Children's Books for 2nd Graders
No More Torches!
Doc Can Do has walked a long way to find a new place to stay - but when he reaches the village, every wall is lit by smoky, drippy torches! Can this clever inventor convince the villagers that his bright new lamps, speedy rails, and wild ideas are better than fire? What will he build next? This decodable reader practices the ai/ay sound in words like ‘day,’ ‘stay,’ ‘main,’ and ‘rays.’
Not One Drop!
Girl is thirstier than she has ever been, and there is not one drop of water left anywhere! The pump is dry, the tank is empty, and even the creek has cracked in the sun. Will she find a sip to drink? Can a single silent cloud in the open sky really hear her shouting? A decodable reader practicing 2-syllable open words like ‘baking,’ ‘open,’ ‘silent,’ ’tiny,’ and ‘water.’
Oh No, My Hair!
When Allie spots an old photo of Mom with a short, pretty haircut, she decides she simply must have one too - so she grabs the craft scissors and gets snipping! But what happens when Allie sees herself in the mirror? Can noodles, green beans, or a blanket of spinach leaves really fix a haircut gone wrong? This decodable reader practices VC/CV syllables in words like ‘haircut,’ ‘mirror,’ ‘scissors,’ ‘blanket,’ and ‘picture.’
Ouch! That Was My Leaf!
Spike the cactus is lonely and wants to find a friend. He hops around the garden in his pot, asking different trees if they want to be pals. But the orange tree is grumpy, the banana tree is scared, and others just sigh at him. When he finally finds someone willing to chat, something goes wrong. Why is it so hard for Spike to make friends? Will he ever find a pal who truly understands him?
Panha Won't Come Down!
Panha’s town is buried under thick, gloomy smog, and she’s had enough! Has anyone ever really seen the sky behind all that gray? When Panha climbs the tallest hill and spots actual sunlight, she races home with a wild idea: invent a plane, fly above the clouds, and bring the sun back. But what will she find waiting up there? This decodable reader practices words with prefixes such as “declared,” “exclaimed,” “replace,” and “unfair.”
Rot
Steve and Alex caught WAY too many cod - and now a giant, stinky pile of fish is rotting on their dock! What happens when they leave food out instead of storing it properly? Can a roaring fire and a quiet cave really make the problem disappear, or will the awful whiff bring every hungry hog and curious cat running straight to their farm? This decodable reader practices vowel team syllables in words like ‘quiet,’ ‘giant,’ ‘fuel,’ ‘chaos,’ and ‘ruins.’
Skel Gets a Dog
Skel the skeleton has boots, a crossbow, and a fine set of bones - but something is missing. What he really needs is a loyal hunting dog! So when he brings home a floppy-eared pup with the biggest, hungriest eyes in the world, what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, it turns out, especially when your new best friend thinks YOU are the snack. This decodable reader practices vowel team syllables in words such as ‘being,’ ‘chaos,’ ‘diet,’ ‘genius,’ and ’triumph.’
Stop, Broom, Stop!
The Wind Princess is coming to visit at sunrise, and everything must sparkle! But when Kate grabs the Rainbow Broom to help with the housework, it growls, dodges, and zooms straight out the doorway with Kate clinging on for dear life. Why is the magical broom so grumpy? Can Kate calm it down before their special guest arrives? This decodable reader practices compound words such as ‘sunrise,’ ‘hallway,’ ‘bathtub,’ ‘cobweb,’ and ‘sunshine.’
Stop That Fox!
When a fluffy hen appears in the pig pen, Fig Pig and Tip can hardly believe their luck - fresh eggs every morning! But what happens when a sneaky fox sneaks under the fence and snatches a chicken right off the ground? Can Brat Cat chop down a tree fast enough to stop her? And does clever Fig Pig have a secret plan of his own? This decodable reader practices the ie phonogram in words like ‘cried,’ ‘field,’ ’thief,’ and ‘shriek.’
The Bucket Splashes!
Ned has a brand new house, a very bossy magic book, and a belly full of nothing but apples. Can he really grow his own food from tiny seeds hidden in the grass? And when The Book sends him lugging a bucket of seawater across the whole field, will Ned’s arms survive the journey? A funny tale of hard work, wobbly green shoots, and one very unhelpful book. This decodable reader practices es plurals in words such as ‘bunches,’ ‘patches,’ ‘searches,’ and ‘splashes.’