Best Books for Second Graders
Here are my favorite books to recommend to second graders, ages 7-8. In second grade, children often transition to chapter books and from learning to read to reading for meaning. Nonfiction is a great option for reluctant readers or for those who need a high-interest subject to reel them in. The picture books below can be shared as classroom read-alouds or enjoyed independently.
A quick note: As Donalyn Miller said in The Joy of Reading, a list is only as good as its maker. While these titles have been successful with the families I’ve served and my own children, I don’t expect you to share them wholesale with yours. You know your community best! I hope you discover a few new titles that give your readers’ advisory a boost and foster a connection with your own readers.
Picture Books for Second Graders
Journey
By Aaron becker | 2013
2014 Caldecott Honor
What would you draw if everything you drew became real? Follow a girl who does just that in this magical wordless picture book.
Wildspeak
By Sangma Francis | 2026
2 Starred Reviews
Explore the possibilities of the natural world and create joyful new words to describe what you find.
Big
By Vashti Harrison | 2023
2024 Caldecott Medal Winner
A young girl labeled “too big” learns to dream and accept herself.
The Dictionary Story
By Oliver Jeffers | 2024
3 Starred Reviews
Dictionary must put its contents back in order when words run amok!
Scroll
By Hui Li | 2023
2024 ALSC Notable Book
Lulu and her dog Dumpling enter a magical world where Chinese calligraphy comes to life.
How to Read a Story
By Kate Messner | 2015
2015 Parents’ Choice Award
There’s more to it than meets the eye.
Drawn Onward
By Daniel Nayeri | 2024
2025 ALSC Notable Book
A boy goes on an epic search for his lost mother and perseveres through his grief.
I Don’t Want to Be a Frog
By Dev Petty | 2015
Publishers Weekly STarred Review
Frog doesn’t want to be a frog until he meets a wolf and decides it’s not bad.
Battle Bunny
By Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett | 2013
2014 ALSC Notable Book
How do you make a cutesy book about a bunny awesome? Add rockets and bombs, of course!
Anything
By Rebecca Stead | 2025
2026 ALSC Notable Book
A sweet father tells his daughter she can wish for three “anythings,” but one is to move back to their old apartment.
Chapter Books for Second Graders
Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!
By Jack Chabert | 2014
2014 Cybils Award Nominee
Sam learns that being a hall monitor means saving his fellow students from their evil school!
The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure
By Doreen Cronin | 2014
2014 ALSC Notable Book
These ragtag barnyard detectives won’t be swayed from solving crimes, even if aliens are involved.
Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride
By Kate DiCamillo | 2006
2007 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor
Mercy loves convertible rides, but will she get the chance to drive?
The Princess in Black
By Shannon Hale | 2015
2 Starred Reviews
Princess Magnolia has a secret: she’s the monster-fighting Princess in Black!
Dory Fantasmagory
By Abby Hanlon | 2014
2015 ALSC Notable Book
Join Dory and her imaginary friend Mary on their many adventures, but beware the evil Mrs. Gobble Grackle.
Bunnicula
By Deborah Howe | 1979
NCTE Notable Children’s Book
The Monroes have a new pet, but their current dog and cat aren’t sure if it’s a rabbit…or a vampire!
Murrary and Bun!: Murrary the Viking
By Adam Stower | 2025
Murrary and Bun live with a wizard named Fumblethumb, who accidentally turned the cat flap into a magic portal. Will it lead to the garden or an adventure today? For fans of The Magic Treehouse series or love all things silly.
EllaRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken
By Sally Warner | 2012
2012-2013 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
When EllRay tries to defend himself from the class bully, he gets in trouble!
Gone Fishing
By Tamara Will Wissinger | 2013
School Library Journal Starred Review
Sam loves fishing with his dad, but when his little sister interrupts their trip, he’s not happy.
Nonfiction for Second Graders
Tuesday Tucks Me In
By Luis Carlos Montalvan (362.4) | 2014
CBC NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
Learn about a day in the life of Tuesday, the service dog, and his army veteran owner.
I’m Trying to Love Math
By Bethany Barton (510.71) | 2019
Junior Library Guild Selection
Math gets a bad rap, but did you know it’s used in spaceships, in making cookies, and for so many cool things!
The Book of Turtles
By Sy Montgomery (597.92) | 2023
2024 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor
Did you know there are turtles with glow-in-the-dark shells? Learn surprising facts about turtles and everyday ways you can help conserve these amazing creatures.
Moto and Me: My Year as a Wildcat’s Foster Mom
By Suzi Eszterhas (599.75) | 2017
2 Starred reviews
After being separated from his mother during a Kenyan savanna fire, a two-week-old several kitten named Moto is cared for by a wildlife photographer and taught skills necessary to survive on his own.
Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions
By Chris Barton (921) | 2019
2 Starred Reviews
Learn about a NASA engineer who invented the Super Soaker!
The House That Jane Built
By Tanya Lee Stone (921) | 2015
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Recommended Book
A story about Jane Addams, the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
More Resources for Finding the Best Books for Second Graders
Top 20 Read Alouds in 2nd Grade from Lucky Little Learners
Great Kids’ 2025 Non-Fiction from Libraries of Marin
Picture Books on Tough Topics from Little Parachutes, including anxiety, divorce, new baby, and more
Raising Readers: What Parents Can Do from the National Education Association
Recommended Books from ALSC, including summer reading lists for Grades K-2
