Reading List Grades 2-3
Scroll through the list or choose a topic: Kids Like You; Animals; Mystery; Historical Fiction; Scary Books; Sports; Science Fiction.
FRECKLE JUICE
by Judy Blume J Blume
Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon's freckle recipe for fifty cents.
CLARICE BEAN, GUESS WHO'S BABYSITTING?
by Lauren Child *** J Child
When her Uncle Ted, the fireman, comes to stay with Clarice and her brothers and sister while her mother is away, things get hectic.
RAMONA THE PEST by Beverly Cleary *** J Cleary
Ramona meets lots of interesting people in class, like Davy whom she keeps trying to kiss and Susan whose springy curls seem to ask to be pulled.
THAT CRAZY EDDIE AND THE PROJECT OF DOOM by Judy Cox J Cox
Matt is dying to win first place in the school science fair. The prize is a $50 gift certificate that will buy him the skateboard of his dreams. But when he teams up with his best friend, Eddie, he finds that working together isn't so easy.
SECOND GRADE RULES, AMBER BROWN
by Paula Danziger *** J Danziger
Amber Brown loves the second grade but wonders if she will ever receive an award from Deskarina, the desk fairy, for keeping her desk clean.
OWEN FOOTE, MONEY MAN
by Stephanie Greene *** J Greene
Ingenious Owen wants to make money for the things he absolutely needs, such as plastic vomit, but he tries to come up with some alternatives to earning an allowance, which sounds like too much work.
IRIS AND WALTER TRUE FRIENDS
by Elissa Guest *** J Guest
Walter shows Iris how to make friends with his horse Rain, and in turn, Iris helps Walter deal with a problem at school.
PINKY AND REX AND THE PERFECT PUMPKIN
by James Howe *** J Howe
When Rex accompanies Pinky and his relatives on their traditional trip to pick and carve pumpkins, she feels left out because of the jealous behavior of Pinky's cousin Abby.
MARTIN BRIDGE ON THE LOOKOUT!
by Jessica Scott Kerrin *** J Kerrin
Three more stores of Martin's plans unravelling. This time, he has to entertain an unwanted guest, share lunch with a boy who eats erasers and embark on a madcap search for his school's escaped pet parakeet.
HORRIBLE HARRY AND THE GREEN SLIME
by Suzy Kline *** J Kline
Follows the school activities of Harry and Doug, as they participate in a secret mission to celebrate "Charlotte's Web," learn how to make green slime, and put on a skit warning about the dangers of smoking.
THREE UP A TREE
by James Marshall *** JE MAR
Sam and Spider build a tree house and go there with Lolly to trade stories.
THE QUIGLEYS
by Simon Mason *** J Mason
The adventures and misadventures of the four members of the Quigley family--Mum, Dad, Lucy, and Will.
by Megan McDonald *** J McDonald
When a third grade classmate gets her picture in the paper for winning a spelling bee, Judy is determined to find a way to become famous herself.
THE HEART OF COOL
by Jamie McEwan J McEwan
When Bobby moves to a new school, he tries to be the ultimate in cool by imitating Harry Haller, the coolest kid of all.
IN AUNT LUCY'S KITCHEN
by Cynthia Rylant *** J Rylant
While staying with their aunt for a year, three cousins keep busy baking and selling cookies, putting on a poetry and singing performance, and trying to encourage a romance between their aunt and one of their former customers.
MARVIN REDPOST: SUPER FAST, OUT OF CONTROL!
by Louis Sachar *** J Sachar
Afraid of his new mountain bike, third-grader Marvin finds himself in a desperate situation when he accepts a challenge to ride down Suicide Hill.
THE SECRET INGREDIENT
by G. E. Stanley *** J Stanley
At first Katie Lynn is excited when people start buying the walnut chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies she is baking with her grandmother's secret recipe, but then things get terribly complicated. The Katie Lynn Cookie Company series.
CHEATER PANTS
by Barbara Park *** J Park
When her father will not let her stay up late to do her homework, first grader Junie B. copies a classmate's paper. Junie B., First Grader series.
THE MAGIC PRETZEL
by Daniel Pinkwater *** J Pinkwater
Norman Gnormal, who behaves a lot like a dog, finds his first real friends when the principal signs him up for the Werewolf Club at school. The Werewolf Club series.
THE SECRET BIRTHDAY
by Rosemary Wells JE WEL
Noisy Nora finds a surprising new site for her birthday party when her mother will not let her invite all of her classmates to her house because it is too small.
BEANY AND THE MEANY
by Susan Wojciechowski *** J Wojciechowski
When Beany's best friend Carol Ann pairs with the new girl at school to create a science project, Beany must work with Kevin the bully.
JENNY AND THE CAT CLUB
by Esther Averill *** J Averill
Jenny Linsky, a black cat who lives with Captain Tinker in New York City, has adventures with the neighborhood cats who belong to the Cat Club.
NEW GIRL IN TOWN
by Stan and Jan Berenstain *** J Berenstain
Brother Bear's budding romance with Squire Grizzly's niece helps bring an end to the fierce feud between the Grizzly and Bear clans. Berenstain Bears Chapter Books.
MERCY WATSON TO THE RESCUE
by Kate DiCamillo *** J DiCamillo
After Mercy the pig snuggles to sleep with the Watsons, all three awaken with the bed teetering on the edge of a big hole in the floor.
JIGSAW PONY
by Jessie Haas J Haas
Twins Kiera and Fran have never agreed on anything but when their dream comes true and their father surprises them with a pony, they must learn to work together to care for their new pet.
DANNY AND THE DINOSAUR
by Syd Hoff *** JE HOF
A boy is surprised and pleased when one of the dinosaurs from the museum agrees to play with him.
SOPHIE'S TOM
by Dick King-Smith ***J King-Smith
Befriending a stray cat helps a very determined five-year old adjust to school, learn about friends, and pursue her dream of one day becoming a farmer. A sequel to "Sophie's Snail."
by Arnold Lobel *** JE LOB
Five tales recounting the adventures of two best friends - Frog and Toad.
A BUG, A BEAR AND A BOY GO TO SCHOOL
by David McPhail JE MCP
A boy, a bear, and a bug enjoy themselves as they go to school, take a ride in a wagon, fly a kite, and paint a picture.
THREE MORE STORIES YOU CAN READ TO YOUR DOG
by Sara Miller JE MIL
Stories addressed to dogs and written from a dog's point of view, featuring such topics as going to the vet, making friends with a rocklike creature, and getting a bath.
ADVENTURES OF LITTLE BEAR
by Else Holmelund Minarik *** JE MIN
Little bear's adventures from the books Birthday Soup, Little Bear Goes to the Moon, What will Little Bear Wear? And Little Bear's Wish.
SECOND-GRADE APE
by Daniel Pinkwater J Pinkwater
Flash Fleetwood finds a very quiet gorilla which he names Phil, and, to the delight of the second grade students, their teacher Mrs. Hotdogbun says he may attend school along with them.
HENRY AND MUDGE AND ANNIE'S PERFECT PET
by Cynthia Rylant *** JE RYL
Although Henry's cousin Annie likes his dog Mudge, when she gets her own pet she decides that a bunny will be perfect for her.
MR PUTTER AND TABBY MAKE A WISH
by Cynthia Rylant *** JE RYL
Mr. Putter thinks he is too old to celebrate his birthday, but when he remembers some of his past birthdays, he changes his mind.
THE OCTOPUS
by Cynthia Rylant *** J Rylant
Whistler and Lila, two of the mice children who live in a lighthouse, meet a young octopus when they visit the beach during low tide. The Lighthouse Family series.
HOLLYWOOD HOUND
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat *** J Sharmat
Fred enters his mean-looking but sweet dog in a Hollywood contest that could lead to a movie contract, fame, and fortune. A Duz Shedd Story.
CAM JANSEN AND THE CHOCOLATE FUDGE MYSTERY
by David Adler *** J Adler
When Cam Jansen and her friend Eric uncover a mystery while selling fudge door-to-door to raise money for the local library, Cam uses her photographic memory to foil a crime.
YOUNG CAM JANSEN AND THE ZOO NOTE MYSTERY
by David Adler *** JE ADL
Cam helps her friend Eric when he misplaces his permission slip to go on the school field trip.
BATMAN: THE PURR-FECT CRIME
by Jason Hernandez-Rosenblatt *** J Batman
When Catwoman tries to outwit Batman and steal two priceless statues, the Dark Knight has to guess what she might try next.
ARTHUR'S MYSTERY ENVELOPE
by Marc Brown *** J Brown
It looks like trouble when the principal asks Arthur to take home a large envelope marked confidential. Arthur Chapter Books.
CASE OF THE FIDGETY FOX
by Cynthia Rylant J Rylant
When the fluffy dice of Melvin the bus driver turn up missing, Bunny and Jack, two animal detectives, investigate the case.
NATE THE GREAT
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat *** JE SHA
Nate the Great solves the mystery of the missing picture of Fang.
SURFBOARD TO PERIL
by Robert Quackenbush *** J Quackenbush
While surfing in Hawaii, world-famous Miss Mallard launches into one of her most dangerous cases, one which involves the ownership of sacred land and leads to kidnapping, mistaken identities, bribery, blackmail, and death-defying chases. A Miss Mallard Mystery.
THE GOLLY SISTERS GO WEST
by Betsy Byars *** JE BYA
May-May and Rose, the singing, dancing Golly sisters, travel west by covered wagon, entertaining people along the way.
THE JOSEFINA STORY QUILT
by Eleanor Coerr JE COE
While traveling west with her family in 1850, a young girl makes a quilt chronicling the experiences of the journey and reserves a special patch for her pet hen Josefina.
COWGIRL KATE AND COCOA
by Betsy Lewin J Lewin
Cowgirl Kate and her cowhorse Cocoa, who is always hungry, count cows, share a story, and help each other fall asleep.
KNIGHTS OF THE KITCHEN TABLE
by Jon Scieszka *** J Scieszka
Joe receives a magic book for his birthday present from his uncle. Joe, Fred and Sam are transported to a time when evil knights, fire-breathing dragons and vile-smelling giants roamed the land. The Time Warp Trio series.
by Gertrude Warner *** J Warner
Four orphaned children run away and live in a boxcar.
ANIMAL ADVENTURES
by Laura Ingalls Wilder *** J Wilder
Laura Ingalls and her pioneer family encounter a variety of animals traveling through and living on the American frontier at the turn of the century. A Little House Chapter Book.
MINNIE AND MOO MEET FRANKENSWINE
by Denys Cazet *** JE Cazet
During a thunderstorm, the farm animals are frightened out of the barn by a monster, and only cow friends Minnie and Moo are brave enough to investigate.
IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE BED!
By James Howe *** J Howe
With help from his Uncle Harold, who wrote books about Bunnicula, Howie the wire-haired dachshund writes a story in which he saves the world from a science experiment gone awry. Tales from the House of Bunnicula series.
THE HORRIBLY HAUNTED SCHOOL
by Margaret Mahy J Mahy
Monty is allergic to ghosts; if there's one around, he sneezes. When he discovers a ghost haunting his home, his mother sends him away to a school where she hopes he will learn that there are no such things. But Monty has only been inside the school a minute when he starts to sneeze.
MUMMIES IN THE MORNING
by Mary Pope Osborne *** J Osborne
Jack and his younger sister take a trip in their tree house back to ancient Egypt, where they help a queen's mummy continue her voyage to the Next Life. Magic Tree House Series
SCARY STORIES TO READ WHEN IT'S DARK
by Reading Rainbow Readers JE SCA
Seven short stories from various children's authors.
ARTHUR AND THE BEST COACH EVER
by Marc Brown *** J BRO
When Arthur's soccer team gets a new coach who gives them brand new uniforms and lots of ice cream, it takes them a while to realize that he doesn't know how to coach soccer.
HAT TRICK
by Matt Christopher *** J Christopher
When his older brother gets his picture in the paper for scoring three goals in a soccer game, Stookie tries to emulate his feat. Soccer ‘cats series.
CORI PLAYS FOOTBALL
by Christine Florie JE FLO
Cori wants to join the football team, and she scores a touchdown at tryouts.
PLAY BALL, AMELIA BEDELIA
by Peggy Parish *** JE PAR
Amelia Bedelia, who knows very little about baseball, stands in for a sick player during a game.
JUNIE B. JONES IS CAPTAIN FIELD DAY
by Barbara Park *** J Park
As captain of Room Nine's field day team, Junie B. Jones tries to rally her troops after they lose several events.
SPORTS STORIES YOU'LL HAVE A BALL WITH
JE REA
A selection of sports stories from
other books you will want to read.
by Eve Bunting J Bunting
Ben receives an offer of a ride to the planet Cham with an alien named Iku, and when the appointed meeting time arrives he is not sure if he faces an exciting opportunity or horrible danger.
AKIKO AND THE ALPHA CENTAURI 5000
by Mark Crilley *** J Crilley
Akiko's spaceship race from one side of the galazy to teh other is complicated when Spuckler discovers that an old rival of his is also competing.
by Janathan Etra *** J Etra
Finding an intergalactic special agent in his cereal box, Richard joins the extraterrestrial in a fight to save Earth from the Dranes, one of whom is masquerading as a student in Richard's class.
SPACE DOG THE HERO
by Natalie Standiford *** J Standiford
Space Dog, who is really an alien from the planet Queekrg, has a hard time pretending to be a watchdog when Roy's father goes away on a business trip.
THE NEVER-ENDING BATTLE
by Mark Millar *** J Superman
The adventures of Superman.
COMMANDER TOAD AND THE SPACE PIRATES
by Jane Yolen *** JE YOL
When Commander Salamander and his band of pirates capture the "Star Warts" spaceship, Commander Toad is forced to hop the plank.