End of Second Grade
As readers grow and become more fluent, they’re better able to appreciate longer and more complex narratives. Often around this time we see interest in fantasy and legend emerge - lots of dragons, wizards, kings and queens, time travel and superpowers.
Books in this section get more challenging from beginning to end, and by the end, the fantastical elements really become front and center. Kids often love the Kingdom of Wrenley, Dragon Masters and Magic Treehouse, which sets them up well for longer chapter books like Wings of Fire in third and fourth grade.
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Capozzi’s stories include characters who are met with a challenge and are tempted to give up. But instead, they receive encouragement along the way and persevere to meet and exceed their goals.
This book, is written in the first person in the present tense - the word “I” shows up nearly 40 times. The book has 427 total words of which half are unique.
Readers will build vocabulary related to each story in this series. In I am Smart which is about a science fair, the reader will read about “gravity,” “demonstration” and “information.” The sentences are simple but include lush vocabulary and words to build emotional intelligence – “struggle,” “nervous,” “worry,” “affect” and “encourages.”
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Each book centers around relatable themes for elementary-age students. Katie cooks, conducts science experiments, has sleepovers, is a flower girl and in Katie Woo Loves School, she talks about Valentine’s day. In reaction to events that occur within each topic, Katie has understandable feelings with which readers will empathize.
The books are divided into three short chapters which are quick reads as the plot moves along swiftly.
Young readers will love the suggested activities at the end of the book. At the end of this one, readers learn to bake delicious heart pretzels for Valentine’s Day. There are also discussion and comprehension questions which the author has written out to help the reader reflect on what they’ve read.
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Similar to the Poppleton books (also written by Cynthia Rylant), Mr. Putter lives with his cat named Tabby in a small town. He and his neighbors take care of each other and help one another out. The adorableness of these books is also helped out by his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry and her bulldog Zeke.
The text is extremely accessible to readers with simple sentences sprinkled with a few which are more complex. Readers will have the opportunity to read each of the four chapters and focus on comprehension.
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In a humorously engaging way, this book is written in diary format from the perspective of Worm. The book is filled with puns and forces the reader to take the perspective of a worm and embrace the thinking that his teacher might actually like a gum wrapper scarf or a rotten apple!
This book is a quick read with 407 words in all; just over 130 are used only once. Much of the language is casual and includes contractions. There is also a wealth of vocabulary centered around dates – Monday, Thursday, yesterday.
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After Dodsworth and Duck arrive by train, they hop on a scooter, pass by the Coliseum and later travel to the Vatican and Trevi Fountain. They eat gelato and talk about Michelangelo. And in between, they get into plenty of adventure.
These stories (see also Dodworth in New York, Tokyo, Paris and London) introduce young readers to new places, new cultures and even new language spoken around the world. Happy reading and arrivederci!
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Mr. Green decides to use math and calculates the number of gumballs based on his knowledge of pints, quarts and gallons. The strategy pays off and he wins first prize; he gets to keep all 7,917 gumballs!
Though the book is only about 400 words total; about half are unique and about 60 have two or more syllables. In addition to pint, quart and gallon, there are other excellent math words such as calculation intertwined.
This book provides an excellent opportunity to use a clear container and estimate as well as expand on math measurements. Also check out the other books in this series as they include detailed vocabulary words.
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Mouse and Mole have an endearing friendship that often compliments the other’s personality. Mole is at times ridiculous. In this first book for example, Mole needs space in his house not just to exercise but to do his deep breathing.
The books are divided into short chapters and include soft illustrations that capture the gentle nature of both the plot and the characters’ friendship.
Fans of this series should be sure to read Frog and Toad and Max and Mo.
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Young readers will feel incredible suspense and understanding in Penny as she contemplates the right thing to do. She found a marble in her neighbor’s yard that she wants to keep, but at the same time knows it’s not right to take something that doesn’t belong to her. All ends well in this tale, but young readers will certainly relate to Penny’s predicament.
At nearly 900 words, this book is on the longer end for this grade level, but is divided into clear chapters. There are 268 different words, of which over 25 are past tense verbs. The sentences vary from short to longer, and there are accompanying illustrations on each page (also by Henkes) which mirror the emotions Penny feels.
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Annie and her adorable bunny, Snowball, absolutely love their neighbor and cousin Henry, and his big dog Mudge. The four of them have many adventures together, and Annie and Henry often bounce ideas off each other as they problem solve throughout each book in the series.
In this book, Annie and Snowball and the Thankful Friends, Annie and Henry think about who Annie can invite to Thanksgiving. The two cousins show empathy by reaching out to relatives and thinking of others they know whose families live far away. In the end, Annie’s grandmother invites two friends, the postman Mr. Bell and their old first grade teacher, Mrs. Chan.
This is an excellent book for fluency, as it is highly phonetic with simpler sentences.
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Anne and Snowball Collector’s Set (6 book set)
Annie and Snowball and the Dress-Up Birthday
Annie and Snowball and the Prettiest House
Annie and Snowball and the Teacup Club
Annie and Snowball and the Pink Surprise
Annie and Snowball and the Cozy Nest
Annie and Snowball and the Shining Star
Annie and Snowball Collector’s Set #2 (6 book set)
Annie and Snowball and the Magical House
Annie and Snowball and the Wintry Freeze
Annie and Snowball and the Book Bugs Club
Annie and Snowball and the Thankful Friends
Annie and Snowball and the Surprise Day
Annie and Snowball and the Grandmother Night
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While Peggy Parish’s original books in the series are slightly more challenging phonetically and better suited for third grade, the Herman Parish books, including Amelia Bedelia Takes the Cake, work well for mid and later second grade.
Though not quite as entertaining as the originals, these books have a lot of merit and some funny moments. For her bake sale brownies, Amelia creates a giant, brown letter “E” with her classmates (get it?).
This is an excellent book for fluency; it is highly phonetic and with simpler sentences.
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Amelia Bedelia I Can Read Box Set #1 (set of 5 books)
Includes the original Amelia Bedelia; Amelia Bedelia and the Surprise Shower; Come Back, Amelia Bedelia; Thank You, Amelia Bedelia; and Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia
Amelia Bedelia I Can Read Box Set #2 (set of 5 books)
Includes Amelia Bedelia Makes a Friend, Amelia Bedelia Sleeps Over, Amelia Bedelia Hits the Trail, Amelia Bedelia Tries Her Luck and Amelia Bedelia Joins the Club
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Boris has an adventurous spirit; he loves to explore new places. He and his family have been lucky to have visited places like the China, Mexico and Paris. He craves yet another new experience but is flabbergasted when the next spot his parents take him to is the local conservation park. By the end, however, Boris learns that adventure can take place anywhere.
There are excellent activities at the end of each book; at the conclusion of Boris on the Move, there is a science project which demonstrates how to make a compass at home. The book also includes comprehension questions to consider after reading.
There are 731 words total of which 323 are unique. Many of the verbs are action oriented and descriptive, like “clambered.”
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The eleven-book Princess in Black series is led by protagonist Princess Magnoli and her unicorn Frimplepants who have a very big secret. When their monster alarm sounds, they slip on their magic rings and transform into the Princess in Black and Blacky the Faithful Pony. Together, they fight off monsters and find creative ways to save the day throughout their adventures, all the while attempting to avoid discovery of their secret identities.
The books are creative, humorous and action-packed. Science enthusiast and teachers particularly like book #6 in the series, Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare. For those in search of a male protagonist, the Prince in Pink is introduced in book #10.
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The Princess in Black (11 book series)
The Princess in Black: Three Smashing Adventures (Books 1-3)
The Princess in Black: Three Monster-Battling Adventures (Books 4-6)
The Princess in Black and the Bathtime Battle
The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem
The Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess
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In the case of this particular book in the four-book series, Fergus and Zeke plan to celebrate the 100th day of school with the class. They brainstorm many great ideas but have to be creative and persevere to finally end up with an idea that satisfies them. Throughout the book, and the series, Fergus and Zeke show how intangible skills of problem solving and collaboration pay off.
Readers will appreciate the entertaining illustrations as they read, and will love seeing so much of their own school experiences (the classroom setting, field trips and field day) reflected in the books.
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Within the first few pages of Orris and Timble, The Beginning, DiCamillo uses beautiful simile and metaphor, requiring the reader to use higher critical thinking skills, like “specks of dust danced” and “yellow marble glowed like a lamp.” She also weaves in incredible vocabulary such as “solemn,” “regal” and “expectant.”
The beautiful story about Orris the rat and Timble the owl begs readers to slow down, empathize and perspective take. For example,if you were Orris and heard a struggling owl that could potentially eat you, would you jump to help?
There are 1,583 words of which 439 are unique. This book can be read all at once or spaced out by chapter; the dense vocabulary and the higher level thinking encourage taking this one at a slower pace.
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Kate DiCamillo is well known for her novels, including two which won Newbery Medals - The Tale of Desperaux and Flora and Ulysses. Her Mercy Watson series includes a book which won a Geisel award. The Mercy Watson books are DiCamillo’s first early chapter book series, which she then followed up with the six-book series, The Tales from Deckawoo Drive.
In the Mercy Watson books, Mercy the pig is highly motivated by her favorite treat, “toast with a great deal of butter.” Mercy finds herself in all kinds of humorous escapades, especially with neighbors, Baby and Eugenia Lincoln.
The books include short chapters that are incredibly funny and entertaining. Readers will be further engaged with these books because of the amazing illustrations by Chris Van Dusen. Van Dusen has also authored several books of his own, including the amazing “If I Built” books, which imagine how kids might design their ideal car or school (etc.) unbounded by cost, physics or really any constraint whatsoever.
After reading, check out the website mercywatson.com for activities related to the books.
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Grace likes to use big words, which will give readers an opportunity to expand their vocabularies, especially as it relates to words surrounding solving mysteries. Readers will come to understand the meaning of “evidence,” “proof,” “eyewitnesses” and “culprits” as well as how important it is to gather the facts.
There is some humor embedded in addition to the focus on facts and evidence. Readers will find these books to be both suspenseful and entertaining.
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Nate the Great follows boy detective Nate who, together with his dog Sludge and good friend Annie, works to solve mysteries through analysis, clues, and …. pancakes! Nate often finds pancakes help him do his best thinking, especially when he is stumped.
The books include short chapters with text covering at least half of the page, and in some cases the entirety of it. Readers will be able to practice reading with expression as there is dialogue between characters and Nate himself which is quite expressive. The plot moves along quickly with short, suspenseful chapters and humorous situations.
Check out the activity section at the end of each book. Additionally, a fun extension of the mystery genre could be to play the Clue Jr. board game!
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After walking home from school with her best friend, Eddie, Mia sees a letter addressed to her from “PITS” (the Program for In Training Superheroes). She is even further surprised to learn her parents have been undercover superheroes her whole life too!
Mia must maintain her secret identity while saving the day throughout many adventures in the 13-book series. Readers will enjoy discovering how Mia learns to fly and uses x-ray vision.
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Complete Mia Mayhem series (13 books)
The Mia Mayhem Ten-Book Collection (Boxed Set)
Includes Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero!, Mia Mayhem Learns to Fly!, Mia Mayhem vs. the Super Bully, Mia Mayhem Breaks Down Walls, Mia Mayhem Stops Time!, Mia Mayhem vs. the Mighty Robot, Mia Mayhem Gets X-Ray Specs, Mia Mayhem Steals the Show!, Mia Mayhem and the Super Family Field Day and Mia Mayhem and the Super Switcheroo
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So what’s to love about the Kingdom of Wrenly series? Immediately upon opening each book the reader will see a two-page map of the Kingdom of Wrenly. The land, surrounding waters, and names like Hobsgrove and Primlox allude to the whimsical and fantastical nature of these books.
Eight-year-old Lucas is a prince in the kingdom of Wrenly who teams up with his best friend Clara, horse Uvan and his dragon Ruskin. Together, they face numerous adventures and adversaries like goblins and sea monsters. Just when the reader thinks they’ve have traveled to each part of Wrenly and met all characters, there is a next book.
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The Kingdom of Wrenly (21 book series)
The Kingdom of Wrenly Collection #1 (4 books)
Includes The Lost Stone, The Scarlet Dragon, Sea Monster!, The Witch’s Curse and a poster-sized map of Wrenly
The Kingdom of Wrenly Collection 2 (4 books)
Includes Adventures in Flatfrost, Beneath the Stone Forest, Let the Games Begin! and The Secret World of Mermaids
The Kingdom of Wrenly Collection 3 (4 books)
Includes The Bard and the Beast, The Pegasus Quest, The False Fairy and The Sorcerer’s Shadow
The Kingdom of Wrenly Collection 4 (4 books)
Includes The Thirteenth Knight, A Ghost in the Castle, Den of Wolves and The Dream Portal
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What keeps this series so successfully rolling into the next release? Each new book introduces a new type of dragon with its own set of magical powers. For example, there is a shadow dragon, an invisible dragon, a dream dragon and about two dozen more.
Eight-year-old Drake is the main character. He battles villains and and adventures with other dragon masters and the wizard Griffith throughout the series. Readers who love the Kingdom of Wrenly and fantasy in general will be particularly enthused by this series.
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Complete Dragon Masters series (30 books)
Includes Rise of the Earth Dragon, Saving the Sun Dragon, Secret of the Water Dragon, Power of the Fire Dragon and Song of the Poison Dragon
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The series takes place on Isla’s home island of Sol. Her best friend is a gecko named Fitz. Together, and with other friends in the series, they have all kinds of adventures on and around the island.
Author Dela Costa incorporates some subtle humor that is more sophisticated and well-suited for second graders. There are engaging illustrations on almost every page and the amount of text feels very accessible and not too overwhelming visually for young readers.
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This adorable series is written in diary format from the perspective of Bub the pug. Bub journals about his adventures with his human and best friend Bella. Bub’s diary appears on the page as an actual notebook with blue lines and taped pictures to help illustrate his writing, which, together, are lively and hilarious. The plot moves along as Bub narrates, and speech bubbles include dialogue along the way.
Readers can check out the last page of each book which includes comprehension questions to help reflect on the text. As another extension, your reader can begin a diary of their own or even just start with one entry.
Journaling has been proven to help mental health and to offer children a way to express their thoughts and feelings. Scholastic has a good article on this topic.
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Not only is Owl Diaries series intriguing to young readers because it is written in diary format, it is also part of Scholastic’s Branches books. The Branches collection includes books with accessible text (mostly phonetics taught by this age), fast-paced plots and exciting illustrations.
In this first book of the series, Eva the owl writes in her diary and elaborates on her thoughts and feelings around the pressure of organizing a festival. In addition to hearing Eva’s reflections, readers have a chance to read actual dialogue between characters in speech-bubble format. There are interesting illustrations, lists and maps. The age-level humor and wonderful creativity in Elliot’s writing, even beginning with Eva’s last name of “Wingdale” and her address on “Woodpine Avenue” in “Treetopolis.”
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Complete Owl Diaries series (21 books)
Includes Eva's Treetop Festival, Eva Sees a Ghost, A Woodland Wedding, Eva and the New Owl and Warm Hearts Day
Includes Baxter is Missing, The Wildwood Bakery, Eva and the Lost Pony, Eva’s Big Sleepover and Eva and Baby Mo
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Bo lives in Sparklegrove Forest with other unicorns who all have magic powers. Bo and friends like Scarlett Sugarlumps attend SSU – the Sparklegrove School for Unicorns. They live in Sparklegrove Forest which is nicely mapped out in the opening pages and includes parts like the Goblin Castle and the Fairy Village. The unicorns have a unique combination of magical powers but also very real emotions. For instance, the unicorns glow when they get nervous! Readers will love Elliot’s creativity and humor as well as the engaging illustrations, maps and diagrams.
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Young readers will love seeing firsthand, via Priya’s diary, the behind-the-scenes activities as she starts her business. They’ll relate to her as a grade school person and find much of her humor to be very funny. There are excellent vocabulary words incorporated throughout the book and highlighted in blue. Priya introduces us to many aspects of her Indian culture – from samosas to saris to a delicious mango lassi.
Readers may enjoy the fun craft at the end of each of the five books in the series. There are also comprehension questions at the end of each book.
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Siblings Jack and Annie discovered a tree house in their backyard that magically whisks them away to different places and points in time. In this first book, Dinosaurs Before Dark, they find themselves amongst dinosaurs in the prehistoric past!
Each book is driven by a unique adventure where the main characters must collaborate, problem solve and show bravery. These themes will resonate well with young readers, and they can either read the series in order or choose the book topics based on their interest—there are 39 books in this series!
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Within the 12-book series, Sparky embarks on adventures from London to Brazil to Tanzania and beyond. In addition to a suspenseful plot sequence of transporting to a new place and then attempting to dig out of peril, readers will have the ancillary benefit of learning about new countries and cultures. The setting of each book often takes place around famous spots. In Rome, for example, Sparky finds himself in the Colosseum!
The pages typically include a full side of text with black and white illustrations filling a half of the following page. Readers will often need to use inferential thinking to decipher some situations and subtle humor. Additionally, readers may need help with decoding and pronunciation of some foreign words and sites.
For follow up activities, use this book as an opportunity to discuss geography and other cultures, or locate the various places on the map and then discuss similarities and differences of cultures.
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Three whiz kids from Newtonburg Elementary, known as the Data Set, meet their reclusive neighbor who turns out to be a scientist. Dr. Bunsen has good intentions, but inevitably some part of his experiments go awry in each of the stories in this book set.
In March of the Mini Beasts, for example, a growth ray hits some small animal toys and they come to life! Readers who love suspense and sci-fi will especially love these books. The text is plentiful in language related to science. Just like the data set trio, readers will have the chance to think quickly on their feet and problem-solve in outrageous situations. There are interesting diagrams and expressive illustrations that accompany the scientific thinking required in each book.
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Best friends Pablo, Violet and Deepak stumble across a magic portal from their school which leads to an incredible makerspace. There are robots, 3-D printer, and materials that help to create a boundless STEM experience. Behind each door in the laboratory awaits an exciting adventure that ties back to what the kids are learning in science class.
There are small illustrations to enhance each story but the text often fills the entirety of one or two pages. The books are around 90 pages, and each book includes two wonderful science experiments for makers to create at home!
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The Magnificent Makers (9 book series)
The Magnificent Makers: How to Test a Friendship
The Magnificent Makers: Brain Trouble
The Magnificent Makers: Riding Sound Waves
The Magnificent Makers: The Great Germ Hunt
The Magnificent Makers: Race Through Space
The Magnificent Makers: Storm Chasers
The Magnificent Makers: Human Body Adventure
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Each book in the series has an incredibly creative plot centered on main character Alexander Bop. After moving to a new town, Alexander finds a notebook entitled "Doom" that withholds information about threatening monsters. One monster named the Forkupine is introduced in the first book and is a relative of the sporkupine.
Each book is about 90 pages with multiple chapters. Phonetically, readers will need to deploy all phonetics learned to this point. In terms of comprehension, these creative books will challenge readers to use background knowledge of various subjects and think outside of the box.
Outside of the text, the dynamic sketches, diagrams, schedules and charts will engage the reader more deeply and allow them to think in a scientific and inventive way.
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Notebook of Doom Complete Collection (13 Books)
Day of the Night Crawlers
Attack of the Shadow Smashers
Chomp of the Meat-Eating Vegetables
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Following the Notebook of Doom, Alexander almost misses the challenge and chaos of the monsters in the notebook. But when he attends summer camp, he discovers a binder (this time instead of a notebook) that has more monsters!
These books are similar in format to the Notebook of Doom books – roughly 90 pages with short chapters. These books include a clear Table of Contents so readers can get an idea of what is to come by previewing the chapter titles.
The illustrations include some extra data and graphic organizers that will deepen comprehension. Readers will have the chance to make predictions based on the various situations. They will often need to ask themselves “what if” and employ higher level and imaginative thinking.
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The books in this 12-book series read as though you’re playing a video game with the protagonist, Sunny. The plot moves quickly and suspensefully as Sunny attempts to keep Animal Town safe by helping his favorite character, Super Rabbit Boy, succeed. Needless to say, readers who enjoy video games will inevitably like these books. The sentences on each page are straightforward and punctuated by speech bubbles and text embedded within the colorful and entertaining illustrations.
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In each of the four books in this series, Gordon / Kung Pow Chicken repeatedly saves the day. The plots are creative and suspenseful, and the humor is hysterical. Author Cyndi Marko alludes to Gordon giving her the “mom face” and Gordon complains of his superhero suit giving him a leotard wedgie.
If that’s not enough, young readers will love that the first problem to solve in this book is saving the chickens from being naked!
These books are perfect for those readers who love humor, fast action and engaging illustrations. There are comprehension questions at the end of each book. For those with an adventurous palette, it may also be a fun extension activity to eat some Kung Pao Chicken!
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