# 3rd grade books about friendship

**71** books commonly assigned to 3rd grade students in US schools that explore friendship. Every title's grade range covers 3rd grade, so each is grade-appropriate by curriculum placement. Sourced from Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and 50 state ELA curricula.

**Reading difficulty:** the typical 3rd grade band is 420–820L (Common Core Appendix A). Of the 21 titles here with a Lexile score, 16 are grade-level, 1 more accessible, and 4 a stretch.

**Grade:** 3rd grade  ·  **Theme:** friendship
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/grade/3/friendship
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.
**Primary source — Common Core ELA exemplars:** https://achievethecore.org/page/2699

## 3rd grade friendship reading list

- [A Boy Named Queen](https://readinglist.school/book/a-boy-named-queen) by Sara Cassidy _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2016)_
- [A Lot to Like!](https://readinglist.school/book/a-lot-to-like) by Derek Anderson _(Grades 2–5 · pub 2022)_
- [A Mischief of Mice](https://readinglist.school/book/a-mischief-of-mice) by Christie Matheson _(Grades K–3 · pub 2024)_
- [A Royal Conundrum](https://readinglist.school/book/a-royal-conundrum) by Lisa Yee _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall](https://readinglist.school/book/a-strange-thing-happened-in-cherry-hall) by Jasmine Warga _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2025)_
- [Because of Winn-Dixie](https://readinglist.school/book/because-of-winn-dixie) by Kate DiCamillo _(610L · Grades 3–5 · pub 2000)_
- [Bink & Gollie](https://readinglist.school/book/bink-gollie) by Kate DiCamillo _(Grades 2–8 · pub 2010)_
- [Charlotte's Web](https://readinglist.school/book/charlottes-web) by E.B. White _(680L · Grades 3–5 · pub 1952)_
- [Closed for the Season](https://readinglist.school/book/closed-for-the-season) by Mary Downing Hahn _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2009)_
- [Corduroy](https://readinglist.school/book/corduroy) by Don Freeman _(600L · Grades K–3 · pub 1968)_
- [Countdown to Yesterday](https://readinglist.school/book/countdown-to-yesterday) by Shirley Marr _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [Crash](https://readinglist.school/book/crash) by Jerry Spinelli _(Grades 3–8 · pub 1996)_
- [Curveball](https://readinglist.school/book/curveball) by Pablo Cartaya _(Grades 3–5 · pub 2024)_
- [Diary of a Wimpy Kid](https://readinglist.school/book/diary-of-a-wimpy-kid) by Jeff Kinney _(950L · Grades 3–7 · pub 2007)_
- [Dog Man](https://readinglist.school/book/dog-man) by Dav Pilkey _(390L · Grades 2–5 · pub 2016)_
- [Dog Man Unleashed](https://readinglist.school/book/dog-man-unleashed) by Dav Pilkey _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2019)_
- [Dogtown](https://readinglist.school/book/dogtown) by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2023)_
- [Fox Has a Problem](https://readinglist.school/book/fox-has-a-problem) by Corey R. Tabor _(Grades 2–5 · pub 2023)_
- [Framed!](https://readinglist.school/book/framed) by James Ponti _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2016)_
- [Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye](https://readinglist.school/book/geronimo-stilton-lost-treasure-of-the-emerald-eye) by Geronimo Stilton _(530L · Grades 2–5 · pub 2004)_
- [Gibberish](https://readinglist.school/book/gibberish) by Young Vo _(Grades K–3 · pub 2022)_
- [Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House](https://readinglist.school/book/goosebumps-welcome-to-dead-house) by R.L. Stine _(Grades 3–7 · pub 1992)_
- [Growing Home](https://readinglist.school/book/growing-home) by Beth Ferry _(Grades 3–5 · pub 2025)_
- [Hannah Sharpe, Cartoon Detective](https://readinglist.school/book/hannah-sharpe-cartoon-detective) by Janet Tashjian _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2023)_
- [Hello, Universe](https://readinglist.school/book/hello-universe) by Erin Entrada Kelly _(690L · Grades 3–7 · pub 2017)_
- [How to Eat Fried Worms](https://readinglist.school/book/how-to-eat-fried-worms) by Thomas Rockwell _(Grades 3–6 · pub 1973)_
- [I Lived Inside a Whale](https://readinglist.school/book/i-lived-inside-a-whale) by Xin Li _(Grades K–3 · pub 2024)_
- [It Came from the Trees](https://readinglist.school/book/it-came-from-the-trees) by Ally Russell _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [Ivy and Bean](https://readinglist.school/book/ivy-and-bean) by Annie Barrows _(580L · Grades 2–4 · pub 2006)_
- [J vs. K](https://readinglist.school/book/j-vs-k) by Kwame Alexander & Jerry Craft _(Grades 3–5 · pub 2025)_
- [James and the Giant Peach](https://readinglist.school/book/james-and-the-giant-peach) by Roald Dahl _(870L · Grades 3–6 · pub 1961)_
- [Just Keep Walking](https://readinglist.school/book/just-keep-walking) by Erin Soderberg Downing _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [Just Like Millie](https://readinglist.school/book/just-like-millie) by Lauren Castillo _(Grades K–3 · pub 2024)_
- [Knight Owl](https://readinglist.school/book/knight-owl) by Christopher Denise _(Grades K–3 · pub 2022)_
- [Knight Owl and Early Bird](https://readinglist.school/book/knight-owl-and-early-bird) by Christopher Denise _(Grades K–3 · pub 2024)_
- [Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All](https://readinglist.school/book/magnolia-wu-unfolds-it-all) by Chanel Miller _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [Mercy Watson to the Rescue](https://readinglist.school/book/mercy-watson-to-the-rescue) by Kate DiCamillo _(450L · Grades K–3 · pub 2005)_
- [Misfit Mansion](https://readinglist.school/book/misfit-mansion) by Kay Davault _(Grades 3–5 · pub 2023)_
- [Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism](https://readinglist.school/book/molly-moons-incredible-book-of-hypnotism) by Georgia Byng _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2002)_
- [My Teacher Is an Alien](https://readinglist.school/book/my-teacher-is-an-alien) by Bruce Coville _(Grades 3–6 · pub 1989)_
- [Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet](https://readinglist.school/book/planet-omar-accidental-trouble-magnet) by Zanib Mian _(820L · Grades 3–6 · pub 2019)_
- [Real Friends](https://readinglist.school/book/real-friends) by Shannon Hale _(Grades 2–8 · pub 2017)_
- [Saving Winslow](https://readinglist.school/book/saving-winslow) by Sharon Creech _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2018)_
- [Scare School Diaries: Welcome to Scare School](https://readinglist.school/book/scare-school-diaries-welcome-to-scare-school) by Jarrett Lerner _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [Stepping Up](https://readinglist.school/book/stepping-up) by Mark Fink _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2009)_
- [Stuart Little](https://readinglist.school/book/stuart-little) by E.B. White _(920L · Grades 3–5 · pub 1945)_
- [Swim Team](https://readinglist.school/book/swim-team) by Johnnie Christmas _(Grades 3–7 · pub 2022)_
- [The 13-Story Treehouse](https://readinglist.school/book/the-13-story-treehouse) by Andy Griffiths _(560L · Grades 2–5 · pub 2011)_
- [The Adventures of Captain Underpants](https://readinglist.school/book/the-adventures-of-captain-underpants) by Dav Pilkey _(720L · Grades 2–5 · pub 1997)_
- [The BFG](https://readinglist.school/book/the-bfg) by Roald Dahl _(720L · Grades 3–6 · pub 1982)_
- [The Boy at the Back of the Class](https://readinglist.school/book/the-boy-at-the-back-of-the-class) by Onjali Q. Raúf _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2018)_
- [The Cricket in Times Square](https://readinglist.school/book/the-cricket-in-times-square) by George Selden _(780L · Grades 3–5 · pub 1960)_
- [The Cybil War](https://readinglist.school/book/the-cybil-war) by Betsy Byars _(Grades 3–6 · pub 1981)_
- [The Dragonet Prophecy](https://readinglist.school/book/the-dragonet-prophecy) by Tui T. Sutherland _(Grades 3–7 · pub 2012)_
- [The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza](https://readinglist.school/book/the-first-cat-in-space-ate-pizza) by Mac Barnett _(Grades 2–5 · pub 2022)_
- [The Giving Tree](https://readinglist.school/book/the-giving-tree) by Shel Silverstein _(530L · Grades K–5 · pub 1964)_
- [The Guardian Test (Legends of Lotus Island #1)](https://readinglist.school/book/the-guardian-test) by Christina Soontornvat _(Grades 2–5 · pub 2023)_
- [The Indian in the Cupboard](https://readinglist.school/book/the-indian-in-the-cupboard) by Lynne Reid Banks _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2010)_
- [The Liars Society](https://readinglist.school/book/the-liars-society) by Alyson Gerber _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2024)_
- [The Lifters](https://readinglist.school/book/the-lifters) by Dave Eggers _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2018)_
- [The Mouse and the Motorcycle](https://readinglist.school/book/the-mouse-and-the-motorcycle) by Beverly Cleary _(860L · Grades 2–4 · pub 1965)_
- [The Season of Styx Malone](https://readinglist.school/book/the-season-of-styx-malone) by Kekla Magoon _(510L · Grades 3–7 · pub 2018)_
- [The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale](https://readinglist.school/book/the-skull) by Jon Klassen _(Grades 3–5 · pub 2023)_
- [The Stranger Next Door](https://readinglist.school/book/the-stranger-next-door) by Peg Kehret _(Grades 3–8 · pub 2002)_
- [The Superteacher Project](https://readinglist.school/book/the-superteacher-project) by Gordon Korman _(Grades 3–6 · pub 2023)_
- [The Whipping Boy](https://readinglist.school/book/the-whipping-boy) by Sid Fleischman _(Grades 3–7 · pub 1986)_
- [Wayside School Is Falling Down](https://readinglist.school/book/wayside-school-is-falling-down) by Louis Sachar _(Grades 3–5 · pub 1989)_
- [When Zachary Beaver Came to Town](https://readinglist.school/book/when-zachary-beaver-came-to-town) by Kimberly Willis Holt _(Grades 2–8 · pub 1999)_
- [Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy](https://readinglist.school/book/wings-of-fire-the-dragonet-prophecy) by Tui T. Sutherland _(720L · Grades 3–7 · pub 2012)_
- [Witchlings](https://readinglist.school/book/witchlings) by Claribel A. Ortega _(Grades 2–5 · pub 2022)_
- [Wonder](https://readinglist.school/book/wonder) by R.J. Palacio _(790L · Grades 3–7 · pub 2012)_

---

_Generated from primary-source citations indexed on ReadingList.school. HTML view: https://readinglist.school/grade/3/friendship._