Second grade was when Peyton really took off as a reader. She went from ready chapter books with just a few words to full on stories that were nearly novels! Needless to say, her love and zest for reading started in second grade. Here is a variety of books perfect for the second grader that loves to read.
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
What’s a guy gotta do to get some freckles? This perennial bestselling favorite from Judy Blume has a fresh new look!
More than anything in the world, Andrew Marcus wants freckles. His classmate Nicky has freckles—they cover his face, his ears, and the whole back of his neck. But when Andrew asks Nicky where he got them, Nicky just says he was born with them. Some help he is!
That’s when Sharon offers Andrew her secret freckle juice recipe—for fifty cents, she promises, Andrew can look just like Nicky. His freckleless days are over! He rushes home to whip up the concoction. Grape juice, vinegar, mustard…
But what starts out as a simple freckle juice recipe quickly turns into something disastrous. Andrew is still determined to get his freckles, and to show that pesky Sharon that she doesn’t know everything—and he has the perfect solution! Or does he?
Age Range: 6 – 10 years
Grade Level: 1 – 5
Available in various formats on Amazon.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
This stirring and unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendships. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated novel is told from the point of view of Ivan himself.
Having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.
The One and Only Ivan was hailed as a best book of the year by Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Amazon, demonstrating it is a true classic in the making.
In the tradition of timeless stories like Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope. An author’s note depicts the differences between the fictional story and true events.
Age Range: 8 – 12 years
Grade Level: 2 – 7
Available on Amazon in various formats.
The Secret Lake: A children’s mystery adventure by Karen Inglis
When Stella and her younger brother, Tom, move to their new London home,they become mystified by the disappearances of Harry, their elderly neighbor’s small dog. Where does he go? And why does he keep reappearing wet-through?
Their quest to solve the riddle over the summer holidays leads to a boat buried under a grassy mound, and a tunnel that takes them to a secret lake.
Who is the boy rowing towards them who looks so terrified? And whose are those children’s voices carried on the wind from beyond the woods?
Stella and Tom soon discover that they have traveled back in time to their home and its gardens almost 100 years earlier. Here they make both friends and enemies, and uncover startling connections between the past and present…
Age Range: 8 – 12 years
Grade Level: 2 – 6
Available on Amazon in various formats.
My Parents Think I’m Sleeping (I Can Read Level 3) by Jack Prelutsky
This Level 3 I Can Read book is a funny collection of poems about a boy who should be sleeping, but manages to find more than just storybooks and his model rocket kit to keep him awake.
From reading under the covers to watching shadows dance on the wall, these fourteen charming verses show that a child’s life begins at bedtime!
Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Grade Level: Kindergarten – 3
Available in paperback on Amazon.
The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford
It is one of the worst storms ever – the snow has not stopped for days and it is 30 degrees below zero. But somehow Balto must get through. He is the lead dog of his sled team. And he is carrying medicine to sick children miles away in Nome, Alaska. He is their only hope. Can Balto find his way through the terrible storm? Find out in this exciting true story!
Age Range: 5 – 8 years
Grade Level: Kindergarten – 3
Available on Amazon in various formats.
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