Book recommendations year 3/4

[FrenchFancie]

Hi all,
I am a ECT1 next year and excited to be setting up my first classroom in primary year 3/4 (it’s a mixed class). The classroom I’m taking over doesn’t have many fiction books, and no cash to buy more. I can raid the school
library for a few but I though I was check charity shops / local car boot for books over the summer.
My own kids are well past this age group and while I can remember some favourites (diary of a wimpy kid / sodding beast quest books) I was wondering if you have recommendations for books that I might have missed or been published more recently.
i’m trying really hard not to spend a load of my own money on this - after spending the last year in uni with no pay finances are a bit tight!!

What about the Julia Donaldson books? Room on the Broom, The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo's child, The Snail & The Whale, Monkey Puzzle & A Squash & A Squeeze.....that's all I can remember for now but she has more.

Or Tom Fletcher, The Dinosaur that pooped books.

Just offering another perspective, as the books suggested by the poster above I would say are more aimed at KS1 children… I teach year 4 and the children love the Alex Ryder series, David Walliams, Abi Elphinstone (not sure I’ve spelt her surname right!), Tom Gates series (Liz Pichon), Cressida Cowell’s How to Train Your Dragon, Katherine Rundell and Michael Morpego.

It’s a huge thing now in children’s literacy that they don’t seem to be reading nearly enough non fiction, so I’d suggest keeping an eye out for some good non-fiction as well. And poetry, kids love poetry!

My Year 4 class like Rainbow magic books, The Land of Roar, books by Savior Pirotta that linked to our topics, The Boy at the back of the class, as well as the books mentioned by the above poster.

https://www.booksfortopics.com/booklists/recommended-reads/year-3/
https://www.booksfortopics.com/booklists/recommended-reads/year-4/

Apologies OP...I read you post as age 3/4. 🙈

The range of ability at that age can be massive. You'll still have some in year 3 struggling with a slim chapter book, while your better readers are smashing through much longer novels.

Good stuff:
Dick king smith (easier) - George's marvellous medicine, hodgeheg, sheep pig
Toto the ninja cat
Abi elphinstone Rumble star
Podkin one ear series
Mr gum (bit easier)
Varjak paw
Roald dahl - charlie & choc factory, danny the champion of the world, bfg
The 13 storey treehouse
Adventures on trains books
The worst witch
Mirabelle
How to train your dragon
The boy who grew dragons
Wild robot

There are a couple of slimmer michael morpurgos which a more able reader might try

Your more able year fours might try CS Lewis

Readerteacher does good lists although it feels like it avoids popular fiction series in favour of a very deliberate desire for breadth

You could also set up an amazon wish list and tell your pta its there... they might encourage parents to donate.

If my owns kids teachers did this I would happily buy a couple of volumes, if 20 or so parents did that would get you off to a roaring start.

My 7-year-old is heading into Year 3. He's a greater depth reader, but still loves a picture book, and recent favourites are:

Danger is Everywhere series
Sam Wu series
Mr Penguin series
Looshkin / anything by Jamie Smart or Phoenix magazine
Captain Underpants/ Dogman / anything by Dav Pilkey
Boy Who Grew Dragons series
How to Train Your Dragon series
Roald Dahl (apart from Boy, Going Solo, Danny the Champion of the World which are for older readers)
Dick King-Smith
13-Storey Treehouse series

Usborne Beginners Non-Fiction
Usborne Young Readers
I Am The Seed That Grew the Tree
Transported: 50 Vehicles That Changed the World
DK Help Your Kids With (any slightly advanced non-fiction)
Minecraft Blockopedia (anything Minecraft)
There's No Such Thing As A Silly Question

I got these from his reading shelves next to his bed. Tonight he'd fallen asleep on Looshkin 😅

Oh yes i forgot Looshkin & Bunny and Monkey these are silly/funny but very popular - kids graphic novels but done well.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. I actually read it to my Y3 class in the summer term and they LOVED it!

year 3/4 are ages 7-9 far to old for Julia Donaldson.

For the children to read for pleasure- Dogman, Bunny Vs Monkey, anything by Jacqueline Wilson or Katie Kirby

Hi @FrenchFancie . I have been teaching year 3 for the past three years and am moving to year 4 in September. I always pick up joke books from charity shops - the kids love them. They also love the Guiness Book of Records books so I always grab those too. My year 3s also still loved picture books as well as chapter books (of which you've been given some great recommendations). Good luck with your first class.

Don’t forget op that you can pop a question like this in ChatGPT and ask it to tailor the list in various ways; it will also create you a nice list of suggested reading with book covers and blurbs for your class’ parents to see

Some Y3/4 do still like picture books! My dd going into y4 gd reader does.