Grade 3 Houghton Mifflin Reading

Bibliography

Theme 4: Animal Habitats

The books listed below may be available through publishers, distributors such as bookstores or online retailers, or library systems.

Recommended Leveled Books for Independent Reading

Below Level

City Park by Wendy Davis
Children's 1997 (32p) also paper
A city park can be home to many kinds of animals, birds, and insects.
Science

Fabulous Frogs by Linda Glaser
Millbrook 1999 (32p)
Describes the characteristics of frogs and their environment.
Science

Where Are the Night Animals? by Mary Ann Fraser
Harper 1999 (32p)
Bats, tree frogs, barn owls, and raccoons are just a few of the nocturnal animals introduced.
Science

Morning, Noon, and Night by Jean Craighead George
Harper 1999 (32p)
Animals across the country wake up, play, work, and finally rest.
Science

Way Out in the Desert by T. J. Marsh and Jennifer Ward
Rising Moon 1998 (32p)
A song introduces readers to plants and animals of the desert.
Music

Destination: Polar Regions by Jonathan Grupper
Nat'l Geo 1999 (32p)
Readers are introduced to inhabitants of the polar regions: bears, walruses, and elephant seals.
Science

Turtle Bay by Saviour Pirotta
Farrar 1997 (32p)
Taro helps prepare the beach for the arrival of the sea turtles.
Science

Urban Roosts by Barbara Bash
Little 1992 (32p) also paper
In recent years thirteen bird species have made their homes in the heart of large cities.
Science

Secret Place by Eve Bunting
Clarion 1996 (32p)
In the middle of the city, a boy finds a place where ducks nest and possums come to drink.

On Level

* A Beach for the Birds by Bruce McMillan
Houghton 1993 (32p)
Humans and the endangered Least Tern coexist on the beaches of Maine.
Science

Seashore Babies by Kathy Darling
Walker 1997 (32p)
Featured are young animals that live along the seashore, including crabs, dolphins, and terns.
Science

* Wild Flamingos by Bruce McMillan
Houghton 1997 (32p)
The reader is introduced to the Greater Flamingos on the Caribbean island of Bonaire.
Science

* The Life and Times of the Honey Bee by Charles Micucci
Houghton 1995 (32p)
Explored here are the life cycle, social organization, and history of one of the world's most useful insects.
Science

Tracks in the Wild by Betsy Bowen
Houghton 1998 (32p)
The author introduces readers to thirteen animals found in the woods near her Minnesota home.
Science

Baby Whale Rescue: The True Story of J. J. by Caroline Arnold
BridgeWater 1999 (32p)
J. J. is rescued after being separated from her mother.

Watching Desert Wildlife by Jim Arnosky
Nat'l Geo 1998 (32p)
Naturalist Arnosky describes the animal life found in the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts.
Science

Swift as the Wind: The Cheetah by Barbara Juster Esbensen
Orchard 1996 (32p)
The cheetah, fastest of the big cats, can reach speeds of almost seventy mph.
Science

Coyotes: North America's Native Dog by Stephen R. Swinburne
Boyds Mills 1999 (48p)
The small cousin of the wolf, the coyote has adapted to many environments, including urban ones.
Science

Octopus by Rebecca Stefoff
Benchmark 1996 (32p)
The octopus is one of the ocean's strangest-looking creatures but also one of its most intelligent.
Science

Safari by Robert Bateman
Little 1998 (32p)
The author shares his paintings of some of Africa's more exotic wildlife.
Art

Above Level

Hawk Highway in the Sky by Caroline Arnold
Harcourt 1997 (48p)
Scientists and volunteers gather each fall and spring to count the migrating raptors through the Goshute Mountains in Nevada.
Science

They Swim the Seas: The Mystery of Animal Migration by Seymour Simon
Harcourt 1998 (40p)
Simon describes the migration of marine plants and animals, from microscopic plankton to giant gray whales.
Science

Shadows in the Dawn by Kathryn Lasky
Harcourt 1998 (63p)
Primatologist Alison Jolly and her assistants study the lifestyle and habits of a troop of lemurs.
Science

Recommended Books for Teacher Read Aloud

Poppy by Avi
Orchard 1995 (160p) also paper
In this fantasy, Poppy, a deer mouse, tries to end the tyranny of Mr. Ocax, a great horned owl.

Incredible Animal Adventures by Jean Craighead George
Harper 1994 (72p) paper
Balto the sled dog and Koko the signing gorilla are just two of the famous animals whose stories are told here.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling
Morrow 1997 (40p)
Kipling's classic story of a mongoose and a cobra is illustrated by award-winning Jerry Pinkney.
Classic

* = Included in Houghton Mifflin Classroom Bookshelf, Level 3