Reading List for students entering 2nd in Fall 2009

READ-ALOUD LIST FOR STUDENTS ENTERING 2nd GRADE
These books have been recommended by Tenafly teachers and top national reading and writing experts. Recent award-winners have been included.

PICTURE BOOKS
J P Ablow, Gail. A Horse in the House: And Other Strange but True Animal Stories.
Baines, Rebecca. Arctic Tale.
J 567.9 Bar Barner, Bob. Dinosaur Bones.
J P Bunting, Eve. One Green Apple.
J P Bourgeois, Paulette. Franklin in the Dark.
J P Cannon, Janell. Stellaluna.
Chancellor, Deborah. I Wonder Why Lemons Taste Sour: And Other Questions about Senses.
J P Child, Lauren. Charlie and Lola: But Excuse Me That is My Book. (Charlie and Lola series)
Cohen, Miriam. Any of the following books:
J P First Grade Takes a Test, It’s George, J P Jim’s Dog Muffins, Liar, Liar Pants on Fire, See You Tomorrow, Charles, J P When Will I Read? Bee My Valentine, Jim Meets the Thing
Cole, Barbara. Anna and Natalie.
Collard III, Sneed B. Animal Dads.
Cunnane, Kelly and Ana Juan. For You Are a Kenyan Child.
Davies, Nicola. Ice Bear: In the Steps of the Polar Bear.
Dorros, Arthur. Abuela.
Evans, Mark. Hamster – Pet Care Guides for Kids. (ASPCA Pet Care Guides for Kids Series)
Flanagan, Alice. Police Officers – Community Workers.
J P Fleming, Denise. Beetle Bop.
J P Fox, Mem. Where the Giant Sleeps.
Franchino, Vicky. Carpenters – Community Workers.
Fraser, Mary Ann. Where Are the Night Animals?
George, Twig C. Jellies – The Life of Jellyfish.
Gibbons, Gail. Bats.
Gibbons, Gail. Pigs.
J 523. 3 Gib Gibbons, Gail. The Moon Book.
Glaser, Linda. Spectacular Spiders.
J P Grey, Mini. The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon.
Guiberson, Brenda Z. Into the Sea.
Ham, David A. and Janice B. Sibley. The Magic Baseball Cap.
Harper, Anita. It’s Not Fair!
J P Henkes, Kevin. Chrysanthemum. (All books by Kevin Henkes are appropriate.)
Hinds, Kathryn. Rabbits. (Perfect Pets Series)
J P Hoberman, Mary Ann. You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You – Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together.
J 593.9 Hur Hurd, Edith Thacher, Starfish.
Jacobs, Paul DuBois and Jennifer Swender. NASCAR ABCs.
J 591.7 Jen Jenkins, Steve and Robin Page. I See A Kookaburra: Discovering Animal Habitats around the World.
Johnson, Dinah. Hair Dance!
J E Kingsmith, David. Lady Lollipop.
Klise, Kate. Why Do You Cry? Not a Sob Story.
J Poetry Larios, Julie. Yellow Elephant: A Bright Bestiary.
J P Loewer, Peter and Jean Loewer. The Moonflower.
Luxbacher, Irene. 1 2 3 I Can Paint!
Luxbacher, Irene. 1 2 3 I Can Scupt!
Markle, Sandra. Down, Down, Down in the Ocean.
J 598.47 Ma Markle, Sandra. A Mother’s Journey.
Markle, Sandra. Slippery, Slimy Baby Frogs.
Markle, Sandra. Tough, Toothy Baby Sharks.
McCarthy, Meghan. City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male.
J P Meddaugh, Susan. Martha series ( for example: Martha Speaks, Martha Talking, Martha Calling, Martha Walks the Dog, Martha Blah, Blah and others)
McKinney, Barbara Shaw. Water Words Rhymed and Defined.
Mitchell, Margaree King. Uncle Jed’s Barbershop.
J P Munsch, Robert. Thomas’ Snowsuit. (and other books by Robert Munsch)
J 599.88 Pa Patterson, Francine. Koko’s Kittens.
Polacco, Patricia. The Keeping Quilt.
J P Polacco, Patricia. Rechenka’s Eggs.
J Poetry Prelutsky, Jack. Me I Am!
Quiri, Patricia Ryon. Chefs – Community Workers.
Raatma, Lucia. Fire Fighters – Community Workers.
Raczka, Bob, Who Loves the Fall?
J P Rosen, Michael. Bear’s Day Out.
J 179.9 Ros Rosenthal, Amy Krouse. Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons.
Ross, Kathy. Step-by-Step Crafts for Gifts.
Rowe, John A. I Want A Hug.
Ryder, Joanne. A Pair of Polar Bears: Twin Cubs Find a Home at the San Diego Zoo.
J P Rylant, Cynthia. The Whales.
J P Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. First the Egg.
Seuling, Barbara. Drip! Drop! How Water Gets to Your Tap.
Singer, Marilyn. City Lullaby.
Stein, David Ezra. Monster Hug!
J P Tafuri, Nancy. The Busy Little Squirrel.
J P Viorst, Judith. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
Walsh, Ellen Stoll. Mouse Shapes.
Waring, Geoff. Oscar and the Moth: A Book about Light and Dark.
Willems, Mo. Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!
J P Willems, Mo. Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity.
J P Yolen, Jane. Miz Berlin Walks.
Zolotow, Charlotte. William’s Doll.
CHAPTER BOOKS
Caseley, Judith. Chloe in the Know.
J Fic Cleary, Beverly. Ramona the Pest.
J Fic Dahl, Roald. Fantastic Mr. Fox.
J Fic Dahl, Roald. James and the Giant Peach.
Dahl, Roald. The Minpins.
J E Gannett, Ruth Stiles. My Father’s Dragon, Elmer and the Dragon.
J E Hurwitz, Johanna. the Russell series.
J Fic Napoli, Donna Jo. The Prince of the Pond.
Packard, Mary. Talented Animals. (True Tales series)
J Fic Various authors. The American Girls Collections. (series)
J Fic White, E.B. Charlotte’s Web.
J Fic White, E.B. Stuart Little.

POETRY BOOKS
Dakos, Kalli. If You’re Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand: Poems About School.
J Poetry Sc Schwartz, Alvin. And the Green Grass Grew All Around: Folk Poetry from Everyone.
J Poetry Pr Poetry by Jack Prelutsky.
J Poetry Si Poetry by Shel Silverstein.
Dotlich, Rebecca Kai. When Riddles Come Rumbling – Poems to Ponder.
J P Sidman, Joyce. Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry.

Books for Students to Read
(If a book is too difficult for your child to read, please begin by using it as a read aloud. Refer to the leveled book list to find more individual titles at your child’s June reading level)
Popular Authors and Series for Students Entering 2nd Grade

FICTION:
Cynthia Rylant - Henry & Mudge series. J R
Cynthia Rylant - Poppleton series. J R
Cynthia Rylant - Mr. Putter series. J R
Denys Cazet – Minnie and Moo series J R
Arnold Lobel – Frog & Toad series. J R
Else Homelund Minarik – Little Bear series. J R
Dav Pilkey – Dragon series. J R
Kate McMullan – Fluffy series.J R
James Marshall – the Fox series. J R
Jean Van Leeuwen – Oliver Pig series J R
I Can Read series – Harper Collins Children’s Books J R
Step Books series – Random House J R
Alyssa Satin Capucilli - Biscuit series J P and J R
Harder books that some grade one students read include:
J R James Howe – Pinky and Rex series.
J R Lillian Hoban – Arthur series.
J R and J E David Adler – Cam Jansen series

NONFICTION:
Various: Books by Gail Gibbons, Sandra Markle, Susan Canizares, Pamela Chanko, Melvin Berger (easier books)
Animals Q and A Series - Ideals Children’s Books.
Scholastic Science Series - Emergent Readers.
Scholastic First Discovery Books Series.
Backyard Bones series published by Kingfisher Books, a Houghton Mifflin Company Imprint (Are you an Ant? Are you a Bee? Are you a Butterfly? Are you a Dragonfly? Are you a Snail? Are you a Spider?).
I Can Read – Level 2 – Wildlife Conservation Society
I Wonder Why series (Kingfisher Publishers)
Let’s Read-And-Find-Out Science series, HarperCollins Publishers
(The Human Body series, Plants and Animals series, The World Around Us series, Dinosaurs series, Weather and the Seasons series, Space series, Our Earth series).
Living and Nonliving series – Heinemann
Nature: A Child’s-Eye View – Kane/Miller Publishers.
Perfect Pets series, Marshall Cavendish Publishers (Rabbits and other books).
American Museum of Natural History’s Very First Things to Know About Series, Workman Publishing Company.
Ready to Read: Wonders of America series
Scholastic Hello Reader Series- nonfiction titles.
Rookie Readers nonfiction – Children’s Press
Start with Science series – Candlewick Press

List of Individual Titles for Students to Read

J R *Baker, Keith. Sometimes. Harcourt Brace, 1999.
An alligator talks about the things he likes to do.
J R *Bauer, Marion Dane. The Statue of Liberty. Simon & Schuster Children’s, 2007.
“The story of how the Statue of Liberty came to the United States, who constructed it, and how school children throughout America contributed to the building of its foundation is told in easy-to-read sentences.”
J P *Bridwell, Norman. Clifford the Small Red Puppy. Scholastic, 1972 This is a classic tale about a huge red dog that continues to be loved
year after year!
*Cameron, Alice. The Cat Sat on the Mat. Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Children enjoy this easy reader about where the cat sat.
*Carle, Eric. Have You Seen My Cat? Scholastic, 1987. A boy seeks help while searching for his lost cat.
*Christelow, Eileen. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. Clarion, 1989. Mama cannot sleep because of the monkeys jumping on the bed.
*Cooper, Elisha. Bear Dreams. Greenwillow Books, 2006. This book won the Children’s Choices for 2007 award. What will happen to a bear who does not agree to take his long winter’s nap, as he should? Bear is afraid that he will miss out on all of the fun.
*Coren, Stanley. Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses? Kids Can Press, 2006. This book received the Children’s Choices for 2007 award from the International Reading Association. It presents numerous questions that children might have about dogs, but also provides fascinating answers. Beautiful photos blend nicely with simple text.
*Cammuso, Jay and Jay Lynch. Otto’s Orange Day. Raw Junior, LLC, 2009. Recommended by Book Links, this is a comic-strip-type book for beginning readers about a cat named Otto who gets his wish to make everything orange, his favorite color!
J P *Durant, Alan. Burger Boy. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. This book won the Children’s Choices for 2007 award. It is a comical portrayal of a boy who loves to eat burgers so much that he turns into one. Amazing illustrations hold readers’ attention.
*Egielski, Richard. The Gingerbread Boy. HarperCollins, 1997. The familiar story is re-illustrated in an urban setting.
*Ellwand, David. Emma’s Elephant & Other Favorite Animal Friends. Dutton, 1996. Interesting alliterative techniques and black and white photos of animals captivate readers and reinforce beginning sounds.
J P *Fleming, Denise. Mama Cat Has Three Kittens. Holt, 1998. This is a story about a cat family. It encourages listeners to join in!
*Fleming, Denise. The Cow Who Clucked. Random House, 2006. This book won the Children’s Choices for 2007 award. It is a comical tale about a cow who lost her moo and how she discovers who has taken her moo.
J P *Fleming, Denise. Where Once There Was a Wood. Holt, 1996. An environmental picture book with lush textured paper pulp illustrations
*Fox, Mem. Hattie and the Fox. Bradbury Press, 1987. A classic story about a hen that spots danger and tries to warn others
*Gelman, Rita Golden. More Spaghetti, I Say. Scholastic, 1977 An old classic that delights audiences about a monkey who plays with spaghetti
*Ginsburg, Mirra. The Chick and the Duckling. Simon & Schuster, 1972. A story about how a chick imitates a duckling
*Guest, Elissa Haden. Iris and Walter and Baby Rose. Gulliver Books/Harcourt, 2002. Walter helps Iris see that being a big sister actually can be fun!
*Guest, Elissa Haden. Iris and Walter - The Sleepover. Gulliver Books/Harcourt, 2002. Iris is dying to go to sleep at her best friend’s house, but on the night of the big sleepover, everything changes for Iris. Walter, her best friend, helps her!
J R *Gutman, Dan. Babe Ruth and the Ice Cream Mess. Aladdin Paperbacks, 2004. Young readers are fascinated as they learn about the famous baseball player, Babe Ruth!
*Hall, Zoe. The Surprise Garden. Scholastic, 1998. A book about how three children enjoy planting a garden
J R *Hayes, Geoffrey. Benny and Penny in Just Pretend. Raw Junior, LLC, 2009. This book is recommended by Book Links. It is part of the Toon series. This is an easy reader in a comic book style about two mice siblings, Penny and Benny. The fun happens when Benny wants to act like a pirate, but is interrupted by his sister, Penny.
J P *Henkes, Kevin. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Greenwillow, 1996. A wonderful story about problem solving
J P *Hills, Tad. Duck and Goose. Random House, 2006. This book received the Children’s Choices for 2007 award. What will duck and goose do with something that they found that they think is a huge, spotted egg? Join in the fun and see how they protect it together.
J R *Hoff, Syd. Danny and the Dinosaur. HarperCollins, 1958. A classic story about a dinosaur and a friend named Danny
J P *Kellogg, Steven. Three Little Pigs. Greenwillow, 1997. A contemporary retelling of The Three Little Pigs.
*Leeuwen, Jean Van. Amanda Pig and the Awful, Scary Monster. Dial Books, 2003. A humorous book about Amanda Pig and the monster that she thinks is hiding in her room. All Amanda Pig Books: J P
J R *Leeuwen, Jean Van. Oliver the Mighty Pig. Dial Books, 2004. One of the newest books in the Oliver and Amanda Pig series…It’s a funny book about the work that a mighty pig named Oliver must undertake, as well as the superhero’s mishaps!
J R *Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Together. Harper Collins, 1971. Children love Frog and Toad! This book is part of a series.
J P *Lord, Janet. Albert the Fix-It Man. Peachtree, 2009. This new text is recommended by Book Links. It is a lovely story about how Albert, a man who helps others fix things, finally needs some help of his own. A wonderful message!
J P *Markle, Sandra. Finding Home. Charlesbridge, 2009. This exciting story is based on a true account of how a koala bear was homeless due to bushfires and explored a residential neighborhood as a new home. It is recommended by Book Links.
J P *McDonald, Megan. Insects Are My Life. Orchard Books, 1995. A funny, but informative book about insects
*Miller, Sara Swan. Three Stories You Can Read to Your Teddy Bear. Houghton Mifflin, 2003. A favorite of many children – by an award-winning author, Sara Swan Miller. This book contains three comical new stories about teddy bears.
*Morris, Ann. Work. Lee & Shepard, 1998. This is a wonderful photo essay about people involved in different types of work.
J P *Page, Gail. How to Be a Good Dog. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006. This book is a Children’s Choices for 2007 award winner from the International Reading Association! It is a lively tale about Bobo, a dog who tries to be good, but learns that being good takes a little too much effort.
J P *Pitzer, Susanna. Not Afraid of Dogs. New York: Walker and Company, 2006. This book received the Children’s Choice for 2007 award! It features a boy named Daniel who is dreadfully afraid of dogs. However, he is very brave about everything else. It is humorously written and has a touching outcome.
J P *Rosenstiehl, Agnes. Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons. Raw Junior, LLC, 2009. This book is recommended by Book Links and is part of the Toon series. It is a cartoon-style book, written by a noted French children’s book author. Read different stories about Lilly, a spirited girl who adores the pleasures of every season.
J R *Rylant, Cynthia. Henry and Mudge: The First Book. Simon & Schuster, 1990. It is a classic tale about a puppy named Mudge who comes to live with Henry.
J R *Rylant, Cynthia. Henry and Mudge and the Best Day of All. Macmillan, 1995. This is a wonderful story about Henry’s birthday, presents, and special favors for his big dog, Mudge. Children love the Henry and Mudge series.
J R *Rylant, Cynthia. Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea. Harcourt, 1994. This is a delightful story about an old man and a pet that become the best of friends.
*Siddals, Mary McKenna. Tell Me A Season. Houghton Mifflin, 1997. A wonderful description of the seasons
*Swinburne, Stephen. Guess Whose Shadows? Boyds Mill Press, 1999. Wonderful color photos show an assortment of shadows
*Thomson, Sarah L. Amazing Dolphins! HarperCollins, 2006. This book received the Children’s Choices for 2007 award. It is a nonfiction book from HarperCollins and has beautiful photos from the Wildlife Conservation Society. It is part of I Can Read – Level 2. This easy-to-read text for beginner readers will intrigue them with very interesting facts and photos of dolphins.
*Thomson, Sarah L. Amazing Sharks! HarperCollins, 2006. This nonfiction book is from HarperCollins and has beautiful photos from the Wildlife Conservation Society. It is part of I Can Read – Level 2. It is chocked full of unusual information about sharks, such as how some sharks can glow in the dark. It also offers some clear comparisons, such as how some sharks can grow as long as a fire truck.
*Thomson, Sarah L. Amazing Snakes! HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. This book received the Children’s Choices for 2007 award. It is a nonfiction book from HarperCollins and has beautiful photos from the Wildlife Conservation Society. It is part of I Can Read – Level 2. It has interesting facts about snakes with clear comparisons.
*Thomson, Sarah L. Amazing Tigers! HarperCollins, 2005. This nonfiction book is from HarperCollins and has beautiful photos from the Wildlife Conservation Society. It is part of I Can Read – Level 2. It includes many unusual facts about tigers that will surprise young readers.
J P *Wells, Rosemary. Noisy Nora. Dial, 1997. An updated edition of a classic tale about sibling rivalry
J R *Willems, Mo. My Friend Is Sad. New York: Hyperion Books, 2007. This 2007 chapter book by Mo Willems received a Starred Review from Booklist. Booklist feels that this book chalks up another success for Mo Willems. Guaranteed to please young readers, it is the story of how outgoing Piggie tries to cheer up Elephant.
J R *Willems, Mo. Today I Will Fly. New York: Hyperion Books, 2007. This 2007 chapter book by Mo Willems also received a Starred Review from Booklist. Piggie is determined to fly. Booklist says, “Accessible, appealing, and full of authentic emotions about what makes friendships tick!” This Elephant and Piggie series is a winner!
J P *Wilson, Karma. Moose Tracks. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2006. This book received the Children’s Choices Award from the International Reading Association. A fun-filled mystery about moose tracks that cover almost every surface!
J P *Yolen, Jane. Welcome to the Green House. The Putnam & Grosset Group, 1993. Beautiful book about rain forest ecology


Resources Consulted: Tenafly teachers and lists of award-winning books

Tenafly Library Call numbers in Bold: JP = Picture Book, JR= Beginning Reader, JE and J FIC = Chapter book fiction