Family Books for 2nd Graders

Bon’s summer holiday is off to a terrible start - Mum is busy, Dad has gone to work, and Su won’t even look up from her paper folding. Could the most boring summer in history be about to begin? Just when Bon is ready to give up, a wild idea starts to float into his head, and it involves Butter, the family parrot! This decodable reader focuses on the ‘oa’ sound in words like ‘float,’ ‘groan,’ ‘road,’ ‘oak,’ and ‘oats.’

What if your hair could be anything you wanted - a sun umbrella, a cosy scarf, even a cheeky bird’s nest? Join one hair-loving kid and her funny little dog through every season, from wild autumn runs to snowy winter walks. Will she keep her long curls forever, or try something brand new? Flip the page and find out! This decodable reader practises compound words such as ‘hairbrush,’ ‘birdhouse,’ ‘snowflake,’ and ‘sidewalk.’

Pip’s first birthday is tomorrow, and Kara has the most exciting plan ever - a surprise party with cake, balloons, and every single one of his favourite things! But what happens when a clever little puppy peeks around the doorway and hears every word? Can Kara still pull off a surprise when Pip has plans of his own? This decodable reader practises suffixes through words such as ‘boldly,’ ‘brightly,’ ‘cheerful,’ ‘proudly,’ and ‘softly.’

High in her favourite tree, Mother Crow loves to caw louder than anyone in the neighbourhood - but her three hungry chicks don’t want songs, they want breakfast! Can she swoop across the city and spot something tasty before the chicks bawl the whole tree down? And when a lady strolls by with a basket of silver fish, will this clever crow be quick enough to grab one? This decodable reader practises the aw/au phonogram in words like ‘caw,’ ‘claws,’ ‘hauls,’ and ‘awe.’

In the highland city of Gondar lives a proud judge who thinks no one is cleverer than he is. But when he meets a poor girl named Tigist splitting grain with her bare hands, he sets her three impossible tasks. Can Tigist find the simple truth hiding inside each puzzle before her family pays a fine they cannot afford? This Bookbot book practises two-syllable “es” plurals with lesson words like ‘benches’, ‘watches’, ‘branches’, and ‘rushes’.

The rains have not come, and every morning a girl named Njoki digs in the dry riverbed for water her sick mother and hungry little brothers need. Then she finds a strange gourd buried in the sand, one that pours out more clean water than it could ever hold. But a gift like this comes with a quiet rule. What happens when someone forgets it? This Bookbot level practises stable final syllables in words like ’little’, ‘gentle’, ’trickle’, ‘people’, and ‘ripple’.

What if the most amazing thing in the whole world was waiting just past your own front door? Little Snap the croc is ready to find out. She kisses her family goodbye and swims swiftly into the big blue sea, meeting a bookish otter, a leaping dolphin, and wonders she never imagined. But will her grand quest end where it began? This decodable reader practises suffixes in words such as ‘kindly,’ ‘swiftly,’ ‘friendships,’ ‘homeward,’ and ’lovely.’

Dr Can Do has the world’s best Christmas joke saved up - but someone keeps stealing his punchlines! Will he finally get to deliver his grand finale at Christmas dinner, or will a sneaky joke thief beat him to it one more time? A warm, giggly family tale full of crackers, candles, and laughter around the table. This decodable reader practises the igh phonogram in words like ‘bright,’ ’light,’ ‘sight,’ ‘might,’ and ’tight.’

When Jill races to her grandmother’s house, what magical adventure is waiting on the shelves? Curled up in the big red armchair, Jill picks a book about a tiny airship sailing through the clouds. But wait - did Grandmother just sneak in a talking parrot that speaks fourteen languages? Has she been making up her own bits again? One thing’s for sure: nobody tells a story quite like Grandmother! This decodable reader practises compound words such as ‘airship,’ ‘armchair,’ ‘bookcase,’ ‘daydream,’ and ’teacup.’

It’s Khushi’s tenth birthday, and she’s dreaming of the biggest, shiniest presents ever - so when Dad hands her a stubborn little clay donkey bank, she can’t hide her disappointment. But what happens when her sister begs to borrow a coin? And when she meets a new friend at school who needs help more than Khushi needs a phone, what will she choose? This decodable reader practises the ’ew’ sound in words like ‘drew,’ ‘knew,’ ‘flew,’ ‘grew,’ and ‘phew.’