50 Best 3rd Grade Books for Summer Reading (Age 8)

What are the best 3rd grade books for summer reading? Here are my chapter book recommendations for 3rd graders, ages 8 and 9 (third grade), to read during summer vacation– or anytime.

You’ll find the best of funny books, fantasy books, friendship stories, adventure stories, and books about animals. These are excellent chapter books that will get your 3rd grade readers hooked on books reaall summer long!

I’m a former teacher, parent of two, avid reader, and book reviewer (15 years.) You can trust that I’ve read and reviewed all of these books and that they’ll be interesting to children and appropriate for third grade readers.

You may be wondering: how old are 3rd graders? The third grade age is usually age 8, turning age 9 sometime during the school year.

These books for 3rd graders are the upper range of chapter books and the lower range of middle grade books. These 3rd grade books are short, illustrated, and about topics 3rd graders can relate to. Those topics and themes include friendship, family, real life, and hard things –like saving the world or solving a mystery!

This list of 3rd grade books only shows the titles. Want to read my detailed reviews? Visit the best books for 3rd graders. There, you’ll read the book title, the author, the illustrator, the genre, and my review elaborating on the plot, theme, and why kids will like it.

Don’t forget that a summer reading program can be awesome motivation. Download my free printable summer reading packet to help your kids set goals and stay on track.

Make sure the book is at the “just right” reading level with the 5 Finger Test.

For book reviews, visit Best Books for 8-Year Olds Book Reviews.

More summer reading book lists:

2nd grade summer reading list
4th grade summer reading list
All reading lists by grade level

3rd Grade Books for Summer Reading (Age 8)

SHOP this list.

3rd Grade Books: Graphic Novels

Young readers love graphic novels — and they count 100% as real reading with compelling stories and interesting characters and plots. Reluctant readers and all readers use essential reading comprehension skills like inference when reading graphic novels. So if your 3rd graders like graphic novels, pick one of these fantastic 3rd grade books.

3rd Grade Books: Funny Books

If your 3rd grade reader likes funny books, they’ll love these hilarious chapter books.

3rd Grade Realistic Books

If your early readers in 3rd grade like realistic stories, they’ll love one of these great books:

3rd Grade Adventure & Mystery Books

If your 3rd graders like adventure and mystery books, they’ll love:

3rd Grade Fantasy and Science Fiction Books

If your young reader enjoys reading fantasy and science fiction books, they’ll love:

3rd Grade Books: Animal Books

If your third grader loves animal books, pick from one of these good books:

3rd Grade Books: Nonfiction

If your 8-year-old in third grade likes nonfiction books, try these good nonfiction choices for 3rd graders:

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Book Lists with Reviews

Early Reader Books
Books for 1st Graders
Books for 2nd Graders
Books for 3rd Graders
Books for 4th Graders
Books for 5th Graders
Books for 6th Graders
Books for 7th Graders
YA Books