Children's Books for 2nd Graders

Skel the skeleton has boots, a crossbow, and a fine set of bones - but something is missing. What he really needs is a loyal hunting dog! So when he brings home a floppy-eared pup with the biggest, hungriest eyes in the world, what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, it turns out, especially when your new best friend thinks YOU are the snack. This decodable reader practises vowel team syllables in words such as ‘being,’ ‘chaos,’ ‘diet,’ ‘genius,’ and ’triumph.’

The Wind Princess is coming to visit at sunrise, and everything must sparkle! But when Kate grabs the Rainbow Broom to help with the housework, it growls, dodges, and zooms straight out the doorway with Kate clinging on for dear life. Why is the magical broom so grumpy? Can Kate calm it down before their special guest arrives? This decodable reader practises compound words such as ‘sunrise,’ ‘hallway,’ ‘bathtub,’ ‘cobweb,’ and ‘sunshine.’

When a fluffy hen appears in the pig pen, Fig Pig and Tip can hardly believe their luck - fresh eggs every morning! But what happens when a sneaky fox sneaks under the fence and snatches a chicken right off the ground? Can Brat Cat chop down a tree fast enough to stop her? And does clever Fig Pig have a secret plan of his own? This decodable reader practises the ie phonogram in words like ‘cried,’ ‘field,’ ’thief,’ and ‘shriek.’

Ned has a brand new house, a very bossy magic book, and a belly full of nothing but apples. Can he really grow his own food from tiny seeds hidden in the grass? And when The Book sends him lugging a bucket of seawater across the whole field, will Ned’s arms survive the journey? A funny tale of hard work, wobbly green shoots, and one very unhelpful book. This decodable reader practises es plurals in words such as ‘bunches,’ ‘patches,’ ‘searches,’ and ‘splashes.’

Tal only has one job: walk the new calf home before dark. Easy, right? But when his friends call him over for a game on the hill, the rope slips, the calf finds grass, and time slips away too. Can Tal tug, push, and heave a stubborn calf all the way home before the sun sinks? And what happens when a far-off moo drifts across the hills? This decodable reader practises the ’ew’ sound in words like ’new,’ ‘knew,’ ‘flew,’ ‘drew,’ and ‘phew.’

Ned the farmer wants to grow something new on his farm, and what he finds are funny little orange things called carrots! But carrots smell amazing to pigs - and one sneaky pink pig is following him home. Can Ned keep his carrot safe? Can he build a pen strong enough to protect his new piggy friends when the monsters come out at night? This decodable reader practises suffixes in words like ‘farmer,’ ‘kindly,’ ’loudly,’ and ‘stronger.’

Little Toman Fish is learning to hunt. His dad says be patient - but patience is BORING! Can a speedy little fish who hides behind the wrong rock, chases shrimp in circles, and crashes a kingfisher’s dinner ever learn to wait for his own? Dive into a watery adventure full of misses, surprises, and one very grumpy turtle. This decodable reader practises ci/si/ti making /sh/ in words like “patience,” “mission,” “commotion,” and “fascination.”

When three wild siblings sneak a peek at Dad’s magic mirror, they expect to see treasure - but horrid green monsters stare back instead! Why does the mirror show trolls with horns and jagged grins? Can a fancy jacket or a big smile fix what’s staring back from the glass? Or is something else going on inside these rotten little troublemakers? This decodable reader practises VC/CV syllables in words like ‘bucket,’ ‘pumpkin,’ ‘fancy,’ and ‘jacket.’

Old Musa has never lost a fishing contest on the lake, and his winning spot could save Otieno’s struggling family. But Musa guards a clever secret, and can a boy with only three small fish outwit him before sunset? Slip into the boat, feel the pull of the deep, and find out how Otieno reads the water. This book helps young readers practise two-syllable words with open syllables, quoting lesson words like ‘moment’, ‘secret’, ‘over’, ‘only’, and ‘quiet’.

The Clever Jackal is small, thin, and the exact colour of dry grass. When a huge hungry lion named Shaka blocks the path to the waterhole, what can one tiny jackal possibly do against a beast as broad as a boulder? Can a clever mind outsmart brute strength? Follow Mkhulu as he thinks fast and stays cool in one very sticky spot. This Bookbot Level S9 story practises the /ʃ/ sound with words like ‘protection’, ‘decision’, ‘satisfaction’, ‘commotion’, and ‘situation’.