Second Grade Read-Aloud Set

Through rhyming verse and colorful illustrations Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Linbergh tells the story of John Chapman and the blessing of apples that he brought to the American frontier.

The Boy Who Drew Birds by Jacqueline Davies tells the story of John James Audubon. The book tells the story of John James' time in Pennsylvania when he was eighteen years old. During his time in the Pennsylvania countryside he observed a family of pewee birds in their cave and developed the method of tagging by tying a small string around the baby birds' legs in order to see if they returned to their home nest the next year. The eclectic and colorful collage illustrations by Melissa Sweet capture the wonder of discovery and the beauty of Audubon's beloved birds.

The Monkey and The Crocodile by Paul Galdone is a retelling of a classic Jataka tale from India. In this story the monkeys live in the trees, and the crocodiles live in the water. One day, a young crocodile decides he wants to eat a monkey and comes up with a plan to catch one. Through cunning tricks the two creatures try to outsmart each other, but the crocodile is no match for the clever monkey.

The Ant and the Elephant by Bill Peet tells the story of how an ant gets into trouble, but no one will help him. Soon after, the turtle, the hornbill, the giraffe, the lion, and the rhino get stuck in some tricky situations themselves after they all refuse to help each other. Thankfully, the elephant takes a stroll through the jungle and rescues each of the animals, including the ant. When the mighty big elephant finds himself in trouble the only animal to offer him help is a mighty small creature.

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey tells the story of the day Sal goes to Buck's Harbor with her dad. The first exciting thing that happens to Sal is that she finds a loose tooth right after she wakes up! Her mother explains to her that this means she is a big girl now and that she will get to make a wish on her tooth when it falls out. After breakfast, Sal gets to go down to the beach to help her father dig for clams. Sal begins telling her father about her loose tooth, then realizes it's fallen out somewhere! Though they search in the mud, Sal and her father can't find the tooth, and they head back to the house. Sal, her little sister Jane, and their father all head to Buck's Harbor. They get some groceries, fix the motor to their boat, and Sal even gets her wish for a chocolate ice-cream cone. It's a fine morning in Maine for little Sal and her family!

Amos & Boris by Willam Steig tells the story of Amos the mouse who loves the sea. One day, Amos decides to build a boat, The Rodent, and he heads out into the waves. One night, Amos is so caught up in the beauty of the sea, he rolls right off of his boat into the waves! Just when Amos is coming to believe he can't keep afloat any longer, a whale named Boris pops up and offers to take Amos home. During their journey, the mouse and the whale come to admire one another greatly and become close friends. Many years later, Boris gets caught in Hurricane Yetta and is thrown ashore where Amos lives. Amos finds his old friend stranded on the beach and is able to help Boris, just as he was helped so long ago.

Cinderella by Marcia Brown is a beautiful adaptation of the classic fairy tale by Charles Perrault. Brown's exquisite paintings bring to life the wonder and magic of the story about a mistreated girl who becomes a princess with the help of a fairy godmother and a glass slipper.

A Picture Book of Amelia Earhart by David A. Adler tells the story of Amelia Earhart. Beginning with her days as a rough and tumble school girl who wore pants instead of dresses, this picture book goes on to describe how she fell in love with flying and achieved lasting greatness. Covering events from both her personal and professional life, this picture book is an engaging introductory biography of an American heroine for younger students.

Ming Lo Moves the Mountain is the story of a man and his wife and their quest to move a troublesome mountain. Falling rocks from the peak pierce their roof, the shadow of the mount plagues their garden with darkness, and rain constantly falls from nearby clouds. But can a mere man move a mountain? Maybe the village wise man can help.

Wee Gillis by Munro Leaf is a Caldecott Honor book that tells the story of a young Scottish boy who must decide whether to be a Highlander who stalks stags or a Lowlander who raises long-haired cows. Wee Gillis spends a year in the Lowlands learning how to call the cows, and his lungs get very strong. Then, he spends a year in the Highlands learning how to hold his breath so as not to frighten the stags. This makes his lungs even stronger! When the time comes for Wee Gillis to choose whether to be a Highlander or a Lowlander he chooses to be a bagpiper instead and uses his powerful lungs to make music with the biggest bagpipes in Scotland.

The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh is a Caldecott Honor book that tells the story of the Hopkins family, their journey to America on the Mayflower, and how they and the other Pilgrims built a home in their new land with the help of the Indians.

Lucy's Christmas by Donald Hall tells the story of Lucy Wells and her family's preparations for Christmas. Lucy and her little sister Caroline begin diligently making presents that they will give away at the big church party. The family also orders a new Glenwood Kitchen Range to help them cook and keep warm throughout the winter. When the new stove arrives, Lucy's mother begins to teach her how to cook, and the family makes bags of popcorn and candy to take to the church party. The night of the party, everyone goes to the church. There, they sing hymns and read poems, and the children perform a nativity scene. When the children share their gifts, Lucy is delighted to find that she has received a miniature Glenwood stove just like the one they have at home. This delightful description of a family's Christmas celebration is accompanied by detailed illustrations that capture the spirit of the New England winter.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski tells the story of Jonathan Toomey, the village woodcarver. Toomey is always unhappy, but no one knows that he has a reason to be gloomy because of the deep sorrow he has experienced. One day, widow McDowell and her son, Thomas, come to see Toomey to commission a nativity scene. As Toomey works on the set, the widow and her son come to visit him, and Thomas watches him carve. Through their friendship and his work on the nativity figures, Toomey comes to experience the joy and hope of Christmas.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams tells the story of the velveteen rabbit who is given to a little boy at Christmas. The little rabbit lives in the nursery and is teased by the mechanical toys, but he learns from the Skin Horse what it means to be Real. The horse explains that a toy becomes Real when it is really truly loved by a child. When the boy's nurse gives him the rabbit to sleep with, the rabbit comes to love the boy, and the boy tells the rabbit he is real. However, when the boy becomes very sick with scarlet fever, the grownups must burn all of the boy's toys, including the rabbit. As he lies in a rubbish heap waiting, the nursery magic fairy appears and turns the velveteen rabbit into a truly Real Rabbit, just like he always wanted.

In The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader, the woodland animals are all getting ready for the coming winter. Groundhogs hibernate, squirrels gather nuts, rabbits grow thick fur coats, and geese fly south. After the first snows of winter, the animals come out to frolic and play. On the night after Christmas, the owl family sees a rainbow glow around the moon, and they know that much more snow is on the way.

In The Emperor's New Clothes, Hans Christian Andersen tells the story of a vain and silly emperor who is outsmarted by some clever thieves.

The Gardener is a 1997 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and a 1998 Caldecott Honor Book. It tells the story of a young girl named Lydia Grace Finch brings her love of gardening to the big city where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim when her father loses his job. Once in the city, Lydia Grace begins brightening up the neighborhood and her uncle's bakery with flowers. When Lydia Grace discovers a way up to the roof of the building, she begins working on a rooftop garden that she hopes will bring a smile to the face of her solemn Uncle Jim. Told in the form of letters and beautifully illustrated to evoke the Great Depression setting, The Gardener will delight readers of all ages as they cheer on the spunky, flower-loving heroine.

Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda tells the story of the real Saint Valentine who lived in ancient Rome and worked as a doctor, tenderly and generously caring for his patients. Valentine was also a Christian who diligently prayed for everyone he served. One day, a Roman jailer brought his daughter to Valentine and asked him to heal her of her blindness. Throughout the little girl's treatment, Valentine came to care deeply for the jailer and his daughter. When Christians throughout Rome were arrested and Valentine was condemned to death, his parting note to the jailer's daughter inspired the holiday we now celebrate as Saint Valentine's Day.

In George Washington's Breakfast by Jean Fritz, George Washington Allen loves learning about George Washington because they share the same name and the same birthday. George Washington Allen feels like he knows just about everything about George Washington until one day when he wants to know what George Washington had for breakfast. George Washington Allen heads to the library to find out. He enlists his family to help him research and read books, looking for any clue about what Washington ate for breakfast. They even take a trip to Washington's home in Mount Vernon, Virginia together! After returning from Mount Vernon without finding out what Washington ate for breakfast, the determined George Washington Allen finally finds the answer in an unlikely place.

In Farewell to Shady Glade by beloved children's author Bill Peet, the inhabitants of Shady Glade are forced to leave their home by bulldozers and construction equipment that tear down their sycamore tree and fill in their creek. The animals hop on a passing train and escape just in time! As the animals ride the train they search for a home like Shady Glade, but they don't know how they will get off the swiftly moving train. At last, the weary animals find a way off the train and discover a beautiful new home.

Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent by Bill Peet tells the story of Cyrus, a monstrous sea serpent who was not at all fierce. When a shark challenges Cyrus for being a sissy because he doesn't sink ships, Cyrus goes off in search of a ship to sink. Cyrus finds a ship, the Primrose, but instead of sinking it, Cyrus ends up following the ship and protecting it from many dangers on its ocean voyage.

In Emily by Michael Bedard, a young girl lives in the house across the street from Emily Dickinson and her sister. The reclusive woman is a mystery to everyone in the town, and she is often called "the Myth." One day, the girl's mother is invited to play piano at the yellow house where the Dickinson sisters live, and the young girl is invited to come along. The girl slips away up the stairs and gives a gift to Emily who writes her a poem in return. A copy of this authentic poem is included in the book.

The 1967 Caldecott Medal book, Sam, Bangs & Moonshine, tells the story of a fisherman's daughter named Samantha but called "Sam" who loves making things up. Her favorite story to tell is that she has a baby kangaroo, but her father tells her these stories are just "moonshine." When Sam's stories nearly end in disaster for her friend Thomas and her cat Bangs, Sam has to learn what moonshine is good moonshine, and when it's better to stick to what's real.

Island Boy by Barbara Cooney tells the story of Matthias and his life on Tibbetts Island. Even as a young child, Matthias loved his family home and the rhythm of life on Tibbets Island. Following Matthias through his youth as a sailor, his return to Tibbetts Island, his marriage, and his life as an old man, Island Boy is a celebration of simplicity, the joy of daily life, and the comforts of home.

In The Easter Egg by Jan Brett all of the bunnies are busily decorating eggs because each year the rabbit with the most beautiful egg will be asked to accompany the Easter Bunny as he hides the eggs on Easter morning. Hoppi the bunny needs ideas for his first ever Easter egg, and he hops around admiring the many beautiful eggs being made by the other bunnies. When Hoppi rests for a while under a tree to contemplate what kind of egg he should make, a robin's egg drops down in front of him. The mother robin is upset, but Hoppi promises to take care of the egg which he faithfully does. On Easter morning all of the bunnies gather to present their eggs to the Easter Bunny, but the most special egg of all is a surprise to everyone!

Ted Rand's paintings capture the drama and danger of Paul Revere's famous midnight ride in this edition of Longfellow's famous poem, "Paul Revere's Ride."

Verdi by Janell Cannon tells the story of Verdi, a small, yellow python who does not want to grow up and be big, slow, lazy, and rude like the green grownup pythons he meets. No matter how Verdi tries to avoid it, his skin continues to turn green. The silly little snake finally comes to terms with his greenness and realizes that he can be himself no matter what color he is!

The Gift of the Tree by Alvin Tresselt recounts the life and death of an oak tree in the forest and explains the ways it nourishes and provides for the forest. The story is accompanied by the lush illustrations of artist Henri Sorensen.

Based on real events that occurred in San Francisco, Maybelle the Cable Car by Virginia Lee Burton tells the story of how the people of San Francisco saved their cable cars through the democratic process. The book is a lively and joyful celebration of cable cars, the city of San Francisco, and the voice of the people. Original artwork from Burton was taken from the archives of the San Francisco Public Library in order to create this colorful and charming edition of Maybelle.

A Visit to William Blake's Inn is a collection of children's poems by Nancy Willard, each inspired by an imaginary inn run by the poet William Blake. Illustrations by Alice and Martin Provensen reflect the wit and whimsy of the rhymes as well as a deep love for William Blake's London and the poet himself.

The 4th of July Story by two-time Newbery Medal winner Alice Dalgliesh tells the story of America's birthday in plain language which children can easily understand. The illustrations by Marie Nonnast bring this exciting historical account to life for young readers.

Lucy's Summer by Donald Hall tells the story of Lucy and Caroline who live on a farm with their parents. Through the summer, the girls help their mother can, watch her make hats for the ladies in town, and see exciting new things. Lucy even has the chance to visit Boston with her mother. The unique illustrations by Michael McCurdy evoke the sense of simpler times and perfectly capture the beauty of New England Americana.

A classic tale for students everywhere! From soaring to high heights and seeing great sights to being left in a Lurch on a prickle-ly perch, Dr. Seuss addresses life’s ups and downs with his trademark humorous verse and whimsical illustrations. Oh, the Places You'll Go celebrates the future opportunities of the reader in a way that's accessible, colorful, and fun.