Read Aloud America for Grade 3-4 (2014)

This New York Times bestselling chapter book series has been keeping readers engaged and laughing for more than a decade with over one million copies sold! Clementine is NOT having a good week. On Monday she's sent to the principal's office for cutting off Margaret's hair. On Tuesday, Margaret's mother is mad at her. On Wednesday, she's sent to the principal, again. On Thursday, Margaret stops speaking to her. Then Friday starts with yucky eggs and only gets worse. And by Saturday, even her mother is mad at her. Okay, fine. Clementine is having a DISASTROUS week. But maybe can she find a way to make it better.

After a bulletin board falls on Stanley while he's sleeping, he finds that being flat has its advantages.

The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system! Who wants to vacation next to a volcano? Jack and Annie are about to find out when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to the days of the Roman Empire. They arrive in Pompeii and soon discover that it is the very day the city will be destroyed. Now Jack and Annie must race against time to find an ancient library before it is buried in ash! Did you know that there’s a Magic Tree House book for every kid? Magic Tree House: Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books Merlin Missions: More challenging adventures for the experienced reader Super Edition: A longer and more dangerous adventure Fact Trackers: Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures

Color-rich paint and paper collages, and playful easy-to-read text bring the story of Pele to life for children in Pele and the Rivers of Fire by Michael Nordenstrom. The book introduces Hawaii's beloved volcano goddess and her siblings to young readers in an inspiring tale about personal strength and over coming adversity.

On the island of Oahu, Kimo, a brave young cockroach, dreams of a better life for all roaches. Tired of living in the garbage, Kimo sets off on his quest to prove that roaches deserve a respected place in the insect kingdom. Lisa Matsumoto's story and Michael Furuya's paintings bring to life a delightful and humorous tale about the unusual habits of Hawaii's most feared household pest, the giant B-52 cockroach.

"A Chinese American girl's Auntie Yang discovers soybeans-a favorite Chinese food-growing in Illinois, leading her family to a soybean picnic tradition that grows into an annual community event. Includes author's note and glossary"--Provided by publisher.

A discussion between a boy and his parents about a bedroom, that is so dirty he would "have to clean up just to call it a mess," ends with a blast.

Greg Heffley and his family and friends are back in Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 8, the latest installment in the #1 bestselling series by Jeff Kinney and one of the most anticipated books of 2013. A global phenomenon, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has more than 85 million books in print around the world. Greg Heffley's on a losing streak. His best friend, Rowley Jefferson, has ditched him, and finding new friends in middle school is proving to be a tough task. To change his fortunes, Greg decides to take a leap of faith and turn his decisions over to chance. Will a roll of the dice turn things around, or is Greg's life destined to be just another hard-luck story?

Pete the Cat's second adventure is full of wild antics and mystery-solving fun!

A series of burglaries in their quiet community upsets Alex's family, particularly his younger brother Benjie. What would they do if their house were robbed? Pete is confident that he can protect his family, but that doesn't stop the burglars from trying! Luckily, the bad guys are no match for the very protective family cat and Benjie's "spy" skills.

After discovering a forest filled with prey and fresh water, Lucky and the Leashed Dogs are sure that they have found their new home. But a fierce pack of Wild Dogs has laid claim to the land and their menacing Alpha won’t allow other dogs to settle there. Now Lucky finds himself forced to go behind enemy lines—and to decide which dogs will ultimately be his true allies.

Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery is a children's novel written by Deborah Howe and James Howe, illustrated by Alan Daniel, and published by Atheneum Books in 1979. It inaugurated the Bunnicula series and Bunnicula universe. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the novel as one of the "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." The series chronicles the adventures of the Monroe family and their pets, Harold the dog, Chester the cat, and Bunnicula the rabbit. The novels are narrated by Harold the family dog.

Inspired by family stories, two-time Newbery Honor winner and New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Holm beautifully blends family lore with America's past in this charming gem of a novel, rich in historical detail, humor, and the unique flavors of Key West.Life isn't like the movies, and eleven-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935, and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to stay with relatives she's never met.Florida's like nothing Turtle has ever seen. It's hot and strange, full of wild green peeping out between houses, ragtag boy cousins, and secret treasure. Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she has spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways.From the Hardcover edition.

Little Willie hopes to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's farm with the purse from a dog sled race he enters.

After helping Strega Nona plant her vegetable garden just so, Big Anthony takes some extra seeds and sows another garden willy nilly, then must find a way to deal with the consequences.

The main character of Fantastic Mr. Fox is an extremely clever anthropomorphized fox named Mr. Fox. He lives with his wife and four little foxes. In order to feed his family, he steals food from the cruel, brutish farmers named Boggis, Bunce, and Bean every night. Finally tired of being constantly outwitted by Mr. Fox, the farmers attempt to capture and kill him. The foxes escape in time by burrowing deep into the ground. The farmers decide to wait outside the hole for the foxes to emerge. Unable to leave the hole and steal food, Mr. Fox and his family begin to starve. Mr. Fox devises a plan to steal food from the farmers by tunneling into the ground and borrowing into the farmer's houses. Aided by a friendly Badger, the animals bring the stolen food back and Mrs. Fox prepares a great celebratory banquet attended by the other starving animals and their families. Mr. Fox invites all the animals to live with him underground and says that he will provide food for them daily thanks to his underground passages. All the animals live happily and safely, while the farmers remain waiting outside in vain for Mr. Fox to show up.

From the Skidi branch of the Pawnee Indians of the Plains comes this tale of a boy who achieves greatness in his tribe with the guidance of a pony he made out of mud. Too poor to own a pony like the other boys, he fashions a small mud pony and goes to see it every day. It is during one of these visits that the rest of the tribe moves west in search of buffalo, and the boy is left behind. Not only does the mud pony become a living, breathing horse, but she takes him to his tribe; later, she helps him become the chief of his tribe by giving him great power in battles. "I am here, your Mother Earth. You are not alone!" are the words he hears when the mud pony has once again gone back to the earth. Cohen retells this story with grace; Begay, a Native American artist, provides evocative paintings that derive strength and impact from the suggestion of action rather than fully detailed scenes. Ages 5-8.

It isn’t that Abby Carson can’t do her schoolwork. She just doesn’t like doing it. And in February a warning letter arrives at her home. Abby will have to repeat sixth grade—unless she meets some specific conditions, including taking on an extra-credit project to find a pen pal in a distant country. Seems simple enough. But when Abby’s first letter arrives at a small school in Afghanistan, the village elders agree that any letters going back to America must be written well. In English. And the only qualified student is a boy, Sadeed Bayat. Except in this village, it is not proper for a boy to correspond with a girl. So Sadeed’s younger sister will write the letters. Except she knows hardly any English. So Sadeed must write the letters. For his sister to sign. But what about the villagers who believe that girls should not be anywhere near a school? And what about those who believe that any contact with Americans is . . . unhealthy? Not so simple. But as letters flow back and forth—between the prairies of Illinois and the mountains of central Asia, across cultural and religious divides, through the minefields of different lifestyles and traditions—a small group of children begin to speak and listen to one another. And in just a few short weeks, they make important discoveries about their communities, about their world, and most of all, about themselves.

Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary is the fifth book of the popular Ramona series. Mr. Quimby has found another job, though it is one he does not like very much. Ramona finds herself caught between being too young to stay home alone and too old to enjoy playing with pesky Willa Jean. She is trying to grow up, but sometimes it seems like her family is making it harder. Ramona and Her Mother won the 1981 National Book Award.

When a famous archaeologist has the priceless jewel he is carrying to London aboard a cruise ship stolen, Samantha and Nellie help him narrow down the suspects

Treva's trouble with trolls begins when she climbs Mount Baldy with her dog Tuffi. The trolls who live there long for a dog, and they try to kidnap him. But Treva is brave and quick-thinking. She outwits one troll after another until she reaches the very top of the mountain, where five trolls are waiting--and they want her dog! From underground to mountain peak, Jan Brett's story is filled with adventure and eye-catching detail.

Having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.