16 Books to Engage Second Grade Readers

Millie Fleur's Poison Garden is a reminder to embrace everything that makes us wonderfully weird. Perfect for readers of The Creepy Carrots and fans of the Addams Family movies.

In Joanna Ho's true classic style, she creates a poetic ode that celebrates Asian American communities and their history.

Is it time yet? This STEM-focused romp about pupation will tickle little ones who know how hard it is to wait.

Squirrel loves counting the leaves on his tree―red leaves, gold leaves, orange, and more. But hold on! One of his leaves is missing! On a quest to find the missing leaf, Squirrel teams up with his good friend Bird to discover who the leaf thief could be among their forest friends.

Emphasizing the joys of self-expression, this read-aloud spotlights Jerome, a little boy learning to delight in language. "Enchanting" -Kirkus

The kids in Room 207 were misbehaving again. Spitballs stuck to the ceiling. Paper planes whizzing through the air. They were the worst-behaved class in the whole school.

So begins this quirky classic, first published in 1977 and still relevant today as a lighthearted reminder to show our appreciation to those we value. The students don't proffer a shred of respect for their good-natured teacher Miss Nelson, but when the witchy substitute Miss Viola Swamp appears on the scene, they start to regret their own wicked ways.

Jackie Robinson changed Major League Baseball—and African-American history—as the first black player in the league. This engaging, illustrated biography brings this important figure to life for young students.

The kids in Room 207 were the worst-behaved class in the whole school—that is until Miss Viola Swamp shows up. This iconic picture book from James Marshall deserves a spot on every classroom library shelf.

High interest topics and engaging photos are great ways to introduce students to the skill of reading for information. Emerging readers won't be able to resist these adorable emperor penguins as they march across the pages!

This Level 2 reader taps into children's natural curiosity about the vast world of space. Featuring brilliant illustrations and written in simple language that is easy for young readers to understand, it provides a wonderful introduction to our solar system, including all of the planets and dwarf planets, and lots of fascinating, fun facts. This reader helps cultivate the explorers of tomorrow!

Camilla Cream loves lima beans, but she never eats them. Why? Because the other kids in her school don't like them. Camilla Cream is very worried about what other people think about her, but at the very moment she most wants to fit in, she becomes completely covered in colorful stripes! Worse yet, she seems to change colors to match whatever is happening around her. When the class says the Pledge of Allegiance, she turns red, white, and blue! Instead of blending in, she's standing out.

The kids have no idea where they are going and imagine a doomed class trip full of ferocious animals, maniacal monsters, and scary aerial acrobatics. It's any kids nightmare - danger and homework everywhere! And then there's their teacher, mean Mrs. Green! Fortunately, the kids stop letting their imaginations run wild and soon realize they're in for a very fun trip to the zoo.

This boy visits friends in 13 different countries spanning all six populated continents. Along the way, he introduces readers to each friend's environment and customs. Each country has a dedicated spread with a small map that shows geography, letting readers imagine they are traveling too. The format makes it easy to spot similarities and differences between countries. Playful illustrations done with stylized realism lend warmth and whimsy to the book, making each locale feel welcoming.

Introduce students to E.B. White's Newbery Award-winning classic that has been warming the hearts of young readers for generations.

No one expected this autistic girl to speak, but Temple did and demonstrated her talent for visual thinking that's made a lasting impact on farm management.

Most people think of mathematicians as solitary, working away in isolation. But that wasn't what Paul Erdos did. At the age of four, he could ask you when you were born and then calculate the number of seconds you had been alive. But he didn't learn to butter his own toast until he turned 20. Instead, he traveled around the world, collaborating on an astonishing number of projects and changing the way people everywhere thought about math.