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Third Grade Angels
The long-awaited prequel to the bestseller FOURTH GRADE RATS
George, aka "Suds," has just entered third grade, and he's heard the rhyme about "first grade babies/second grade cats/third grade angels/fourth grade rats," but what does this mean for his school year? It means that his teacher, Mrs. Simms, will hold a competition every month to see which student deserves to be awarded "the halo" - which student is best-behaved, kindest to others, and, in short, perfect. Suds is determined to be the first to earn the halo, but he's finding the challenge of always being good to be more stressful than he had anticipated. Does he have to be good even outside of school? (Does he have to be nice to his annoying little sister?) And if Mrs. Simms doesn't actually see him doing a good deed, does it even count?
A warm, funny return to elementary school from master storyteller Spinelli.
George, aka "Suds," has just entered third grade, and he's heard the rhyme about "first grade babies/second grade cats/third grade angels/fourth grade rats," but what does this mean for his school year? It means that his teacher, Mrs. Simms, will hold a competition every month to see which student deserves to be awarded "the halo" - which student is best-behaved, kindest to others, and, in short, perfect. Suds is determined to be the first to earn the halo, but he's finding the challenge of always being good to be more stressful than he had anticipated. Does he have to be good even outside of school? (Does he have to be nice to his annoying little sister?) And if Mrs. Simms doesn't actually see him doing a good deed, does it even count?
A warm, funny return to elementary school from master storyteller Spinelli.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2012
264 people are currently reading
1096 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Spinelli
113 books4,009 followersWhen Jerry Spinelli was a kid, he wanted to grow up to be either a cowboy or a baseball player. Lucky for us he became a writer instead.
He grew up in rural Pennsylvania and went to college at Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than 25 books and has six children and 16 grandchildren.
Jerry Spinelli began writing when he was 16 — not much older than the hero of his book Maniac Magee. After his high school football team won a big game, his classmates ran cheering through the streets — all except Spinelli, who went home and wrote a poem about the victory. When his poem was published in the local paper, Spinelli decided to become a writer instead of a major-league shortstop.
In most of his books, Spinelli writes about events and feelings from his own childhood. He also gets a lot of material from his seven adventurous kids! Spinelli and his wife, Eileen, also a children's book author, live in Pennsylvania.
He grew up in rural Pennsylvania and went to college at Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than 25 books and has six children and 16 grandchildren.
Jerry Spinelli began writing when he was 16 — not much older than the hero of his book Maniac Magee. After his high school football team won a big game, his classmates ran cheering through the streets — all except Spinelli, who went home and wrote a poem about the victory. When his poem was published in the local paper, Spinelli decided to become a writer instead of a major-league shortstop.
In most of his books, Spinelli writes about events and feelings from his own childhood. He also gets a lot of material from his seven adventurous kids! Spinelli and his wife, Eileen, also a children's book author, live in Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
September 16, 2020
"I liked that Christina got the first halo but she didn't want it first. In the middle of the story Suds was walking home from school and he heard someone calling for George, the dog. George was running away from his owner and was on a leash and Suds ran into the road to grab him." -Cadee, age 8
July 28, 2014
A nice read (read it out loud to 5 and 7 year old boys) - dare I say, a clean read? A well-paced story about the ins and outs of daily child hood and trying to be good! And if the librarian in me must say - a clean read - as in no farting, no pooping, no vomiting like many of the other "boy" books we've read lately (not that we have a problem with that but this book shows that boys are interested in much more than just books about poops, farts, and the such!) Great pictures too (perfect for our youngest listener who still likes a visual).
Suds is finally in Grade Three and as the rhyme goes "First Grade Babies; Second Grade Cats; Third Grade Angels; Fourth Grade Rats!" Suds and his class mates are about to find out what it means to be a third grade angel but will the tension of trying to be really good cause Suds to get all pruney while working out his anxiety in bubble baths every day? Will doing good in order to win lead to something greater? The last six chapters or so were so well crafted we just couldn't find a place to stop for the night and read right to the satisfying end! a thoughtful book and much needed and enjoyed by my boys.
Suds is finally in Grade Three and as the rhyme goes "First Grade Babies; Second Grade Cats; Third Grade Angels; Fourth Grade Rats!" Suds and his class mates are about to find out what it means to be a third grade angel but will the tension of trying to be really good cause Suds to get all pruney while working out his anxiety in bubble baths every day? Will doing good in order to win lead to something greater? The last six chapters or so were so well crafted we just couldn't find a place to stop for the night and read right to the satisfying end! a thoughtful book and much needed and enjoyed by my boys.
December 17, 2015
I thought the book 3rd Grade Angels was a good book because the book had a kind of detail in the text that I can't identify, but it was very interesting. I thought the cover was interesting because it had a certain face on " Suds" that told you he was worried or really surprised. The detail of the cover other than that was also very good. I thought the text was average for a 4th grade book. I read the other book in the series "4th Grade Rats" and I thought that book was great( I read it with my class) so that's why I chose to read this book.
November 4, 2020
I love Third Grade Angels 👼 it was hilarious 🤣 and and very interesting 🤔😱😱😱😱😱 I will give you 5 stars ✨ Like I said this was I loved this!
March 23, 2016
George, nicknamed Suds, has just entered third grade, and he's worried about the schoolyard chant “first grade babies/second grade cats/third grade angels/fourth grade rats.” Being an angel in third grade means that his new teacher, Mrs. Simms, will hold a competition every month to see which student deserves to be awarded the halo, a small yellow circle that serves as a reward for the best-behaved, kindest, and most perfect third grader in her class. Suds (who gets his name from his predilection for taking baths in times of trouble) is determined to be the first to earn the halo, but he's finding the challenge stressful enough that he needs more than a few baths. Does he have to be good outside of school too? (Does he have to be nice to his little sister?) Should he be more like best friend Joey, who doesn't take the competition seriously at all? And if Mrs. Simms doesn't actually see him doing a good deed, does it even count?
Spinelli is a Newbery winner author (for Maniac Magee) and he knows how to write for kids. This is a charming book, perfectly attuned to a rising third grader's fears about fitting in and meeting expectations. It is written in simple language, but the concepts it deals with are grand. The chapters are short, the pace is brisk, and the characters are fully fleshed out. The amusing and embarrassing situations in which Suds finds himself will be familiar and comforting to third grade readers. The moral is apt and useful, and will be an epiphany to those who think they can predict the ending.
Spinelli is a Newbery winner author (for Maniac Magee) and he knows how to write for kids. This is a charming book, perfectly attuned to a rising third grader's fears about fitting in and meeting expectations. It is written in simple language, but the concepts it deals with are grand. The chapters are short, the pace is brisk, and the characters are fully fleshed out. The amusing and embarrassing situations in which Suds finds himself will be familiar and comforting to third grade readers. The moral is apt and useful, and will be an epiphany to those who think they can predict the ending.
August 18, 2015
Zach's 3rd Grade Review - The main character Suds is trying to get the first class Halo. Mrs. Sims is giving the first class Halo to the best behaving person in class. Everybody wanted the Halo so when someone’s hat outside the school blew onto the playground they all fought over it to give it back and then it ripped apart.
Mrs. Sims got mad and a few days later everyone stopped caring about the Halo except for Suds and a few other kids. One day his sister was being annoying on the bus, so he got off but his sister and two girls followed him. He saw a dog almost getting run over and he went and saved it. “Nobody” saw him do it, so he wrote a letter to Mrs. Sims about his good deed.
A few days later the Halo was announced and it was to one of the girls who had followed him off the bus. He went home that day. Mrs. Sims surprisingly went to his house, had a bit of a talk to him about the girl who followed him. She wrote a letter to Mrs. Sims saying Suds had saved the dog, so she got the Halo.
The End
Mrs. Sims got mad and a few days later everyone stopped caring about the Halo except for Suds and a few other kids. One day his sister was being annoying on the bus, so he got off but his sister and two girls followed him. He saw a dog almost getting run over and he went and saved it. “Nobody” saw him do it, so he wrote a letter to Mrs. Sims about his good deed.
A few days later the Halo was announced and it was to one of the girls who had followed him off the bus. He went home that day. Mrs. Sims surprisingly went to his house, had a bit of a talk to him about the girl who followed him. She wrote a letter to Mrs. Sims saying Suds had saved the dog, so she got the Halo.
The End
September 2, 2025
This is the perfect chapter book to read at the beginning of the third grade school year! Students will listen to the story of Suds, as he enters third grade and tries his very hardest to be awarded the first Halo in Mrs Simms’s class. Will Suds’s good behavior be enough to be considered a third grade Angel?
April 22, 2020
A great book about a boys journey of being good both in and out of school. And how a teacher provided motivation through an incentive to do so. It takes one moment to change the way you operate through life. Teachers usually are those motivational beings to provide such lessons.
June 27, 2017
This was a cute story with a good message for young kids, especially perfectionists or those who always feel the need to be first.
August 22, 2018
This book is so special to me. <3
November 14, 2020
My kids really liked this. Listened to it in one sitting while they built Lego!
July 5, 2013
Jerry Spinelli is a master, perhaps the quintessential master, of writing fascinating characters and creating visceral excitement for his readers, giving us the feeling the story is going somewhere important and we won't want to miss what's coming next. Third Grade Angels, though shorter than most of Jerry Spinelli's books, contains that same irresistible sense of velocity, the gentle but constant pressure exerted through the plot that keeps us steadily moving forward in the story, that slight tenseness which always compels us to see what awaits on the other side of the page. Third Grade Angels is a prequel multiple decades in the offing, picking up nicely where Fourth Grade Rats ended, coloring in for us the background of how George and Joey met and the events of their third-grade school year before they showed up to fourth grade ready to act like rats (Joey a bit more cheerfully than George).
According to the song, "second-grade cats" are always followed by "third-grade angels", and George is happy for the opportunity to prove himself to his teacher and classmates as a bona fide angel. His proving ground becomes more crowded, however, when the teacher, Mrs. Simms, pulls out a paper halo and announces to the class that she will be awarding one such halo to a kid in class every week, the boy or girl who proves the most sincere and endearing angel of them all. George is immediately hooked; he has to find a way to win that halo first! While everyone in class has designs on taking the first halo home, not all of them have George's staying power to keep being good in everything they do even when it begins to feel a little dull. The new kid, Joey, isn't concerned with winning the halo at all. He knows he might win one eventually, but for now he's having too much fun playing the part of a slightly mischievous new third-grader to focus on being a stickler for the rules and working hard to win a paper trophy. As more kids lose interest in aggressive good-deed doing and leave the field wide open for George to claim his prize at the end of the week, it becomes clear one other boy is just as determined to be the inaugural winner of the halo, and he isn't going to let George coast home as the runaway victor. What can George do to separate himself as the clear choice for Mrs. Simms's good-behavior award?
How George responds to the close competition will demonstrate a lot about whether or not he is deserving of the award. Will he cut corners and try to make it look as if he has done good deeds he hasn't actually performed? Would he be above intentionally sabotaging the efforts of the other boy to win the halo? And how far will George be willing to go to prove his worthiness as a "third-grade angel"? The way George reacts when his treasured halo is on the line, and no one is there to observe his actions to see if they truly exemplify the spirit in which the award is given, is the most important factor to be revealed about George and his real motives, both to himself and others. What good is a prize for kindness, generosity and personal deference if it is won not with a spirit sincere in treating others well all the time, but rather to prove a point, or just out of a desire to be first in everything? As crunch time arrives and the identity of the halo's first winner remains in doubt, George may find that Mrs. Simms has more in mind for this exercise than temporarily incentivizing her kids to be better behaved in class. Genuine selflessness is a permanent attitude of the heart, and if George can grasp that illusive concept, he will earn his reward sooner or later.
The creative energy fairly crackles in all of Jerry Spinelli's novels, and Third Grade Angels is no exception. Rarely have I enjoyed more the light back-and-forth of banter and shared ideas between students, mostly George and Joey but with a few others mixed in, as well. George is in the process of figuring out what Mrs. Simms, his own mother and the other adults in his life want from him, and how that connects to his relations with kids his age, but George is a sensitive and ready listener, willing to change his mind even on matters that are important to him if that's what he needs to do. His pliability may be the best asset he has in learning how to adjust to the differences of life as a middle-elementary student, and I'd bet on George any day to come out standing on the other side. I think his third-grade school year is going to be a good one.
I liked Third Grade Angels, and was pleased to have a companion read to Fourth Grade Rats so many years after that first book debuted. Jerry Spinelli has retained his Midas touch down through the decades, one of the preeminent writers in the history of literature for young readers, and I am grateful for every book he has ever created. Thank you, Jerry Spinelli, for writing for us, and thank you for Third Grade Angels.
According to the song, "second-grade cats" are always followed by "third-grade angels", and George is happy for the opportunity to prove himself to his teacher and classmates as a bona fide angel. His proving ground becomes more crowded, however, when the teacher, Mrs. Simms, pulls out a paper halo and announces to the class that she will be awarding one such halo to a kid in class every week, the boy or girl who proves the most sincere and endearing angel of them all. George is immediately hooked; he has to find a way to win that halo first! While everyone in class has designs on taking the first halo home, not all of them have George's staying power to keep being good in everything they do even when it begins to feel a little dull. The new kid, Joey, isn't concerned with winning the halo at all. He knows he might win one eventually, but for now he's having too much fun playing the part of a slightly mischievous new third-grader to focus on being a stickler for the rules and working hard to win a paper trophy. As more kids lose interest in aggressive good-deed doing and leave the field wide open for George to claim his prize at the end of the week, it becomes clear one other boy is just as determined to be the inaugural winner of the halo, and he isn't going to let George coast home as the runaway victor. What can George do to separate himself as the clear choice for Mrs. Simms's good-behavior award?
How George responds to the close competition will demonstrate a lot about whether or not he is deserving of the award. Will he cut corners and try to make it look as if he has done good deeds he hasn't actually performed? Would he be above intentionally sabotaging the efforts of the other boy to win the halo? And how far will George be willing to go to prove his worthiness as a "third-grade angel"? The way George reacts when his treasured halo is on the line, and no one is there to observe his actions to see if they truly exemplify the spirit in which the award is given, is the most important factor to be revealed about George and his real motives, both to himself and others. What good is a prize for kindness, generosity and personal deference if it is won not with a spirit sincere in treating others well all the time, but rather to prove a point, or just out of a desire to be first in everything? As crunch time arrives and the identity of the halo's first winner remains in doubt, George may find that Mrs. Simms has more in mind for this exercise than temporarily incentivizing her kids to be better behaved in class. Genuine selflessness is a permanent attitude of the heart, and if George can grasp that illusive concept, he will earn his reward sooner or later.
The creative energy fairly crackles in all of Jerry Spinelli's novels, and Third Grade Angels is no exception. Rarely have I enjoyed more the light back-and-forth of banter and shared ideas between students, mostly George and Joey but with a few others mixed in, as well. George is in the process of figuring out what Mrs. Simms, his own mother and the other adults in his life want from him, and how that connects to his relations with kids his age, but George is a sensitive and ready listener, willing to change his mind even on matters that are important to him if that's what he needs to do. His pliability may be the best asset he has in learning how to adjust to the differences of life as a middle-elementary student, and I'd bet on George any day to come out standing on the other side. I think his third-grade school year is going to be a good one.
I liked Third Grade Angels, and was pleased to have a companion read to Fourth Grade Rats so many years after that first book debuted. Jerry Spinelli has retained his Midas touch down through the decades, one of the preeminent writers in the history of literature for young readers, and I am grateful for every book he has ever created. Thank you, Jerry Spinelli, for writing for us, and thank you for Third Grade Angels.
January 12, 2023
I couldn't even finish this book. It was really all over this place and couldn't keep track with the storyline.
September 3, 2012
This review is from my blog, Studies in Storytelling. Please view the complete version at www.studiesinstroytelling.blogspot.com.
What I Learned about Storytelling From Third Grade Angels by Jerry Spinelli
I got this signed ARC at BEA. I grew up on Stargirl and Maniac Magee, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet Spinelli himself. And so this is how a 21-year-old college senior ended up reading Third Grade Angels for fun.
(The art inside the book is precious. The expressions of the
characters and facial shapes are manga-like. Love! But I don't think
this style transitions to color well. Doesn't Suds look kinda creepy?)
This is the adorable story of obsessive perfectionist George "Suds" Morton and his quest to be the first kid in his class to receive the teacher's coveted award: a cardboard halo. But what does perfection become in the face of selflessness?
Reading this was a delightful 45 minutes. For anyone remotely interested in Spinelli's writing or in the third grade paradigm - parents, teachers, friends - Third Grade Angels cannot possibly be a waste of time.
As for what I discovered of storytelling:
2. Characters' names say a lot about them and their relationships. Labels change when characters are within the classroom & beyond it. Suds' little sister Zippernose is the best example. Even as her relationship with her improves, we don't learn her real name.
1. An organic, complex, unusual character is always refreshing. Even going back through some of my old elementary school books, I could find no protagonist quite like the neurotic Suds - at least not one who was male.
What I Learned about Storytelling From Third Grade Angels by Jerry Spinelli
I got this signed ARC at BEA. I grew up on Stargirl and Maniac Magee, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet Spinelli himself. And so this is how a 21-year-old college senior ended up reading Third Grade Angels for fun.
(The art inside the book is precious. The expressions of the
characters and facial shapes are manga-like. Love! But I don't think
this style transitions to color well. Doesn't Suds look kinda creepy?)
This is the adorable story of obsessive perfectionist George "Suds" Morton and his quest to be the first kid in his class to receive the teacher's coveted award: a cardboard halo. But what does perfection become in the face of selflessness?
Reading this was a delightful 45 minutes. For anyone remotely interested in Spinelli's writing or in the third grade paradigm - parents, teachers, friends - Third Grade Angels cannot possibly be a waste of time.
As for what I discovered of storytelling:
2. Characters' names say a lot about them and their relationships. Labels change when characters are within the classroom & beyond it. Suds' little sister Zippernose is the best example. Even as her relationship with her improves, we don't learn her real name.
1. An organic, complex, unusual character is always refreshing. Even going back through some of my old elementary school books, I could find no protagonist quite like the neurotic Suds - at least not one who was male.
October 17, 2015
I kind of liked this book.This book was an ok book but what really ruined it was the fact that it was to small.I do like that that it has a series of books and not just one.The only thing is the characters are to young and very immature.The character (Spuds) and his situations did make me want to read the book more which is why I continued to read the book.Also I did enjoy the story line and it wasn't just this kid struggling with his homework or something but hes trying to win a halo and be a true third grade halo.Lastly, I will read the next book Fourth Grade Rats and I hope it will be a tad bit better and get at least a 4 star.
November 9, 2025
Read this aloud to my third grade class to start the year! They loved and kept wanting more. I have “Fourth Grade Rats” in my classroom library and there is now a waitlist for it! :-)
March 22, 2015
I checked this book out first, before I realized it was a prequel to Fourth Grade Rats. I didn't end up reading it, so it went back to the library, and later I read Fourth Grade Rats. Which was okay. Similar to other Spinelli books about how some kids are automatically "good" and others have to be shown the way. Anyway, later I picked up this one again, and it is definitely clear that Spinelli is a more mature writer than he was when he wrote Rats, but it's still just an okay book.
May 26, 2024
I think every grade should read this. Even if your not in grade 3!!!! This book talks about a teacher who
gives out halos for her kindest, nicest student each month. Suds/ George wants the halo so bad, he ends up not getting it. He discovered that the person who won. Got this award for trying to get other people to win
gives out halos for her kindest, nicest student each month. Suds/ George wants the halo so bad, he ends up not getting it. He discovered that the person who won. Got this award for trying to get other people to win
September 2, 2015
Cute book, good lessons and morals. Will be interesting what the 3rd graders think of it at book club next week.
October 20, 2019
Great, uplifting story. Me and my kids listened to the audio version. We enjoyed talking about it.
April 18, 2023
Prequel to Fourth Grade Rats.
Starting 4th grade, Suds' cool, funny new (to him) teacher, Mrs. Simms, discusses the local rhyme ("First Grade Babies; Second Grade Cats; Third Grade Angels; Fourth Grade Rats!") and, after having her students list angels' qualities, suggests that her class only needs to always do their best to be angels. However, a few days later, she encourages her class to compete for a monthly cardboard halo.
His mom tells him the teacher has "spies", so he tries to be perfect everywhere, even with his little sister--even being nice instead of just not being mean (his mom's suggestion).
Meanwhile, Joey the new kid actively resists angelic behavior, e.g. revealing Suds' secret crush.
Suds (so nicknamed because his solution for stress is bubble baths (and concurrent talks with his mom) has to examine his soul. Blurting stuff out--is that him? Does he want to be better? Realizes he's very competitive: he really wants to win that halo. But if Mrs. Simms doesn't see him being good, does it count?
A very tightly wrapped little guy, with a pretty wise mom.
Starting 4th grade, Suds' cool, funny new (to him) teacher, Mrs. Simms, discusses the local rhyme ("First Grade Babies; Second Grade Cats; Third Grade Angels; Fourth Grade Rats!") and, after having her students list angels' qualities, suggests that her class only needs to always do their best to be angels. However, a few days later, she encourages her class to compete for a monthly cardboard halo.
His mom tells him the teacher has "spies", so he tries to be perfect everywhere, even with his little sister--even being nice instead of just not being mean (his mom's suggestion).
Meanwhile, Joey the new kid actively resists angelic behavior, e.g. revealing Suds' secret crush.
Suds (so nicknamed because his solution for stress is bubble baths (and concurrent talks with his mom) has to examine his soul. Blurting stuff out--is that him? Does he want to be better? Realizes he's very competitive: he really wants to win that halo. But if Mrs. Simms doesn't see him being good, does it count?
A very tightly wrapped little guy, with a pretty wise mom.
August 25, 2019
This one is a classroom read that I read when subbing for a third grade class, and it's a very funny and relatable book for young readers. And even as a grown up, I found it laugh out loud funny. It has a spunky and fun main character, Suds, and a fast moving plot.
Suds has just entered the third grade, and is excited to meet his teacher and become a Third Grade Angel. The teacher introduces the reward for perfect behavior on the first day of school, a coveted halo. Suds is determined to be the first one to earn a halo, but it's hard for a third grader to have perfect behavior. So, we follow along with Suds as he tries to earn his halo with hilarious hijinks along the way.
This book is perfect for a classroom read. It reads aloud beautifully. The class I was teaching laughed aloud at so many points. It would also be a perfect choice for a beginning reader who is just starting chapter books. I highly recommend it for all young readers.
Suds has just entered the third grade, and is excited to meet his teacher and become a Third Grade Angel. The teacher introduces the reward for perfect behavior on the first day of school, a coveted halo. Suds is determined to be the first one to earn a halo, but it's hard for a third grader to have perfect behavior. So, we follow along with Suds as he tries to earn his halo with hilarious hijinks along the way.
This book is perfect for a classroom read. It reads aloud beautifully. The class I was teaching laughed aloud at so many points. It would also be a perfect choice for a beginning reader who is just starting chapter books. I highly recommend it for all young readers.
December 16, 2025
ESP/ENG
Cada grado escolar depara a los alumnos muchas aventuras y desafíos. En esta historia nuestro protagonista, Suds, recién comienza el tercer año de primaria y desea con todas sus fuerzas ser el primer alumno en obtener la aureola de ángel que la maestra entrega a quien se comporte muy bien y que ayude a los demás, tanto dentro como fuera de la escuela. Suds se esfuerza todos los días, pero algo parece no estar funcionando. Suds aprenderá que el reconocimiento en ocasiones llega cuando actúas desinteresadamente.
Each school grade brings students many adventures and challenges. In this story, Suds is just starting third grade and desperately wants to be the first student to receive the angel halo that the teacher awards to those who behave exceptionally well and help others, both inside and outside of school. Suds tries his best every day, but something doesn't seem to be working. Suds will learn that recognition sometimes comes when you act selflessly.
Cada grado escolar depara a los alumnos muchas aventuras y desafíos. En esta historia nuestro protagonista, Suds, recién comienza el tercer año de primaria y desea con todas sus fuerzas ser el primer alumno en obtener la aureola de ángel que la maestra entrega a quien se comporte muy bien y que ayude a los demás, tanto dentro como fuera de la escuela. Suds se esfuerza todos los días, pero algo parece no estar funcionando. Suds aprenderá que el reconocimiento en ocasiones llega cuando actúas desinteresadamente.
Each school grade brings students many adventures and challenges. In this story, Suds is just starting third grade and desperately wants to be the first student to receive the angel halo that the teacher awards to those who behave exceptionally well and help others, both inside and outside of school. Suds tries his best every day, but something doesn't seem to be working. Suds will learn that recognition sometimes comes when you act selflessly.
February 6, 2018
George, aka "Suds," has just entered third grade, and he's heard the rhyme about "first grade babies/second grade cats/third grade angels/fourth grade rats," but what does this mean for his school year? It means that his teacher, Mrs. Simms, will hold a competition every month to see which student deserves to be awarded "the halo" - which student is best-behaved, kindest to others, and, in short, perfect. Suds is determined to be the first to earn the halo, but he's finding the challenge of always being good to be more stressful than he had anticipated. Does he have to be good even outside of school? (Does he have to be nice to his annoying little sister?) And if Mrs. Simms doesn't actually see him doing a good deed, does it even count?
A warm, funny return to elementary school from master storyteller Spinelli.
A warm, funny return to elementary school from master storyteller Spinelli.
September 19, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It subtly describes how important it is to be a "good" person-yet it implied the importance of being good from your own willingness, not because you HAVE to be good for someone. It also describes how we do not need to expect to be praised or rewarded every time that we so something good, or yet, do what is right. It was a great read in which many life lessons could be taken away from it. It would be a great book for students to read in order to see the importance of doing good but not doing it in order to get praise and to be noticed by others. This book teaches readers to always try to do what is right because they never know who may be watching them from a far! This book is a must read for students if they need encouragement to always be on their best behavior!
January 13, 2018
George, aka "Suds," is starting third grade and at his school the third graders are known as angels according to a popular chant: "First grade, babies; second grade, cats; third grade, angels; fourth grade, rats." His teacher talks about how each student will work towards earning a halo and by the end of the school year, all student will have achieved this goal. Suds wants to be the first one to earn a halo in his class and he works very diligently towards improving his behavior.
I thought this was a great book about having positive expectations for kids and it teaches kids about how to handle frustration and disappointment.
I thought this was a great book about having positive expectations for kids and it teaches kids about how to handle frustration and disappointment.
April 1, 2018
A fictional story called “Third Grade Angels” by Jerry Spinelli. This story talks about 3 little third graders just playing basketball at recess but they can’t get their mind off this rumor that every student is talking about but I won’t spoil it you have to find out yourself but the rumor isn’t nothing bad but that is all that I’m telling you about the rumor but the rest of the story talks about the third graders trying to solve the problems that are happening in the school but this is all that I’m gonna tell you so hope you enjoy the book if you have read it.
July 1, 2018
I thought the book was OK. I loved that it was about third grade because I'm going into third grade. I picked out this book at the library because I thought I could relate to what it would be like in third grade. It really didn't that much. The book didn't seem that much about third grade. It was about a kid who goes into a classroom and his name is George. It's really Suds but they call him George. And there's a thing they do caused by a poem that says "Third Grade Angels". So the teacher sees who can earn by being nice a halo. I thought the book was OK.
October 3, 2025
Book Review: Third Grade Angels by Jerry Spinelli My grandson N. recommended this book after his teacher read it to the class. It’s inspired by the childhood rhyme: “First grade babies, second grade cats, third grade angels, fourth grade rats!” I’d never heard that saying before, but the author shares in his notes that it was a familiar chant from his own school days. The story follows Suds, a third grader trying hard to earn his “halo” for good behavior. It’s a humorous and heartwarming read that I genuinely enjoyed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)
May 27, 2018
Suds displays a lot of self-awareness and proactively applies coping strategies whenever he feels "chipmunky". This could be a useful book to induce discussion about emotional regulation strategies for our children and/or students. I also like how Suds didn't get the first halo, despite his best efforts. Especially since his teacher, Mrs. Simms offered him a hug. Which goes to show that winning isn't everything, possessing the right attitude to win is.
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