Great Reading: Grade Two

JJs

JJ BARBER BARBARA Allies
Barber, Barbara. Allie's Basketball Dream.
Allie is thrilled when her dad brings home a new basketball. It takes courage and grit to play on the courts with the boys, but Allie decides she is willing to do what it takes to become a professional player some day.

JJ CREECH SHARON Fine
Creech, Sharon. Fine, Fine School.
When a principal loves his school so much that he wants the children to attend classes every day of the year, it's up to his students to show him free time is a good thing, too.

JJ DAVOL MARGUERI Black
Davol, Marguerite. Black, White, Just Right.
A young girl talks about her African-American mother, her white father, and how she, with traits from both of them, fits perfectly right in the middle.

JJ DE PAOLA, TOMIE Strega
De Paola, Tomie. Strega Nona.
Grandma Concetta heals everyone with her remedies and advice, and when she retires, she leaves Nona her magic pasta pot with its secret ingredient.

JJ RINGGOLD FAITH Tar
Ringgold, Faith. Tar Beach.
Cassie imagines herself flying over the city, freeing herself and her family from the constraints of their lives. The happiness and pride she feels in being a member of her family shines through.

Readers

READER C EGAN TIM Dodswort
Egan, Tim. Dodsworth in Rome.
Dodsworth and his duck companion have a lovely time in Rome … even though the duck tries to improve the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and takes all the coins from the Trevi Fountain.

READER B-RTR3 HOWE JAMES Pinky
Howe, James. Pinky and Rex series.
A series of short chapter books about this inseparable pair.

READER B-VER2 ADLER DAVID Young
Adler, David. Young Cam Jansen series.
Young Cam Jansen mysteries in the Viking Easy-to-Read series are set in places many beginning readers know well. Cam uses her photographic memory and her deductive reasoning to solve mysteries.

READER C HOWE JAMES Houndsle
Howe, James. Houndsley and Catina series.
These two friends prove that opposite interests can make a friendship even more interesting.

READER C NOLEN JERDINE Max and
Nolen, Jerdine. Max and Jax in Second Grade.
Second grade twins Max and Jax prepare to start the summer off right with a fishing trip and a slumber party.

READER C RYLANT CYNTHIA Poppleto
Rylant, Cynthia. Poppleton series
Read about the adventures of Poppleton the pig.

READER C SHARMAT MARJORIE Nate the
Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman. Nate the Great series.
Nate, the boy detective who "likes to work alone," solves the mystery and tracks down the culprit.

READER C SILVERMA ERICA Cowgirl
Silverman, Erica. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa series.
Set on a cattle ranch, these warm, beginning chapter books tell spirited stories about young cowgirl Kate and her beloved talking horse, Cocoa.

Suggested Series

JF ADLER DAVID Cam
Adler, David. Cam Jansen Mysteries.
Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory and her deductive reasoning to solve mysteries.

JF BENTON JIM
Benton, Jim. Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist.
Franny may not fit in very well, but she's got a few ideas rattling around in her deviant and eccentric brain about how to fix it. She knows that science can solve anything, so, with a little nudge from her beloved teacher, Miss Shelly, she approaches the problem in data collection mode.

JF BROWN MARC Arthur
Brown, Marc. Arthur chapter book series.
In chapter book format, for children who are ready to read on their own, these stories will surely be a hit among Arthur fans.

JF CHRISTOP MATT Dog that
Christopher, Matt. Harry the Dog series.
Mike and his telepathic dog, Harry, work together to use this special talent on the baseball field.

JF CLEMENTS ANDREW Jake
Clements, Andrew. Jake Drake series.
Jake Drake has a story to tell --- how he grew from the smallest kid in first grade to a cool fourth grader. He shares all the details of his ups and downs with you in his "self-published memoirs."

JF DADEY DEBBIE
Dadey, Debbie. Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series.
This series revolves around a group of third-grade kids who are convinced that people around them are monsters. In each story, the kids meet an adult who shows signs of being some mythical being.

JF GIFF PATRICIA
Giff, Patricia Reilly. Kids of the Polk Street School
An affectionate picture of lower elementary students making their way through the ups and downs of classroom life.

JF KLINE SUZY
Kline, Suzy. Horrible Harry series.
Harry is the devilish second grader who plays pranks and gets into mischief but can still end up a good friend.

JF KLEIN ABBY
Klein, Abby. Ready Freddy series.
The Ready, Freddy! series has content, humor, characters and vocabulary perfect for the early chapter-book reader.

JF MEADOWS, DAISY.
Meadows, Daisy. Rainbow Magic series.
Fairyland is home to seven colorful sisters. Together, they are the Rainbow Fairies! They keep Fairyland dazzling and bright. But when evil Jack Frost sends them far away, the sisters are in big trouble. If they don't return soon, Fairyland is doomed to be gray forever! Can Rachel and Kirsty help track down each Rainbow Fairy?

JF MCKISSAC PATRICIA Miami
McKissack, Pat. Miami Jackson series.
This series follows Miami Jackson from the end of third grade until the beginning of fourth grade as he says goodbye to one teacher and learns to accept another, deals with his nemesis, Destinee Tate, and participates in a summer baseball camp.

JF MONTGOME LEWIS B Case of
Montgomery, Lewis B. Milo and Jazz Mysteries series.
This series features two friends who, with the help of master detective Dash Marlowe, track down clues, stake out suspects, and learn all the skills they need to become top-notch detectives.

JF PRELLER JAMES
Preller, James. Jigsaw Jones Mysteries series.
With his top-secret detective journal, eye for detail, and ace partner Mila, Jigsaw is always ready to take on a new case.

JF SACHAR LOUIS Marvin
Sachar, Louis. Marvin Redpost series.
As in the other chapter books about Marvin, Sachar writes for beginning readers with a comic simplicity that is never banal. Lively dialogue and Marvin's endless imagination command steady attention and characterization is at true to life.

Fiction

JF DAHL ROALD Esio
Dahl, Roald. Esio Trot.
Shy Mr. Hoppy devises a plan to win the heart of his true love by teaching her a spell to make her tortoise grow bigger.

JF GIFF PATRICIA Number
Giff, Patricia Reilly. Number One Kid.
Patricia Reilly Giff introduces readers to a quirky, lovable group of kids, capturing all the excitement and surprises of new friends and after-school fun. 

JF GREENE STEPHANI Princess
Greene, Stephanie. Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade.
Posey is very nervous about starting first grade and walking into school all by herself. Worst of all, she has to do it without the one thing that always makes her feel brave and special: the tutu that turns her into the Pink Princess. How will Posey face the first day of school without it?

JF THOMSON MELISSA Keena
Thomson, Melissa. Keena Ford and the Second-Grade Mix-Up.
Trying to make a good impression on her new teacher, Keena Ford stumbles into an unexpected adventure after Mr. Hanson mistakenly believes it to be her birthday and presents her with a cake and sparkly crown in front of the entire class.

Folklore and Fairy Tales

JJ BRETT JAN Mitten
Brett, Jan. The Mitten.
After Nicki accidentally drops his mitten in the forest it becomes an object of curiosity for a mole, a rabbit, a badger, a tiny brown mouse, a big brown bear, and others, as they all crawl into it.

JJ DAVOL MARGUERI How
Davol, Marguerite W. How Snake Got His Hiss: An Original Tale.
Explains how long ago a self-absorbed snake became responsible for the hyena's spots, the lion's mane, the monkey's chattering, the ostrich's speed, and its own unique shape.

Compiled by Youth Services Department, Springfield City Library, 2011