Word Detective, Grade 3:
130 Games and Puzzles
to Improve Spelling,
by Ann Richmond Fisher,
Illustrations
by Joel and Ashley Selby
Rockridge Press
3/10/2020
Juvenile Nonfiction/Vocabulary & Spelling
190 pages
Goodreads 

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Last year, I reviewed the excellent Word Detective, 130 Games and Puzzles
to Improve Spelling for 2nd graders.
Today, I present the same book concept, by the same author and illustrators, but for Grade 3.

To help enhance the young students’ vocabulary, the author has put together a list of 200 spelling words, through 130 engaging games and puzzles, all organized around a mystery to solve. The mystery is set in the city: there’s a soccer game, but the mascot has disappeared!

The activities  are organized in the following 11 chapters: Animals,, Sports, Art and Music, on the Map, in the City, Science and Technology, Measurement and Math Words, the Earth and Space, Everyday Words, Synonyms, and Putting it All Together.
So as you can see, this is a broad collection.

Activities range from simply writing by hand words already listed, as to better learn them; to finding words with leftover letters after you shade letters used for a list of words given, ranging words in alphabetical order, doing simple crossword puzzles, searching words in a table. I love the one that asks you to finish a poem from a choice of words:

Page 8

There are also merry-go-rounds, deciphering words through codes, guessing games, and many more.
There are letters hidden throughout the book. Put together, they help you make a sentence at the end of the book to figure out where the mascot can be found!

The illustrations are very simple and colorful.

I really enjoy the variety of helpful activities, going from simple words to more difficult ones in the last chapters.

VERDICT:  Great fun to help third graders master new vocabulary while playing!

In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received this book free of charge from the publisher through The Callisto Publisher’s Club. I was in no way compensated for this post as a reviewer, and the thoughts are my own.