​Rising 3rd Grade Summer Learning

Required Math Practice

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Practicing math skills consistently every week of the summer will help students reinforce their math proficiency and ensure a smooth transition back to school in August.
This summer, Athens Academy is asking all Lower School students to participate in the Athens Academy Summer Math Challenge as they work towards fast and effortless recall of math facts through a fun and engaging program called Reflex Math. 

Students log into Reflex Math through their student portal at least three times a week and strive for the “green light” each time. Your child can utilize the Reflex math program from any device with internet access throughout the summer. Parents can create an optional parent account to monitor their student's progress throughout the summer by following the directions found here.

Optional Additional Math Practice
Students who want to spend additional time working with grade-level content are invited to work through the IXL Ultimate Summer Workbook or the IXL Summer Boost Skill Plan using the IXL online platform.  For more information, please see IXL-Summer-Parent-Handout.

Should you need assistance please contact:
Returning students: [email protected]
New students: [email protected] 
For technical problems, please call our tech department at 706-433-2532

Summer Reading

In third grade, our goal is to help cultivate and enrich each student's love for reading and literature. We believe in giving them a choice and a voice when selecting their independent reading materials. Our recommendations are made to entice students to learn more about themselves and the world they live in. These selections help cover popular topics in third grade, help students learn about notorious historical figures/events and relate to realistic fiction. We are also hopeful that providing a variety of literature choices will help the students explore different genres that will match their reading and personal interests. Keep in mind that audiobooks and eBooks are reading options too!

REQUIRED:

  • Let's Mooove! (Magic on the Map, Book 1) By Courtney Sheinmel & Bianca Turetsky
  • Read at least one mystery book from the choices below 
  • Read at least one book from the genre of your choice using the choices below:
Parents, please print, complete, and sign the signature form at the bottom of this page, and your student will turn it in the first week of school. 

Required Book:

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​Let's Mooove! (Magic on the Move, Book 1) ​by Courtney Sheinmel and Bianca Turetsky
We must be dreaming! That's what twins Finn and Molly Parker think when they discover a camper in their driveway--and it talks! When the RV transports them to a cattle ranch in Colorado, the twins know something magical has happened. Then the camper disappears, leaving Finn and Molly to wonder . . . how are we going to get home?

Choose at least one mystery book, and one book from another genre.

Mystery
A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy
Dink Duncan and his two friends solve mysteries in their small town of Green Lawn, Connecticut.

Cam Jansen Series by David Adler
A fifth-grader with a photographic memory, and her friend, Eric, help solve mysteries.

Jigsaw Jones Mysteries by James Preller
Theodore "Jigsaw" Jones, a young grade-school detective, and his best friend Mila Yeh, solve various mysteries in their school and neighborhood.

Ballpark Mysteries by David A. Kelly
Mike Walsh and Kate Hopkins travel to various major league ballparks and solve mysteries, sometimes involving stolen items, ghostly occurrences, or helping players in need. 

Shelter Pet Squad by Cynthia Lord
Five kids volunteering at the local animal shelter get attached to the "looking for a second chance" pets in their care.

Encyclopedia Brown Series by Donald Sobol
10-year-old Leroy Brown, nicknamed "Encyclopedia", solves mysteries for his friends and family in the fictional town of Idaville. 

Friday Barnes: Girl Detective Series by R. A. Spratt
11-year-old Friday Barnes uses her detective skills to solve crimes and mysteries, particularly within the walls of her exclusive boarding school, Highcrest Academy.

Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol Series by Andres Miedoso
Follow Desmond Cole, a fearless eight-year-old who runs a ghost patrol, and his best friend, Andres Miedoso, who is afraid of everything, on their adventures in Kersville, a town with a spooky history and numerous ghosts and monsters.

The Secret Spy Society Series by Veronica Mang
Peggy, Rita, and Dot stumble upon a secret society of female spies from history, and solve mysteries with the help of these enigmatic female spies, who mentor and guide them. 
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The Last Kids on Earth Series by Max Brallier
​Jack Sullivan and his friends play video games, gorge themselves on candy, and battle zombies in the aftermath of the monster apocalypse.

Word Travelers Series by Raj Haldar
Two best friends, Eddie and MJ, travel the world using an "Awesome Enchanted Book" to solve mysteries and uncover lost treasures while learning about the origins of words.

Real Pigeons Fight Crime! by Andrew McDonald
A squad of crime-fighting pigeons use their unique abilities to solve mysteries and keep the city safe.
Realistic Fiction
Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary
Otis Spofford is a spirited 3rd grader known for his disruptive behavior, prankster tendencies, and a knack for stirring up excitement, often at the expense of his classmates, particularly Ellen Tebbits.

​Cleopatra's Report by Chris McTrustry
Cleopatra, shares her weekend adventure--she got to explore a dying planet! Using her holoband, Cleopatra shows the class how the planet's native people grow their food from the ground and live in little huts and tribes. 

Izzy Barr, Running Star by Claudia Mills
Izzy Barr is the star athlete of the third grade: she hits homeruns on her softball team and is one of the fastest runners in her class. But at home, her half-brother, Dustin, seems to be her father's favorite athlete―why else would her dad go to all of his games and miss so many of hers?

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
​Beezus worries because there are times when she doesn't like her little sister Ramona, until their mother and Aunt Beatrice tell Beezus what they were like while growing up.

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret, eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping her father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their apartment building.

Third Grade Angels by Jerry Spinelli
George 'Suds' Morton competes with his third-grade classmates to earn the first 'halo' of the year for good behavior, but being good turns out to be more stressful than he anticipated.

Judy Moody Was in a Mood by Megan McDonald
Third grader Judy Moody is in a first day of school bad mood until she gets an assignment to create a collage all about herself and begins creating her masterpiece, the Me collage.

Animal Ark Series by Ben M. Baglio and Lucy Daniels
Mandy Hope and her best friend James Hunter help animals at their parents' vet clinic, Animal Ark, in the village of Welford. 
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Puppy Place Series by Ellen Miles
Siblings Charles and Lizzie Peterson foster puppies and help them find loving homes. 
Picture Books
Like by Annie Barrows
In a series of amusing comparisons, a boy shows how humans are much more like each other than we are like any other thing on Earth.

Long Shot by Christ Paul
Everybody told Chris that he was too small to play basketball. But he ignored them all...because he had big dreams. And, he loved the game.

Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
A farmhouse provides the setting for a dozen children to live and grow, and when they leave, another family arrives to fill the house with love again.

Midnight & Moon by Kelly Cooper
A girl who doesn't fit in befriends a blind horse who also struggles to find his place in the herd. A beautiful picture book that helps readers celebrate the qualities that challenge us and make us different.

Wombat Said Come In by Carmen Agra Deedy
Safe in his burrow deep below the ground as Australian bushfires rage above, Wombat opens his home to five animals friends seeking shelter, in this heartwarming story about help in the time of trouble.

Palace of Books by Patricia Polacco
At the public library in her new town, Patricia meets Mrs. Creavy, an encouraging librarian who introduces Patricia to the books of John James Audubon and helps her become the first member of the Audubon Bird Club of Freemont Elementary.

How to Eat a Book by Mrs. and Mr. Macleod
One by one, Sheila, Gerald and Geraldine are eaten by books, throwing them into strange lands where Sheila escapes the weight of the world entirely, Gerald braves the wonder of seeing it up close, and Geraldine turns as terrifically terrible as she possibly can.

Simon and the Better Bone by Corey R. Tabor
One day, down by the pond, Simon meets another dog just like him. And that dog has a bone just like his, only better! How will Simon ever get him to trade, when the other pup knows all the same tricks?

In the Night Garden by Caren Berger
Beautiful hand-cut collage artwork and soothing woods make this bedtime story about the wonders of nighttime, from luminous flowers unfurling in the cool air to the murmur of a slow stream, come alive.

Pirate and Penguin by Mike Allegra
In this hilarious high-seas adventure, a pirate mistakes a penguin aboard his ship for a parrot, which leads to comedic chaos, acceptance and friendship — all before somebody walks the plank!

What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamanda
​A boy has an idea which makes him uncomfortable at first but he discovers it is magical and that, no matter what other people say, he should give it his attention.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king.
Fiction
Wind Riders Series by Jen Marlin
Max and Sofia embark on environmental adventures with a magical sailboat called Wind Rider, and help animals and the environment. 

Knights vs. Dinosaurs by Matt Phelan
With the realm at peace and few dragons about, the Knights of the Round Table don't have much to do, prompting Merlin to send them on an adventure to a world filled with the most terrible lizards of all--dinosaurs.

Anne Chapter Books by Kallie George
An early illustrated chapter book series inspired by Anne of Green Gables, starring the spirited Anne Shirley as she pursues her dream of becoming a teacher.

Dogtown by Katherine Applegate
When Chance, a real dog, and Metal Head, a robot dog, break out of the Dogtown shelter, they embark on an adventure to find their fur-ever homes, encountering both danger and unexpected kindness along the way.

Mouse and His Dog by Katherine Applegate
Longing for a fur-ever home, Buster, who gets overly excited and distracted, works to improve his behavior with the help of his Dogtown shelter friends but, it turns out, his human reading buddy is the key to him going from bad dog to very, very good dog.

Book Buddies by Cynthia Lord
A chapter book series about library toys, or "Book Buddies," and the children who borrow them. Each story follows a different Book Buddy as they are checked out by a child and embark on an adventure, exploring themes of friendship, belonging, and overcoming fears. 

Junior Monster Scouts Series by Joe McGee
Wolfy, Franky, and Vampyra, the children of classic monsters, are also Junior Monster Scouts who strive to help others and earn merit badges, often battling against Baron Von Grump, a cranky schemer who dislikes the Scouts and their good deeds. 

The Islands of Elsewhere by Heather Fawcett
Staying at their Granddaddy's seaside property for the summer, which includes the mysterious Fairy Islands, the Snolly sisters hunt for a long-buried treasure on these magical 'in-between' places that could help them save their grandfather.

The Great Vandal Scandal by Emily Ecton
The animals of the Strathmore building have a mission--convince the raccoons who have invaded the loading dock to leave the building before Biscuit, the Yorkie on the second floor, is evicted for his non-stop barking, and Madison, Butterbean's human, is blamed for the destruction the raccoons are causing.

The Doll People by Ann M. Martin
A family of porcelain dolls that has lived in the same house for one hundred years is taken aback when a new family of plastic dolls arrives and doesn't follow The Doll Code of Honor.
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The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead
A family of porcelain dolls that has lived in the same house for one hundred years is taken aback when a new family of plastic dolls arrives and doesn't follow The Doll Code of Honor.
Historical Fiction
The Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Pope Osborne
Siblings Jack and Annie use a magical tree house to travel through time and space, exploring history, fantasy, and other cultures. 
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The American Girl Series by Various Authors
The American Girl series tells the stories of girls living in different periods of history, from pioneers to contemporary settings.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A year in the life of two young girls growing up on the Wisconsin frontier, as they help their mother with the daily chores, enjoy their father's stories and singing, and share special occasions when they get together with relatives or neighbors.

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A family travels from the big woods of Wisconsin to a new home on the prairie, where they build a house, meet neighboring Indians, build a well, and fight a prairie fire.

I Survived... Series by Lauren Tarshis
This series tells stories of major historical disasters and events, such as the sinking of the Titanic, the 9/11 attacks, and the American Revolution, through the eyes of young witnesses. 

Charlotte in Paris by Joan Knight
The young daughter of American artists living in Giverny, France, in 1893, records in her journal her exciting trip to Paris to attend an Impressionist art exhibition. 

Attack on Pearl Harbor by Kate Messner
Ranger, the time-travelling Golden retriever, finds himself transported to the deck of the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941, where he rescues the young sailor Ben Hansen who is badly burned when the ship explodes.

The Bees of Notre Dame by Meghan P. Browne
This moving picture book about resilience in the face of disaster tells the little-known story of how a cluster of beehives that sat atop the Notre-Dame cathedral miraculously survived a devastating fire that broke out in 2019.​
All Time Favorites 
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Ten-year-old orphan Mary Lennox comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.

Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
Six-year-old Ramona tries to cope with an unsympathetic first-grade teacher.

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
Ramona meets lots of interesting people in kindergarten class, like Davy whom she keeps trying to kiss and Susan whose springy curls seem to ask to be pulled.

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
Three farmers, each one meaner than the other, try all-out warfare to get rid of the fox and his family.

Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry
A most unusual new student who loves to be the center of attention entertains her teacher and fellow second graders by telling absolutely true stories about herself, including how she got her name.

What a Map Can Do by Gabrielle Balkan
This entertaining and easy-to-understand first look at deconstructing and decoding maps is narrated by a raccoon preparing to embark on a big adventure.

A Cricket in Times Square by George Seldon
A musically inclined country cricket who unintentionally arrives in New York City is befriended by Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat as well as Mario, a boy who rescues Chester from a dusty corner of the subway station and brings him to live in the safety of his parents' newsstand.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Humorous episodes from the classroom on the thirtieth floor of Wayside School, which was accidentally built sideways with one classroom on each story.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio 
Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
None of her classmates pay much attention to Wanda Petronski, a Polish-American girl, until she announces she has 100 dresses in her closet. Everyone laughs and teases her so much that she stops coming to school. Then, her classmates discover she really does have 100 dresses and discover something about teasing and themselves.
Poetry/ Prose
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
A collection of humorous poems and drawings that readers will return to again and again.

The Real Dada Mother Goose: A Treasury of Complete Nonsense by Jon Sciezska
The classic nursery rhymes we know and love—upside-down, backward, in gibberish, and fresh out of bounds—as only Jon Scieszka could stage them.

Hard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast: And Other Tasty Poems ​by Jack Prelutsky
More than 100 funny new poems from Jack Prelutsky in a wide array of poetic forms, from haiku to concrete poems and everything in between, and hilariously illustrated in black-and-white on every page.

National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry: More than 200 Poems with Photographs that Float, Zoom and Bloom! by J. Patrick Lewis
by J. Patrick Lewis
When words in verse are paired with the awesomeness of nature, something magical happens! Beloved former U.S. Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis curates an exuberant poetic celebration of the natural world in this stellar collection of nature poems. From trickling streams to deafening thunderstorms to soaring mountains, discover majestic photography perfectly paired with contemporary (such as Billy Collins), classics (such as Robert Frost), and never-before-published works.

Something, Someday by Amanda Gorman
This stunning new picture book shows how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact, and how, with a little faith and friendship, we can find beauty and create change.