Additionally, our incredibly fantastic librarians have compiled a list of recommended reading here. They also worked with the second graders last spring to create their own book recommendations, which current second graders may appreciate. They can be viewed here.
Here is just a sample, so if you have additions you'd like to make to the list, please share. Happy reading!
Graphic novels
This increasingly popular genre integrates a comic illustration style into the narrative, giving the story a more casual tone. Studies have found them a great tool to encourage children who may not normally enjoy reading because of their dynamic interface and style.
Geronimo Stilton (Elisabetti Dami)- A best-selling series published in Italy, it is written from the perspective of a mouse, Geronimo Stilton. He lives in New Mouse City and documents his autobiographical adventures.
Otto Undercover (Rhea Pearlman)- Written in an informal manner and full of illustrations, they follow a boy with a palindromic alias who has adventures in his racecar.
Captain Underpants (Dav Pilkey)- A silly series about two boys and a superhero (in underpants) and their adventures at school.
Babymouse (Newberry Award winning author Jennifer Holm)- A series of graphic novels about a silly, pink Babymouse with a big imagination.
The Stink Files (Jennifer Holm)- Mystery novels based on a cat named James Edward Bristlefur, aka Mr. Stink.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Jeff Kinney)- A realistic fiction journal of Greg Heffley, a middle school aged boy.
Early Reader Series
Frog and Toad (Arnold Lobel)- A collection of short, simple, often humorous yet poignant stories of two friends.
Nate the Great (Marjorie Sharmat)- Nate, a boy detective, solves neighborhood mysteries, much in the stlye of a young, silly Sherlock Holmes.
Amelia Bedelia (Peggy Parish)- A maid often misinterprets meanings, causing funny predicaments (note: the series is based off of a real maid Parish had while living in Cameroon)
Fox (James Marshall)- By a profilic children’s author (George and Martha, Miss Nelson is Missing), these are a collection of short stories of Fox and his other friends at school.
Chapter Book Series
Magic Treehouse (Mary Pope Osborne)- This extremely popular series follows brother and sister Jack and Annie as they solve mysteries and travel through time via a magic treehouse.
Junie B. Jones (Barbara Park)- These stories chronicle the comical incidences Junie has in school and home.
Amber Brown (Paula Danziger)- A spunky girl with all sorts of funny stories related to real life issues and feelings.
Cam Jansen (David Adler)- Cam uses her photographic memory to solve mysteries.
Encyclopedia Brown (Donald Sobol)- This classic mystery series centers on a boy’s detective agency, involving mischief and town bullies.
The Stories Julian Tells (Ann Cameron)- Julian is a quick thinker with a big imagination and gets his brother, Huey, to believe a lot stories.
The Boxcar Children (Gertrude Warner)- A classic series about four orphaned children living in an abandoned boxcar, who enjoy their freedom but search for their grandfather
Nancy Drew (Carolyn Keene)- A classic series about a girl detective.
Read Aloud or Read Together
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Brian Selznick)- Written in an innovative style, this story takes place in Paris in 1931 and revolves around a 12 year-old orphan, Hugo Cabret. A chance meeting with a toy maker and his daughter changes his life, as he uses his logic to fix a broken toy, which then reveals an important secret.
The Hundred Dresses (Eleanor Estes)- An award winning classic written in the 1940s with a message still relevant today about attitudes and behaviors. Wanda is a Polish immigrant who is teased at school for wearing a faded old dress by her classmate, Maddie. Through Maddie’s perspective, the story follows repercussions and feelings associated with taunting and socioeconomic issues.
Authors We Love
Anything by Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, A.A. Milne, E.B. White, Shel Silverstein
Graphic novels
This increasingly popular genre integrates a comic illustration style into the narrative, giving the story a more casual tone. Studies have found them a great tool to encourage children who may not normally enjoy reading because of their dynamic interface and style.
Geronimo Stilton (Elisabetti Dami)- A best-selling series published in Italy, it is written from the perspective of a mouse, Geronimo Stilton. He lives in New Mouse City and documents his autobiographical adventures.
Otto Undercover (Rhea Pearlman)- Written in an informal manner and full of illustrations, they follow a boy with a palindromic alias who has adventures in his racecar.
Captain Underpants (Dav Pilkey)- A silly series about two boys and a superhero (in underpants) and their adventures at school.
Babymouse (Newberry Award winning author Jennifer Holm)- A series of graphic novels about a silly, pink Babymouse with a big imagination.
The Stink Files (Jennifer Holm)- Mystery novels based on a cat named James Edward Bristlefur, aka Mr. Stink.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Jeff Kinney)- A realistic fiction journal of Greg Heffley, a middle school aged boy.
Early Reader Series
Frog and Toad (Arnold Lobel)- A collection of short, simple, often humorous yet poignant stories of two friends.
Nate the Great (Marjorie Sharmat)- Nate, a boy detective, solves neighborhood mysteries, much in the stlye of a young, silly Sherlock Holmes.
Amelia Bedelia (Peggy Parish)- A maid often misinterprets meanings, causing funny predicaments (note: the series is based off of a real maid Parish had while living in Cameroon)
Fox (James Marshall)- By a profilic children’s author (George and Martha, Miss Nelson is Missing), these are a collection of short stories of Fox and his other friends at school.
Chapter Book Series
Magic Treehouse (Mary Pope Osborne)- This extremely popular series follows brother and sister Jack and Annie as they solve mysteries and travel through time via a magic treehouse.
Junie B. Jones (Barbara Park)- These stories chronicle the comical incidences Junie has in school and home.
Amber Brown (Paula Danziger)- A spunky girl with all sorts of funny stories related to real life issues and feelings.
Cam Jansen (David Adler)- Cam uses her photographic memory to solve mysteries.
Encyclopedia Brown (Donald Sobol)- This classic mystery series centers on a boy’s detective agency, involving mischief and town bullies.
The Stories Julian Tells (Ann Cameron)- Julian is a quick thinker with a big imagination and gets his brother, Huey, to believe a lot stories.
The Boxcar Children (Gertrude Warner)- A classic series about four orphaned children living in an abandoned boxcar, who enjoy their freedom but search for their grandfather
Nancy Drew (Carolyn Keene)- A classic series about a girl detective.
Read Aloud or Read Together
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Brian Selznick)- Written in an innovative style, this story takes place in Paris in 1931 and revolves around a 12 year-old orphan, Hugo Cabret. A chance meeting with a toy maker and his daughter changes his life, as he uses his logic to fix a broken toy, which then reveals an important secret.
The Hundred Dresses (Eleanor Estes)- An award winning classic written in the 1940s with a message still relevant today about attitudes and behaviors. Wanda is a Polish immigrant who is teased at school for wearing a faded old dress by her classmate, Maddie. Through Maddie’s perspective, the story follows repercussions and feelings associated with taunting and socioeconomic issues.
Authors We Love
Anything by Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, A.A. Milne, E.B. White, Shel Silverstein
