Books in English or Spanish for your 2nd grader
That Pesky Rat!
by: Lauren Child, illustrated by: Lauren Child - (Candlewick, 2014) 32 pages.
A brown street rat lives in a trash can in Grubby Alley. He longs to live in a cozy home as someone鈥檚 pet, like his friends Oscar the cat and Nibbles the rabbit. Why doesn鈥檛 anyone want a rat, he wonders. He鈥檚 very good company and he is happy to eat anything. He writes an advertisement and places it in the window of a pet shop and waits, until one day, an old man with poor eyesight comes into the shop and says, I鈥檒l take him! This is a charming story about how good it feels to be loved and to belong.
Perfect for: Kids who love animals.
Find at your local library.
Ada Twist, Scientist
by: Andrea Beaty, illustrated by: David Roberts - (Harry N. Abrams, 2016) 32 pages.
The hook: Ada is a scientist, and her curiosity is never satisfied. Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose? Why are there hairs up inside of your nose? Ada never stops observing and asking questions. Her parents and teacher have their hands full with her endless questions and experiments. Told in irresistibly clever rhymes, this series inspired by real female STEM pioneers will inspire all kids to love science.
Perfect for: Curious kids.
Find our favorites at your local library: ; ; and .
The World According to Humphrey series
by: Betty G. Birney - (Puffin Books, 2005) 144 pages.
The hook: Humphrey the hamster loves learning and he loves his friends, the kids in Mrs. Brisbane鈥檚 third grade class. It鈥檚 fun to experience 九色视频 through the eyes of Humphrey, who manages to help the kids with their 九色视频work and friendship struggles, even though his classroom friends only hear squeaks when he talks to them. This is the first book in a series of Humphrey鈥檚 small but surprisingly thrilling adventures as a classroom hamster.
Perfect for: Kids who love animals.
Find our favorites at your local library: , , and .
Iggy Peck, Architect
by: Andrea Beaty, illustrated by: David Roberts - (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2007) 32 pages.
When Iggy was two, he built a leaning tower out of dirty diapers and glue. He loves architecture! He makes cathedrals with apples, castles with chalk. When his class gets trapped on an island, he manufactures a bridge with underpants and shoelaces. Hilarious rhyming text, ideal for creative little builders.
Perfect for: Kids who like to build things.
Find at your local library.
The Bad Guys
by: Aaron Blabey - (Scholastic, 2016) 144 pages.
The hook: Mr. Wolf has sharp teeth, terrible claws, and a bad reputation, but he and his friends Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark are on a mission to convince you that they really are good guys. First, they rescue a kitten from a tree. See? Good guys. For their next caper, they plan to break two hundred dogs out of the maximum-security dog pound. This goofy graphic novel is the first in a series. The slapstick humor and funny drawings will help engage reluctant readers.
Perfect for: Kids who love superheroes and antiheroes.
Find our favorites at your local library: , ,
Amos & Boris
by: William Steig - (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971) 28 pages.
Perfect for kids who love adventure. A mouse named Amos and a whale named Boris quickly become friends after Amos goes sailing on the high seas.
Perfect for: Inspiring kids to make new friends.
Find at your local library.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
by: Crockett Johnson - (Harper & Row, 1955) 64 pages.
Many of us will remember imaginative Harold from our own childhoods. This聽book, about an artistic little boy with true-to-life illustrations, has withstood the test of time and is聽a must-have for every child鈥檚 collection.聽Harold and the Purple Crayon celebrated its 60th year in print in 2015.聽
Perfect for: Kids who like arts.
Find at your local library.
Winter of the Ice Wizard
by: Mary Pope Osborne - (Random House, 2004) 128 pages.
If you are a fan of the Magic Tree House series, you are sure to love Mary Pope Osborne’s next adventure into the magical frozen land of the Ice Wizard. Jack and Annie are summoned by their friends from Camelot —聽Teddy and Kathleen — to help solve the mystery of the disappearance of Merlin and Morgan Le Fay. The team is equipped with only two things to help them: a mysterious rhyme from the Ice Wizard and a magical rope. Will they find Merlin and Morgan Le Fay? Are you brave enough to travel along?
Perfect for: Kids who like fantasy stories.
Find at your local library.
Abuela (English edition)
by: Arthur Dorros - (Puffin Books, 1997) 40 pages.
Colorful collages and poetic language tell the magical story of Rosalba and her grandmother as they take an imaginary journey around Manhattan. As they fly through the sky, Rosalba鈥檚 abuela shares her memories of each place they visit.
Perfect for: Kids who like adventure.
Find at your local library.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
by: Roald Dahl, illustrated by: Quentin Blake - (Puffin Books, 2007) 112 pages.
The hook: It鈥檚 a Robin Hood tale with a sly, Roald Dahl flair. Mr. Fox uses his foxy wiles to steal from the wealthy farmers Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, who are 鈥渁bout as nasty and mean as any men you could meet.鈥� Though the farmers employ elaborate means to try to catch him, the slippery fox always finds a way to evade their grasp. But when the scheming farmers finally trap the Fox family in their den, Mr. Fox must come up with the most fantastic plan of all to save his family — and the neighborhood — from starvation.
Want to see the movie? The animated 2009 film, which features the voice talents of Bill Murray, Meryl Streep, and George Clooney as the cagey Mr. Fox, captures the edgy humor of the book.
Perfect for: Kids with a wicked sense of humor.
Find at your local library.
She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History
by: Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by: Alexandra Boiger - (Philomel Books, 2018) 32 pages.
These 13 strong women and girls changed their world by dreaming big and standing up for what they believed, even when the people around them told them they couldn’t. The stories of Mexican poet and scholar Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai and others will empower girls to push past obstacles and believe that they can make a difference.
Perfect for: Young leaders of the future.
Find at your local library.
Booklists 
