Read-aloud novelRead for fun · family read-aloud
Charlotte's Web
by E. B. White
Classic friendship and farm life — perfect chapter-book read-aloud.
All resources
2nd Grade Reading List
12 hand-picked second-grade books — read-alouds, early chapter books, and nonfiction your reader will actually finish.
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Early readerWeeks 1–6 · Reading and Writing, Unit 1
Frog and Toad Are Friends
by Arnold Lobel
Short, gentle chapters at a second-grade reading level.
Chapter seriesRead for fun · early chapter series
The Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark
by Mary Pope Osborne
Hooks early independent readers with adventure and history.
Early chapterRead for fun · early chapter series
Mercy Watson to the Rescue
by Kate DiCamillo
Funny pig stories with rich vocabulary and short chapters.
SeriesRead for fun · builds reading stamina
Owl Diaries: Eva's Treetop Festival
by Rebecca Elliott
Diary-format series builds confidence and stamina.
Read-aloud novelFamily read-aloud · pairs with Q2 nonfiction
The One and Only Ivan
by Katherine Applegate
Builds empathy and discussion; pairs with nonfiction about gorillas.
Picture bookRead for fun · picture book
Last Stop on Market Street
by Matt de la Peña
Caldecott-winning text rich for inferencing.
NonfictionQuarter 1 · Science tie-in (nonfiction reading)
National Geographic Readers: Bats
by Elizabeth Carney
Text features galore — perfect for Q1 nonfiction work.
Nonfiction seriesRead for fun · nonfiction series
Who Would Win? Killer Whale vs. Great White Shark
by Jerry Pallotta
Evidence-and-reasoning books second graders devour.
Early readerRead for fun · word play
Amelia Bedelia
by Peggy Parish
Idiom-rich classic — great for word play discussions.
Chapter bookRead for fun · chapter book
The Year of the Dog
by Grace Lin
Cultural identity and friendship in a friendly chapter format.
Picture bookRead for fun · picture book
A Sick Day for Amos McGee
by Philip C. Stead
Caldecott winner — gentle plot perfect for retelling practice.
The full book lists for every quarter and subject continue below.
Books used in the lessons, by week
The anchor books each unit reads together, listed by the quarter the unit starts in.
Quarter 1
1–6 · Reading and Writing, Unit 1: Launching Readers & Writers Workshop
- Owl at Home by Arnold LobelShop
- Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold LobelShop
- Jamaica's Find by Juanita HavillShop
- A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. WilliamsShop
- Fireflies! by Julie BrinckloeShop
- Chrysanthemum by Kevin HenkesShop
- Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin HenkesShop
- Owl Moon by Jane YolenShop
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack KeatsShop
- The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon ScieszkaShop
- Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah HooseShop
1–6 · Social Studies, Unit 1: Rules, Laws & Community
7–12 · Reading and Writing, Unit 2: Informational Text & Research Writing
- From Seed to Plant by Gail GibbonsShop
- Ants by Melissa StewartShop
- What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin PageShop
- Feathers: Not Just for Flying by Melissa StewartShop
- Sharks by Anne SchreiberShop
- What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases by Kathleen Weidner ZoehfeldShop
- Monarch Butterfly by Gail GibbonsShop
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric CarleShop
- The Honey Makers by Gail GibbonsShop
- Weather by Kristin Baird RattiniShop
- Where Do Polar Bears Live? by Sarah L. ThomsonShop
- The Tiny Seed by Eric CarleShop
7–12 · Science, Unit 2: Plants, Animals & Habitats
- From Seed to Plant by Gail GibbonsShop
- What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve JenkinsShop
- Over and Under the Pond by Kate MessnerShop
- Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move by JoAnn Early MackenShop
- Miss Maple's Seeds by Eliza WheelerShop
- The Reason for a Flower by Ruth HellerShop
- Flowers Are Calling by Rita GrayShop
- The Tiny Seed by Eric CarleShop
7–12 · Social Studies, Unit 2: Maps, Geography & Our World
Quarter 2
13–18 · Reading and Writing, Unit 3: Literature Deep Dive & Opinion Writing
- Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel SilversteinShop
- The New Kid on the Block by Jack PrelutskyShop
- Cinderella by Marcia BrownShop
- Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China by Ai-Ling LouieShop
- Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John SteptoeShop
- National Geographic Readers: Sharks! by Anne SchreiberShop
- Sharks by Gail GibbonsShop
- I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman OrloffShop
- Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen CroninShop
- Owls by Gail GibbonsShop
- National Geographic Readers: Owls by Laura MarshShop
- Owl Moon by Jane YolenShop
- Stone Soup by Marcia BrownShop
- Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermottShop
13–18 · Science, Unit 3: Engineering Design & Testing
- Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea BeatyShop
13–18 · Social Studies, Unit 3: Civics, Government & Citizenship
- We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States by David CatrowShop
- Duck for President by Doreen CroninShop
- House Mouse, Senate Mouse by Peter W. Barnes and Cheryl Shaw BarnesShop
- The Flag We Love by Pam Muñoz RyanShop
- The Statue of Liberty by Lucille Recht PennerShop
- Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchioShop
- The Day Gogo Went to Vote by Elinor Batezat SisuluShop
- Martin's Big Words by Doreen RappaportShop
- The Wall by Eve BuntingShop
- I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael SampsonShop
Quarter 3
19–24 · Reading and Writing, Unit 4: Advanced Reading & Writing Workshop
- A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder by Walter WickShop
- The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks by Joanna ColeShop
- The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna ColeShop
- Down Comes the Rain by Franklyn M. BranleyShop
- Penguins! by Gail GibbonsShop
- Penguins! by Anne SchreiberShop
- Owl Moon by Jane YolenShop
- Charlotte's Web by E. B. WhiteShop
- Weather Words and What They Mean by Gail GibbonsShop
- The Stories Julian Tells by Ann CameronShop
19–24 · Social Studies, Unit 4: History: Past and Present
- When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia RylantShop
- The Little House by Virginia Lee BurtonShop
- A Picture Book of George Washington Carver by David A. AdlerShop
- The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert ColesShop
- We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci SorellShop
- Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake SwampShop
- Encounter by Jane YolenShop
- Tapenum's Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times by Kate WatersShop
- Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene BarrettaShop
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan MealerShop
- A Street Through Time by Anne MillardShop
25–30 · Reading and Writing, Unit 5: Speaking, Listening & Cross-Curricular Reading
- Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la PeñaShop
- Those Shoes by Maribeth BoeltsShop
- A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. WilliamsShop
- What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin PageShop
- Hey, Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah HooseShop
- The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by Jon ScieszkaShop
- The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne CherryShop
- Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests by Gail GibbonsShop
- Over and Under the Pond by Kate MessnerShop
- Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith ViorstShop
- The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew DaywaltShop
- Ox-Cart Man by Donald HallShop
25–30 · Science, Unit 5: Biodiversity & Interdependence
- Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs by Patricia LauberShop
25–30 · Social Studies, Unit 5: Economics: Needs, Wants & Choices
Quarter 4
31–36 · Reading and Writing, Unit 6: Year-End Review & Celebration
- Frog and Toad Together by Arnold LobelShop
- A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. SteadShop
- Who Would Win? Lion vs. Tiger by Jerry PallottaShop
- Big Cats by Elizabeth CarneyShop
- Amelia Bedelia by Peggy ParishShop
- Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School by Herman ParishShop
- The One and Only Ivan by Katherine ApplegateShop
- Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine ApplegateShop
- Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamilloShop
- We Are in a Book! by Mo WillemsShop
- The Year of the Dog by Grace LinShop
- The Dot by Peter H. ReynoldsShop
31–36 · Science, Unit 6: Review, Projects & Science Fair
- From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy PfefferShop
31–36 · Social Studies, Unit 6: Review, Projects & Celebration
Want a daily reading rhythm too?
Try the routines in our parent resources hub, and grab the printable Reading Log template to track minutes and titles.