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drummer

Highland Park Public Library's
Unbeatable Second Grade Books

This list encompasses the many reading levels found among second graders. The books can be found in one of three collections. Books in the jp or primary collection are “controlled vocabulary” i.e. containing words that follow basic phonics rules or words that are found on “sight word” lists. Books in the picture book collection can be read by more practiced readers. The j fiction collection is for readers who are ready to tackle longer “chapter books.”

Adventure | Animals | Biographies | Fantasy | Folk & Fairytales | Ghost & Scary Stories
Historical Fiction | Humor | Mystery | School, Friends & Family | Space & Science Fiction | Sports

Adventure

Anderson, C. W. Blaze and the Mountain Lion.
Baxter, Nicola Castle Under Attack.
Bunting, Eve Gleam and Glow.
Coerr, Eleanor Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express.
Fleischman, Paul Lost! A Story in String.
Hooks, William Lo-Jack and the Pirates.
Kipling, Rudyard Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.
Platt, Richard Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter.
Ransom, Candice F. Danger at Sand Cave.
Stevens, Carla Anna, Grandpa, and the Big Storm.
Teague, Mark The Secret Shortcut.
Usborne Agent Arthur’s Desert Challenge.

Animals

Ahlberg, Allan The Pet Shop.
Amato, Carol Chessie, the Meandering Manatee.
Bauer, Marion Dane Alison’s Puppy.
Brenner, Barbara Beavers Beware!
Bulla, Clyde Singing Sam.
Byars, Betsy Little Horse.
Cowley, Joy Agapanthus Hum and Major Bark.
Cox, Judy Cool Cat, School Cat.
Cresswell, Helen The Weather Cat.
Demas, Corinne The Perfect Pony.
Denslow, Sharon Georgie Lee.
Elste, Joan True Blue.
Fowler, Susi Albertina, the Animals, and Me.
Freeman, Martha The Trouble with Cats.
Gackenbach, Dick The Dog and the Deep Dark Woods.
Griffith, Helen Alex and the Cat.
Haas, Jessie Runaway Radish.
Hall, Lynn Barry, the Bravest Saint Bernard.
Hanel, Wolfram Mia the Beach Cat.
Himmelman, John The Animal Rescue Club.
King-Smith, Dick Sophie’s Tom.
Kline, Suzy Horrible Harry in Room 2B.
Kroll, Steven Andrew Wants a Dog.
Lauber, Patricia Clarence and the Cat.
Livingstone, Star Harley.
Lundell, Margo Lad, a Dog: Lad to the Rescue.
McKissack, Patricia Monkey-Monkey's Trick.
McKissack, Patricia Tippy Lemmey.
Miller, Sara Swan Three Stories You Can Read to Your Cat.
Moore, Lilian Little Raccoon.
Pomerantz, Charlotte The Outside Dog.
Rayner, Mary Rug.
Ryder, Joanne Chipmunk Song.
Rylant, Cynthia Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat.
Scheidl, Gerda Andy’s Wild Animal Adventure.
Siracusa, Catherine The Parrot Problem.
Smith, Mavis A Snake Mistake.
Stanley, George Snake Camp.
Tregebov, Rhea The Big Storm.
Waas, Uli Where's Molly?
Winters, Kay Where are the Bears?
Ziefert, Harriet Bob and Shirley: A Tale of Two Lobsters.

Biographies

Adler, David A Picture Book of Anne Frank.
Aliki The King's Day: Louis XIV of France.
Birnbaum, Bette Jane Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees.
Blos, Joan The Heroine of the Titanic.
Brighton, Catherine Mozart: Scenes from the Childhood of the Great Composer.
Coerr, Eleanor Sadako.
Demarest, Chris Lindbergh.
DePaola, Tomie 26 Fairmount Avenue.
Fischetto, Laura Michael the Angel.
Fisher, Leonard Galileo.
Giblin, James George Washington.
Golenbock, Peter Teammates.
Jordan, Roslyn Salt in His Shoes.
Keller, Jack Tom Edison's Bright Idea
McCully, Emily The Pirate Queen.
Miller, Robert Buffalo Soldiers.
San Souci, Robert Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend.
Spinner, Stephanie Little Sure Shot: The Story of Annie Oakley.
Stanley, Diane The True Adventure of Daniel Hall.
Stanley, Fay The Last Princess.

Fantasy

Adams, Georgie The Three Little Witches Storybook.
Buckley, James, Jr. Spider-Man’s Amazing Powers.
Buller, Jon 20,000 Baseball Cards Under the Sea.
Christian, Mary Blount Go West, Swamp Monsters.
Cole, Joanna The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth.
Coombs, Patricia The Magician and McTree.
Corbett, Scott Dr. Merlin’s Magic Shop.
Cresswell, Helen Almost Good-Bye.
Duey, Kathleen The Silver Thread.
Farber, Erica Purple Pickle Juice.
Gerstein, Mordicai Fox Eyes.
Gould, Robert Rex.
Greenburg, J.C. On the Dog.
Griffith, Helen Emily and the Enchanted Frog.
Grindley, Sally The Giant Postman.
Hautzig, Deborah Little Witch Goes to School.
Hoban, Russell Monsters.
Howe, James It Came from Beneath the Bed!
King-Smith, Dick Jenius: The Amazing Guinea Pig.
Korschunow, Irina Adam Draws Himself a Dragon.
Kurt, Kemal Mixed-Up Journey to Magic Mountain.
Lindgren, Astrid Pippi’s Extraordinary Ordinary Day.
Low, Alice Zena and the Witch Circus.
Madsen, Ross Perrywinkle and the Book of Magic Spells.
Meddaugh, Susan Lulu’s Hat.
Osborne, Mary Pope Dinosaurs Before Dark.
Pennypacker, Sara Stuart’s Cape.
Pinkwater, Daniel The Werewolf Club Meets Dorkula.
Pinkwater, Daniel Second Grade Ape.
Robert, Adrian My Grandma, the Witch.
Sanvoisin, Eric The Ink Drinker.
Stanley, Diane The Good-Luck Pencil.
Whybrow, Ian Little Wolf’s Haunted Hall for Small Horrors.

Folk & Fairytales

Aardema, Verna Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears.
Dickinson, Susan Brer Rabbit and the Peanut Patch.
Dixon, Ann How Raven Brought Light to People.
Hautzig, Deborah Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid.
Kellogg, Steven Paul Bunyan, a Tall Tale.
Kimmel, Eric Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock.
Kimmel, Eric Baba Yaga: A Russian Folktale.
Lester, Julius John Henry.
Lewis, Paul Storm Boy.
Marshall, James Hansel and Gretel.
Orgel, Doris Next Time I Will.
Paye, Won-Ldy Head, Body, Legs.
Schecter, Ellen The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse.
Storr, Catherine The Sword in the Stone.
Tarcov, Edith The Frog Prince.
Young, Ed Lon Po Po.

Ghost & Scary Stories

Ahlberg, Allan The Ghost Train.
Asch, Frank The Ghost of P.S. 42.
Charles, Veronika Don’t Open the Door!
De Felice, Cynthia The Dancing Skeleton.
Galdone, Joanna The Tailypo: a Ghost Story.
Galdone, Paul The Monster and the Tailor: A Ghost Story.
Greer, Gery Billy the Ghost and Me.
Impy, Rose The Flat Man.
Levy, Elizabeth Night of the Living Gerbil.
Martin, Bill The Ghost-Eye Tree.
Mosel, Arlene The Funny Little Woman.
Parish, Peggy Zed and the Monsters.
Schwartz, Alvin In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories.
Stamper, Judith Five Creepy Creatures.
Thompson, Jill Scary Godmother.
Utton, Peter The Witch's Hand.
Wagener, Gerda The Ghost in the Classroom.
Woolley, Catherine Gus was a Gorgeous Ghost.
Wright, Betty Ren The Ghost Witch.

Historical Fiction

Avi Abigail Takes the Wheel.
Boegehold, Betty A Horse Called Starfire.
Bolognese, Don Little Hawk's New Name.
Bunting, Eve Cheyenne Again.
Byars, Betsy The Golly Sisters Go West.
Coerr, Eleanor Chang's Paper Pony.
Cohen, Barbara Molly's Pilgrim.
Glass, Julie The Fly on the Ceiling.
Grifalconi, Ann The Village That Vanished.
Howard, Ellen The Cellar.
Jenner, Caryn Survivors: The Night the Titanic Sank.
Johnson, Dolores Now Let Me Fly.
McCully, Emily The Battle for St. Michaels.
Mochizuki, Ken Baseball Saved Us.
Monjo, F.N. The Drinking Gourd.
Nichol, Barbara Beethoven Lives Upstairs.
Ransom, Candice Danger at Sand Cave.
Ross, Alice The Copper Lady.
Sandin, Joan The Long Way Westward.
Shefelman, Janice Young Wolf and Spirit Horse.
Shub, Elizabeth The White Stallion.
Standiford, Natalie The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto.
Welch, Catherine Clouds of Terror.
Wells, Rosemary Wingwalker.

Humor

Brenner, Barbara Too Many Mice.
Busser, Marianne King Bobble.
Dahl, Roald The Enormous Crocodile.
Hooks, William Mr. Baseball.
Levine, Caroline Riddles to Tell Your Cat.
Manes, Stephen Life is No Fair!
Milne, A. A. Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees.
Munsch, Robert Makeup Mess.
Parish, Peggy Amelia Bedelia.
Pilkey, Dav Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot.
Proimos, James The Many Adventures of Johnny Mutton.
Quackenbush, Robert Henry’s Awful Mistake.
Sathre, Vivian Leroy Potts Meets the McCrooks.
Seuss, Dr. Oh Say Can You Say?
Stevenson, James National Worm Day.
Thaler, Mike The Gym Teacher from the Black Lagoon.

Mystery

Adler, David Cam Jansen and the Mystery at the Haunted House.
Adler, David Young Cam Jansen and the Missing Cookie.
Base, Graeme The Eleventh Hour.
Clifford, Eth Flatfoot Fox and the Case of the Missing Schoolhouse.
Farber, Erica The Lost Wish.
Goldsmith, Howard The Twiddle Twins’ Music Box Mystery.
Grambling, Lois Miss Hildy’s Missing Cape Caper.
Hayes, Geoffrey The Treasure of the Lost Lagoon.
Hearne, Betsy Who’s in the Hall?
Joosse, Barbara M. Alien Brain Fryout.
Krensky, Stephen Binky Rules.
Landon, Lucinda Meg Mackintosh and the Case of the Missing Babe Ruth Baseball.
Levy, Elizabeth A Hare-Raising Tale.
Levy, Elizabeth The Schoolyard Mystery.
Nixon, Joan The Valentine Mystery.
Obrist, Jürg Max and Molly and the Mystery of the Missing Honey.
Pearson, Susan Eagle-Eye Ernie Comes to Town.
Rocklin, Joanne The Case of the Backyard Treasure.
Ross, Pat M & M and the Mummy Mess.
Rylant, Cynthia The Case of the Missing Monkey.
Sharmat, Marjorie Nate the Great and the Big Sniff.
Supraner, Robyn Sam Sunday and the Mystery at the Ocean Beach Hotel.
Torrey, Michele The Case of the Graveyard Ghost, and Other Super Scientific Cases.
Yolen, Jane Piggins.

School, Friends & Family

Ahlberg, Allan The Woman Who Won Things.
Altman, Suzanne My Top Secret Worst Days Diary.
Brown, Marc Arthur's Teacher Trouble.
Byars, Betsy My Brother, Ant.
Cassedy, Sylvia The Best Cat Suit of All.
Champion, Joyce Emily and Alice Baby-Sit Burton.
Choi, Sook Nyul The Best Older Sister.
Cleary, Beverly Muggie Maggie.
Cole, Joanna Bully Trouble.
Cosby, Bill The Meanest Thing to Say.
Danziger, Paula What a Trip, Amber Brown.
Delton, Judy Cookies and Crutches.
Duffey, Betsy How to Be Cool in Third Grade.
Finchler, Judy You’re a Good Sport, Miss Malarkey.
Fletcher, Ralph Tommy Trouble and the Magic Marble.
Galbraith, Kathryn Roommates.
Gantos, Jack Rotten Ralph Helps Out.
Giff, Patricia Reilly Starring Rosie.
Giff, Patricia Watch Out, Ronald Morgan!
Gilson, Jamie Bug in a Rug.
Graves, Bonnie B. The Best Worst Day.
Guest, Elissa Iris and Walter.
Haddix, Margaret The Girl with 500 Middle Names.
Herman, Charlotte Max Malone and the Great Cereal Rip-Off.
Herold, Ann The Butterfly Birthday.
Hest, Amy Party on Ice.
Holub, Joan Pen Pals.
Hooks, William Mr. Monster.
Howe, James Pinky and Rex and the Spelling Bee.
Hurwitz, Johanna Russell and Elisa.
Jacobson, Jennifer Winnie (Dancing) on Her Own.
Jennings, Patrick The Tornado Watches: An Ike and Mem Story.
Johnston, Tony Sparky and Eddie: Wild, Wild Rodeo!
Karas, G. Brian Bebe’s Bad Dream.
Krensky, Stephen Lionel and Louise.
Kroll, Steven Annabelle’s Un-Birthday.
Leverich, Kathleen Best Enemies.
Manes, Stephen Chocolate-Covered Ants.
McDonald, Megan Beezy.
McDonough, Yona A Doll Named Dora Anne.
McKenna, Colleen Third Grade Ghouls.
McMorrow, Catherine The Jellybean Principal.
Myers, Laurie Earthquake in the Third Grade.
O'Connor, Jane Molly the Brave and Me.
Park, Barbara Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus.
Patron, Susan Maybe Yes, Maybe No, Maybe Maybe.
Petersen, P. J. I Hate Company.
Penner, Lucille Clean Sweep Campers.
Porte, Barbara Harry in Trouble.
Prager, Annabelle The Baseball Birthday Party.
Rocklin, Joanne Jake and the Copycats.
Sachar, Louis Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth?
Seuling, Barbara Oh No, It’s Robert.
Stern, Maggie George.
Warner, Sally Accidental Lily.
Williams, Suzanne Emily at School.
Willner-Pardo, Gina Spider Storch’s Carpool Catastrophe.
Wojciechowski, Susan Don’t Call Me Beanhead!

Space & Science Fiction

Buller, Jon Baseball Camp on the Planet of the Eyeballs.
Cole, Joanna The Magic School Bus, Lost in the Solar System.
Greenburg, Dan Hang a Left at Venus.
Greer, Gery Let Me Off This Spaceship!
Kirk, David Nova’s Ark.
Passen, Lisa Attack of the 50-Foot Teacher.
Pinkney, J. Brian Cosmo and the Robot.
Scieszka, Jon Baloney (Henry P.).
Star Wars Star Wars, Episode I: Queen in Disguise.
Van Allsburg, Chris Zathura.
Weinberger, Kimberly Space Jam.
Willis, Jeanne The Long Blue Blazer.
Yaccarino, Dan First Day on a Strange New Planet.
Yolen, Jane Commander Toad in Space.
Yorinks, Arthur Company’s Going.

Sports

Allard, Harry Miss Nelson Has a Field Day.
Auch, Mary Jane Angel and Me and the Bayside Bombers.
Bang-Campbell, Monika Little Rat Sets Sail.
Bildner, Phil Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy.
Christopher, Matt The Captain Contest.
Giff, Patricia Ronald Morgan Goes to Bat.
Herman, Gail Just Like Mike.
Hopkinson, Deborah Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings.
Jay, Betsy Swimming Lessons.
Kline, Suzy Molly Gets Mad.
Krensky, Stephen Louise, Soccer Star?
Krulik, Nancy Soccer Sensation.
Marzollo, Jean Football Friends.
Mills, Claudia Gus and Grandpa at Basketball.
Myers, Bernice Sidney Rella and the Glass Sneaker.
Petersen, P.J. The Fireplug is First Base.
Pinkney, J. Brian Jojo’s Flying Side Kick.
Prager, Annabelle The Baseball Birthday Party.
Torrey, Richard Beans Baker, Number Five.

06/03
SJS

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