logo
menu

Home » Blog » Book Recommendations » Must-read Books for 2nd-grade Kids


Must-read Books for 2nd-grade Kids

Reading is a big deal for kids in the second grade. By this time, many have mastered the basics of phonics and sounding out words. They’re moving toward fluency. By providing your second graders an assortment of wonderful books, such as the four listed below, you can encourage their growing literacy skills.

1. For Independent Readers: Owl at Home

While every child is different, most second graders have a Lexile measure that falls somewhere between 420L and 650L. To help your new reader feel successful with books, offer texts that are right at her current level. Arnold Lobel’s Owl at Home has a Lexile measure of 490L. For many second graders, that’s right on target.


Owl at Home

(Available on LightSail)

2. To Inspire Projects: The Railway Children

Second-grade kids love bringing stories to life. You can encourage them to dive headfirst into a book and have as much fun with it as they possibly can. For example, The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit may send your readers into a flurry of train-related activity. They might want to watch train videos, paint pictures of trains, and explore a “History of Railroads” timeline.

The Railway Children

(Available with your LightSail subscription)

3. To Expand Your Family’s Horizons: A Ceiling Made of Eggshells

Your second grader may become more interested in different times and places. You can help satisfy that curiosity with books set in other cultures or bygone eras. Try A Ceiling Made of Eggshells by Gail Carson Levine. This story will introduce your reader to a 15th-century Jewish community in Spain.

A Ceiling Made of Eggshells

(Available on LightSail)

4. To Share Together: Understood Betsy

Even though your second-grade student is becoming an accomplished reader, reading aloud to him is still a great choice. Read-alouds boost a listener’s vocabulary and his appreciation for the cadence of beautiful literature. Together, you and your child can get to know nine-year-old orphan Elizabeth Ann as you share chapter after chapter of Dorothy Canfield’s Understood Betsy.


Understood Betsy

(Available with your LightSail subscription)

LightSail puts these books and more in your second grader’s hands. Turn to LightSail for Lexile-leveled books as well as encyclopedia entries, kid-friendly videos, audio tales, and other must-have digital resources for second grade.

sign up for homeschool literacy program

Posted on 9.Sep.21 in Book Recommendations

Money back

Our 90 day money back guarantee

30 Minutes a Day + 5 Days a Week + 3 Months = GUARANTEE your child’s independent reading level will improve.*

We're here to help!

Find answers to frequently asked questions or contact us for more support.

You can email us at

How do I know what books are right for my child?

LightSail takes the guesswork out of choosing books for your child by tailoring each child’s library to their precise reading level.

By honing in on a child’s precise Lexile reading score, LightSail can match them with books that are at that “just-right” level to promote optimal reading progress.

And because LightSail contains such a wide-ranging array of content, there is always a vast selection of books for any topic or interest.

What ages/grades is LightSail for?

LightSail’s Premium and Standard subscriptions are designed for children in grades 3 through 12 (ages 8-18).

We also have a World Book Kids subscription for grades 1 through 2 (ages 5-7) and a World Book Early Learners subscription for PreK through K (ages 2-5).

Is LightSail different from an Amazon Kindle or other e-readers?

Unlike static e-readers, LightSail doesn’t just offer children books.

Every book and article in LightSail contains 6 layers of added features that let your child experience books.

By adapting to a child’s precise reading ability, offering them content that is at that “just-right” reading level to promote literacy growth, and providing a fully customizable, rewarding reading experience, LightSail unlocks the magic of reading in ways no physical book or static e-reader can.

What types of parental control do I have over my child’s activity and content?

In short, complete control.

LightSail contains an entire suite of parental control features that govern every aspect of the platform from video viewing, to chats, to what content can be seen and accessed.

Additionally, LightSail’s revolutionary ChildSafe Content Controls lets parents screen and block content according to dozens of nuanced subcategories based on maturity factors, family values, and religious topics.

How can I make reading fun for my child?

LightSail incorporates gamification features into every aspect of the platform, especially reading!

By integrating badges, goals and milestones, social sharing options, motivational messages, and the ability for parents to add customizable gift rewards, LightSail incentivizes reading, writing, and learning just like kids’ favorite games.

Contact us