Excellent Chapter Book Series for Third Graders

These Jenny Linsky books will always have a special place in my heart because they turned my daughter into a reader. This was the first series that she loved and kept begging for more!

Jenny is a sweet black cat who has all kinds of adventures. She sails the seas, works in a hotel, and joins a cat club, which is as adorable as it sounds. They may have been written in the 1940's, but they're just as good now as they were then.

Animals / Classics | 6 books in series

This is a really great new illustrated chapter book series about a team of delightful girl spies. Peggy, Rita, and Dot are the most adorable trio and they work so well together.

What I really love about this fun mystery series is how it introduces young readers to famous real life women throughout history.

Mystery | 2 books in series

This is the perfect series for all the kids out there that really want to believe unicorns are real.

It's Elliot's first day at a new school and his class is going on a field trip. But this field trip into the forest of Pine Barrens is going to be anything but ordinary. Elliot and his new friend Uchenna are about to become part of a secret group of adventurers: The Unicorn Rescue Society.

Fantasy Adventure | 6 books in series

These are hilarious! Perfect for fans of Bad Kitty or Dog Man.

Mr. Wolf is tired of being misunderstood as a Bad Guy. So he's come up with a plan to turn bad guys into good guys. He's going to start by getting Mr. Shark, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Piranha to help break 200 dogs out of a dog pound. You'll love how it all plays out!

Humor | B&W Illustrations | 14 books in series

The Ratsos, Louie and Ralphie are determined to be tough guys. However, it's hilarious watching as their plans go awry and they always end up being the nice guys.

These are really cute and funny, with illustrations throughout.

Humor | 5 books in series

This is partly a clever take on a medieval adventure story, but it's mostly a lot of random silliness - the kind that many kids double over in laughter for.

A brother (Stinkbomb) and his little sister (Ketchup Face) are roped into a kerfuffle when a twenty dollar bill goes missing. It must have been the badgers (because "bad" is their name) and when news of the treachery reaches King Toothbrush he sends them on a quest to rid the land of badgers. Sounds weird, but that's what makes it fun.

Humor | 6 books in series

This is an epistolary series, written as emails between Eddie and his Uncle Morton. Eddie agreed to look after his uncle's dragon for a week but it's turning out to be a much more difficult job than Eddie expected!

These books are really funny and clever!

Humor | 7 books in series

This book series was actually inspired by the life of an eleven year old viral video star, Sarai Gonzalez. We love her upbeat attitude and her heartwarming stories!

Sarai loves to bake, dance, and even runs her own cupcake business. But when her grandparents are forced to move, Sarai is determined to figure out how to save their house.

Realistic | 4 books in series

This is a really sweet new series! Del and Alma are both cousins and best friends. Del is so excited that Alma and her family have moved closer, but Alma is still missing her old home and wondering how she fits in to this new place. So, when a special item at a stoop sale the girls become convinced that it's bringing them magic luck. Maybe this is just the thing to help Alma feel at home?

Fantasy / Magic | 4 books in series

This series is crazy fun (and spooky too)! Alexander has just moved to Stermont and right away he notices some really weird things, beginning with a creepy balloon goon that smacks into their car. He starts keeping track of the monsters he's uncovering in his Notebook of Doom.

Humor / Mystery | 13 books in series

Mindy Kim is such a loveable character!

Mindy Kim wants three things: a puppy, to fit in at her new school, and a happy dad. It's going to be tricky making it all happen, but Mindy Kim is going to start by creating her own snack business. Her story just gets more and more awesome as it goes along.

Realistic | 6 books in series

Harriet Hamsterbone is a phenomenal character! She's a princess in the rodent realm but she was cursed as an infant and is doomed to prick her finger on a hamster wheel on her 12th birthday. But, surprisingly, this is wonderful news to Harriet because, by her estimation, this means she's invincible until her 12th birthday.

These are delightful and laugh out loud funny! We highly recommend this series.

Fantasy | 6 Books in Series

Beloved children's book author Mac Barnett makes a big claim in this series - he says that while he was a kid, he was a spy for the Queen of England. He's ready to tell his story and you're going to love it!

His hijinks in this series will have you both laughing and turning pages as fast as you can.

Mystery / Humor | 6 books in series

All of my kids have absolutely fallen in love with Dory! This is a perfectly charming series!

Dory is 6 years old, the youngest of three kids, and is nicknamed "Rascal." She's curious, wildly creative, and so much fun to read about.

Realistic / Humor | 5 books in series

These cute books about friendship were my daughter's favorite for a long time!

When Bean and Ivy first meet they are certain they won't be friends because they are so different. But as different as they may be, they turn out to be the very best of friends and their shenanigans are so fun to follow along with.

Realistic / Humor | 12 books in series

This is a really funny series with black and white comic book style illustrations throughout. It's very engaging, even for reluctant readers.

Andy and Terry are trying to write a book, but it's hard to stay focused when you live in a 13 story treehouse with things like a marshmallow machine that follows you around and shoots marshmallows into your mouth whenever you are hungry. These are so creative!

Humor | 10 books in series

This series is another that always has kids laughing out loud as they read!

Franny K. Stein is a mad scientist. She's also quirky, intelligent, and despite being known as the weird kid at school, very determined to make new friends.

Humor | 9 books in series

This series about a Muslim British Boy is FANTASTIC! There's a lot of humor thanks to all of the shenanigans Omar is involved in, but there's also a more serious side as Omar deals with being bullied and racism. Young readers can also learn a little bit about Omar's Muslim religion. Overall though, the series is just downright fun - perfect for fans of Alvin Ho or Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Realistic / Humor | 3 books in series

If you like shenanigans, this is the series for you!

Miles Murphy is best known as first class prankster. However, when he moves to a new town and discovers that there's already a prankster at his new school, Miles is in for quite the adventure!

Humor | 4 books in series

This is a fun, fast paced adventure series! My kids flew through the pages of these.

When Tiger Brooks and his family move into a new house, he starts noticing strange things happening at his next door neighbor's house. She's a reclusive old woman but when Tiger Brooks investigates he discovers that old Luna Lopez has a magical golden frame that can transport them into the world's greatest paintings. It's a fun ride!

Adventure | 5 books in series

This is such a clever series about a ghost separated from his family. He meets a real girl named Claire who lives with her family above the town library and has the special ability to see him. The two become friends and start solving mysteries together.

Mystery | 10 books in series

This series is super popular for a reason! If you're looking for gripping, page-turning books, start with these.

These take you on a wild ride through history. The author has done extensive research, so they're both entertaining and informative. They cover everything from the California Wildfires to the American Revolution.

Adventure / History | 20 books in series

Jack Stalwart may be just 9 years old, but he works for the Global Protection Force battling evil villains and keeping the world's most precious treasures safe.

In every book of the series, Jack travels to a new foreign land collecting clues to help him find his missing brother, who is also a GPF agent.

Mystery / Adventure | 14 books in series

This is a really cute series for all the animal lovers out there.

The Critter Club consists of four girls and in each book they deal with real life issues alongside their animal friends at the vet clinic. They make new friends, solve mysteries, and have all kinds of simple kid adventures.

Animals | 22 books in series

There's a reason these have been popular with kids for nearly 30 years! Cam Jansen is a super sleuth with a photographic memory and these fast paced mysteries are widely loved by children.

Our library has the full set of these and three of my four kids have read every single book in the series!

Mystery | 34 books in series

These books are based on the author's own experiences growing up Mexican-American and they are so fun and inspiring.

Stella is shy and feels lonely at school. But with the help of friends and family, Stella figures out how to speak up when she has something to say.

Realistic | 3 books in series

Beatrice is a fun and feisty third grader in the tradition of the great Ramona Quimby. This is another great series about friendship and problem solving. These have been a big hit with my third graders.

Realistic | 3 books in series

Kids LOVE this series! Danny is the only dragon at a school for reptiles. You'd think he'd have it pretty easy, but he's a late bloomer and still can't breathe fire. Luckily he has his best friend, an iguana named Wendell to help him out.

These are laugh out loud funny!

Humor | 11 books in series

If you haven't already met Hilda, a brave and loveable adventurer, you're in a for a real treat! This book was first a graphic novel, then a Netflix series, and now an absolutely charming chapter book series. My kids and I are in love with Hilda!

Join Hilda and her friends as she negotiates peace with the elves, accidentally meets a troll, and helps two ancient rock giants find love.

Fantasy | 6 books in series

We adore fractured-fairytales at our house! This series is a fun twist on the classic fairy tales.

It begins with a magic mirror in the basement that accidentally transports siblings Abby and Jonah into a fairytale. When they mistakenly mess up the story, they have to figure out how to set things right. You'll want to read this series in order.

Fantasy Adventure | 15 books in series

This is a fun and quirky fantasy series for kids. These are the kind of books that can end a reading slump!

Rory Landon is trying to cope with her parents' divorce and part of the upheaval means she has to attend a new after-school program. She realizes things are going to be different, but after her first day in the program where she ends up fighting a dragon from a fairytale she thought was only fictional, she realizes things are going to be more different than she could have ever imagined.

Fantasy / Adventure | 4 books in series

This is a really charming and witty series!

Pip can talk to magical creatures, which is convenient because her aunt is a vet for magical creatures. Unfortunately, her new friend Tomas is actually allergic to most magical creatures. Between the three of them and all of the quirky animals they encounter, these stories are a lot of fun.

Fantasy / Animals | 3 books in series

This series is really good! If you love realistic fiction, definitely check it out.

For all three of my girls, third grade has been time of dealing with friendship issues, which is why we really loved this series. Anna Wang has lost her best friend to a clique of mean girls and she has no idea how to make new friends. So she turns to beloved classic books like Betsy Tacy, The Hundred Dresses, and

Realistic | 4 books in series

I still remember the impression these hilarious books made on me when I was a kid! They've definitely endured the test of time.

Wayside School is the wackiest school with the strangest teachers and the funniest kids. These are so much fun to read!

Humor | 4 books in series

This is a really clever series about a time traveling Golden Retriever that always figures out how to save the day. The series takes you around the world, from Rome to the South Pole, and through time, from the Oregon Trail to the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

Historical Fiction / Time Travel | 12 books in series

Did you ever read the Redwall series? These are similar, but a little more cozy and gentle.

The Heartwood Hotel is the grandest hotel in the Fernwood Forest and animals come from far and wide for a safe place to stay. When Mona Mouse stumbles upon the hotel she hopes she's finally found a place she can call home. However, danger lurks and Mona has to figure out how she can help.

Animals / Fantasy | 4 books in series

This is a delightful series set in Italy in an ancient town famous for its witches. The children of Benevento are always on guard, watching out for the witches who especially like to play tricks during the mischief season.

The series follows five cousins and their exciting adventures as they outwit the witches.

Fantasy | 6 books in series

Clementine is witty, clever, and a little rambunctious. These laugh-out loud funny books deal with real life issues in a charming, humorous way.

These are often compared to Junie B. Jones, but I think these are much better!

Realistic | 7 books in series

It's been hard for Tilly Pages since her mother's disappearance, but she's been comforted by spending time reading at her grandparents' bookshop, Pages & Co. However, when characters, like Anne of Green Gables and Alice from Wonderland, from her favorite books start showing up in the shop, Tilly realizes there's a big adventure afoot and it may have something to do with her mother's disappearance!

This series is an enchanting and wonderful adventure! We highly recommend these books!

Fantasy | 3 books in series

I still remember my first grade teacher reading these hilarious books aloud to us! They made such an impression on me and I read and reread them throughout my childhood, enjoying them every single time. These are the kind of books that can make a kid a reader.

The series begins with fourth grader Peter Hatcher and his almost three-year-old brother, Fudge. Fudge, like most almost three year olds, is flurry of trouble and disaster wherever he goes and Peter doesn't know if he can take much more of it. As the oldest of four kids, I always had a lot of empathy for Peter.

Realistic / Humor | 5 books in series

This series is excellent for kids who enjoy Historical Fiction. The first book in the series won a Newbery award, but all of the books are wonderful. The books are based on a true story about the author's ancestors.

Set in the late nineteenth century, the story follows the Witting family. When Jacob Witting's wife dies, he advertises for a mail order wife to help him with his children. Sarah, who describes herself as "plain and tall" responds to the add. The story is told from Anna's perspective, one of Jacob's daughters. It's a charming series!

Historical Fiction | 5 books in series

This series is phenomenal for kids who love fantasy and adventure stories. Poppy is a brave little deer mouse who has decided to stand up to the resident owl in Dimwood Forest, risking her life to find out what the owl has been keeping from the mouse community. It's a pretty gripping adventure!

Note, there is a prequel in this series, but I'd recommend starting with this one and reading the prequel (Ragweed) later on.

Fantasy / Animals | 6 books in series