3rd grade books about History
19 books commonly assigned to 3rd grade students explore history— every title’s grade range covers 3rd grade, so each is grade-appropriate by curriculum placement. Each links to its reading level, themes, and the curricula that cite it.
Reading difficulty: the typical 3rd grade text-complexity band is 420–820L (Common Core Appendix A). Of the 1 history titles here with a Lexile score, 1 is grade-level, 0 are more accessible, and 0 are stretch texts. Match a book to your reader’s measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
What this list holds: 16 of the 19 titles are cited by a US curriculum or award list for 3rd grade; the rest are placed here by their grade range, first published between 1972 and 2024. Themes these books most often share besides history: courage (5), biography (3), survival (3), 1939-1945 (2).
19 3rd grade books about history
Reading the whole 3rd grade books about history? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.
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Because of You, John Lewis
Andrea Davis PinkneyCited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade 3 to 5. Also covers courage and identity.
Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust
Elisa BoxerCited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade 2 to 5. Also covers courage, Holocaust and biography.
Hoops
Matt TavaresCited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade 3 to 5. Also covers courage and perseverance.
Riding Freedom
Pam Muñoz RyanCited in 2 curricula across 2 states, taught from grade 3 to 8. Also covers mistaken identity, identification and novela juvenil.
Fever 1793
Laurie Halse AndersonCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 2 to 8. Also covers yellow fever, epidemics and survival.
Ghost Cadet
Elaine Marie AlphinCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 5. Also covers campaigns, ghosts and grandmothers.
Girl in a Cage
Jane YolenCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 8. Also covers princesses, childhood and youth, fantasy fiction.
Here Comes the Garbage Barge
Jonah WinterCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 2 to 8. Also covers voyages and travel, barges, refuse and refuse disposal.
Iceberg
Jennifer A. NielsenCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 7. Also covers survival and courage.
Nothing Else But Miracles
Kate AlbusCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 7. Also covers family and resourcefulness.
Prisoner B-3087
Alan GratzCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 8. Also covers jews, holocaust and jewish (1939-1945).
The Apothecary
Maile MeloyCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 2 to 8. Also covers cold war, adventure and adventurers, alchemy.
The Butterfly
Patricia PolaccoCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 6. Also covers jews, france and world war.
Time to Make Art
Jeff MackCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade K to 3. Also covers imagination and identity.
Tucky Jo and Little Heart
Patricia PolaccoCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 5. Also covers soldiers, kindness and world war.
Volcanoes
Nell Cross BeckermanCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 3 to 6. Also covers nature and intelligence.
Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera
Deborah HopkinsonTaught from grade 3 to 6. Also covers science, biography and problem-solving.
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
Lauren TarshisTaught from grade 2 to 5. Also covers survival, courage and family. At 590L it falls inside the 420–820L band for this grade.
The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey
Chad Soon & Amy MaranvilleTaught from grade 3 to 7. Also covers biography, sports and perseverance.
History books at other grades
2nd grade · 4th grade · 5th grade · 6th grade · 7th grade · 8th grade · 9th grade · 10th grade
Other 3rd grade themes
Friendship · Family · Humor · Humorous Stories · Courage · Schools · Imagination · Dogs
← Full 3rd grade reading list · All historybooks →
Frequently asked questions
What history books are good for 3rd grade students?
19 books exploring history have a grade range that covers 3rd grade and are assigned across US-school curricula — Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and state ELA standards. Each title on this page links to its full curriculum citations and reading level.
Are these history books grade-appropriate for 3rd grade?
Every title's grade range covers 3rd grade. The typical 3rd grade text-complexity band is 420–820L (Common Core Appendix A); of the 1 books here with a Lexile score, 1 is grade-level, 0 more accessible, and 0 a stretch. Match a book to your reader's measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
How many history books are on the 3rd grade list?
This page lists 19 3rd grade titles about history, ordered by how many US curricula cite each one for this grade (ties alphabetical). The list expands as more curriculum references are verified.
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Canonical URL: https://readinglist.school/grade/3/history