Free Books for 2nd Graders
Don't Flatten My Curls!
Mara has one big rule: curly is ALWAYS better than straight! But what happens when she meets a lion with a perfectly straight tail, climbs a spiral staircase fit for a princess, and spots a golden carpet of silky hair belonging to her very own sister? Can curly really beat straight every single time, or might Mara discover a few surprises along the way? This decodable reader practises VC/CV syllables through words like ‘basket,’ ‘carpet,’ ‘rabbit,’ and ‘picnic.’
Hot or not?
Steve has caught a big fat cod, and he is sure he can cook it over a roaring fire. But is raw fish unsafe until it is properly cooked? And when his first try ends with very hot fingers, will he repeat the same mistake the next day, or find a wild new way to heat his lunch? Join Steve for a sizzling, smoky adventure! This decodable reader practises words with prefixes, including ‘preheat,’ ‘react,’ ‘rebuild,’ ‘unsafe,’ and ‘dismay.’
Loop That Troll!
Nib is happily spinning red wool when her brothers head off to the hills, leaving the door unlocked as always. But what creeps out of the woods with a rumbling belly and a hungry grin? When a shaggy troll snatches Nib up and carries her off to his cave, can one clever girl and a ball of red wool really outsmart a beast? This decodable reader practises the ‘oo’ sound in words like ‘wool,’ ’look,’ ‘boom,’ ‘hoot,’ and ‘food.’
Wait! Don't Go!
Today is Sen’s birthday, and the giant boy has crawled up from his underground cave with one enormous wish: to find a friend. But when three village children spot him patting a shiny little bike, everything goes CRUNCH! Can a boy with banana-sized fingers and a thunder-loud voice ever show the kids he only wants to play? Will anyone be brave enough to come back? This decodable reader practises suffixes in words such as ‘boldly,’ ‘gently,’ ‘friendly,’ ‘sadly,’ and ‘slowly.’
We Made It Rain!
Walt sings to the sky every day, begging the clouds for rain on the dry, grey plain. But what happens when a giant, grinning dinosaur thumps down the trail and wants to join in? Can two loud voices and one silly song really call the clouds down to play? This decodable reader practises the ai/ay phonogram in words like ‘rain,’ ‘day,’ ‘plain,’ ’trail,’ and ‘sway.’
Who Turned Off the Lights?
The festival sparkles, the carnival twinkles, and the whole town glows like a bundle of candles - until someone starts flicking the lights off, one by one. Who is grumbling in the shadows, and why does The Dark hate the glow so much? When even the lighthouse goes silent, can anyone set things right before disaster strikes on the waves? This decodable reader practises the le/al/el/il phonogram in words like ‘candle,’ ‘single,’ ‘sparkle,’ ‘signal,’ and ’twinkle.’
Cod
Deep in the cold sea lives the fastest, sneakiest cod on the coast - and every fisherman has given up trying to catch it. Every one, that is, except Steve. But Steve has no rod, no net, and no boat. How on earth will he catch a fish with his bare hands? And when the tide washes something unexpected onto the shore, could Steve finally have a chance? This decodable reader practises vowel team syllables in words such as ‘diet,’ ‘quiet,’ ’naive,’ ‘reacts,’ and ’triumph.’
Dig!
Alex grabs her shovel and heads for the hillside, certain something special is hiding deep underground. But what will she find as she digs a tunnel down, down, down? A shiny jewel? A tasty morsel? And while she’s busy swinging her pickaxe below, could a nimble thief be sneaking around up on the grass? This decodable reader practises le/al/el/il words such as ‘shovel,’ ‘bundle,’ ‘scramble,’ and ‘sparkle.’
It Won't Stay Down!
The bravest explorer in the whole world has found a village under the full moon - but something is very wrong. The huts are dark, the golem is cracked and tangled in vines, and a see-through cat is watching every move. Where did all the villagers go? And what happens when a defeated zombie simply will not stay down? This decodable reader practises prefixes in words like ‘inspect,’ ‘unpack,’ ‘retreat,’ and ‘return.’
Zombies in the Cave!
Two wandering villagers have drifted too deep into the cave - and now something is moving in the shadows! When zombies lunge from the dark and turn the villagers green, can a shimmery purple potion save them before it’s too late? Will the cure reach them in time, or will the villagers stay lost forever? This decodable reader practises es plurals in words like ‘boxes,’ ‘fizzes,’ ‘splashes,’ and ‘riches.’