rights of all individuals.
Root, Phyllis. Paula Bunyan. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009. Paula Bunyan is a
rough, tough lady with a singing voice that cracks windows, a live bear for a
foot warmer, and a heart for the environment in this fun folk tale set in the
North Woods.
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse. The Wonder Book. Harper, 2010. Silly poems, puns, and
jokes are illustrated with happy line drawings in this humorous book full of
word play.
Ryder, Joanne. Panda Kindergarten. Collins, 2009. Simple text and enticing color
photographs follow sixteen giant panda cubs as they eat, play, and nap during
the day at the Wolong Nature Preserve in
Scieszka, Jon. Spaceheadz. Simon & Schuster, 2010. Michael moves to a new
school and learns that some of his friends are really aliens who have come to
Earth in order to convince millions of kids to be Space Heads. Series
Scott, Elaine. When is a Planet Not a Planet?: The Story of Pluto. Clarion, 2007.
This book takes the downgrading of Pluto from planet to dwarf planet as a
teachable moment for discussing questions such as how the number of planets
has changed through the centuries, what can be called a planet, and how
scientists come to conclusions—and occasionally change their minds.
Service, Pamela F. Alien Expedition. Carolrhoda Books, 2009. Alien agent Zack is
on a mission to help rescue alien dinosaurs from another planet who have been
taken hostage in
Shefelman, Janice. I, Vivaldi. Eerdmans Books, 2008. This picture book biography
describes how Vivaldi grew to be a famous musician, despite his mother's vow
for him to become a priest.
Sidman, Joyce. Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. Houghton
Mifflin, 2005. Poems about pond life throughout the year and factual
annotations are contained in this beautifully illustrated book.
Sidman, Joyce. Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors. Houghton Mifflin,
2010. In fourteen poems, this picture book blends poetry, science, and art in
celebrating the earth’s most resilient and long-lived species.
Simon, Seymour. Horses. HarperCollins, 2006. Horse lovers will enjoy this book of
photographs and accompanying text which provides interesting information
about horses.
Sylver, Adrienne. Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog. Dutton, 2010. The
history of the hot dog and how it came to
picture book.
Tavares, Matt. Henry Aaron's Dream. Candlewick, 2010. In this beautiful picture
book biography of Henry “Hank” Aaron, Henry overcomes many obstacles to
realize his childhood dream of becoming a major league baseball player.
Taylor, Sarah Stewart. Amelia Earhart: This
2010. In graphic novel format, Amelia Earhart’s life is described with a focus
on the successful Atlantic crossing in 1928.
Tolan, Stephanie S. Wishworks, Inc. Arthur A. Levine, 2009. Third-grader Max
copes with his parents' divorce by retreating into an imaginary world complete
with an imaginary dog to protect him from the bullies at school until he realizes
that one must be careful what one wishes for even at his imaginary Wishworks,
Inc.
Trine, Greg. The Curse of the
the
unexpectedly teams up with Candace Brinkwater, school play actress, to nab
the evil McNasty Brothers. Series
Tunnell, Michael O. Candy Bomber: The Story of the
Pilot. Charlesbridge, 2010. This is the story of pilot Gail Halvorsen who, after
meeting some of the children living in post World War II West Berlin, started
dropping candy from his plane when he flew over.
Vail, Rachel. Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters. Feiwel and
Friends, 2010. Written in diary form, Justin writes honestly about his worries
and observations of life in the 3rd grade.
Wallace, Rich. The Ball Hogs. Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. In this beginning chapter
book, Mark and Ben, both highly competitive, refuse to pass the soccer ball, but
eventually realize that their best chance of winning is working together. Series
