Science Books for 2nd Graders

Have you ever wondered what happens to a raindrop once it tumbles from a cloud? High above the hills, thousands of raindrops are lined up for the greatest race in the world - first one to the sea wins! But what is the prize, and does anyone actually know the rules? Tumble, splash, and roll along for a wild ride. This decodable reader practises ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like ‘mission,’ ’location,’ ‘vacation,’ and ‘migration.’

Where does pee and poop actually GO? Pat the rat has a question nobody wants to answer, so he takes a deep breath and dives straight into the toilet! Down in the dark sewer, a cheerful rat offers to show him everything. Can Pat follow the water through tanks, filters, and pipes all the way to the sea? This decodable reader practises 2-syllable open words such as ‘maybe,’ ‘only,’ ‘open,’ and ‘over.’

Manta Ray is the greatest navigator in the sea - or so he likes to say. But when a sudden storm turns the bluish water to chaos, can the proudest ray in the ocean find his way back home? Who will help him when he finally spots that familiar neon lighthouse beam? Dive in and see! This decodable reader practises vowel team syllables in words like ‘bluish,’ ’neon,’ ‘quiet,’ and ‘react.’

What if a fish got tired of swimming in circles and decided to walk right out of the lake? Meet the climbing perch - a tiny, spiny troublemaker who munches bugs in the sunshine, hides from hungry birds, and naps in the mud when the water dries up. Can a little fish really march across the farmland on its fins? This decodable reader practises compound words like ‘sunshine,’ ‘raindrop,’ ‘footstep,’ ‘outside,’ and ‘daydream.’

Girl is thirstier than she has ever been, and there is not one drop of water left anywhere! The pump is dry, the tank is empty, and even the creek has cracked in the sun. Will she find a sip to drink? Can a single silent cloud in the open sky really hear her shouting? A decodable reader practising 2-syllable open words like ‘baking,’ ‘open,’ ‘silent,’ ’tiny,’ and ‘water.’

Steve and Alex caught WAY too many cod - and now a giant, stinky pile of fish is rotting on their dock! What happens when they leave food out instead of storing it properly? Can a roaring fire and a quiet cave really make the problem disappear, or will the awful whiff bring every hungry hog and curious cat running straight to their farm? This decodable reader practises vowel team syllables in words like ‘quiet,’ ‘giant,’ ‘fuel,’ ‘chaos,’ and ‘ruins.’

On a sunny hillside, a curious boy holds a heavy rock in one hand and a soft feather in the other. Which one will hit the ground first? And just how much heavier is that rock, really? With Dad’s help, a flask of water, and a set of scales, he sets out to weigh everything from feathers to the whole planet Earth! This decodable reader practises compound words such as ‘hillside,’ ‘driveway,’ ‘sunshine,’ ‘raindrop,’ and ‘outweigh.’

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.’

ROAR! Did you know scientists can figure out what a dinosaur ate just by looking at its teeth? Or that T-rex might have had feathers and could be related to a chicken? Join one boastful T-rex as it meets long-necked giants, pack hunters, and gentle parents - and slowly discovers there is far more to dinosaurs than size and a big set of jaws. This decodable reader practises 3+ syllable words such as ‘dinosaurs,’ ‘incredible,’ ‘velociraptor,’ and ‘unfortunately.’

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.’