Grade 2 Summer Reading
REQUIRED READING - Mercy Watson series by Kate Dicamillo
Choose any book from the series!
To Mr. and Mrs. Watson, Mercy is not just a pig - she's a porcine wonder. And to the portly and good-natured Mercy, the Watsons are an excellent source of buttered toast, not to mention that buttery-toasty feeling she gets when she snuggles into bed with them. This is not, however, so good for the Watsons' bed. BOOM! CRACK! As the bed and its occupants slowly sink through the floor, Mercy escapes in a flash - "to alert the fire department," her owners assure themselves. But could Mercy possibly have another emergency in mind - like a sudden craving for their neighbors' sugar cookies? Welcome to the wry and endearing world of Mercy Watson - an ebullient new character for early chapter-book readers in a series that's destined to be a classic.
To Mr. and Mrs. Watson, Mercy is not just a pig - she's a porcine wonder. And to the portly and good-natured Mercy, the Watsons are an excellent source of buttered toast, not to mention that buttery-toasty feeling she gets when she snuggles into bed with them. This is not, however, so good for the Watsons' bed. BOOM! CRACK! As the bed and its occupants slowly sink through the floor, Mercy escapes in a flash - "to alert the fire department," her owners assure themselves. But could Mercy possibly have another emergency in mind - like a sudden craving for their neighbors' sugar cookies? Welcome to the wry and endearing world of Mercy Watson - an ebullient new character for early chapter-book readers in a series that's destined to be a classic.
Other Recommended Books
Bug Scouts by Mike Lowery
Meet Doug, Abby, and Josh: the BUG SCOUTS! The Bug Scouts begin to work on earning the "foraging" bug badge, which they can only get if they successfully find an edible plant. Together, they head into the woods in search for adventure and something to eat. But will they be able to avoid the poisonous plants and manage to not get eaten by a clever frog?! With laugh-out-loud humor, puns galore, kid-friendly artwork, and endless heart, Bug Scouts is the perfect early graphic novel series for enthusiasts of Dog Man, Narwhal and Jelly, and CatStronauts.
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Watch the book trailer!
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Caves by Nell Cross Beckerman
A masterful exploration of one of nature's most curious ecosystems, Caves is a magical journey into subterranean wonders perfect for fans of Jason Chin. In the shade of the woods is a hill with a hole. Beaconing black. Goosebump chills. Excitement and fear battle. What will win? You want to go in... do you dare? Using evocative storytelling, Nell Cross Beckerman urges children to explore one of nature's most curious ecosystems. Dramatic, poetic language guides kids through different caves around the world while nonfiction text allows for deeper understanding.
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Watch the preview!
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Miles Lewis: King of the Ice by Kelly Starling Lyons
Miles Lewis loves science and sports. But when his teacher announces a class field trip to an ice skating rink to learn about physics, he isn't so excited. He's never ice skated before, and his friend RJ won't let him forget it. RJ even challenges him to a If Miles skates without falling, RJ will put a “Miles is the man” sign on his backpack. But if Miles falls, he has to put one on his that says the same about RJ. Miles can barely focus on the bet, though, because he suspects his beloved Nana has plans to move out of his family's house—and that's just too much to bear. Can he keep his cool with all the pressure from RJ while finding a way to make his grandma stay?
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Check out the book trailer!
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The Girl Who Built an Ocean by Jess Keating
The inspiring tale of a seamstress-turned-scientist who invented the world's first aquarium at a time when women in STEM were startlingly rare. The daughter of a seamstress and a cobbler, Jeanne Villepreux-Power began her career as a dressmaker, sewing beautiful gowns for the Parisian aristocracy. But her heart longed for more, and when she moved to the seaside, she became fascinated by the ocean's mysteries. Jeanne wanted a way to bring a piece of the ocean home with her, and that's she came to build the world's first aquarium—an invention that would pave the way for countless scientific discoveries in the years to come.
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Watch a book talk!
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Gigi and Ojiji by Melissa Iwai
Gigi can’t wait for her Ojiji—Japanese grandpa—to move in. Gigi plans lots of things to do with him, like playing tag, reading books, and teaching Roscoe, the family dog, new tricks. But her plans don’t work out quite the way she’d hoped. And her grandpa doesn’t seem to like Roscoe. Will Gigi find a way to connect with her Ojiji?
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Watch a read aloud with the author!
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Action! How Movies Began by Meghan McCarthy
Movies take us on adventures, introduce us to new worlds, and make us feel, but how did they start? In her trademark easy-to-follow narrative voice, this fact-filled picture book tells the story of the evolution of movies and the people who worked hard to create them—both on-screen and behind the scenes. In fascinating detail, she shows how early photography capturing motion became silent films, which led to the first color films and how those building blocks allowed for the inspiring movies of today.
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Explore how the illustrations were made!
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Pets Rule: My Kingdom of Darkness by Susan Tan
Meet Ember, a rescue Chihuahua who has just been adopted by the Chin family. Ember is no ordinary dog: he thinks he is an evil overlord, destined to rule the world. He enlists the help of the other pets in the house, like Smelly Steve the hamster and Neo the canary, to take over the neighborhood. Their first mission is defeating Masher, the mean squirrel who lives next door. But to his shock, Ember finds himself growing attached to his “minions”, the Chin family―especially Lucy. Does Ember still have what it takes to control of the neighborhood… and the world?
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Watch the book trailer!
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Copycat: Nature Inspired Design Around the World by Christy Hale
Illustrations of plants and animals and tanka poetry are paired with photographs of innovative inventions and designs found around the world to present captivating examples of nature-inspired design. A lotus leaf inspires the invention of the umbrella. A cat's eyes inspire the development of safety road reflectors. Discover how mimicking behaviors and strategies in nature lead inventors and designers to develop amazing new products, processes, and technologies that improve our lives and environment.
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Watch the book trailer!
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All book descriptions are taken from the publishers.