Second Grade: Recommended Books
 
 
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Picture Books
Hello Lighthouse
by Sophie Blackall

"Explores the life of one lighthouse as it beams its message out to sea through shifting seasons, changeable weather, and the tenure of its final keeper."
Carmela full of wishes
by Matt de la Peña

Carmela, finally old enough to run errands with her brother, tries to think of the perfect wish, while his wish seems to be that she stayed home
Read the book, lemmings!
by Ame Dyckman

A latest laugh-out-loud picture book by the best-selling creators of Wolfie the Bunny and Horrible Bear! features an exasperated Arctic fox who tries to get his lemming charges to stop leaping off cliffs long enough to realize that cliff diving may not be as natural to them as they believe. 30,000 first printing. Simultaneous eBook.
The gingerbread man loose in the school
by Laura Murray

A gingerbread man searches all over the school for the group of children that made him and then left him behind
Secret pizza party
by Adam Rubin

While Raccoon is eating pizza at his secret pizza party, he sees a masquerade party going on in the house next door and joins the fun. By the New York Times best-selling creators of Dragons Love Tacos!
Sylvester and the magic pebble
by William Steig

In a moment of fright, Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock but then cannot hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal again
Two bad ants
by Chris Van Allsburg

When two bad ants desert from their colony, they experience a dangerous adventure that convinces them to return to their former safety
Early Readers
Hi! Fly Guy
by Tedd Arnold

While out on a search to find the perfect creature to bring to "The Amazing Pet Show," a young boy encounters a friendly fly who is more than happy to lend him a hand, in an amusing tale about a very unlikely friendship from the author of No Jumping on the Bed and Green Wilma. Reprint.
The big fat cow that goes kapow
by Andy Griffiths

A lively collection of super-silly, rhyming tales enhanced with bright illustrations for beginning readers, from the New York Timesbest-selling author of The Day My Butt Went Psycho!
Graphic Novels
Peter & Ernesto : a tale of two sloths
by Graham Annable

Best friends Ernesto and Peter are nothing alike, so when Ernesto decides that he wants to see the sky from every place on Earth, Peter stays behind and frets, but each finds their own adventure
The Bad Guys
by Aaron Blabey

A group of animal companions who look bad but perform good deeds overcome their inborn natures to work together for the sake of rescuing hundreds of dogs from a maximum-security dog pound. By the award-winning author of The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon. Original. Simultaneous eBook.
Narwhal : unicorn of the sea
by Ben Clanton

A happy-go-lucky, waffle-loving narwhal and a cynical, no-nonsense jellyfish forge an unlikely friendship and share adventures while exploring the ocean together in a first entry of a lighthearted graphic novel series. By the creator of Mo's Mustache. Simultaneous.
Chapter Books
Humphrey's playful puppy problem
by Betty G Birney

A second chapter book starring the popular class hamster of Room 26 finds his efforts to help student host Richie with a science experiment are challenged by Richie's exuberant puppy. Simultaneous and eBook.
Bink & Gollie
by Kate DiCamillo

The Newbery Medal-winning author of The Tale of Despereaux and the award-winning author of Someday present the adventures of two precocious girls who don bright socks and rollers skates for an imaginative trip to the Andes. Illustrated by the creator of the SLJ Best Book of the Year, Let's Do Nothing! 125,000 first printing.
The princess in black
by Shannon Hale

Stopping monsters is no job for a prim and perfect princess in pink. So when trouble calls, Princess Magnolia transforms into her alter ego and confronts the monster as...The Princess in Black. Can the princess sneak away, transform into her alter ego, and defeat the monster before the nosy duchess discovers her secret?
Polly Diamond and the magic book
by Alice Kuipers

A little girl who loves words, reading and writing believes that her dreams have come true when a magic book appears on her doorstep and makes everything she writes happen in real life, before unexpected consequences show her that what she writes and what she means may not be the same thing.
The infamous Ratsos
by Kara LaReau

Determined to prove that they are just as tough as their dad, rat brothers Louie and Ralphie Ratso embark on a series of capers only to end up performing laugh-out-loud good deeds that they worry will disappoint their father.
Dinosaurs before dark : 20th anniversary edition
by Mary Pope Osborne

Rereleased in hardcover with full-color illustrations, a 20th anniversary edition of the first Magic Tree House story features updated dinosaur information, an interview with the creators and a letter from Mary Pope Osborne.
Ricky Ricotta's mighty robot
by Dav Pilkey

New illustrations by the artist of the best-selling Because I'm Your Dad complement the popular original stories by the creator of Captain Underpants in a series of adventures starring an intrepid young mouse who, along with his giant flying robot best friend, heroically battles to keep diabolical foes from taking over the world. Simultaneous.
Nonfiction
Flying deep : climb inside deep-sea submersible Alvin
by Michelle Cusolito

Young science and adventure enthusiasts are introduced to a day in the life of a pilot on board the deep-sea submersible credited with helping to find the Titanic, in a vibrantly illustrated, full-length edition of an award-winning reference that describes a typical eight-hour trip spent collecting samples of and conducting important research about life-forms miles beneath the ocean's surface. Simultaneous and eBook.
On a beam of light : a story of Albert Einstein
by Jennifer Berne

Follows the life of the famous physicist, from his early ideas to his groundbreaking theories
Many : the diversity of life on Earth
by Nicola Davies

A follow-up to the award-winning Tiny Creatures combines lyrical text and lavishly detailed illustrations to introduce the vast diversity of life on Earth and explain how it is all part of a beautiful and complicated pattern that must be preserved for the benefit of all.
Curiosity : the story of a Mars rover
by Markus Motum

The rover Curiosity introduces itself to readers, describing how it went from idea to creation and beyond
Eats, shoots & leaves : why, commas really do make a difference!
by Lynne Truss

In a title based on the best-selling adult edition, lively, subversive illustrations show how misplacing or leaving out a comma can change the meaning of a sentence completely.
Thomas Ford Memorial Library
800 Chestnut St
Western Springs, Illinois 60558
(708) 246-0520
fordlibrary.org

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