Library Hours
Monday - Thursday : 9 - 9Friday and Saturday : 9 - 5
Sunday : 1 - 5
Winnetka Public Library
768 Oak StreetWinnetka, IL 60093 (map)
(847) 446-7220
Northfield Branch
1785 Orchard LaneNorthfield, IL 60093 (map)
(847) 446-5990
Second Grade Reading Suggestions
The following are suggestions for the second grade reading level. These titles can be found in the juvenile fiction (J), and paperback (Pbk) collections. We understand that children of this age vary on where they are in learning reading. With that in mind we've chosen the books on this list reflect the reading level of an average second grade reader. Some things to keep in mind when choosing books for second graders are:
- Large typeface with plenty of white space around the text
- Short accessible chapters
- Understandable vocabulary
- Short sentences.
If you feel you need further help choosing a book for your child, please ask a reference librarian. We are always happy to help.
| Location | Title/Author | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| J & Pbk / Adl | Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the U.F.O. Adler, David | Ten-year-old Cam, possessor of a photographic memory, and her friend Eric investigate what seems to be a brief appearance of U.F.O.s. (series) |
| J & Pbk / Blu | Freckle Juice Blume, Judy | Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon's freckle recipe for fifty cents. |
| J / Bro | Flat Stanley Brown, Jeff | Stanley Lambchop is flattened to half an inch thick when a bulletin board collapses on him, and now he can do many amazing things. (series) |
| J / Bul | The Chalk Box Kid Bulla, Clyde Robert | Nine-year-old Gregory's house does not have room for a garden, but he creates a surprising and very different garden in an unusual place. |
| J / Cam | The Stories Julian Tells Cameron, Ann | 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. (series) |
| J & Pbk / Chr | The Lucky Baseball Bat Christopher, Matt | Marty loses his lucky baseball bat, and his confidence along with it, and wonders if he will recover both in time to help the Tigers win the championship. |
| J / Con | A Job for Jenny Archer Conford, Ellen | Convinced that her family is poor because her parents refuse to get her a horse or a swimming pool, nine-year-old Jenny Archer follows her own path to making money, including a plunge into real estate that puts her house on the market. (series) |
| J / Del | Cookies and Crutches Delton, Judy | After the Pee Wee Scouts learn to make cookies at their troop meeting, they try to make cookies on their own using some interesting ingredients. (series) |
| J / Dic | Mercy Watson to the Rescue DiCamillo, Kate | 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. (series) |
| J / Ell | The Cool Crazy Crickets Elliott, David | Follows the humorous activities of four friends and a dog as they find a name, meeting place, mascot, and purpose for their new club. |
| J / Fre | The Trouble with Cats Freeman, Martha | After a difficult first week of third grade, Holly begins to adjust to her new school and living in her new stepfather's tiny apartment with his four cats. |
| J / Gre | Owen Foote: Second Grade Strongman Greene, Stephanie | Owen, a second grader who is being teased for his small size, discovers that his friend Joseph is just as concerned about being overweight, and they share their fear of being humiliated by the school nurse. (series) |
| J / Haa | Jigsaw Pony Hass, Jessie | 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. |
| J / How | It Came From Beneath the Bed Howe, James | 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. (series) |
| J / How | Pinky and Rex Howe, James | Nine-year-old Gregory's house does not have room for a garden, but he creates a surprising and very different garden in an unusual place. (series) |
| J / McD | Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid McDonald, Megan | The shortest kid in the second grade, James Moody, AKA Stink, learns all about the shortest president of the United States, James Madison, when they celebrate Presidents' Day at school. (series) |
| J /Mck | Third Grade Stinks McKenna, Colleen O'Shaughnessy | Gordie loves his third grade teacher, but sharing a locker with a girl instead of his best friend and trouble with a school bully may ruin his best year ever. (series) |
| J / Nix | Gus and Gertie and the Missing Pearl Nixon, Joan Lowery | Arriving for a vacation on Holiday Island, penguins Gus and Gertie stumble into a hotel full of Bad Guys and have a valuable pearl stolen from them. |
| J / Nol | Down Girl and Sit Nolan, Lucy | Recounts the adventures of a rambunctious dog who thinks her name is Down Girl and her next door neighbor, Sit, as they try to keep the world safe from dangerous squirrels, the paper boy, and a frightening creature named Here Kitty Kitty. |
| J / Pin | Mush, A Dog From Space Pinkwater, Daniel | Kelly Mangiaro, who has wanted a pet for as long as she can remember, gets more than she bargained for from her new dog, Mush. |
| J & Pbk / Ryl | In Aunt Lucy's Kitchen Rylant, Cynthia | 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. (series) |
| J / Yor | Richie F. Dweebly Thunders On! Yorke, Malcolm | Mr. Dweebly's students do not suspect that their boring teacher is secretly the fantabulous rock star Rab Thunder. (series) |
