Children's Books for 2nd Graders

Joan’s little house sits by a quiet forest road, and she longs to explore the shadows beyond the trees. But when a white deer steps out of the woods and beckons her to follow, will she remember her mother’s warning? What wonders - and what dangers - wait along the path? Joan is about to find out she’s not alone in the forest. This decodable reader practices the ‘oa’ sound in words like ‘coat,’ ‘road,’ ‘roam,’ and ‘soaks.’

Ned and The Book are heading back into the cave, and this time they’ve brought a torch. But what happens when the pathway suddenly stops at the edge of a huge, dark hole? Can Ned find a way across before the creatures below make him their next meal? And what treasure could possibly be worth such a scary trip underground? This decodable reader practices compound words such as ‘breakfast,’ ‘pathway,’ ‘sunlight,’ and ‘doorway.’

Ned thinks the forest is safe - until a pack of hungry wolves comes charging out of the shadows! Can a boy with nothing but a bag of bones really turn scary wolves into loyal friends? And when night falls and the zombies arrive, will his wild new plan actually work? Join Ned and his magic book for a howlingly fun adventure. This decodable reader practices VC/CV syllables in words like ‘rabbit,’ ‘forest,’ ‘happen,’ and ‘sudden.’

On a sunny hillside, a curious boy holds a heavy rock in one hand and a soft feather in the other. Which one will hit the ground first? And just how much heavier is that rock, really? With Dad’s help, a flask of water, and a set of scales, he sets out to weigh everything from feathers to the whole planet Earth! This decodable reader practices compound words such as ‘hillside,’ ‘driveway,’ ‘sunshine,’ ‘raindrop,’ and ‘outweigh.’

Deep in a dark cave, Ned’s metal armor sparkles as he swings his pickaxe, dreaming of treasure. But what happens when a little chest holds something stranger than gold - a floppy leather lump? And when Ned spots a beautiful white horse in a nearby stable, can he learn to be gentle enough to ride it, or will he tumble right off? This decodable reader practices the le/al/el/il phonogram in words like ‘apple,’ ‘saddle,’ ‘gentle,’ ‘metal,’ and ‘signal.’

Dog and Cat were the very best of friends - napping under the big tree, sharing meals, and batting their little ball back and forth. But when the people scoop Cat up to live inside the house, Dog is left alone in the yard. Can two friends find their way back to each other after angry words drive them apart? This decodable reader practices prefixes in words such as ‘dislike,’ ‘indoors,’ ‘retreat,’ ‘undone,’ and ‘unfair.’

When the sun beats down and Mom’s smile starts to wobble, Giraffe hatches a plan so silly it might just work - he’ll climb sky-high and eat the sun itself! But what happens when a giraffe swallows the brightest thing in the whole universe? Can Bear’s bowl of bread dough save the day, or has Giraffe cooked up the biggest mess ever? This decodable reader practices the ’ea’ sound in words like ‘beat,’ ‘dream,’ ‘peach,’ and ’treat.’

Long ago on the southern African plains, Zebra was plain white and absolutely proud of it. But when a cruel dry season swallows every pool, only one waterhole remains, and a fierce Baboon guards it with fire and snapping teeth. How can a plain white horse outwit such a bully? And what happens on the afternoon Zebra finally makes his stand? This Bookbot level practices three or more syllables, with words like ‘absolutely’, ‘afternoon’, ‘finally’, ‘desperate’, and ‘reflection’.

The Tire is tired of the bumpy road, the heavy boxes, and all the crashes! Could a truck be a better home? Maybe a bike? Or a cart with wooden wheels? Poor Tire rolls past bushes and ditches, making wishes for a place where he truly fits - but where could that be? This decodable reader practices es plurals in words like ‘bushes,’ ‘crashes,’ ‘ditches,’ and ‘wishes.’

What happens when one mischievous cat gets stuck up a tree - and refuses to come down? One small rescue turns into the wildest day ever, with a broken ladder, a crying baby, a sneaky monkey in the kitchen, and a hungry dog chasing a pot of curry down the street. Could one furry troublemaker really cause all this trouble? A decodable reader practicing VC/CV syllables in words such as ‘borrow,’ ‘problem,’ ‘pepper,’ and ‘villain.’