“Help! I need a book to read to my child’s 2nd grade class!”
Second Grade Read-alouds at the Elmhurst Public Library

Old Black Fly   by Jim Aylesworth                      
Rhyming text and illustrations follow a mischievous old black fly through the alphabet, as he has a very busy bad day, landing where he should not be.  

The Great Kapok Tree   by Lynne Cherry                    
The many different animals that live in a great kapok tree in the Brazilian rainforest try to convince a man with an ax of the importance of not cutting down their home.   

Miss Rumphius   by Barbara Cooney                
As a child great-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up she would go to faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and do something to make the world more beautiful – and she does, the last being the most difficult of all. 

Grandmother’s Pigeon   by Louise Erdrich      
Passenger pigeon hatchlings, thought to be extinct, are discovered in grandmother’s room after she departs on a voyage to Greenland. 

Amazing Grace   by Mary Hoffman                    
Although a classmate says that she can’t play Peter Pan in the school play because she is black, Grace discovers that she can do anything she sets her mind to do.   

A Rose for Pinkerton   by Steven Kellogg        
Pinkerton's needs a friend, but is a cat named Rose really suitable?   

The Chanukkah Guest   by Eric A. Kimmel
On the first night of Chanukkah, Old Bear wanders into Bubba Brayna's house and receives a helping of potato latkes when she mistakes him for the rabbi.   

Hooway for Wodney Wat   by Helen Lester                 
All his classmates make fun of Rodney because he can't pronounce his name, but it is Rodney's speech impediment that drives away the class bully.   

Tacky the Penguin   by Helen Lester    
Tacky the penguin does not fit in with his sleek and graceful companions, but his odd behavior comes in handy when hunters come with maps and traps.   

If You Give a Moose a Muffin   by Laura Numeroff     
…chaos will follow when he gets started on a cycle of urgent requests. 

Poof!   by John O’Brien                
Two lazy wizards resort to all kinds of tricks in order to get out of doing simple chores around the house. 

Moonglow Roll-0-Rama   by Dav Pilkey                                   
When the light of the moon is aglow, animals skate at a magical roller rink.   

Thank You, Mr. Falker   by Patricia Polacco    
At first, Trisha loves school, but her difficulty learning to read makes her feel dumb, until, in the fifth grade, a new teacher helps her understand and overcome her problem.

Mrs.Toggle’s Zipper   by Robin Pulver           
When Mrs. Toggle's zipper sticks and traps her inside her coat, everyone in the school tries to free her but with little success.   

The Frog Prince Continued   by Jon Scieszka           
After the frog turns into a prince, he and the Princess do not live happily ever after and the Prince decides to look for a witch to help him remedy the situation.

Horton Hatches the Egg   by Dr. Seuss                                   
When a lazy bird hatching an egg wants a vacation, she asks Horton, the elephant, to sit on her egg--which he does through all sorts of hazards until he is rewarded for doing what he said he would.  

The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza   by David Shannon                      
Much to the dismay of his neighbors and family, Mr. Delbert's Christmas display grows from a simple string of white lights into an outrageous spectacle.   

Saving Sweetness   by Diane Stanley
The sheriff of a dusty western town rescues Sweetness, an unusually resourceful orphan, from nasty old Mrs. Sump and her terrible orphanage.  

Doctor De Soto   by William Steig          
Dr. De Soto, a mouse dentist, copes with the toothaches of various animals except those with a taste for mice, until the day a fox comes to him in great pain. A Newbery Award winner. 

Wombat Stew   by Marcia K. Vaughan
A dingo intent on making wombat stew receives cooking suggestions from the other animals, unaware that they are protecting their fellow creature.   

Grandpa’s Slippers   by Joy Watson     
Every time Grandma throws his slippers in the trash, Grandpa finds them and asks Grandma to “leave my slippers alone!”