2nd graders will love reading aloud the terrible things that The Twits get up to. The Twits are some of the most awful people you will ever meet.
They detest everything other than playing tricks on each other and catching birds to cook in their bird pies. They also make the Muggle-Wumps, their caged monkeys do headstands all day long.
Finally, the Muggle-Wumps run out of patience. They want out, but that’s not enough. They also want revenge.
Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy Pevensie go through a wardrobe door and find themselves in an enchanted land. The land of Narnia is in an everlasting winter and ruled by the White Witch.
When all seems lost the return of the great lion, Aslan indicates an important change, but also a sacrifice. This is one of the best loved children’s books and a classic by C.S. Lewis.
2nd grade children will love reading about the talking animals of Narnia and the fight between good and evil.
This is a beautiful story about Red, an oak tree who has been watching over the neighborhood for many years. He is a wishtree, people write wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches.
Many animals also take refuge in Red’s hollows. Now new people have moved to the neighborhood, and they may need Red’s help to be accepted. Children will love reading this heartwarming story aloud.
One day 10-year-old India Buloni goes to the store for groceries and comes home with a dog. Except Winn-Dixie is not an ordinary dog and is soon changing India’s life.
She begins to make friends and even has the courage to ask her father about her mother who left when India was a toddler.
In fact everything that happens that summer is because of Winn-Dixie. This is a wonderful story for 2nd graders.
When Jorge is sent to live with his grandparents he feels resentful and lonely. On his first day at school he attracts the attention of the belligerent principal as well as the school bullies. He’s really in need of a friend.
Along comes a young chupacabra called Carter who despite the myths doesn’t seem like a monster. Instead he’s kind and a good listener.
But when cattle start turning up dead Jorge faces a dilemma. Kids will love the characters and storyline.
A mix of fantasy, mystery and cultural discovery, 2nd graders will adore the stories of best friends Eddie and Molly-Jean. They are having a sleepover, but this is no ordinary sleepover.
They intend to make obstacle courses for newts, watch movies and travel to India to solve a mystery, all before bedtime. Kids will learn so much from this great story particularly about the Hindi roots of the English language.
Kids in 2nd grade will love this story of kindness, acceptance and standing up for what is right. Wanda Petronski is made fun of by children in her class as she wears the same dress each day.
She insists she has a hundred dresses, but everyone knows she doesn’t. When Wanda is pulled out of school one day, her classmates feel bad. One of them, Maddie, decides she will never stand by and say nothing ever again.
As a sequel to the critically acclaimed Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) 2nd graders will love reading about Snappsy and his self-appointed best friend.
Snappsy just wants to be left alone, but a pesky chicken just won’t take a hint. This is a fantastic book about friendship and how we can really get it wrong sometimes. But it’s also about how great friendship is when we get it right.
As champion of the underdog Roald Dahl tells the story of James, a kid who is bullied by his horrible aunts.
To escape his awful life he climbs aboard a giant peach with his new group of friends, overgrown insects, and together they embark on a voyage across the ocean.
2nd graders will enjoy reading aloud about James and his friends’ adventures on the ocean and the happy ever after when they reach New York City.
The Chocolate Touch is a fun take on the myth of the Midas touch which turned everything to gold. Instead, John Midas has the ability to turn everything his lips touch into chocolate.
Children will love finding out if you can ever have too much of the food that you love, in this case chocolate. This is an ideal read aloud book for 2nd graders with its easy-to-read text and fun storyline.
Andrew desperately wants freckles. His classmate Nicky has freckles and when Andrew asked how he got them Nicky said he was born with them. Not very helpful. Then Sharon offers him her freckle juice recipe for 50 cents.
Rushing home he makes the concoction, but it doesn’t turn out quite like he hoped. Determined to show Sharon she doesn’t know everything, he has the perfect solution. Or does he? A great read aloud book for 2nd graders.
Jeanette Winter is an acclaimed picture book biographer and has found her perfect subject in Jane Goodall.
Famous for her love of chimpanzees and her dedication to their protection, this insight into Jane’s childhood is a wonderful treat for 2nd grade readers.
From watching chickens lay eggs to a robin building its nest in her bookcase this book charts Jane Goodall’s enduring love for animals.
A poignant and beautifully written story, The Giving Tree is a perennial favorite from author Shel Silverstein.It’s the story of a little boy who comes to an apple tree every day to eat her apples and play among her branches.
The tree was happy. Then the boy grew up and wanted more from the tree. So the tree gave and gave. This is a touching tale of love and acceptance. 2nd graders will love reading it aloud.
Edward Tulane is a china rabbit owned by Abilene, the little girl who adores him. But one day he’s lost. His journey takes him from the depths of the ocean to a fisherman’s net and to the bustling streets of Memphis.
2nd grade readers will adore reading aloud this charming story of love, heartbreak and triumphing over adversity by one of America’s most beloved storytellers.
This classic story by the author of Charlotte’s Web will delight and enthrall 2nd grade readers. Stuart Little lives with his human parents and brother George, as well as Snowball the cat.
He’s shy and thoughtful with a love for nature. When Stuart’s bird friend, Margalo disappears from her nest Stuart sets out to find her. The book follows his adventures as he tries to track down his friend.
When Max puts on his wolf suit and creates lots of mischief his mother sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest appears in Max’s room and an ocean rushes by taking him to where the wild things are.
He tames the wild things and makes himself their king. But after he has sent them to bed Max begins to feel lonely, missing the person who loves him most of all.
Bad Bart is the meanest and burliest pirate in the Atlantic Ocean. Mean Mo is the mightiest and maddest pirate in the Pacific Ocean. When the two meet in the middle a battle of epic proportions ensues.
When neither can prevail they stare each other down and promptly fall in love. This is a fun story for 2nd graders to read aloud as it is written in seadog lingo.
Hello Universe is a story about four children whose lives are unexpectedly linked one day. Virgil and his pet guinea pig are trapped at the bottom of a well following a prank by Chet.
Now Valencia, Kaori and Gen need to find him. With luck, bravery, plenty of smarts and a little help from the universe a rescue is performed and friendship blooms. But not before a bully is put in his place.
When Gooney Bird Greene turns up as the new girl at Watertower Elementary her unique sense of style and unusual lunches immediately intrigue her classmates.
So when it comes to story time everyone wants to hear all about her. It turns out that Gooney Bird has plenty of ‘absolutely true’ stories to tell.
This book will introduce 2nd graders to the elements of storytelling. A wonderful read aloud tale.
Feeling unappreciated, Claudia decided to run away. She planned everything carefully and even took her brother along, if only for his financial contribution. She would live in style at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Arriving and settling in Claudia discovered that despite her plan going well she didn’t feel any different. She also discovered a statue whose creator was a mystery.
The previous owner Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is her only clue. And may also be her way home.
Final Thoughts
There are hundreds of great books that you can find for 2nd graders to read aloud, but we hope you will love our selection of 20 fantastic stories as much as we do.
Helping kids to become fluent readers is one of the best jobs for teachers and parents alike. Choosing the right books makes the whole process easier and more enjoyable for them.
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