Friendship Books for 2nd Graders

Can Kip make it past a mob of hungry crocs snapping in the mud? With a big pond blocking his path and a very important place to be, Kip will need fast feet, brave legs, and one enormous jump! Will the crocs catch him, or will Kip soar over the frogs and fish to reach his surprise? Leap along and find out! This decodable reader practises the ai/ay phonogram in words like ‘play,’ ’trail,’ ‘sails,’ ‘wail,’ and ‘stray.’

Have you ever wondered what might be hiding in the middle of a big, quiet lake? When Ken and his friend grab a boat and paddle out to explore, every shadow and shape starts to look a little spooky. Is that an evil devil with claws? A giant fish? Or something even scarier rising from the water? Hold on tight and paddle faster! This decodable reader practises le/al/el/il words such as ‘paddling,’ ‘devil,’ ’little,’ ‘middle,’ and ’travel.’

Golem spies an empty field and tries chatting with villagers, cats, and pigs, but no one even glances his way. When skeletons shriek and arrows fly, he shields himself and dreams of being the town’s chief protector. Will anyone ever notice him, or will he find a friend in the last place he looks? Practise ‘ie’ words like ‘cries’, ‘field’, ‘shriek’, ‘spied’, and ’tries’ in this gentle tale about hoping to belong.

Red made himself a promise: walk through the whole town without covering his ears. Easy, right? But the beeping, honking, and drilling might just be too much for one small fellow to handle. Will Red keep his promise? And what surprise is waiting up ahead that makes his eyes go wide and sparkly? Follow along as Red hustles through a busy town on his way to meet a very special friend. This decodable reader practises the le/al/el/il sound in words like ‘chuckle,’ ‘gentle,’ ‘simple,’ and ‘signal.’

Ned’s tiny shed is bursting at the seams, and he’s dreaming of a proper house with big rooms and doors he can actually fit through! But can one grumbly builder and a bossy, know-it-all Book really chop, stack, and stretch their way to the perfect home on the hill? And what happens when Ned’s plans don’t quite go to plan? This decodable reader practises es plurals in words like ‘axes,’ ‘boxes,’ ‘pushes,’ and ‘watches.’

Spike has a rule for everything: best pals scribble side by side, share every treat, and never let little troubles win. But what happens on the day The Girl just doesn’t feel like making rules at all? From spilled water to splashy puddles, friendship isn’t always simple, and even best pals grumble now and then. Will a truce of pancakes fix things, or has their bond hit real trouble? Readers practise stable final syllables with ’little’, ‘gentle’, ‘purple’, ’trouble’, and ‘sparkle’.

Tim is a tiny tin robot no bigger than a thimble, and he is certain he was built for BIG adventures. So when a lost blue button bounces past his feet, off he marches to find its owner! But can one little robot dodge giant sneakers, slobbery dogs, and splashing cars without getting squashed along the way? This decodable reader practises le/al/el/il words such as ’little,’ ‘puddle,’ ‘scramble,’ ‘wobbled,’ and ‘simple.’

Rabbit has a big plan: he’s going to be FIRST at everything in his new class! First to settle in, first in the race, first to finish his painting, first at sums - easy, right? But somehow Bee, Turtle, Dog, and Owl keep beating him to it. Poor Rabbit starts to tremble. Could there be something special he’s first at after all? This decodable reader practises the le/al/el/il sound in words such as ‘gentle,’ ’turtle,’ ‘sparkle,’ ‘pencil,’ and ‘people.’

The Chief’s Daughter is sick, and no elder in the valley can say why. When her father promises that any child who finds the cure will become his daughter’s friend for life, a quiet farm girl named Wanjirũ remembers something she saw days ago near the streams. Can careful thinking, not magic, save a dying girl? Read on to find out. This Bookbot story practises open syllables in longer words, with lesson words like ‘water’, ‘magic’, ‘before’, ’easy’, and ‘achieve’.

Don has finally found the perfect blue cap at the market - but what happens when a sneaky gust of wind snatches it right off his head? The cap sails over the bushes, gets stuck in the branches, and lands somewhere Don never expected. Can he ever get it back, or has his treasure been claimed by someone much bigger and brighter? A warm, funny story about letting go and finding new friends. This decodable reader practises es plurals in words like ‘bushes,’ ‘branches,’ ‘catches,’ and ‘wishes.’