Both of my daughters are avid readers – I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! They fly through books pretty quickly so I’m always on the lookout for chapters books on their level to keep their reading material flowing. I assume other parents have the same challenge, so today I’m sharing a list of book series that have kept my 2nd grader’s attention in the hopes that you’ll find a new suggestion for your own little bookworm!
One caveat before we get started: my daughter has very traditional tastes in that she likes girly things and stories featuring girls. All of these books are appropriate for both genders, but some might not appeal to most boys as much as they do most girls. Everyone is different and I’m a big believer in letting kids read what they want! But I know that this list will likely call out to little ladies more than little gents since the character representation skews heavily towards female.
Alright, without further ado, here is the list that my 2nd grader graciously helped me curate.
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There are 26 of these books in the series, starting with The Absent Author and ending with The Zombie Zone. They follow Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose as they go on adventures and help each other solve mysteries. My daughter loves telling me about all the clues and how the mystery is solved in the end so they are obviously very engaging and give her something to think about.
Talk about a classic! I’m so glad that my girls have enjoyed the Alden family as mush as I did when I was a kid. I read the first book aloud to them and they told me repeatedly that they wished they could be the Boxcar Children (to which I replied, “You mean you want to be homeless orphans?” and they were like, “Yeah!”). These are easy mysteries for a 2nd grader to read and follow along with, and the Aldens are great examples of kids who are kind, respectful, and independent. They’ve recently gotten updated covers, but the stories are still the same.
Somehow I missed these books when I was a kid, which is a shame because I think I would have loved them! In this series, Jack and Annie travel to all different times and places thanks to a (spoiler alert) magic treehouse. They go on quests, solve mysteries, and learn about history, geography, cultures, animals, and more. These books are truly both fun and educational.
While Felicity is the American Girl represented in the picture (apparently she’s a favorite because she has a horse, which I can respect), my daughter has read and loved Kirsten, Addy, Josefina, Samantha, Molly, and Kit. I love that she is learning about history through the eyes of girls near her own age and I know it has opened up some great conversations for us.
The Wellie Wishers series is a modern offshoot of the American Girls brand. They follow a diverse group of girls as they learn about friendship, nature, responsibility, kindness, and more. The books in this series are not numbered and can be read in any order. The Riddle of the Robin is the one that my daughter started with, although she has grown her collection since then. And like the more traditional American Girl characters, you can also buy Wellie Wisher dolls. We have Emerson and Ashlyn.
Did someone say fairies? Based on how quickly my 2nd grader reads these I suspect they would also be appropriate for 1st grade or possibly even kindergarten level readers. There are many different branches of the Rainbow Magic series with fairies named in themes of colors, flowers, weather, jewels, etc., but the ones she likes best are the rainbow fairies, which start with Ruby the Red Fairy.
A set of books about girls who love animals could not be more on brand for my girls. Both my 2nd grader and kindergartener love these books and they trade them back and forth before discussing them like the world’s cutest little two person book club. These books are teach values like friendship, kindness, and trying your best, with the help of some furry friends (and sometimes not furry, i.e. there’s one about a turtle).
The scattered-brained Amelia Bedelia of my childhood gets a modern makeover in this contemporary reboot series. These books are quirky and fun with engaging illustrations and interesting stories. I love the colorful covers and my daughter likes how Amelia thinks.
These books are literally about a pirate ship manned by puppies…so I’m not sure what else you need to know here. They are full of puppy-related puns and pranks which my daughter thinks are hilarious.
Pet Rescue Adventures by Holly Webb
My 2nd grader loves these heartwarming stories because each pet has it’s own personality. The one she started with is The Missing Kitten and Other Tales, but she has also read and liked Sky the Unwanted Kitten and The Perfect Kitten. More of these books will probably find their way under the tree this Christmas.
“I like Mercy Watson because she always saves the day even though she’s a pig and does the weirdest things.” That’s a direct quote from my daughter about why Mercy Watson appeals to her. There’s just something about a pig who sits at the table and loves buttered toast. If you like Charlotte’s Webb then you will probably like Wilbur’s funnier cousin Mercy and the hijinks she gets into.
This is by no means all of the books we could discuss for 2nd grade readers, but it’s a good start made up of solid favorites. What are some of your favorite book series for this age group?
What a great list of books for some summertime reading for this age group. Perfect for a neighborhood lending library too!
Got to be ready for summer reading!
I was a super avid reader back then (still am) I used to love Geronimo Stilton (I’m pretty sure it’s an Italian book series only but it was amazing)
I’ll have to look and see if that’s something we can get here in the states!
Such fun books. I remember reading a lot of these when I was small.
True classics never die!
This is a nice collection of books for young readers. I will share it with some friends.
Thanks, Janeane!
What a great selection of “girl-power” books. I was a reader as a child and would have loved some of these books. Nice review.
Thanks! There some favorites on there from my childhood too.