2nd-3rd Grade Summer Reading List: Fiction
Discover the best summer reading list for 2nd and 3rd graders, featuring beloved fiction classics like *The Velveteen Rabbit*, *Ramona the Pest*, and *The Polar Express*. This curated collection of engaging chapter books and picture books is perfect for young readers, blending timeless adventures, heartwarming tales, and playful stories from top authors like Beverly Cleary and Dr. Seuss. Keep kids hooked on books all season with these must-read titles, ideal for building reading skills and fostering a lifelong love of stories.
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So Far from the Sea
by Eve Bunting
When seven-year-old Laura and her family visit Grandfather's grave at the Manzanar War Relocation Center, the Japanese American child leaves behind a special symbol. Reprint.
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Spaghetti and Meatballs for All!
by Marilyn Burns
A collection of 25 books are featured with instructions on how to use each title to launch a classroom math lesson.
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Who Owns the Sun?
by Stacy Chbosky
Having learned from the father he admires so much that the world is filled with things too special for any one person to own, a boy is upset to hear that he and his father are owned by the man in the big house where they work.
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Ramona the Pest
by Beverly Cleary
Ramona meets lots of interesting people in kindergarten class, like Davy whom she keeps trying to kiss and Susan whose springy curls seem to ask to be pulled.
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The Bat Boy and His Violin
by Gavin Curtis
Reginald loves to play his violin, but his father needs his son to be the bat boy for his baseball team, the Dukes. Could Reginald do both? Little do father and son realize that Reginald's sweet music is just the inspiration needed to lead the Dukes to victory! Full-color illustrations. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.
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Donavan's Double Trouble
by Monalisa DeGross
Donavan thought that fourth grade would be his best year ever. Instead, it's turning out to be nothing but trouble: 1. He's failing math class. 2. If his grades don't improve, his whiz-kid younger sister will have to tutor him! 3. When his beloved Uncle Vic returns from overseas combat as a paraplegic, everyone else is happy that he's safe at home. But all Donavan feels is uncomfortable and sad. 4. Grandma insists on inviting Uncle Vic to the biggest family event of the school year, and she's not taking no for an answer! But what will the other kids think when they see Uncle Vic in a wheelchair? From the author of Donavan's Word Jar comes an inspiring story that explores what it means to be a hero.
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The Hundred Dresses
by Eleanor Estes
Eleanor Estes's The Hundred Dresses won a Newbery Honor in 1945 and has never been out of print since. At the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has one hundred dresses at home, but everyone knows she doesn't and bullies her mercilessly. The class feels terrible when Wanda is pulled out of the school, but by that time it's too late for apologies. Maddie, one of Wanda's classmates, ultimately decides that she is "never going to stand by and say nothing again." This powerful, timeless story has been reissued with a new letter from the author's daughter Helena Estes, and with the Caldecott artist Louis Slobodkin's original artwork in beautifully restored color.
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Word Wizard
by Cathryn Falwell
Using her magical spoon to make new words by changing letters around, Anna embarks on a series of adventures with a lost little boy.
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Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
by Deborah Hopkinson
An inspiring tale of creativity and determination on the Underground Railroad from Coretta Scott King winner James Ransome and acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson. Clara, a slave and seamstress on Home Plantation, dreams of freedom--not just for herself, but for her family and friends. When she overhears a conversation about the Underground Railroad, she has a flash of inspiration. Using scraps of cloth from her work in the Big House and scraps of information gathered from other slaves, she fashions a map that the master would never even recognize. . . . From the award-winning author-illustrator team of Deborah Hopkinson and James Ransome, this fictional tale of the Underground Railroad continues to inspire young readers 25 years after its original publication. "Inspiring." —The New York Times "A triumph of the human spirit." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
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Peter lub rooj
by Ezra Jack Keats
When Peter discovers his blue furniture is being painted pink for a new baby sister, he rescues the last unpainted item, a chair, and runs away.
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All the Places to Love
by Patricia MacLachlan
A young boy describes the favorite places that he shares with his family on his grandparents' farm and in the nearby countryside.
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Bedhead
by Margie Palatini
A young boy is faced with the worst hair day of his life--on school picture day.
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Sweet Tooth
by Margie Palatini
Stewart's loud, obnoxious sweet tooth constantly gets him into trouble, until Stewart uses a healthy diet to take control of the situation.
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Amelia Bedelia Treasury
by Peggy Parish
Humorous misadventures of the literal-minded housemaid, Amelia Bedelia.
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Dog Breath!
by Dav Pilkey
Hally, an exuberant dog whose bad breath problem even keeps skunks away, finds his life further complicated by a visit from Grandma Tosis and his chaos-inducing attempts to say hello. Reprint.
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Thunder Cake
by Patricia Polacco
A loud clap of thunder booms, and rattles the windows of Grandma's old farmhouse. "This is Thunder Cake baking weather," calls Grandma, as she and her granddaughter hurry to gather the ingredients around the farm. A real Thunder Cake must reach the oven before the storm arrives. But the list of ingredients is long and not easy to find . . . and the storm is coming closer all the time! Reaching once again into her rich childhood experience, Patricia Polacco tells the memorable story of how her grandma--her Babushka--helped her overcome her fear of thunder when she was a little girl. Ms. Polacco's vivid memories of her grandmother's endearing answer to a child's fear, accompanied by her bright folk-art illustrations, turn a frightening thunderstorm into an adventure and ultimately . . . a celebration! Whether the first clap of thunder finds you buried under the bedcovers or happily anticipating the coming storm, Thunder Cake is a story that will bring new meaning and possibility to the excitement of a thunderstorm.
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An Angel for Solomon Singer
by Cynthia Rylant
A lonely New York City resident finds companionship and good cheer at the Westway Cafe where dreams come true.
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Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street
by Roni Schotter
For use in schools and libraries only. When Eva sits on her stoop trying to complete a school assignment by writing about what happens in her neighborhood, she gets a great deal of advice and action.
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Math Curse
by Jon Scieszka
Did you ever wake up to one of those days where everything is a problem? You have 10 things to do, but only 30 minutes till the bus leaves. Is there enough time? You have 3 shirts and 2 pairs of pants - can you make 1 good outfit? Don't worry - it's just the Math Curse striking! An amusing book about dealing with numbers in everyday life.
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The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs
by Jon Scieszka
The wolf (i.e. A. Wolf) gives his own outlandish version of what really happened when he tangled with the three little pigs.
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The Lorax
by Dr. Seuss
Celebrate Earth Day with Dr. Seuss and the Lorax in this classic picture book about sustainability and protecting the environment! I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. Dr. Seuss’s beloved story teaches kids to treat the planet with kindness and stand up and speak up for others. Experience the beauty of the Truffula Trees and the danger of taking our earth for granted in a story that is timely, playful, and hopeful. The book’s final pages teach us that just one small seed, or one small child, can make a difference. Printed on recycled paper, this book is the perfect gift for Earth Day and for any child—or child at heart—who is interested in recycling, advocacy, and the environment, or just loves nature and playing outside. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.
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Night of the Moonjellies
by Mark Shasha
Seven-year-old Mark helps his grandmother and other family members run their seaside hot dog stand and then has a surprise at the end of the day.
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A Light in the Attic
by Shel Silverstein
A collection of humorous poems and drawings. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.
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Brave Irene
by William Steig
Brave Irene is Irene Bobbin, the dressmaker's daughter. Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn't feeling so well and can't possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she's made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that's brewing-- quite an errand for a little girl. But where there's a will, there's a way, as Irene proves in the danger-fraught adventure that follows. She must defy the wiles of the wicked wind, her most formidable opponent, and overcome many obstacles before she completes her mission. Surely, this winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on. Brave Irene is a 1986 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year.
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Lizards for Lunch
by Conrad J. Storad
Explores life in the desert scrublands and meadows from the eyes of a roadrunner -- a fast-running desert bird.
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Basil of Baker Street
by Eve Titus
Basil, famous sleuth of mousedom, tries to find kidnapped twins.
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The Bracelet
by Yoshiko Uchida
Yoshiko Uchida draws on her own childhood as a Japanese-American during World War II in an internment camp to tell the poignant story of a young girl's discovery of the power of memory. Emi and her family are being sent to a place called an internment camp, where all Japanese-Americans must go. The year is 1942. The United States and Japan are at war. Seven-year-old Emi doesn't want to leave her friends, her school, her house; yet as her mother tells her, they have no choice, because they are Japanese-American. For her mother's sake, Emi doesn't say how unhappy she is. But on the first day of camp, when Emi discovers she has lost her heart bracelet, she can't help wanting to cry. "How will I ever remember my best friend?" she asks herself. * "Yardley's hushed, realistic paintings add to the poignancy of Uchida's narrative, and help to underscore the absurdity and injustice suffered by Japanese American families such as Emi's."—Publishers Weekly, starred review "Will find a ready readership and prove indispensable for introducing this dark episode in American history"—School Library Journal
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The Polar Express
by Chris Van Allsburg
For twenty-five years, The Polar Express has been a treasured holiday classic. To commemorate this special anniversary, a lavish gift edition has been created. Awarded the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1986, The Polar Express has sold more than 7 million copies, become a classic holiday movie, and been translated into stage productions that take place across the United States during the holiday season.
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Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
by Bernard Waber
Lyle is perfectly happy living with the Primms on East 88th St. until irritable Mr. Grumps next door changes all that.
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The Velveteen Rabbit
by Margery Williams
The classic story of how the velveteen rabbit became real.
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The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups: The Second File
by David Wisniewski
Within these highly confidential pages lurk more of the real reasons why grown-ups want you to brush your teeth, eat your breakfast, and clean under your bed. The truth has been hidden for centuries, but the time of mystery is over. Caldecott medalist David Wisniewski has completed another daring raid into the top-secret vault of parental rules. . . .