2013 summer reading list- Grade 2

A Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book

Hold on to your hats! Two new pals have arrived on the scene: Cowgirl Kate and her stubborn, but devoted cowhorse, Cocoa. Together they count the herd, ride the range, and, of course, argue till the cows come home--as only best friends can do.

With its spirited text and bright, humorous illustrations by Caldecott Honor recipient Betsy Lewin, this first book in the Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa series is bound to be a hit with young wranglers everywhere.

This title has been selected as a Common Core Text Exemplar (Grades 2-3, Stories)

Nate the Great

by: Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Beginning readers are introduced to the detective mystery genre in these chapter books. Perfect for the Common Core, kids can problem-solve with Nate, using logical thinking to solve mysteries!

Nate the Great has a new case! His friend Annie has lost a picture. She wants Nate to help her find it. Nate the Great must get all the facts, ask the right questions, and narrow the list of suspects so he can solve the mystery.

Check out the Fun Activities section in the back of the book!

Visit Nate the Great and Sludge!
NatetheGreatBooks.com

*“Marc Simont has dressed Nate the Great in Sherlock Holmes garb, and Marjorie Weinman Sharmat has perfectly reduced Sam Spade sentences to fit primary grade sleuths. Adults won't mind reading this aloud again and again. Kids will like Nate the Great. Kids will want to read more of his books.” —School Library Journal, Starred

“The illustrations capture the exaggerated, tongue-in-cheek humor of the story.” —Booklist

Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas

by: Cynthia Rylant

release date: Apr 25, 2006

Henry (and of course Mudge) loves to visit Great Grandpa Bill. He lives in a house with a lot of other granpas who like to play with a little boy and his dog. But when Henry discovers a swimming pond near the granpas' house, he finds out how much fun the grandpas really can be.

Frog and Toad Together

by: Arnold Lobel

Frog and Toad are best friends—they do everything together. When Toad admires the flowers in Frog's garden, Frog gives him seeds to grow a garden of his own. When Toad bakes cookies, Frog helps him eat them. And when both Frog and Toad are scared, they are brave together. The School and Library Journal called this beloved story collection from Arnold Lobel "a masterpiece of child-styled humor and sensitivity."

Winner of the Newbery Honor award, Frog and Toad Together is a Level Two I Can Read book, geared for kids who read on their own but still need a little help.

Supports the Common Core Learning Standards

Little Blue and Little Yellow

by: Leo Lionni

Little Blue and Little Yellow are best friends, but one day they can't find each other. When they finally do, they give each other such a big hug that they turn green! How they find their true colors again concludes a wonderfully satisfying story told with colorful pieces of torn paper and very few words. Leo Lionni launched his children's book career in 1959 with Little Blue and Little Yellow, and this 50th-anniversary edition, complete with Lionni's own explanation of how the book came to be, is sure to resonate with children today.

Below

by: Nina Crews

release date: Apr 04, 2006

A boy and his action figure explore a secret world below the stairs

Jack and his action figure, Guy, have many adventures together, and the tall, narrow staircase in Jack's house provides the perfect setting. Jack and Guy climb mountains, visit cities, and explore forests. But one day Guy falls down a hole in the stairs and it's up to Jack to rescue him. What is going on below the stairs―only Guy knows.

Publishers Weekly has described Nina Crews as "highly skilled at seeing through her photographic lens with the eyes of a child." Here she captures the excitement of make-believe and celebrates a child's imagination and resourcefulness in her signature style.

The Other Side

by: Jacqueline Woodson

release date: Jan 15, 2001

Clover's mom says it isn't safe to cross the fence that segregates their African-American side of town from the white side where Anna lives. But the two girls strike up a friendship, and get around the grown-ups' rules by sitting on top of the fence together.

With the addition of a brand-new author's note, this special edition celebrates the tenth anniversary of this classic book. As always, Woodson moves readers with her lyrical narrative, and E. B. Lewis's amazing talent shines in his gorgeous watercolor illustrations.

And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon

by: Janet Stevens

release date: Jan 01, 2001

Every night the rhyme gets read. Every night Dish and Spoon run away. And every night they return--until tonight!
Where can Dish and Spoon be? The rhyme can't go on without them, so Cat, Cow, and Dog set out to search for their missing friends. But where to start? Should they go north? East? Northeast? They'll just have to read Fork's map, ask directions, and try not to get lost in Little Boy Blue's haystack or under Miss Muffet's tuffet or in Big Bad Wolf's kitchen--"FEE, FI, FO . . ." Oh no. Could that be the giant?

Brave Irene (Book & CD Set)

by: William Steig

release date: Nov 22, 2011

Brave Irene is Irene Bobbin, the dressmaker's daughter. Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn't feeling so well and can't possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she's made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that's brewing-- quite an errand for a little girl.

But where there's a will, there's a way, as Irene proves in the danger-fraught adventure that follows. She must defy the wiles of the wicked wind, her most formidable opponent, and overcome many obstacles before she completes her mission. Surely, this winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on.

Brave Irene is a 1986 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year.

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair

by: Patricia Polacco

How much TV is too much TV? Welcome to Triple Creek, where the townspeople watch TV day and night. They watch it when they're eating, working, playing, and sleeping. They even use TVs to teach the kids at school. But when Eli's eccentric Aunt Chip (who refuses to own a TV) discovers that her nephew and her neighbors don't remember how to read, she pulls the plug on the whole town?using books that have been piled high to build a dam to spread the magic of reading all around.

The Ant and the Elephant

by: Bill Peet

The elephant is the kindest animal in the jungle, rescuing the giraffe, lion, and rhino, but who will return the favor when the elephant needs help?

Dory Story

by: Jerry Pallotta

release date: Jan 01, 2004

Be prepared for a few surprises when Danny ventures out into the bay in his dory.

Although taking the dory out solo is strictly forbidden, Danny cannot resist the calm waters of the bay. And that's where the adventure begins. He thinks rowing into a school of bluefish is trouble enough, but wait until the whales enter the picture. Danny encounters one sea creature after another and learns about the ocean food chain in the process. Just when you think you know what's going to happen next, the story takes an unexpected twist.

With brilliant and vibrant illustrations, readers will feel the excitement of being out on the water surrounded by ocean creatures. The life and the life cycle of the ocean will fascinate young readers.

I Wanna Iguana

by: Karen Kaufman Orloff

release date: Sep 09, 2004

Alex just has to convince his mom to let him have an iguana, so he puts his arguments in writing. He promises that she won't have to feed it or clean its cage or even see it if she doesn't want to. Of course Mom imagines life with a six-foot-long iguana eating them out of house and home. Alex's reassurances: It takes fifteen years for an iguana to get that big. I'll be married by then and probably living in my own house. and his mom's replies: How are you going to get a girl to marry you when you own a giant reptile? will have kids in hysterics as the negotiations go back and forth through notes. And the lively, imaginative illustrations show their polar opposite dreams of life with an iguana.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (If You Give...)

by: Laura Joffe Numeroff

Beautifully illustrated children's picture books

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the award-winning If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, one of the most beloved children's books of all time, from the #1 New York Times bestselling team Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond.

This book is a great first introduction to Mouse, the star of the If You Give series and a perennial favorite among children. And with its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is perfect for beginning readers and story time!

If a hungry little mouse shows up on your doorstep, you might want to give him a cookie. And if you give him a cookie, he'll ask for a glass of milk. He'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache, and then he'll ask for a pair of scissors to give himself a trim....

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts

Other Lists with This Book:

Grade 1 classic readings

100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know

Once Upon an Ordinary School Day

by: Colin McNaughton

release date: Feb 24, 2005

A celebration of extraordinary teachers!

The boy's breakfast is ordinary, his walk to school is ordinary, even his thoughts are ordinary. But when he goes to his classroom and sits down at his desk, his day begins to change - a new teacher, Mr. Gee, bursts into the classroom with an extraordinary idea that challenges all the children to use their imagination. Suddenly an ordinary day is turned topsy-turvy, and the boy is inspired in a way that will change him forever.

The rollicking words and pictures celebrate the unexpected in this tribute to great teachers and students everywhere.

Once Upon an Ordinary School Day is a 2006 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

The Honest-to-Goodness Truth

by: Patricia C. McKissack

release date: Mar 01, 2003

If telling the truth is the right thing to do, why is the whole world mad at Libby?

Little Critter's Bedtime Storybook

by: Mercer Mayer

release date: Mar 06, 2012

It's bedtime for Little Critter and Little Sister--but something always keeps Little Sister awake, whether it's a lumpy bed or a missing stuffed toy and blankie. So Little Critter tries to lull her to sleep with a series of funny short tales. Will she ever drift off to dreamland? Beloved author and illustrator Mercer Meyer tackles this age-old dilemma with his trademark humor and rollicking antics in a picture book all parents and children will relate to.

Amazing Grace

by: Mary Hoffman

Grace loves stories, and with a boundless imagination she acts them all out. One day, her teacher asks who would like to play the lead in the play Peter Pan. Grace eagerly raises her hand, but Raj tells her she isn't a boy, and Natalie tells her she can't because she is black. Nana sets Grace straight: she can do anything she sets her mind to! Grace's talent bursts forth, and she wins the audition hands down. Binch's radiant illustrations add to this inspiring story.

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Fables to Read Together

by: Mary Ann Hoberman

release date: Sep 11, 2012

Join the fun as familiar fairy tale characters take starring roles in this latest addition to the New York Times bestselling series YOU READ TO ME, I'LL READ TO YOU. Designed with budding readers in mind, each of the tales is set in three columns with color-coded type as a script for two voices to read separately and together. These tales with a twist will delight and amuse young readers!

Sylvia Jean, Scout Supreme

by: Lisa Campbell Ernst

release date: Feb 18, 2010

When Sylvia Jean's scout troop sets out to earn their Good-Deed badges, the boisterous girl pig knows just what to do: take care of her old, injured neighbor. Unfortunately, Sylvia Jean's over-the-top energy proves too much for the ailing Mrs. VanHooven, whose doctor has prescribed peace, quiet, and no Sylvia Jean. Not to be deterred, the crafty pig scout heads straight to her handy dandy costume closet, and soon Mrs. VanHooven is visited by an artist, a cowboy, a ballerina, and others. But how will Sylvia Jean earn her badge if she can't take credit for her good deed?

Stellaluna

Knocked from her mother's safe embrace by an attacking owl, Stellaluna lands headfirst in a bird's nest. This adorable baby fruit bat's world is literally turned upside down when she is adopted by the occupants of the nest and adapts to their peculiar bird habits. Two pages of notes at the end of the story provide factual information about bats. “Delightful and informative but never didactic; a splendid debut.”--Kirkus Reviews

Pinduli

release date: Jan 01, 2005

Pinduli's mama has always told her that she's the most beautiful hyena ever. But Dog, Lion, and Zebra don't think so. Why else would they make her feel so rotten about her big ears, her fuzzy mane, and her wiggly stripes? Poor Pinduli just wants to disappear--and she tries everything she can think of to make that happen. Yet nothing goes her way. Nothing, that is, until a case of mistaken identity lets her show the creatures of the African savanna how a few tiny words--bad or good--can create something enormous.

Janell Cannon, the creator of the bestselling Stellaluna, introduces yet another endearing character in this triumphant story about self-image, self-acceptance, and treating others with respect.

Includes notes about hyenas and other animals of the African savanna.

Verdi

Young Verdi doesn't want to grow up big and green. He likes his bright yellow skin and sporty stripes. Besides, all the green snakes he meets are lazy, boring, and rude. When Verdi finds a pale green stripe stretching along his whole body, he tries every trick he can think of to get rid of it--and ends up in a heap of trouble. Despite his efforts, Verdi turns green, but to his delight, he discovers that being green doesn't mean he has to stop being himself. “Cannon is on a roll, her gift for creating memorable characters and scenes on glorious display in this tale of a feisty python hatchling.”--Publishers Weekly

Crickwing

release date: May 01, 2005