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Great Books for 1st & 2nd Grade: |
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It's Only Stanley
by Jon Agee
A whimsical bedtime farce profiles a human family whose dog, Stanley, is credited with all kinds of ridiculous activities that explain mysterious noises in the night. By the award-winning author of Milo's Hat Trick.
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Crown
by Derrick D Barnes
Celebrates the magnificent feeling that comes from walking out of a barber shop with newly-cut hair.
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Sam & Dave Dig a Hole
by Mac Barnett
Hoping to find something spectacular, Sam and Dave begin digging an immense hole and enjoy an unexpectedly spectacular day despite finding nothing. By the author of the Caldecott Honor-winning Extra Yarn.
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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."
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A Fine, Fine School
by Sharon Creech
When a principal loves his school so much that he wants the children to attend classes every day of the year, it is up to his students to show him free time is a good thing, too. Reprint.
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Click, Clack, Moo
by Doreen Cronin
A Ready-to-Read adaptation of the Caldecott Honor winner follows the story of long-suffering Farmer Brown, whose troubles spiral out of control when his cows begin issuing requests on typed notes.
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The Day the Crayons Quit
by Drew Daywalt
When Duncan arrives at school one morning, he finds a stack of letters, one from each of his crayons, complaining about how he uses them. 75,000 first printing.
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Last Stop on Market Street
by Matt de la Peäna
A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things. By the author of the celebrated picture book A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis.
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Wolfie the Bunny
by Ame Dyckman
When her hapless bunny family adopts a wolf cub, little Dot tries to convince her smitten parents that Wolfie might eat them all up. By the author of Boy + Bot. 25,000 first printing.
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All the Way to Havana
by Margarita Engle
A versed picture book showcasing the colorful buildings and iconic classic cars of Havana follows a Cuban boy and his family on a road trip into the city, a journey marked by rich street culture and onomatopoeic sounds. By the Newbery Honor-winning author of The Surrender Tree.
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How My Parents Learned to Eat
by Ina R. Friedman
An American sailor courts a Japanese girl and each tries, in secret, to learn the other's way of eating.
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The Village That Vanished
by Ann Grifalconi
Hearing that the slavers are making their way to their village deep within the forest, young Abekenile looks to her elders for guidance and decides to stay with the few villagers who remain in order to help them in their stand for freedom.
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Chester's Way
by Kevin Henkes
Chester and Wilson share the same exact way of doing things, until Lilly moves into the neighborhood and shows them that new ways can be just as good.
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I Want My Hat Back
by Jon Klassen
A bear almost gives up his search for his missing hat until he remembers something important, in a cumulative tale with a mischievous twist.
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Moo!
by David LaRochelle
A laugh-out-loud, one-word adventure features a mischievous cow who borrows a farmer's car and takes a wild ride through the country that comes to a troublesome end with a bump in the road.
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We Are Water Protectors
by Carole Lindstrom
When a black snake threatens to destroy the earth, one young water protector takes a stand to defend the planet's water, in a tale inspired by the many indigenous-led conservation movements across North America.
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Finding Winnie
by Lindsay Mattick
A picture book adaptation of the story of the real bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh describes how the author's great-grandfather, a veterinarian from Winnipeg, rescued a bear cub and took her with him to an English army base during World War I. Simultaneous eBook. 25,000 first printing.
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TÃa Isa Wants a Car
by Meg Medina
A picture book debut by the author of Milagros: Girl from Away follows the efforts of a Spanish-American child as she adds her earnings to the family savings, which she hopes will help them afford a first car and contribute to assisting faraway relatives to join them someday.
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Goin' Someplace Special
by Pat McKissack
Set in the South in the 1950s, 'Trica Ann is delighted to be able to go "someplace special" all by herself, but when she is faced with signs reading "For Whites Only," she must find the courage inside to continue her journey to the public library, where everyone is welcome. 35,000 first printing.
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Bow-Wow's Nightmare Neighbors
by Mark Newgarden
A follow-up to the award-winning Bow-Wow Bugs a Bug features comic panels that wordlessly impart the efforts of little Bow-Wow as he tries to reclaim his comfy green bed from thieving neighbors.
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The Big Orange Splot
by Daniel Manus Pinkwater
When a seagull drops a can of orange paint on his neat house, Mr. Plumbean gets an idea that affects his entire neighborhood.
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Officer Buckle and Gloria
by Peggy Rathmann
Officer Buckle puts everyone to sleep with his painfully dull if informative lectures on safety, until he takes on a new partner, Gloria, Napville's new police dog, who knows just how to liven up Officer Buckle's safety speeches.
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Supertruck
by Stephen Savage
A mild-mannered little garbage truck sets aside his spectacles and becomes the mysterious snow-plowing Supertruck when a colossal blizzard hits the city. By the award-winning creator of Polar Bear Night.
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Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
by John Steptoe
Mufaro's two beautiful daughters, one bad-tempered, one kind and sweet, go before the king, who is choosing a wife.
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Dear Mrs. LaRue
by Mark Teague
Gertrude LaRue receives typewritten and paw-written letters from her dog Ike, entreating her to let him leave the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy and come back home, but instead, Ike escapes and runs home--just in time to save Mrs. LaRue's life.
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Mailing May
by Michael O. Tunnell
In 1914, because her family cannot afford a train ticket to her grandmother's town, May gets mailed and rides the mail car on the train to see her grandmother. Reprint.
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Young Cam Jansen and the Dinosaur Game
by David A. Adler
With the clues he finds at the birthday party, such as a smudge of chocolate cake and a jar of toy dinosaurs, Cam Jansen is on his way to solving his latest easy-to-read mystery.
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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.
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Prairie School
by Avi
In 1880, Noah's aunt teaches the reluctant nine-year-old how to read as they explore the Colorado prairie together, Noah pushing Aunt Dora in her wheelchair.
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Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover
by Cece Bell
Planning what he hopes will be an exciting sleepover to share with his friend, Robot, Rabbit is dismayed when Robot prefers nuts and bolts to pizza, the television remote goes missing and Robot lies down on the floor during a game of Go Fish. By the author of the Sock Monkey series.
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Old Hat, New Hat
by Stan Berenstain
Can the perfect old hat really be replaced by a new one?
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The Shortest Kid in the World
by Corinne Demas
Shorter than anybody she knows, even her own little brother, Emily the Shrimp meets a tiny new girl with a positive attitude and learns more ways than one to rise above being short.
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King and Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats
by Dori Hillestad Butler
When the peanut butter treats Kayla has made for Jillian's new puppy go missing, the elimination of her own dog, King, as a suspect reveals the presence of a possible intruder in the house. By the Edgar Award-winning author of Buddy Files: Case of the Lost Boy.
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Minnie and Moo Go to the Moon
by Denys Cazet
Minnie and Moo are cows, best friends, and the craziest duo on their farm as they take the farmer's tractor on a drive that they believe will take them to the moon.
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Baseball Ballerina
by Kathryn Cristaldi
A die-hard tomboy discovers team spirit at the barre when her mother forces her to drop her baseball mit and don a leotard for ballet class.
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Get Ready for Second Grade, Amber Brown
by Paula Danziger
A bit worried about what will come with the start of a new grade and a new teacher, Amber Brown heads to school with her friend, Justin, to face whatever comes her way.
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Iris and Walter
by Elissa Haden Guest
Certain that her new life in the country will be terrible, Iris goes on a walk and discovers a hideaway tree house and a new friend named Walter, who makes her change her mind.
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See the Cat
by David LaRochelle
"See Max. Max is not a cat, Max is a dog. But much to Max's dismay, the book keeps instructing readers to "see the cat." How can Max get through to the book that he is a DOG? In a trio of stories for beginning readers, author David LaRochelle introduces the excitable Max, who lets the book know in irresistibly emphatic dialogue that the text is not to his liking.
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Captain and Matey Set Sail
by Daniel Laurence
Together with their faithful parrot, Squawk, Captain and Matey sing and dance, rescue a stranded pirate, and hunt for buried treasure, in an easy-to-read swashbuckling adventure. Jr Lib Guild.
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Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!
by Grace Lin
Sticking together through everything from getting haircuts and preparing dumplings to practicing magic tricks and using chopsticks, identical twin sisters Ling and Ting display distinctive differences in personality and preference despite their similar looks.
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Days with Frog and Toad
by Arnold Lobel
Frog and Toad enjoy each other's company as they spend their days together, but sometimes they find that it is nice just to be alone.
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Soccer Sam
by Jean Marzollo
Sam's cousin from Mexico comes for an extended visit and teaches Sam and all the second graders to play soccer.
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Gus and Grandpa
by Claudia Mills
Gus and his lively grandfather enjoy a wonderful relationship in a trio of tales that finds Gus making a terrible mess while trying to feed Grandpa's dog, Grandpa losing his car in the mall parking lot, and the pair sharing a special birthday party.
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Bravo, Amelia Bedelia!
by Herman Parish
From the time she is sent to pick up the guest conductor, Amelia Bedelia's normal confusion causes quite an uproar at the school concert.
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Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat
by Cynthia Rylant
Henry's family takes in a stray cat, the ugliest cat they have ever seen, and an amazing relationship blossoms between it and their big dog Mudge.
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The Case of the Missing Monkey
by Cynthia Rylant
While having breakfast at their favorite diner, two detectives, Bunny and Jack, solve a mystery that is not what it seems.
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Nate the Great
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Nate the Great solves the mystery of the missing picture.
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Today I Will Fly!
by Mo Willems
While reckless Piggie is determined to fly, his friend Elephant is skeptical, but when Piggie gets a little help from others, amazing things happen.
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The Stories Julian Tells
by Ann Cameron
Relates episodes in seven-year-old Julian's life which include getting into trouble with his younger brother Huey, planting a garden, what he did to try to grow taller, losing a tooth, and finding a new friend.
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Mercy Watson to the Rescue
by Kate DiCamillo
After Mercy the pig snuggles to sleep with Mr. and Mrs. Watson, all three awaken with the bed teetering on the edge of a big hole in the floor. Jr Lib Guild.
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Runaway Radish
by Jessie Haas
Radish, an endearing yet stubborn and spirited pony, who loves teaching Judy and Nina how to ride, how to go fast, and how to fall, becomes sad and lonely after Judy and Nina outgrow him and decides to run away, in an adorable story that will delight little riders.
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Lady Lollipop
by Dick King-Smith
Johnny Skinner, a quick-witted swineherd, and a pig named Lollipop are royally rewarded after they reform a spoiled princess named Penelope. An ALA Notable Children's Book. Jr Lib Guild. Reprint. 20,000 first printing.
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Horrible Harry in Room 2B
by Suzy Kline
Doug discovers that though being Harry's best friend in Miss Mackle's second grade class isn't always easy, as Harry likes to do horrible things, it is often a lot of fun.
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Dinosaurs Before Dark
by Mary Pope Osborne
When he and his younger sister discover a tree house that travels through time, Jack and his younger sister, Annie, begin an adventure that takes them to the era of dinosaurs.
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Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus
by Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones will do just about anything to avoid riding on the stinky, smelly, awful schoolbus, in a easy-to-read tale with wide margins and large type.
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The King's Equal
by Katherine Paterson
When his father the king decrees than Prince Raphael shall marry no woman who is not his equal, Raphael believes that the task is impossible, until he meets wise shepherdess Rosamund. Reprint.
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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.
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The Absent Author
by Ron Roy
Dink Duncan and his two friends investigate the apparent kidnapping of famous mystery author Wallis Wallace.
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Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
by Verna Aardema
A mosquito's lie sets off a series of reactions in the jungle that results in the owl's refusal to wake the sun and the lion's decision to call a meeting of the animals.
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Just a Minute
by Yuyi Morales
With words in both English and Spanish, a brightly illustrated counting book tells of one determined Grandma who is not willing to leave her family on her birthday and so sets out doing various tasks, like making two pots of tea and three pounds of corn for the tortillas, in order to delay Señor Calavera's request to go with him.
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The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
by Jon Scieszka
A revisionist storyteller provides his mad, hilarious versions of children's favorite tales in this collection that includes "Little Red Running Shorts," "The Princess and the Bowling Ball," "Cinderumpelstilskin," and others.
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Crossing Bok Chitto
by Tim Tingle
In the 1800s, a Choctaw girl becomes friends with a slave boy from a plantation across the great river, and when she learns that his family is in trouble, she helps them cross to freedom.
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Lon Po Po
by Ed Young
A haunting Chinese rendition of the classic tale of "Little Red Riding Hood" follows the adventures of young Shang, Tao, and Paotze, who encounter a terrifying wolf. Reprint. Caldecott Medal. Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.
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Firefly July
by Paul B Janeczko
The award-winning author of A Poke in the I and the Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator of A River of Words present a collection of short poems written to demonstrate how a few carefully chosen words and images can invoke powerful messages.
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Insectlopedia
by Douglas Florian
Rhythmic verses, accompanied by bright illustrations, enhance an informative reference guide for young readers that reviews twenty-one types of insects, including the whirligig beetle, dragonfly, and more.
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A Pet for Me
by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Celebrates the special bond between pet owners and their pets through an amusing look at domestic animals of all shapes and sizes, such as dogs, tarantulas, and fish.
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The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders
by Jack Prelutsky
This picture book with bright illustrations offers young readers a collection of more than twenty tongue-twisting poems about a cast of unusual animals. Jr Lib Guild.
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The Undefeated
by Kwame Alexander
Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem by the Newbery Award-winning author of The Crossover and artwork from a two-time Caldecott Honoree is a love letter to black life in the United States, highlighting the unspeakable trauma of slavery; the faith and fire of the Civil Rights Movement; and the grit, passion and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. Illustrations.
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Wolfsnail
by Sarah C. Campbell
A photographic story of a day in the life of a wolfsnail, also known as the cannibal snail, offers a unique introduction to the food chain as this meat eater follows the slime trail of a smaller snail to hunt down its prey.
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I Fall Down
by Vicki Cobb
Hands-on experimentation and fun facts provide beginning readers with a simple introduction to the concept of gravity in terms of how it works, why it works, and its importance in our everyday lives.
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Chameleon, Chameleon
by Joy Cowley
Vivid, up-close photographs and lively, informative text brilliantly capture the many moods and colors of chameleons as they hunt for food, search for a new home, brave dangerous strangers, and even make friends.
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Green City
by Allan Drummond
An awareness-raising tribute to the citizens of Greensburg, Kansas, is told from the perspective of a small child who, in the aftermath of a 2007 tornado that decimated the community, participates in efforts to rebuild in both tornado-proof and environmentally sustainable ways. By the creator of Energy Island.
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Drum Dream Girl
by Margarita Engle
Follows a girl in the 1920s as she strives to become a drummer, despite being continually reminded that only boys play the drums, and that there has never been a female drummer in Cuba. Includes note about Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who inspired the story, and Anacaona, the all-girl dance band she formed with her sisters.
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Baby Animals Moving
by Suzi Eszterhas
Colorful photographs introduce readers to twelve baby animals as they learn how to move.
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Locomotive
by Brian Floca
The award-winning creator of Moonshot presents a richly detailed visual exploration of America's early railroads that examines the sounds, speed and strength of the fledgling transcontinental locomotives and the experiences of pioneering travelers.
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Actual Size
by Steve Jenkins
From the author of The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest, a picture book presents a look at the real size of animals and their body parts through comparisons with other common things, such as a human hand.
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Hello, Bumblebee Bat
by Darrin P Lunde
Describes the characteristics, behavior, habitat, diet, and enemies of bumblebee bats.
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Martin's Big Words
by Doreen Rappaport
A picture-book biography brings to life the message of a gifted and influential speaker by using some of his own words to tell the story. By the creators of Freedom River. A Caldecott Honor Book.
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How Much Is a Million?
by David M. Schwartz
The author of How to Make a Million brings complex numbers down to size with the help of Marvelosissimo the Mathematical Magician and a bunch of curious kids. Reprint.
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Simon and Chester
by Cale Atkinson
When Simon and Chester find costumes to style themselves after Holmes and Watson, they transform the attic into an office with shadowy lighting and soon get their first case.
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Benny and Penny in Just Pretend
by Geoffrey Hayes
Benny wants to play pirates without his little sister Penny, and so he tries to get rid of her, but when Penny really disappears, Benny is worried.
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Squish, Super Amoeba
by Jennifer L. Holm
Squish, a meek amoeba who loves the comic book exploits of his favorite hero, "Super Amoeba," tries to emulate him when his best friend is threatened by a bully.
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Pizza and Taco
by Stephen Shaskan
Best friends Pizza and Taco engage in a hilarious campaign to prove which of them is the best, inviting their friends Hot Dog and Hamburger to help them prove themselves during a popularity contest that tests the strength of their bond. Illustrations.
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Pea, Bee, & Jay
by Brian Smith
Like all peas, Pea loves to roll. So when a no-good strawberry dares him to roll all the way off the farm, he swears he can do it--eazy me-zee! But along the way, a powerful thunderstorm strikes and bounces Pea off course...and right into two unlikely new buds: a bee named Bee who thinks she knows it all, and a bird named Jay who can't figure out how to fly. On their own they may not look like much, but if this trio can stick together, they just might help Pea find his way back home!
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