Nature Books for 2nd Graders

Diya knows more about butterflies than anyone in her whole school - but she’s far too shy to say a word in class. What happens when her teacher takes the class to the park, and Diya spots a fat striped caterpillar wriggling along a leaf? Could this be the day she finally finds her voice? This decodable reader practises the le/al/el/il endings in words like ‘gentle,’ ‘sparkle,’ ‘giggle,’ ‘crumpled,’ and ‘medal.’

Beth’s cosy nest has one empty spot, and only the perfect flower will do. But every bloom she spies seems to belong to somebody else - a fussy butterfly, busy bees, and a spider with a web to protect! Will Beth ever find a flower she’s allowed to pick? And what will her mother say when she finally flies home? This decodable reader practises words with prefixes, including ’explore,’ ‘dislike,’ ‘redo,’ ‘replace,’ and ‘return.’

Have you ever wandered across the wide, green plains of Minecraft? Cows munch grass, pigs snuffle along, and horses gallop in every direction you can see. You might spot sunflowers swaying in the sun, or fish leaping in a quiet lake. But what happens when too many hooves trample the same patch of ground? Can a clever farmer keep the land healthy for all? This decodable reader practises the ai/ay phonogram in words such as ‘may,’ ‘plains,’ ‘stay,’ ’trail,’ and ‘raise.’

The maize is dead, the goats grow thin, and the river has shrunk to the width of a child’s arm. When the rains fail and the whole village falls into ‘chaos’, who will find the answer everyone has walked past for years? A ten year old girl named Lwazi listens to the wise old Nozipho and begins to wonder about a forgotten well and the water that might still lie at the bottom. Can a village ‘create’ hope from what it already has? This Bookbot level practises two syllable words split between two vowels, as in ‘quiet’, ’trio’, and ’triumph’.

Step into the leafy world of Minecraft forests, where towering oaks and birches stretch high above your head! What creeps between the shadowy trunks when the sun goes down? Why do players need trees so badly, and what happens if we chop down too many in the real world? From gathering seeds to spotting mobs hiding in the green, this adventure shows why forests matter everywhere. This decodable reader practises the ’ee’ sound in words like ‘creep,’ ‘green,’ ’trees,’ ‘see,’ and ‘seeds.’

Ladybug has found a teeny, tiny vine in the yard, and she is certain she can grow it into the most magnificent garden anyone has ever seen. But have you ever watched a vine climb a little too quickly? What happens when golden blossoms, fat pumpkins, and curling tendrils start wrapping around everything in sight? Snail tries to warn her, but Ladybug has big plans! This decodable reader practises suffixes in words like ‘brightly,’ ‘proudly,’ ‘quickly,’ ‘growers,’ and ’lovely.’