2024 Summer Reading: Grades 2 - 3 Book List

A very unlucky kid navigates the many challenges of the first day of school in the first book in The Very Worst Ever chapter book series! [REDACTED] keeps his name and school secret--even hiding his appearance behind stickers. Why? Because his bad luck is super embarrassing! It's the first day at a new school, and this fresh new start means absolutely no one knows just how unlucky he is. But after missing his school bus, getting lost looking for his classroom, and getting smacked in the face with a basketball, he quickly realizes he is doomed forever. Luckily, some new friends might just help him make it through the worst first day ever!

Lana loves stories, especially the ones she and her brother, Harrison, share in their make-believe games. But when Harrison decides he's too grown-up to play with Lana anymore, she's too lonely to find the wonder in storytelling...until something magical happens. Lana discovers a portal to a fairy tale world hidden in the strange new supermarket in town! But these aren't the happy-ever-after fairy tales that Lana knows--they are darker and more dangerous, and the characters need Lana's help to defeat an evil witch. But she can't do it alone. Can she convince Harrison to believe in stories again and journey to the world with her before it's too late?

Sparrow Robinson loves to dance and leap around. She loves cats. She has a million questions about the world, and she's not afraid to ask them. But she's just moved to a new town and a new school, and her busy parents have no time for her to get "carried away." Suddenly, she feels totally out of place. Sparrow's favorite thing in all this newness is her neighbor, Mrs. LaRose, who has seven cats and always has cookies and lemonade to share. But after Mrs. LaRose breaks her hip, she decides to move into assisted living--where the cats aren't allowed! Sparrow has to help. Determined to find new homes for the cats, Sparrow forgets about her own troubles--but her quest just might be the key to Sparrow finding a home for herself in this town, too.

When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change. Evan and his best friend Rafe quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself.

Meet the Bin family, a trio of raccoons in the risky business of dumpster diving for all their needs. With Dusty's brains, ReRe's muscle, and Scraps's gadgets (please don't tell him he's almost definitely an opossum), the Binses are determined to leave no garbage bin unturned in their pursuit of the tastiest, most delicious trash they can find. When the family discovers a new upscale grocery store that's throwing away their perfectly good food at the end of each day, the Binses hatch a heist so daring it'll have them rolling in garbage all winter long. But a critter-despising CEO, Jeff Beans, and the high-tech defense system he's installed means liberating that trash is going to take all the skills the Racc Pack have...and maybe some help from a cat burglar with a mysterious past.

Down at the bottom of the tall buildings of New York City, Magnolia Wu sits inside her parents' laundromat. She has pinned every lost sock from the laundromat onto a bulletin board, in hopes that customers will return to retrieve them. But no one seems to have noticed. In fact, barely anyone has noticed Magnolia at all. What she doesn't know is that this is about to be her most exciting summer yet. When Iris, a new friend from California arrives, they set off across the city to solve the mystery of each missing sock, asking questions in subways and delis and plant stores and pizzerias, meeting people and uncovering the unimaginable. With each new encounter, Magnolia learns that when you're bold enough to head into the unknown, things start falling into place.

Eleven-year-old Ruby is a Black girl who loves studying insects and would do just about anything to be an entomologist, much to the grossed-out dismay of her Gramma. Ruby knows everything there is to know about insects so when she finds the weirdest bug she's ever seen in her front yard, she makes sure no one is looking and captures it for further study. But then Ruby realizes that the creature isn't just a regular bug. And it has promptly burned a hole through her window and disappeared. Soon, random things around the neighborhood go missing, and no one's heard from the old lady down the street for a week. Ruby and her friends will have to recover the strange bug before the feds do. Ruby is the science hero we've all been waiting for!

Mr. Whiskers is a street-wise stray dog with a nose for trouble and a fondness for two girls he calls the Shenanigan Sisters. So when Misty and Zelda's professor father is kidnapped, Mr. Whiskers follows that car, picking up vital clues. Then the two intrepid girls and one great dog follow the trail through the streets of San Francisco, discovering hidden passageways, buried secrets, and even pirate treasure. But will they be able to rescue Dad? You bet your best biscuit, they will!

What happens when the world's biggest cat video star gets accused of a crime she didn't commit? She becomes a cat on the run, that's what. But how do you avoid capture and prove your innocence when you are the most famous feline on the planet? Well, it ain't easy. Follow Princess Beautiful -- for that is her name -- as she goes from meme megastar #1 to public enemy #1 and cheer her on as she fights to clear her name. Is she a super villain? An internet-famous buffoon? Or a butt-kicking gal who's just been seriously underestimated? YOU be the judge...

Think your wildest wish can't come true? Just wait! It's his first day at a new school, and Stanley wishes he could disappear. He can hardly believe it when, after a big spill at the science fair, POOF! Stanley is invisible! It's awesome! He can do anything he wants, and no one will know! But Stanley isn't the only one who turned invisible. The inventor of the potion is not happy about the accident and takes his anger out on kids all over town. Stanley wants to use his power for good . . . which means going up against the one person who can make him visible again. Get ready for a battle of the ages.

Johannes, a free dog, lives in an urban park by the sea. His job is to be the Eyes--to see everything that happens within the park and report back to the park's elders, three ancient Bison. His friends--a seagull, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a pelican--work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure the Equilibrium is in balance. But changes are afoot. More humans, including Trouble Travelers, arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats--an actual boatload of goats--who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes's view of the world.

Orris the rat lives alone in an old barn surrounded by his treasures, until the day his solitude is disrupted by a sudden flutter of wings and a loud screech. A small owl has gotten caught in a trap in the barn. Can Orris "make the good and noble choice" (as the king on his prized sardine can might recommend) and rescue the owl, despite the fact that owls and rats are natural enemies? And if he does, will he be ready for the consequences?

Stacy and her intelligent pack of wolves live in harmony together in a forest cave. But when their friend Milo the bat brings news that a baby ocelot is in danger and needs to be returned to its family, Stacy and Basil must hurry to the jungle biome in order to save the day! After tracking the lost ocelot, they discover it's trapped in a long-lost tower that's full of obstacles, traps, and dangerous creatures. Will Stacy and her wolf Basil rescue the ocelot before it's too late.

Can YOU tell a butt from a face? Discover fascinating facts about animals with this hilarious guessing game picture book! Butt or Face offers kids a delightfully cheeky challenge: examine a close-up photo of an animal, and then guess whether you're looking at the top or the...um...bottom. The answer is revealed on the next page with a complete photo of the animal! Also included are factual animal details along with how these animals use camouflage or other trickery to engage with their home.

Without a kitchen, plates, or cups, eating in space isn't easy. When food floats (and so do you), remember: 1. Be patient: Preparing a meal without gravity's help takes time. 2. Avoid crumbs: They get everywhere! 3. Clean up after yourself: Today's stray snack could become tomorrow's smelly surprise. Once you learn the dos and don'ts, you'll be eating like an astronaut in no time!

What do we know about clouds? There are three basic types: stratus, cumulus, and cirrus. Some are fleecy and fair-weathered while others portend storms. But clouds are more than pretty or ominous backdrops. They're the vehicle of water between sea and land, land and sea, in a cycle without end or beginning. They are the writing of the wind on the sky, a language all their own. Bringing the soft edges of clouds and the natural world to vivid life with a new, more fluid approach to her signature cut-paper technique, Nikki McClure inspires true emotional engagement with the world we all share.

Hot diggity dog! Meet Pluto! The runt of a litter of eight planets. Pluto may not be the biggest or fastest planet to revolve around the Sun, but it has a unique story to tell. From the tale of how it was found by humans to its naming as a dwarf planet, it's Pluto's turn to take the spotlight and properly re-introduce itself.

Oona Bramblegoop is a Newbie fairy, and she's determined to do big things, especially if they can impress her idol, the Tooth Fairy. There's just one problem- Oona's magic never goes quite how she planned. Oona's protection spells work great, but only if you don't mind getting a wedgie from a pair of magical underwear. And don't even mention the smell disaster that resulted from her first fire spell . . . yikes! Good thing Oona is creative, and she never gives up, no matter how surprising her magic gets.

REMY spends his days trying to survive the mean streets of Cutthroat Wedge--one of the many islands floating in the gravitational pull of the magical Maelstrom raging below. But his life changes forever when a violent storm brings a baby dragon to his doorstep, and he feels a bond he has never felt with anyone. Remy names the dragon Storm and vows to protect this new friend, no matter the cost. GEM longs for the day when she call herself a true mage. That is, if she can convince her teachers and peers that just because she's a princess doesn't mean she's lazy and spoiled. But when Gem learns that the floating islands that make up her kingdom are rapidly sinking into the Maelstrom, she makes it her mission to save her world.

Princesses don't break the rules, but they may rewrite them...Every girl dreams of going to the Fine and Ancient Institute for the Royal to learn how to be a princess. But Dalia and Dominga could not be any less enchanted. They are different...the same kind of different. Neither of them wants to be the fairest of them all. They want to join a secret society of villains at the Bewitched Academy of the Dreadful. So, they've devised the perfect plot to ruin the first day of class. It will be the rottenest scheme of all. Something so perfectly awful, so fantastically horrible, so wonderfully wicked that they'll surely get their invitations to the BAD.

It's the summer before fifth grade, and for Ferris Wilkey, it is a summer of sheer pandemonium: Her little sister, Pinky, has vowed to become an outlaw. Uncle Ted has left Aunt Shirley and, to Ferris's mother's chagrin, is holed up in the Wilkey basement to paint a history of the world. And Charisse, Ferris's grandmother, has started seeing a ghost at the threshold of her room, which seems like an alarming omen given that she is also feeling unwell. But the ghost is not there to usher Charisse to the Great Beyond. Rather, she has other plans--wild, impractical, illuminating plans. How can Ferris satisfy a specter with Pinky terrorizing the town, Uncle Ted sending Ferris to spy on her aunt, and her father battling an invasion of raccoons? As Charisse likes to say, "Every good story is a love story."

Simon's family is always on the move. Every few months, they load up their van, "Vincent Van Go," and set off for a new adventure. According to his dad, you can't live an extraordinary life by staying in one place. But all Simon wants is to settle down, so he's hatched a plan: to make their latest apartment in the Tangerine Pines building his forever home. When a priceless necklace is stolen, clues indicate the thief might actually be another neighbor. Simon worries he'll have to move again if the thief isn't caught. He usually doesn't go looking for trouble, but if retrieving the necklace means establishing home, Simon is willing to risk it. With the help of his neighbor Amaya, pet sitter, plant-waterer, and podcaster extraordinaire, Simon is determined to crack the case and finally put down roots.

Lincoln and Hudson Dupré are brothers with what grown-ups call "active imaginations." Link and Hud hunt for yetis in the Himalayas and battle orcs on epic quests. Unfortunately, their imaginary adventures wreak havoc in their real world. Dr. and Mrs. Dupré have tried every babysitter in the neighborhood and are at their wits' end. Enter Ms. Joyce. Strict and old-fashioned, she proves to be a formidable adversary. The boys don't like her or her rules and decide she's got to go. Through a series of escalating events--told as high-action comic panel sequences--the brothers conspire to undermine Ms. Joyce and get her fired. When they go so big that even Ms. Joyce can't fix it, suddenly she's out. Finally, success! Or is it?

In this colorful graphic novel, the Fry Guys--a team of three French fries--must do whatever it takes to defend their home against an invasion of evil UFO-nion Rings. ZZZAT! Ketchup blast. Ah, good grease. Waffle has always dreamed about adventure outside her small town of Spudtown, Idaho. But as it turns out, adventure was dreaming of her, too. One day, Waffle's hometown is invaded by evil UFO-nion Rings. They're big. They're greasy. And they're ready to take all the fries back to their lair. It's up to Waffle and her best buddies, Curly and Sweets, to put an end to the UFO-nion Rings' rampage. That is . . . if they can! This graphic novel is fun for everyone--unless you're an evil UFO-nion Ring, of course.

Crime doesn't pay in Caper Cove with Officer Clawsome and his partner, Stariana, on the case. Just ask the notorious Catburglarfish—she'll confirm. But when the beloved bakery Kelpy's Kelpcakes goes missing and rumors begin swirling about shark sightings for the first time in a hundred years, the duo is about to find themselves claw-deep in a mystery for the ages. Will this dynamic duo save the day yet again, or have the citizens of Caper Cove eaten their last Kelpcake...for good?

Drake, Li, and Runa are three young dragons in Ember City, where a dragon's spark is their special power and every dragon's spark is unique. Ember is a city that burns brightest when its citizens use their sparks to help each other and their community. The more they use their spark, the brighter Ember City glows and provides for all its dragons. Can Drake, Li, and Runa learn to get along after uncovering their powers?

Cordelia is a girl who lives in a tree in Central Park. Found as a baby and raised by an adoring squirrel named Shakespeare, Cordelia acts just like any other young squirrel, leaping across treetops, chasing her squirrel friends, and sleeping in her treehouse. Still, she wonders what it would be like to have a human friend, and when she stumbles into a gymnastics class, it seems like she might have her chance. Living in a tree might have made Cordelia an exceptional gymnast, but people skills are a whole other matter. Even if Cordelia can't fully fit in with the other kids, can she at least make one friend? Cordelia starts her journey to be--not exactly a girl, but more than a squirrel--squirlish!

Shake is nothing like Shermy. And Shermy is nothing like Shake. As the two boys are forced to spend more and more time together, will they learn how to get along? Or will it be one long countdown until Shake goes home?

Julia would much rather be in the pool than sitting behind the counter of Sushi on the Go! watching other people swim. She's the youngest swimmer on the team, but definitely not the slowest. Julia can't wait for Personal Best Day - the most important day for all of the swimmers. If their times are good enough, they can enter a big regional swim meet. But then the worst thing happens. A sharp pain in Julia's ear reveals an infection and she's forbidden to swim for ten days. How can she get timed during Personal Best Day when she's not allowed in the water?

Ten-year-old Ben Cutler loves everything about soccer! He's got a great team, and they have the best pre-game chants and half-time jokes. He and his best friend, Jay-Jay, even invent dances for when they score a goal! And Ben is good at soccer. Like REALLY good. Too good for a casual rec team. Soon, he's recruited for a travel team.

Emma McKenna can't wait for third grade at the brand-new Curiosity Academy. She'll have a cool teacher who wears high-tops and science earrings. She'll meet interesting classmates from all over Peppermint Falls. Best of all, she'll get a fresh start after last year's talent-show disaster left her with that awful nickname. It's going to be the best year ever! Then Lucy walks into Mrs. Z's room. Lucy, Emma's best-friend-turned-enemy. Lucy, who gave Emma that nickname and spread it all over school! Emma's fresh start is doomed . . . unless she can make friends before Lucy ruins everything.

Jose loves his family- his Papi, Mami, and little sister, Sofi. But something is missing-he dreams of having a dog, un perro of his own. Finally Jose gets to pick el perro perfecto, the perfect dog, from a shelter. But when he tries out commands like " Sientate!" (sit) and " chate!" (lie down), his new pet simply tilts his head to the side in confusion. Then he realizes that the dog does understand commands-he just doesn't understand Spanish!