Second Grade Reading List

Many of the books we read together are chosen by Alice, by k12 (the school program we use for pre-set curricula) and by her mom, lover of children's literature.  This list is by no means exhaustive, but it does include the planned reading for the year.  Since I believe her history curriculum is further enriched by exposure to many related tales from each part of history we study, you will see that much of the literature in the list is weighted for studies yet to come related to the Middle Ages.  Over the summer, we read most of the books about Rome on my list.  You will find a reference list for these books linked at the bottom of the page.  Please enjoy.

For Reading Aloud together:

For all of these books, Alice will begin the reading and read until she finds a spot with which she is struggling.  Her Dad or I are there to help and sometimes we will take turns where she reads a page and then one of us will read a page and so on back and forth if a text is proving more difficult than anticipated. 

Many Great Versions Available in Various Treasuries:

The Lion and the Fox

Androcles and the Lion
The Houd and the Hare
The Fox and The Grapes
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
The Goose and the Golden Eggs
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
Puss in Boots
The Bremen Town Musicians
The Jackals and the Lion
The Ugly Duckling
The Little Match Girl
Town Mouse and Country Mouse
The Tiger and the Brahmin
The Grasshopper and the Ant

Separate Books:

Amelia Bedeliea
Buddy: The First Seeing Eye Dog by Eva Moore
June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner
The Josefina Story Quilt by Eleanor Coerr
The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy
Cam Jansen: The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds by David A. Adler
Surprises!  Selected Poems by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Volcanoes! Mountains of Fire by Eric Arnold
Knights in Shining Armor by Gail Gibbons
Come Back Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Sundiata: Lion King of Mali by David Wisniewski
The Hundredth Name by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim
How Artists See Animals and How Artists See Play by Colleen Carroll
Wag by Waal by Beatrix Potter
Clara and the Book Wagon

Stage 2 From the Let's Read and Find Out Series

Why Frogs are Wet
What Happens to a Hamburger?
What Makes a Magnet?
Let's Go Rock Collecting
Fossils Tell of Long Ago

Books we expect to Mostly Read To Alice:

For this set of books, the idea is that Alice is invited to do some of the reading, but the point is just that she is exposed to the stories, themes, vocabulary and concepts held within the tales.  Since they are all above second grade reading level, it is her choice to participate in the reading, or just listen and participate in discussion.

Saint George and the Dragon Retold by Margaret Hodges
The Kitchen Knight: A Tale of King Arthur b y Margaret Hodges
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights retold by Tania Zamorsky
The Adventures of Robin Hood retold by John Burrows
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
Who Was Leonardo da Vinci? by Roberta Edwards
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Matilda by Roald Dahl

Books For Alice To Read To Herself:

With these books, Alice is to read the story to herself and answer questions about the story after the fact.  I will still be available if she gets stuck or has questions, but she'll have to respond to questions about the text without any discussion or explanation she doesn't specifically ask for.  Additionally the school sends three magazines full of non-fiction AND we subscribe to Ranger Rick.  She enjoys reading these to herself and often shares what she has learned with me without any need for prompting.

A Weed is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver by Aliki
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
The Long Way Westward by Joan Sandin
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh
Sam the Minuteman by Nathaniel Benchley

Links to Units that included Additional Reading We have already completed

Ancient Rome Resources

Ocean Studies