An appreciation of the best there is in literature is one of the chief aims of the reading lessons. It is therefore essential that the material used in every grade should have intrinsic value. It must be good literature and it must also be worth while for its own sake, from the child's point of view. With this aim in view, the selections in this Third Header have been chosen. They introduce the child to some of the best stories and poems to be found in the literature that is suited to their ability and experience in reading. Hero stories, myths, fairy tales, folk tales, and stories of children in other lands give the variety which the many-sided interest of young readers requires. Some of the stories are humorous, and some present ethical lessons in an effective way. This textbook offers an abundance of fresh and unhackneyed material interspersed with some of the classic selections that cannot be spared from a reader that presents a representative collection for young children.