This reading list comes from the UWCSEA Dover campus library for the 2024-25 school year. At Grade 2, the goal is simple but vital: help children transition from learning to read to reading to learn. These 25 books are chosen not because they are difficult, but because they are irresistible—funny enough to make kids laugh, exciting enough to make them turn pages, and warm enough to make them feel something. Every book here is a gateway.
We have grouped the 25 books into five themes to help parents navigate the list.
Adventure & Discovery
Seven-year-olds are natural explorers. Give them a book about dinosaurs and they will not just read it—they will become paleontologists for the afternoon. These five books channel that energy: eating freeze-dried ice cream in orbit, discovering you can talk to a dragon, time-traveling to the Cretaceous period, hunting for a magical ember stone with a brave little owl, and learning that Greek gods were surprisingly relatable. Each one turns curiosity into adventure and adventure into the habit of reading.
How to Eat in Space
Marco TepperFun, illustrated facts about what astronauts eat and how they eat it in zero gravity. Perfect for space-obsessed young readers.
Greek myths retold for young readers with bold illustrations. Zeus is a kid, Hera is his rival, and Mount Olympus is basically a school playground.
Dinosaurs Before Dark
Mary Pope OsborneThe book that launched the Magic Tree House phenomenon. Jack and Annie travel back 65 million years and meet actual dinosaurs. Short chapters, big thrills.
The Last Firehawk: The Ember Stone
Katrina CharmanTag the owl and his friends search for a magical ember stone to save their forest. Illustrated throughout, with just enough danger to keep pages turning.
Dragon Masters: Rise of the Earth Dragon
Tracey WestA farm boy discovers he can connect with a dragon. The first in a wildly popular series that hooks reluctant readers with short chapters and big illustrations.
Laugh Out Loud
The single most important thing a book can do for a seven-year-old is make them laugh. Laughing while reading teaches children that books are fun—not homework, not medicine, but genuine entertainment. A toast-obsessed pig. A mad scientist who just wants to fit in at school. A cat who absolutely refuses to take a bath. A unicorn who ruins the school disco. And two girls who could not be more different but become inseparable anyway. These books are silly on purpose, and that is exactly why they work.
Mercy Watson to the Rescue
Kate DiCamilloMercy Watson is a pig who loves toast with a great deal of butter. When the Watsons' bed falls through the floor, Mercy accidentally saves the day. Kate DiCamillo at her funniest.
Franny K. Stein: Mad Scientist
Jim BentonFranny loves experiments, bats, and building monsters. She does not love fitting in at school. A funny series about being proudly weird.
Bad Kitty Gets a Bath
Nick BruelBad Kitty does NOT want a bath. What follows is pure illustrated chaos. Kids who love cats (or hate baths) will read this over and over.
A mischievous unicorn causes absolute mayhem at the school disco. Glitter, chaos, and a unicorn who could not care less about rules.
Ivy + Bean
Annie BarrowsIvy is quiet and reads all day. Bean is loud and breaks things. Their parents think they will never be friends. Their parents are wrong.
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Mysteries & Puzzles
Mystery books are secretly the best reading teachers. They force kids to pay attention to details, remember clues, and think ahead—all while believing they are just having fun. This group features detectives of every species: a girl with a knack for puzzles, a dog solving crimes in London, a pug with a nose for trouble, a stick insect and dog duo, and the delightful chaos of a cat joining a primary school classroom. They teach the single most important reading skill without anyone noticing: the habit of asking 'what happens next?'
A young detective with a sharp eye solves neighborhood mysteries. Simple language, satisfying solutions, and a heroine kids want to be.
A dog detective takes on the case of the missing Crown Jewels in London. Full of visual clues for readers to spot before the detective does.
Pugly Solves a Crime
Pamela ButchartA pug detective with a nose for trouble and a talent for getting into it. Funny, fast-paced, and perfect for dog lovers.
Stick and Fetch Investigate
Philip ArdaghA stick insect and a dog team up to solve mysteries. The odd-couple dynamic is both funny and surprisingly effective.
A cat joins the classroom at Wigglesbottom Primary and chaos follows. Short, illustrated, and perfectly pitched for early readers who love school stories.
Heart & Friendship
At seven, friendship is the center of the universe. These five books understand that. A girl in India learns to care for the planet through small daily choices. A boy discovers how recycled flip-flops help save the ocean. An imaginary friend turns out to be more real than anyone expected. A doughnut teaches a community about sharing. And in a delightful Japanese story, a kid puts himself up for adoption just to see what happens. Each one is warm without being preachy, and together they show kids that caring about others is not a chore—it is what makes life interesting.
Sona Sharma: Looking After Planet Earth
Chitra SoundarSona lives in a multigenerational Indian family and learns to care for the environment through everyday choices. Warm, illustrated, and gently educational.
A boy learns how discarded flip-flops are recycled into colorful toys and help protect the ocean. A story about small actions making big differences.
Daisy's imaginary friend Posey might actually be real. A sweet, sparkly series about imagination, friendship, and believing in what you cannot see.
The Very Best Doughnut
Randa Abdel-FattahA heartwarming story about sharing, community, and the power of one perfect doughnut to bring people together.
Free Kid to Good Home
Hiroshi ItoA Japanese boy puts himself up for adoption just to see what happens. Funny, surprising, and with a warm ending that reminds kids they are exactly where they belong.
Brave & Bold
Even at seven, children understand what it means to be scared. These books meet that feeling and turn it into something useful. A blind surfer catches real waves. Kids discover that sports are about more than winning. An alien tries desperately to blend in at a new school. A child puts on a wolf costume to feel powerful. And two friends discover that real science is about testing your courage as much as testing your hypothesis. These are books about trying, failing, and trying again—which, at this age, is the most important lesson there is.
Surfing in the Dark
Matt FormstonThe true story of a blind surfer who refuses to let anything stop him from chasing waves. Inspiring and beautifully told for young readers.
Sporty Kids: Basketball
Felice ArenaKids discover the joy of basketball—teamwork, practice, and the thrill of getting better at something you love.
An alien kid tries to blend in at a new school on Earth. Perfect for any child who has ever felt like they did not belong.
The Wolf Suit
Sid SharpA child puts on a wolf costume and discovers that pretending to be something fierce can help you feel brave enough to face real fears.
Two friends are transported into a magical science lab where they must use real science to solve challenges—and discover what friendship really means.
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A Note for Parents
At Grade 2, the single most important thing is that your child reads—not what they read. If they want to reread Mercy Watson five times, let them. If they skip the mystery section and only want dragons, that is fine too. The UWCSEA library team designed this list to offer range and choice, not a checklist. Your job as a parent is to keep books accessible, read aloud together when they want you to, and never turn reading into homework.
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