Animal Books for 2nd Graders

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.’

Have you ever daydreamed so hard you forgot where you were? Boy can’t stop! One minute he’s bouncing on the moon, the next he’s a woodpecker tapping a tree, a goat on a sunny hillside, or a mole munching earthworms underground. But what could possibly be strong enough to pull him out of his wildest daydream yet? Something warm and delicious is drifting through the doorway… This decodable reader practices compound words such as ‘backpack,’ ‘daydream,’ ‘goldfish,’ and ‘sunshine.’

Spot is the world’s greatest finder of things - lost socks, buried bones, you name it! So when he loses his girl Jane at the zoo, he knows he can track her down. But why does Jane suddenly have a long swishy tail? And fuzzy fingers? And gold stripes? Can Spot sniff out his real girl before the day is done? This decodable reader practices the ai/ay phonogram with words like ‘day,’ ‘stay,’ ’trail,’ ‘wait,’ and ‘way.’

Prince Din just wants big leaves for his leaf ball - but the forest is full of dangerous things, and the guards refuse to go near it! When a huge striped tiger leaps out with a mighty growl, Prince Din runs deeper and deeper into the trees. Is the tiger really chasing him? Or could this fierce creature have a surprising secret? This decodable reader practices the oa phonogram in words like ‘coax,’ ‘croak,’ ‘groan,’ ‘road,’ and ‘roam.’

The Clever Tortoise thinks he can beat Cheetah, the fastest animal on the whole plain, in a three kilometer race. But how could a slow, plodding tortoise ever hope to outrun a streak of gold? Cheetah laughs, the whole veld laughs, and only Tortoise stays calm and quiet. What clever plan is hiding inside that domed shell, and will it be enough? This Bookbot ES level practices two syllable words with ’es’ plurals, using lesson words like ‘bunches’, ‘bushes’, ‘ditches’, ‘brushes’, and ‘watches’.

Kojo has a big reading test on Friday, and his stomach is full of bees! But when he sounds out the first word, something very strange happens - the word leaps right off the page! Can Kojo read his way to a whole crew of friends before the test? What magical creature might pop out next? This decodable reader practices 2-syllable open words like ‘cozy,’ ‘frozen,’ ‘open,’ and ’tiny.’

When Skel’s house gets too crowded for a skeleton to catch a quiet nap, Zom offers a deal: go on a trip, and he’ll build an amazing add-on while pet-sitting Bones and Starfang. But can a grumpy spider learn to trust a new room? And will Zom really finish the whole house, or just the spookiest entrance ever seen? This decodable reader practices vowel team syllables in words such as ‘quiet,’ ‘create,’ ‘giant,’ ‘ruin,’ and ’triumph.’

Anansi has cooked a feast fit for a king, and he plans to ’eat’ every last bite alone. But when a hungry, road weary Turtle knocks at the door, will clever Anansi share his ‘meal’, or trick his guest out of a single bite? And what happens when Turtle sends an invitation of his own? A tale of tricks, manners, and a lesson served at last. This Bookbot level practices the ’ea’ sound with words like ‘feast’, ’each’, ‘reach’, and ‘great’.

What happens when a brave girl sets off to walk to Grandad’s house all by herself for the very first time? The sunshine is warm, the pathway is familiar, and nothing could possibly go wrong - until a sharp YAP bursts from around the corner and her footsteps freeze. Is there a monstrous beast waiting just out of sight, or something else entirely? This decodable reader practices compound words such as ‘doorstep,’ ‘driveway,’ ‘pathway,’ ‘footsteps,’ and ‘sunshine.’