Wakefield Public Schools
2010 Suggested Summer Reading For Students Entering Grade 2
The following is a suggested list of books. It represents a range of reading levels and interests. Some books can be read independently by your child; others are meant to be enjoyed as read-alouds. In most cases, the titles are just a sampling of the many works produced by these authors.
Enjoy exploring more of their books.

Books can be found in the Youth Room on the Lower Level.  Books for students entering Grade 1 are shelved under the 1&2 sign and have yellow labels on the spines. 

Adler, David A. Young Cam Jansen and the Lion’s Lunch Mystery (Young Cam Jansen series)
On a field trip to the zoo, Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to help solve what happened to Danny’s lunch.

Adler, David A A Picture Book of Amelia Earhart (Picture Book Biography series)
Discusses the life of the pilot who was the first woman to cross the Atlantic by herself in a plane.

Banks, Kate Monkey Reader (series)
Brothers Pete and Max get into all sorts of adventures.

Brett, Jan The Three Snow Bears
Retells the story of Goldilocks, set in an Inuit village and featuring a family of polar bears.

Bunting, Eve Mouse Island
Mouse enjoys living on his island but feels that something is missing from his life until the day he performs a daring rescue and acquires an unlikely friend.

Carlson, Nancy I Don’t Like to Read
Henry the mouse likes everything about first grade except reading, but with some extra help at school and home, he is delightfully surprised.

Christelow, Eileen Five Little Monkeys Play Hide-and-Seek
The five little monkeys try to avoid going to bed by playing hide-and-seek with the babysitter.

Cronin, Doreen Thump, Quack, Moo: A Wacky Adventure
The annual Corn Maze Festival is coming and everyday the chickens, cows, and Duck help Farmer Brown–with a few bribes–to create a special Statue of Liberty corn maze, and every night Duck works hard recreating his own surprise.

Danziger, Paula Get ready for second grade, Amber Brown (A Is for Amber series)
Amber is nervous about starting second grade with a new teacher, but despite being in the same class as mean Hannah Burton, things turn out just fine.

Demi One Grain of Rice
A reward of one grain of rice doubles day by day into millions of grains of rice when a selfish raja is outwitted by a clever village girl.

DiCamillo, Kate Mercy Watson Fights Crime (Mercy Watson series)
Mercy the pig’s love of buttered toast leads to the capture of a small thief who would rather be a cowboy.

Fowler, Allan It Could Still Be a Robot (Rookie-Read-About Science series)
A simple introduction to smart machines performing tasks too dangerous, too boring, or too difficult for people to do.

Fox, Mem Where the Giant Sleeps
Illustrations and rhyming text portray the different residents of fairyland and where each one goes to sleep.

Gantos, Jack. Rotten Ralph Feels Rotten (Rotten Ralph Reader series)
Ralph, a very, very, nasty cat, finally sees the error of his ways–or does he?

Gibbons, Gail Behold the Unicorns
Looks at ideas about unicorns through out time and across many cultures.

Grimes, Nikki Oh, Brother!
Xavier is unhappy when his mother remarries and he suddenly has a new stepbrother, as well as a stepfather, in his home.

Hoff, Syd Littlest Leaguer
Littlest of all the little leaguers, Harold has a hard time finding some way to really help his team.

Khan, Rukhsana Ruler of the Courtyard
After confronting what she believes to be a snake in the bathhouse, Saba finds the courage to overcome her fear of the chickens in the courtyard.

Krensky, Stephen Big Bad Wolves at School
Rufus, a young wolf, has a hard time fitting in at the Big Bad Wolf Academy where he has been sent to learn to huff and puff until the day he uses his true talent.

Krull, Kathleen M Is for Music
An alphabet book introducing musical terms, from allegro to zarzuela.

Lobel, Anita Hello, Day!
Various animals greet the sunrise in their own unique voices, except for the owl who welcomes the night.

Marshall, James George and Martha series
Relates several episodes in the friendship of two hippopotamuses.

McCarthy, Meghan Astronaut Handbook
Discusses the requirements for becoming an astronaut.

McClements, George Baron von Baddie and the Ice Ray Incident
What will the evil genius Baron von Baddie do next, now that he has frozen the superhero Captain Kapow inside a block of ice?

McCloskey, Robert Blueberries for Sal
Little Sal and Little Bear both lose their mothers while eating blueberries and almost end up with the other’s mother.

McKay, Sindy Baseball Fever (We Both Read series)
A boy who loves to play baseball is disappointed to get sick and miss the first game of the season, but his friends on the team do their best to keep him filled in.

McMullan, Kate Pearl and Wagner
Pearl the hardworking rabbit and Wagner the daydreaming mouse are the stars of this series. Sometimes, they argue or let a secret come between them, but in the end, they know how to patch things up.

McPhail, David Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore!
Pigs galore invade a house and have a wonderful party.

Various Authors National Geographic Kids Science Readers
An easy-to-read series for curious kids! The books are perfect for those who are ready for longer sentences and more complex vocabulary. New words are defined on the page but occasional adult help might be welcome.

Papademetriou, Lisa Lucky Me (Real Kid Readers series, Level 2 and 3)
Ted is embarrassed by his unusual grandmother but when she takes him to a ballgame and helps him catch a home run ball, he decides she’s pretty cool after all.

Parish, Peggy Amelia Bedelia series
A literal-minded housekeeper causes a ruckus in the household when she attempts to make sense of some instructions.

Pinkwater, Daniel Bad Bear Detectives
Irving and Muktuk, polar bears at the zoo in Bayone, New Jersey, are the natural suspects when someone steals a shipment of imported muffins, but they decide to prove that they are not bad bears by finding the real thief.

Polacco, Patricia Emma Kate
Emma Kate and her best friend, a toy elephant, share many activities, such as homework and soccer practice, and even have their tonsils out at the same time!

Prelutsky, Jack My Dog May Be a Genius: Poems
Have you ever encountered an underwater marching band, a pig in a bathing suit, a pet orangutan, or a witch in a hardware store? You will have, once you’ve read this collection of poems.

Provensen, Alice A Day in the life of Murphy
Murphy, a farm terrier, describes a day in his life as he gets fed in the kitchen, hunts mice, goes to the vet, returns for dinner, investigates a noise outside, and retires to the barn to sleep.

Rathmann, Peggy Officer Buckle and Gloria
The children at Napville Elementary School always ignore Officer Buckle’s safety tips, until a police dog named Gloria accompanies him when he gives his safety speeches.

Rylant, Cynthia Annie and Snowball series
Annie and her rabbit Snowball share many adventures with Annie’s cousin Henry and his big dog, Mudge.

Van Allsburg, Chris Zathura
Left on their own for an evening, two boisterous brothers find more excitement than they bargained for in a mysterious and mystical space adventure board game.

Viorst, Judith Just in Case
Charlie likes to be ready for anything, imagining that his house could be flooded or a mermaid might kidnap him, but he learns that it is sometimes good to be unprepared.

Walker, Pam Subway Rides (Welcome Books series)
Photographs and simple text describe a subway ride, including walking down into the station, going through the turnstile, waiting for the train, riding inside the crowded car, and waving to the conductor after exiting.

Willems, Mo Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus series
Pigeon is an unflinching and hilarious look at a child’s potential for mischief. In a plain palette, with childishly elemental line drawings, Willems has captured the essence of unreasonableness in the very young.

Woodson, Jacqueline Show Way
The making of “Show ways,” or quilts which once served as secret maps for freedom-seeking slaves, is a tradition passed from mother to daughter in the author’s family.

The above list was compiled by Wakefield’s K-4 reading teachers and the librarians from the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library.

Categories: Beginning Chapter Books,For Grades 2 and 3