2nd Grade Reading

Written by Tammi Sauer
Illustrated by Joe Berger

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Hi-Yah! Splash! Zip! Zup! Zoom! Modern Princess Viola Louise Hassenfeffer wants to be the darling of her kingdom, but with her love of daring stunts and karate, she’ll never fit into the princess mold.  Throughout Camp Princess, Viola can’t seem to help but revert to her less-than-prim ways. A basic princess’ wave needs more “oomph.” The fashion walk is not nearly exciting enough without a moat-dive, and the dancing lessons are just too slow for her skate-boarding preferences. But even this modern girl can become the darling of her kingdom when her unique skills become useful by saving the director of Camp Princess.
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Written by Cece Meng

Illustrated by Aurélie Neyret

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When a prank note from two elementary aged students finds its way to a news room desk, an entire community is unbalanced and out of control. What would happen if bedtime were canceled? Cece Meng and Aurélie Neyret explore that childhood dream in this hilarious book. What second grade student hasn’t hoped that bedtime could be canceled so that he/she could play a little longer? Maggie and her brother simply try to trick their parents with a note reading, “Bedtime is canceled”, but when their parents do not believe them, their note was discarded, only to be picked up by a night newspaper reporter and then the news channel. This book describes the sequence of unfortunate events that follows, until Maggie delivers a note to the newspaper reporter UN-canceling bedtime.
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By Jeanne Willis
Illustrated by Tony Ross

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Hippospotamus has a spot on her bottom and she has no idea what it is.She gets advice from lots of other animals on what they think it is. Weasel thinks it’s the measles, Fox thinks its “hippopox”. Each animal she encounters has their own idea of what the spot on her bottom is. All the animals take turns at trying to decide what is wrong with Hippospotamus, but are not successful. A boy, at the end of the story who is searching for something he lost, ends up being the one who discovers what really is wrong with Hippospotamus. He discovers that he lost his gum when he “spots” it on the bottom of Hippospotamus and discovers it is not a spot at all.
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Written by Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes
Illustrated by Sanjay Patel

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Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth not only makes a lovely addition to any school library interested in exposing children to other cultures, it also entertains through the bold colors and images of India that leap off of the page.It will surely appeal to every child with a sweet tooth and sense of humor.
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Written by Buffy Silverman

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Hitchhiker’s-thumb? What on earth is that? Are people born with such a thumb?  Yes, indeed they are. Thumbs are straight or bent. A thumb that is bent is called a hitchhiker’s thumb.

“What makes people different are their traits.” Young readers learn that all humans share traits that distinguish them from animals: we all walk with two legs, talk and sing, but each person has his or her own traits.
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Written by Alice Schertle
Illustrated by Jill McElmurry

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Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry deliver another charming tale about a little blue truck that has a way of bringing perspective to the busy vehicles around him. This book is an obvious pick for reading aloud (especially the Big Book edition). The illustrations are captivating and colorful, and the text gives just the right amount of rhyme and rhythm to relay a timeless tale.
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Written by David and Zora Aiken

Illustrated by David Aiken

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I am always fascinated at the infinite array of alphabet books for children. Whether it is animals or machines or places, there seems to be no topic that can’t be turned into an alphabet book!  I think this is a great idea, because it provides children with the opportunity to explore new topics and learn new vocabulary in a fun, yet structured format.
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Written by Cedella Marley

Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

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A charming adaptation of Bob Marley’s song “Three Little Birds.” Three chirping birds greet a young boy who has dreadlocks and a Bob Marley t-shirt. There may be rain, hurt feelings at the playground or a mess in the kitchen, but the birds keep chirping out the message “Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be all right.” When the boy gets up the next day, sure enough he greets the day with a smile. The illustrations are bright, colorful drawings with just the right touch of mixed media. The recurring cat and bird mischief lends the right touch of whimsy. The subtext of this book is that love of family and friends makes every little thing all right, giving it an emotionally reassuring tone that even young children will appreciate.
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Written by Brian P. Cleary
Illustrated by Brian Gable

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What’s a Contraction? is yet another clever book in the “Words are CATegorical” series. As expected from author Brian P. Cleary, this book is full of easy-to-read pages filled with funny, rhyming sentences.

The illustrations are larger than life and as funny as other books in the series. The colorful illustrations make this book a fun read for any student. The story is zany enough to keep kids engaged and informative enough to provide a learning experience at the same time. The illustration style, along with the fun approach to what could otherwise be a difficult grammar point, make learning about contractions interesting.
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Written by Robin Nelson

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Kids are always curious what various objects are for. This brief look at a hammer answers that question in a straightforward fashion. Numerous photographs show close-ups of the various parts of a hammer, its place among tools, and suggested uses. The first page shows a close-up of the striking surface and asks the reader to identify the object. A tool belt demonstrates the group where hammers belong. A proper grip on the handle with work gloves is recommended. The photographs show how to drive a nail and examples of the uses of nails. They also show how to remove a nail with the claw. The author explains what a carpenter does and remarks that hammers are important for building tree houses. Both males and females are shown using hammers, which is a plus.
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