Entering Second Grade

Children lose 20-30% of reading gains made during the school year over the summer. Educators call this regression the “summer slide,” which can equate to falling behind by almost half a grade level in just two months. The good news is reading loss can be eliminated by having a child independently read just 4-6 books over the summer!

Summer Reading Favorites: Rising Second Graders

Fiction

  1. A Friend for Dragon by Dav Pilkey

  2. April and Mae  by Megan Lambert

  3. Cork & Fuzz: Best Friends by Dori Chaconas

  4. Fox Tails by Tina Kugler

  5. Hello, Crabby! by Jonathan Fenske

  6. Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold

  7. Iris and Walter by Elissa Guest

  8. Max and Mo by Patricia Lakin

  9. Pete the Cat by James Dean

  10. Robin Hill School by Margaret McNamara

Non Fiction

  1. Little People, Big Dreams series (various authors)

  2. My First Book of Soccer by Sports Illustrated Kids

  3. Who Would Win? series by Jerry Pallotta

Beating the Summer Slide

Daily Goal 20 minutes of independent reading, followed by a few (two or so) comprehension questions from the parent

Summer Goal 4-6 books read well, several times, with fluency

For additional titles, see our early second grade recommendations here