Children's Books for 2nd Graders

When Jim sees Len’s shiny new toy boat, something twisty happens in his tummy - and suddenly he’s bragging about owning the best stuff in the WORLD! But Jim’s toy box only holds a dented ball and an old board game. Could borrowing treasures from Grandpa’s plants, Gran’s craft basket, and Mom’s dresser save the day? Or will one missing perfume bottle give the whole game away? This decodable reader practices es plurals through words like ‘boxes,’ ‘bushes,’ ‘fixes,’ ‘dresses,’ and ‘riches.’

Ned is bored, bored, BORED - until The Book shows him how to turn sticky honey into soft golden blocks that catch you when you fall. But what happens when Ned decides one small jump is not nearly enough? Can a super-tall tower, a flat patch of ground, and a very nervous Book keep one brave boy safe? Climb up and find out! This decodable reader practices 2-syllable open words such as ‘cozy,’ ‘open,’ ’tiny,’ ‘maybe,’ and ‘ocean.’

Zom the zombie is tired of his neighbors who only want to shuffle, groan, and moan about brains. Isn’t there someone more fun out there? When a gentle buzzing leads him to a busy beehive full of potential new pals, Zom is thrilled - but will the bees want to be friends with a clumsy zombie? And what happens when his big idea for saying hello goes very, very wrong? This decodable reader practices le/al/el/il words such as ‘gentle,’ ’little,’ ‘cattle,’ ‘bundle,’ and ‘stumbles.’

Diane is the proudest litterbug around - until she wakes up one morning to find a stinking cloud of rubbish hovering right above her bed! Flies buzz, wrappers swirl, and the cloud follows her everywhere she goes. Can Diane figure out how to make her smelly shadow disappear? Will anyone want to sit with her at lunch, or is a small gray rat her only friend now? This decodable reader practices 2-syllable open words such as ‘about,’ ‘open,’ ’even,’ and ‘only.’

Dragon has stolen Shawn’s toy again! Can Dawn and Shawn catch a mischievous dragon who zooms through clouds and never, ever slows down? Hold on tight as they grab Dragon’s mane and shoot up into a sky full of swirling coins and spinning junk. Will they snatch the toy back before Dragon’s jaws chomp it to bits? This decodable reader practices the aw/au sound in words like ‘dawn,’ ‘claws,’ ‘pause,’ and ‘sprawl.’

Dive in and sail east across the Minecraft world - have you ever wondered what lies beneath those endless blue waves? From warm seas where fish weave through kelp to bleak frozen chunks of ice, every ocean hides something different. Which mobs swim in peace, and which ones might be a threat? Can you help keep our real oceans healthy too? This decodable reader practices the ’ea’ phonogram in words like ‘beach,’ ‘clean,’ ‘heat,’ and ‘reach.’

Deep in an old, forgotten mine, brave Fig Pig marches in with his little lamp beaming and a pickaxe swung high. But what happens when he spots a chest full of gold, a sleeping beast the size of a wheelbarrow, and a narrow rail stretched across bubbling lava? Will he reach the great black coal he dreams of, or will something at the entrance send him running? This decodable reader practices the ’ea’ sound in words like ‘beam,’ ‘dream,’ ‘reach,’ and ‘scream.’

Rooster has spotted a mouse in his farmyard, and he is certain this will be the greatest catch in farm history! But what happens when the mouse zips away faster than Rooster can run? And who is that snarling in the yard with teeth bared? Feathers fly, hens squawk, and suddenly Rooster is the one being chased! This decodable reader practices es plurals in words like ‘catches,’ ‘dashes,’ ‘rushes,’ and ‘watches.’

What happens when a small child spots something big and wrong by the shore? When a gray factory starts pouring dark muck into the waves, one brave kid grabs a stick and writes three giant letters in the sand. Will anyone see the message? Will anyone listen? Sometimes the smallest voices have the loudest things to say, if only the sky is willing to look down. This decodable reader practices the ’ea’ sound in words like ‘beach,’ ‘sea,’ ‘clean,’ and ‘speak.’

Ned is a brave fighter, but every monster battle leaves him covered in bumps and bruises! To stay safer, he needs leather armor - and that means catching cows. But have you ever tried sneaking up on a cow? They scatter, they run, and something green and lumpy might be creeping close behind. Can Ned become a quiet enough hunter to finally gather what he needs? This decodable reader practices suffixes in words such as ‘bravely,’ ‘faster,’ ‘hunter,’ ‘proudly,’ and ‘softly.’