Children's Books for 2nd Graders

Foiled again? When Hyena discovers a giant honeycomb hidden in a fever tree, she guards it fiercely and tells no one. But sly Jackal has been watching from behind a termite mound, and his hungry belly wants a share. Can a clever trick outsmart a bigger, stronger rival? Will greed be Hyena’s downfall? This Bookbot book practices the /oɪ/ sound with words like ‘ploy’, ‘voice’, ‘coy’, ‘joy’, and ‘foiled’.

Arrows are raining down from the sky, and Hop has had quite enough! Who would dare shoot at a little rabbit hiding in a tree? There’s only one person in the whole kingdom with arrows like that - and Hop is going to find him. Along the way, he’ll gather a brave crew of friends, but will they be ready to face the mysterious king hiding in the clearing? This decodable reader practices the ‘ow’ sound in words like ‘brown,’ ‘crown,’ ‘down,’ and ‘frown.’

In the lake town of Oguta lives Adaeze, a princess who reads the weather in the water and solves every riddle she meets. So when a smooth-voiced suitor glides up to the palace gate, why does she alone feel that something is wrong? What secret hides beneath his sharp dark suit, and can one clever girl and a small disc of ash unmask him before the whole court? This Bookbot Level S9 story practices the /sh/ phonograms in ’tradition’, ‘ancient’, ‘accusation’, ‘attention’, and ‘aberration’.

Beat it with a good heart and a feast appears from nowhere, but when a greedy merchant steals the Oba’s magic drum and runs north with it, who will chase him down? Ten year old Remi knows the drum’s secret, and only a giving heart can call the food to come. Can she reach it before the thief ruins everything? This Bookbot level practices the /ɔɪ/ sound with words like ‘joy’, ‘voice’, ’noise’, ‘point’, and ‘spoil’.

The Karoo desert is so dark that children cry out in fear and hunters lose their way. But when clever /Kaggen the Mantis loses his glowing sandal to the night sky, something extraordinary begins. Can a trickster’s mistake become the greatest gift the desert has ever known? What is that pale white curve rising over the sand? Read on to discover how light finds a way. This Bookbot level practices the ‘ou’ sound with words like ‘ground’, ‘round’, ‘cloud’, ‘found’, and ’loud’.

Kaggen can spin moonlight from a sandal, but there is one thing he cannot make. Fire. And fire belongs to the Ostrich, who hides it under his wing and never lets anyone near. Can a clever little insect outwit a huge, guarded bird? What plan could a mantis dream up, and what happens when the flame finally breaks free? This warm folktale rewards patience, cleverness, and courage. This Bookbot level practices words like ‘solution’, ‘situation’, ‘question’, and ‘action’.

The fish of Lake Victoria have vanished, and no one knows why. When young Opiyo hides in his father’s canoe and sneaks out onto the deep, dark water at night, a strange glow rises from below. What could be scaring the fish away? And why does it seem to be listening when Opiyo begins to sing? This gentle Bookbot adventure practices the ‘ou’ sound with lesson words like ’loud’, ‘found’, ‘round’, ‘sound’, and ‘proud’.

Don has finally found the perfect blue cap at the market - but what happens when a sneaky gust of wind snatches it right off his head? The cap sails over the bushes, gets stuck in the branches, and lands somewhere Don never expected. Can he ever get it back, or has his treasure been claimed by someone much bigger and brighter? A warm, funny story about letting go and finding new friends. This decodable reader practices es plurals in words like ‘bushes,’ ‘branches,’ ‘catches,’ and ‘wishes.’

The Tokoloshe is coming. In the dark of night, something small, wet, and very cheeky is tipping over pots, pinching toes, and terrorizing a girl named Nomsa’s home. Can Nomsa outwit a water-sprite that cannot climb but keeps stealing her every plan? With one brick left and her little brother in danger, she must think fast and think smart. This Bookbot book practices reading longer words of three or more syllables, like ‘suddenly’, ‘absolutely’, ‘grandmother’, and ‘afternoon’.

Hippo rules the great river bend, and when any thirsty animal creeps near, one enormous splash sends them fleeing. But clever old Tortoise has a wager: keep your mouth shut from moonrise to moonrise, and the river stays yours. Can a slow tortoise really outwit a mighty hippo who never breaks a promise? This Level ES story practices two-syllable ’es’ plurals with lesson words like ‘watches’, ‘branches’, ‘crashes’, ‘rushes’, and ‘splashes’.