Too Cool For School – Summer Reading for Second Graders

 

 

Base, Grame                          Animalia

E BAS                                    An alphabet book with fantastic, detailed pictures with labels such  as “Lazy lions lounging in the local library.”

 

Blume, Judy                          The Pain and the Great One

E BLU                                     A six-year old (The Pain) and his eight-year old sister (The Great One) see each other as trouble-makers and the best-loved in the family.

 

Byars, Betsy                         Tornado

J FIC BYA                             While waiting out a tornado in their storm cellar, a family listens to a story about their farmhand when he was a boy going through a similar storm.

 

Carrick, Carol                        Patrick’s Dinosaur

E CAR                                    When his older brothers talk about dinosaurs during a visit to the zoo, Patrick is afraid until he discovers that they all died millions of years ago.

 

Curtis, Jamie Lee                  Today I  Feel Silly (And Other Moods That Make My Day)

E CUR                                    A child’s emotions range from silliness to anger to excitement, coloring and changing every day.

 

Dadey, David                        Monsters Don’t Scuba Dive

J FIC DAD                             There are some pretty weird grown-ups in Bailey City, but could the camp swimming teacher really be a sea monster?

 

DeGroat, Diane                     Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

E DEG                                     Gilbert is nervous about playing George Washington in front of the class, and feels even worse when he can’t find his main prop.

 

Duffey, Betsy                       The Gadget War

J FIC DUF                              Kelly Sparks is the gadget whiz of her third grade class, until a new classmate, Albert Einstein Jones, comes to her school.

 

Gag, Wanda                          Millions of Cats

E GAG                                    How can an old man and his wife select one cat from a choice of millions and trillions?

 

Gannett, Ruth Stiles                My Father’s Dragon

J FIC GAN                             A young boy decides to rescue a poor, baby dragon who is being used by a group of lazy wild animals.

 

Grambling, Lois G.                Can I Have a Stegosaurus, Mom? Can I? Please?

E GRA                                    A boy describes all the possible advantages of having a stegosaurus as a pet.

 

Henkes, Kevin                      Chrysanthemum

E HEN                                    Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she starts going to school and the other children make fun of it.

 

Johnson, Crockett                Harold and the Purple Crayon

E JOH                                     Harold goes for an adventurous walk in the moonlight with his purple crayon.

 

Jonas, Ann                            Reflections

E JON                                     A child’s busy day by the sea, in a forest, and then back  home, is followed by the hope of going to a carnival or concert.

 

Kellogg, Stephen                 Prehistoric Pinkerton

E KEL                                     Pinkerton’s natural doggy urge to chew on things is stirred up on a visit to a museum’s collection of dinosaur bones.

 

Kline, Suzy                            Horrible Harry and the Mud Gremlins

J FIC KLI                               Harry persuades his classmates to sneak through the playground fence during recess to see some unusual mushrooms.

 

Lionni, Leo                            Frederick

E LIO                                      Even though Frederick does not help the other mice gather food, he saves them from the long, cold winter.

 

McCully, Emily A.                Popcorn at the Palace

E MCC                                   In the mid-1800s, Maisie Ferris and her father travel to England to introduce the English to the American “invention” of popcorn.

 

Macauley, David                  Black and White

E MAC                                   Four brief stories about parents, trains and cows – or is it really all one story?

 

Marshall, James                    George and Martha

E MAR                                   Five episodes that tell about the ups and downs of a special friendship.

 

Mayer, Mercer                      There’s Something in My Attic

E MAY                                   Something is making noise in the attic at night, so a brave little girl sneaks up the stairs to capture whatever it is.

 

Munsch, Robert                   The Paper Bag Princess

E MUN                                   Princess Elizabeth is set to marry Prince Ronald until he’s kidnapped by a dragon.  But, when Elizabeth rescues him, it does not make for a happily-ever-after ending.

 

Osborne, Mary Pope                Vacation Under the Volcano

J FIC OSB                              Their magic tree house takes Annie and Jack back in time to Pompeii just as Vesuvius is about to erupt.

 

Pilkey, Dav                            The Adventures of Captain Underpants

J FIC PIL                                When George and Harold hypnotize their principal into thinking that he is the superhero Captain Underpants, he leads them to the lair of the dangerous Dr. Diaper.

 

Rylant, Cynthia                    Ticky-Tacky Doll

E RYL                                     When she has to go to school without her special doll, a little girl cannot focus on learning her letters and numbers, until her grandmother comes to the rescue.

 

Sachar, Louis                        Marvin Redpost

J FIC SACHAR                     Marvin is convinced that the reason he looks different from the rest of his family is that he is really the lost Prince of Shampoon.

 

Scieszka, Jon                         2095

J FIC SCI                                While on a field trip to the Museum of Natural History, Joe, Sam and Fred travel one hundred years into the future.

 

Sharmat, Marjorie W.                A Dog Star is Born

J FIC SHA                             Fred and his parents take their dog, Duz, to Hollywood where his new career as a movie star is almost ended before it begins.

 

Smith, Robert Kimmel                Chocolate Fever

J FIC SMITH                         Henry breaks out in brown bumps from eating too much chocolate, but they help him stop some hijackers, and teach him an important lesson, too.