The Full 3rd Grade Reading List: The Time Trap Expanded
Under HB 1605, the Texas Education Agency has moved beyond single-book requirements to recommend an extensive list of 34 mandatory works for the 3rd-grade school year. This expanded list is designed to build a shared literary foundation, but the sheer volume creates a logistical nightmare for the 180-day school calendar.
Under HB 1605, the Texas Education Agency has moved beyond single-book requirements to recommend an extensive list of 34 mandatory works for the 3rd-grade school year. This expanded list is designed to build a shared literary foundation, but the sheer volume creates a logistical nightmare for the 180-day school calendar.
Mandatory 3rd Grade Literary Works (Draft List)
| Category | Mandated Title / Required Work | Word Count (Approx.) | Estimated Reading Time |
| Central Novel | Charlotte’s Web | ~32,000 | ~5 Hours |
| Chapter Book | The Trumpet of the Swan | ~42,200 | ~6.5 Hours |
| Historical Fiction | Number the Stars | ~27,200 | ~4.5 Hours |
| Diverse Fiction | Amina’s Voice | ~35,000 | ~5 Hours |
| Chapter Book | The Mouse and the Motorcycle | ~22,400 | ~3.5 Hours |
| Literary Fiction | Frindle | ~16,200 | ~2.5 Hours |
| STEM/Invention | Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet | ~10,000 | ~1.5 Hours |
| Biography | Rock by Rock | ~3,000 | ~30 Minutes |
| Biography | A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln | ~2,500 | ~25 Minutes |
| Ancient History | Rome/Greece/Egypt (Excerpts) | ~200 per | ~5 Mins per excerpt |
| Religious/Cultural | Parables/Bible Retellings | ~1,500 | ~15 Minutes |
| Plus 20 More Works | Fables, Poems, Primary Sources | Varies | ~15+ Hours total |
Are the mandated book also in the 3rd grade Bluebonnet Curriculum already?
The Reality of the "Mandated" Schedule
The 34-Work Squeeze: When the state mandates 34 specific works for one grade level, it leaves roughly 5 instructional days per book—if you spent the entire year only on reading.
The 16-Day Lock: In reality, following the 35-minute lesson structure for a novel like Charlotte’s Web alone consumes 16-20 consecutive school days.
The 70% Year: Between these 34 works and the required vocabulary list, approximately 120 of the 180 school days (nearly 70%) are locked into state-selected content. This leaves no room for student-led choice, local cultural relevance, or intervention for struggling readers. No differentiation either.
Does the mandated list cover the 2017 Required Genres?
The 34-Work Squeeze: When the state mandates 34 specific works for one grade level, it leaves roughly 5 instructional days per book—if you spent the entire year only on reading.
The 16-Day Lock: In reality, following the 35-minute lesson structure for a novel like Charlotte’s Web alone consumes 16-20 consecutive school days.
The 70% Year: Between these 34 works and the required vocabulary list, approximately 120 of the 180 school days (nearly 70%) are locked into state-selected content. This leaves no room for student-led choice, local cultural relevance, or intervention for struggling readers. No differentiation either.
Does the mandated list cover the 2017 Required Genres?
2017 TEKS Genre Requirement Representative Title from HB 1605 Draft Alignment Status Traditional Literature (Fables, Folktales, Fairy Tales, Myths, Legends, Tall Tales) Aesop’s Fables (The Lion and the Mouse), Stone Soup, Paul Bunyan Full Coverage: Strong focus on moral-based traditional stories. Classical & Contemporary Fiction (Realistic, Fantasy, Adventure) Charlotte’s Web (Classical), Frindle (Contemporary), The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Fantasy) Full Coverage: Includes cornerstone classical works and modern favorites. Informational Text (Expository, Central Idea, Evidence) Ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt (State-selected excerpts) Mandated Coverage: State-selected history texts replace broader informational variety. Literary Nonfiction (Biography, Autobiography) Rock by Rock, A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln, Ada’s Violin Full Coverage: Heavy emphasis on biographical sketches of historical figures. Poetry (Visual patterns, Sound devices, Figurative language) Classic Nursery Rhymes (Mother Goose), Selected 19th-century poems Partial Coverage: Focus is more on traditional rhymes than contemporary free verse. Drama (Characters, Dialogue, Setting, Acts/Scenes) The Golden Rule (Adapted read-aloud excerpts) Weak Coverage: Few full plays are listed; mostly shorter script-based excerpts. Argumentative/Persuasive (Claims, Fact vs. Opinion) The Gettysburg Address (Adapted), The Golden Rule Partial Coverage: Leverages historical speeches to meet persuasive text requirements.
Note: There are NO multimodal or digital texts. Four years in a row now.
| 2017 TEKS Genre Requirement | Representative Title from HB 1605 Draft | Alignment Status |
| Traditional Literature (Fables, Folktales, Fairy Tales, Myths, Legends, Tall Tales) | Aesop’s Fables (The Lion and the Mouse), Stone Soup, Paul Bunyan | Full Coverage: Strong focus on moral-based traditional stories. |
| Classical & Contemporary Fiction (Realistic, Fantasy, Adventure) | Charlotte’s Web (Classical), Frindle (Contemporary), The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Fantasy) | Full Coverage: Includes cornerstone classical works and modern favorites. |
| Informational Text (Expository, Central Idea, Evidence) | Ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt (State-selected excerpts) | Mandated Coverage: State-selected history texts replace broader informational variety. |
| Literary Nonfiction (Biography, Autobiography) | Rock by Rock, A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln, Ada’s Violin | Full Coverage: Heavy emphasis on biographical sketches of historical figures. |
| Poetry (Visual patterns, Sound devices, Figurative language) | Classic Nursery Rhymes (Mother Goose), Selected 19th-century poems | Partial Coverage: Focus is more on traditional rhymes than contemporary free verse. |
| Drama (Characters, Dialogue, Setting, Acts/Scenes) | The Golden Rule (Adapted read-aloud excerpts) | Weak Coverage: Few full plays are listed; mostly shorter script-based excerpts. |
| Argumentative/Persuasive (Claims, Fact vs. Opinion) | The Gettysburg Address (Adapted), The Golden Rule | Partial Coverage: Leverages historical speeches to meet persuasive text requirements. |
The Death of Independent Choice
The 34-book mandate essentially overwrites TEKS 3.7.A, which requires students to self-select texts. That's legalese for fighting words in Texas. They done rewrote the law! We had a good thing goin' on there.
Perhaps the most significant "Time Trap" isn't just the hours spent reading mandated texts, but the hours stolen from student agency. The 2017 TEKS specifically mandate that students "self-select text and read independently for a sustained period of time" (TEKS 3.7.A).
When 70% of the school year is locked into a state-prescribed canon, the "Independent Choice" pillar of literacy falls apart:
The Vanishing Library Hour: With a new mandated work required every 5 days, time previously used for "Book Tastings" or library visits is being repurposed for state-led "Bluebonnet Learning" modules.
Compliance Over Curiosity: By prescribing all 34 works, the curriculum shifts the 3rd-grade experience from discovering a love of reading to complying with a reading list.
The Personal Connection Gap: There is zero room in the 180-day calendar for students to explore "local cultural relevance" or books that reflect their specific identities if those titles aren't on the pre-approved state list.
Teacher’s Reality Check: How do we teach a child to be a "lifelong reader" if we never give them the time to choose what they read?
The 34-book mandate essentially overwrites TEKS 3.7.A, which requires students to self-select texts. That's legalese for fighting words in Texas. They done rewrote the law! We had a good thing goin' on there.
Perhaps the most significant "Time Trap" isn't just the hours spent reading mandated texts, but the hours stolen from student agency. The 2017 TEKS specifically mandate that students "self-select text and read independently for a sustained period of time" (TEKS 3.7.A).
When 70% of the school year is locked into a state-prescribed canon, the "Independent Choice" pillar of literacy falls apart:
The Vanishing Library Hour: With a new mandated work required every 5 days, time previously used for "Book Tastings" or library visits is being repurposed for state-led "Bluebonnet Learning" modules.
Compliance Over Curiosity: By prescribing all 34 works, the curriculum shifts the 3rd-grade experience from discovering a love of reading to complying with a reading list.
The Personal Connection Gap: There is zero room in the 180-day calendar for students to explore "local cultural relevance" or books that reflect their specific identities if those titles aren't on the pre-approved state list.
Teacher’s Reality Check: How do we teach a child to be a "lifelong reader" if we never give them the time to choose what they read?
References
2017 TEKS for English Language Arts and Reading
Texas Education Agency. (n.d.).
State Board of Education TEA Proposed Literary Works List
Texas Education Agency. (2026, January 9).
SBOE considering new required reading lists
Teach the Vote (ATPE). (2026, January 29).
2017 TEKS for English Language Arts and Reading Texas Education Agency. (n.d.).
State Board of Education TEA Proposed Literary Works List Texas Education Agency. (2026, January 9).
SBOE considering new required reading lists Teach the Vote (ATPE). (2026, January 29).
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