Children's Books for 2nd Graders

When the sun beats down and Mum’s smile starts to wobble, Giraffe hatches a plan so silly it might just work - he’ll climb sky-high and eat the sun itself! But what happens when a giraffe swallows the brightest thing in the whole universe? Can Bear’s bowl of bread dough save the day, or has Giraffe cooked up the biggest mess ever? This decodable reader practises the ’ea’ sound in words like ‘beat,’ ‘dream,’ ‘peach,’ and ’treat.’

Long ago on the southern African plains, Zebra was plain white and absolutely proud of it. But when a cruel dry season swallows every pool, only one waterhole remains, and a fierce Baboon guards it with fire and snapping teeth. How can a plain white horse outwit such a bully? And what happens on the afternoon Zebra finally makes his stand? This Bookbot level practises three or more syllables, with words like ‘absolutely’, ‘afternoon’, ‘finally’, ‘desperate’, and ‘reflection’.

The Tire is tired of the bumpy road, the heavy boxes, and all the crashes! Could a truck be a better home? Maybe a bike? Or a cart with wooden wheels? Poor Tire rolls past bushes and ditches, making wishes for a place where he truly fits - but where could that be? This decodable reader practises es plurals in words like ‘bushes,’ ‘crashes,’ ‘ditches,’ and ‘wishes.’

What happens when one mischievous cat gets stuck up a tree - and refuses to come down? One small rescue turns into the wildest day ever, with a broken ladder, a crying baby, a sneaky monkey in the kitchen, and a hungry dog chasing a pot of curry down the street. Could one furry troublemaker really cause all this trouble? A decodable reader practising VC/CV syllables in words such as ‘borrow,’ ‘problem,’ ‘pepper,’ and ‘villain.’

When Jim sees Len’s shiny new toy boat, something twisty happens in his tummy - and suddenly he’s bragging about owning the best stuff in the WORLD! But Jim’s toy box only holds a dented ball and an old board game. Could borrowing treasures from Grandpa’s plants, Gran’s craft basket, and Mum’s dresser save the day? Or will one missing perfume bottle give the whole game away? This decodable reader practises es plurals through words like ‘boxes,’ ‘bushes,’ ‘fixes,’ ‘dresses,’ and ‘riches.’

Ned is bored, bored, BORED - until The Book shows him how to turn sticky honey into soft golden blocks that catch you when you fall. But what happens when Ned decides one small jump is not nearly enough? Can a super-tall tower, a flat patch of ground, and a very nervous Book keep one brave boy safe? Climb up and find out! This decodable reader practises 2-syllable open words such as ‘cosy,’ ‘open,’ ’tiny,’ ‘maybe,’ and ‘ocean.’

Zom the zombie is tired of his neighbours who only want to shuffle, groan, and moan about brains. Isn’t there someone more fun out there? When a gentle buzzing leads him to a busy beehive full of potential new pals, Zom is thrilled - but will the bees want to be friends with a clumsy zombie? And what happens when his big idea for saying hello goes very, very wrong? This decodable reader practises le/al/el/il words such as ‘gentle,’ ’little,’ ‘cattle,’ ‘bundle,’ and ‘stumbles.’

Diane is the proudest litterbug around - until she wakes up one morning to find a stinking cloud of rubbish hovering right above her bed! Flies buzz, wrappers swirl, and the cloud follows her everywhere she goes. Can Diane figure out how to make her smelly shadow disappear? Will anyone want to sit with her at lunch, or is a small grey rat her only friend now? This decodable reader practises 2-syllable open words such as ‘about,’ ‘open,’ ’even,’ and ‘only.’

Dragon has stolen Shawn’s toy again! Can Dawn and Shawn catch a mischievous dragon who zooms through clouds and never, ever slows down? Hold on tight as they grab Dragon’s mane and shoot up into a sky full of swirling coins and spinning junk. Will they snatch the toy back before Dragon’s jaws chomp it to bits? This decodable reader practises the aw/au sound in words like ‘dawn,’ ‘claws,’ ‘pause,’ and ‘sprawl.’

Dive in and sail east across the Minecraft world - have you ever wondered what lies beneath those endless blue waves? From warm seas where fish weave through kelp to bleak frozen chunks of ice, every ocean hides something different. Which mobs swim in peace, and which ones might be a threat? Can you help keep our real oceans healthy too? This decodable reader practises the ’ea’ phonogram in words like ‘beach,’ ‘clean,’ ‘heat,’ and ‘reach.’