SEL Books for 2nd Graders

The town is hot, humid, and far too loud - and Brat Cat has had ENOUGH! Can a cranky cat find a little peace among the birch trees? With Fig Pig and Tip by her side, she hatches a big plan for a very quiet hideaway where crowds and carts can’t follow. But will her perfect escape turn out as silent as she hopes? This decodable reader practises 2-syllable open words such as ‘cosy,’ ‘humid,’ ‘silent,’ and ’twilight.’

Boy’s little brother snatches everything - even his favourite purple toy! When Mum marches in and sends them both to bed, Boy wishes, just once, he could have something all his own. But what happens when a wild adventure with an enormous elephant puts his brother in real danger? Will Boy reach him in time? This decodable reader practises es plurals in words like ‘bushes,’ ‘dishes,’ ‘branches,’ and ‘crosses.’

Anika stands at the water’s edge, clutching her snorkel and feeling very unsure about this whole ocean thing. What if it tastes like pickles? What if something with tentacles is waiting? But once she dips below the waves, a secret world of glowing specks, baby turtles, flying fish and a colour-changing octopus opens up. Will Anika find her courage in the deep blue? This decodable reader practises prefixes in words like ‘inhale,’ ’explore,’ ‘detect,’ ‘retreat’ and ‘debrief.’

On a sunny morning at the farm, a boy spots Rooster’s magnificent red comb gleaming like a royal crown - and suddenly he wants one too! But Rooster says no, Peacock struts away, and even Heron refuses to share. Will anyone give him a crown of his very own? When nobody will help, what clever idea might save the day? This decodable reader practises the ‘ow’ sound through words such as ‘crown,’ ‘down,’ ‘frown,’ ‘show,’ and ’now.’

Meet one speedy ambulance who is tired, oh so tired, of driving slowly with kind Mr. Chow! When a bold new driver hops in and hits the gas, will zooming through town be everything our little ambulance dreamed of? Or could going too fast lead to a very bumpy surprise? Buckle up for a wild ride full of sirens, splashes, and a runaway wheel! This decodable reader practises the ow phonogram in words like ‘cow,’ ‘down,’ ‘frown,’ ‘howl,’ and ’town.’

The Wind Princess is coming to visit at sunrise, and everything must sparkle! But when Kate grabs the Rainbow Broom to help with the housework, it growls, dodges, and zooms straight out the doorway with Kate clinging on for dear life. Why is the magical broom so grumpy? Can Kate calm it down before their special guest arrives? This decodable reader practises compound words such as ‘sunrise,’ ‘hallway,’ ‘bathtub,’ ‘cobweb,’ and ‘sunshine.’

When three wild siblings sneak a peek at Dad’s magic mirror, they expect to see treasure - but horrid green monsters stare back instead! Why does the mirror show trolls with horns and jagged grins? Can a fancy jacket or a big smile fix what’s staring back from the glass? Or is something else going on inside these rotten little troublemakers? This decodable reader practises VC/CV syllables in words like ‘bucket,’ ‘pumpkin,’ ‘fancy,’ and ‘jacket.’

Leo and Mia live at the quiet edge of town, in a yard that looks like a giant ruin of broken toys. Then a kind lady named Nia arrives with a box of books and a black cat called Riot. But what happens when Nia doesn’t show up one week? Can two kids find her in all the chaos of the big town? This decodable reader practises vowel team syllables in words like ‘giant,’ ’lion,’ ‘quiet,’ and ‘riot.’

Sam and his sister are the greatest monster slayers in the whole entire world - no question! But what happens when a new kind of monster creeps in, one that hides inside Sam’s head like a fog and won’t budge, no matter how loudly you shout? Can a broom, a bucket, and a whole lot of love help bring the real Sam back? This decodable reader practises es plurals in words like ‘crushes,’ ‘wishes,’ ‘pushes,’ ‘searches,’ and ‘inches.’

Rose the sheep is heading home after a sunny summer on the hill - but wait, what’s this? A tiny new gate, and Rose is far too woolly to squeeze through! Yoga, running, swimming… her friends have ALL the advice. Can bendy poses or splashy laps really shrink a big, round sheep? Or is Rose thinking about this problem in completely the wrong way? This decodable reader practises the ai/ay phonogram through words like ‘day,’ ‘stay,’ ‘rain,’ ’nail,’ and ’trail.’