Our 8-year old son has been an independent reader for a few years, but his love for reading really grew this year.
He’s an energetic, athletic kid. He’s a “full speed ahead” type of boy, so it makes my heart happy to see him settle in for a long reading session.
He read over 100 chapter books in second grade, so asking him to pick his favorites was daunting. After much thought, he narrowed his “Top Picks” to 11 books.
As with any online recommendation, please use your own judgement to determine what’s best for your child. Read parental reviews such as Common Sense Media, read book reviews on Amazon, or pre-read the books to determine appropriateness for your child.
Below is our son’s recommended 2nd Grade Book List:
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Frindle by Andrew Clements
Our son read 3 more books by Andrew Clements this year and enjoyed them all. His runner-up for his favorite Andrew Clements book is We the Children: Benjamin Bratt and the Keepers of the School, which is a mystery. He’s reading other books in that series this summer.
Our son says, “There are jokes that all ages will understand. Frindle is about a boy who is very smart who invents something new. I liked it because I want to invent things when I grow up.”
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Our son says, “I liked The Sign of the Beaver because I liked the boy and his Native American friend. There was a lot of adventure and I couldn’t imagine being that boy. Wow!”
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
Our son says, “Mr. Popper’s Penguins is very funny! When reading it, you could really picture what’s going on and the hilarious things that happen.”
The Littles by John Peterson
Our son says, “There were a lot of funny parts in The Littles. They like adventure, and I like adventure. I like this book and also The Littles Have a Party.”
Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary
Our son says, “Ralph S Mouse has a lot of relatives and a human friend named Ryan. It’s a pretty funny book and it’s cool that Ralph has a motorcycle.”
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
This story is about love & belonging. Our son has a special teddy bear that is a dear companion for him, so I think this story has a unique connection for him.
Our son says, “I liked this epic story. Even though it doesn’t have any really funny parts, it’s good because it’s a great adventure. You read all about his travels and all the interesting people he meets.”
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Our son says, “This book teaches you how hard people had to work on the frontier. You learn how they celebrated holidays, made things, and took care of their home and family.”
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
“Courage doesn’t mean you’re never afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you” is one of our Words to Live By. We’ve developed 36 Life Phrases that we focus on throughout the year with our children, and this is one of them. To learn more about our Words to Live By, including a free list, you can visit this post.
Our son says, “Sarah was a brave girl who made friends with lots of people. She made friends with Native Americans and was courageous.”
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Our son says, “It’s a cool story because he can talk to animals. He travels to bring the animals back where they belong and lots of wild things happen to them on their journey. They got out of every single bad thing and it’s pretty fun and entertaining.”
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Our son says, “Boxcar Children is great because they create helpful items with things that other people look at as junk. They make that “junk” a part of their survival.”
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Can you believe the story of Robinson Crusoe is over 300 years old? This adventure story captivates the imagination and sends you on a journey filled with courage, ingenuity, and perseverance.
Our son says, “This is a very awesome story about adventure. Lots of exciting things happen to Robinson Crusoe. He worked hard and was creative to survive. It’s an epic story for sure.”
Great list! Our kiddo is heading into second grade next week 🙂 We’ve read and enjoyed the Boxcar Children, but I look forward to checking out these other ones as well!
Hi, Kate! Yes, there are so many great books for this age range. Hope your kiddo has a great start to the new school year!
Commenting late so I hope you see this – if you haven’t discovered the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series by Betty MacDonald, be sure to find these books! Mrs. Piggle Wiggle’s slightly magic solutions for bad behaviors are funny as well as good ways to learn. My 2nd grade teacher read them to us, and I entertained (and taught) my own elementary classes for years using them!
Yes, we’ve read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, as well! Thanks for sharing!
Edward Tulane is always a hit with my second graders!
Yes, we’re big fans of Kate DiCamillo around here!