Skip to content

Top Navigation

Parents Parents
  • GETTING PREGNANT
  • PREGNANCY
  • BABY NAMES
  • BABY
  • TODDLER
  • BIG KID
  • FUN
  • HEALTH
  • PARENTING
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAY
  • News
  • THE STAY AT HOME GUIDE
  • SHOP
  • OUR MAGAZINES
  • MORE

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Your Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Parents

Parents Parents
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 22 Chore Ideas for Every Type of Kid

      Find a chore your kid loves to do, and start a habit of wanting to help out that'll last a lifetime. Read More Next
    • Top 5 Mom Friend Problems—And How to Fix Them

      Parenting is so much easier with good pals. Learn to overcome friendship hurdles and bond with women who get you. Read More Next
    • How to Sleep Train Toddlers and Big Kids

      I’m a pediatric sleep specialist who has seen it all, and I’m here to tell you that it’s not too late to get your child to (happily) stay in his own bed all night long. Read More Next
  • GETTING PREGNANT

    GETTING PREGNANT

    See All GETTING PREGNANT

    Your Chances of Getting Pregnant Every Day of the Month

    When sex coincides with your most fertile ovulation days, you'll increase your chances of getting pregnant. Get to know each phase of your cycle to make conception faster and easier.
    • Ovulation
    • Reproductive Age
    • Maximizing Your Fertility
    • Pre-Pregnancy Health
    • Trying to Conceive
    • Dealing With Infertility
    • Genetics
  • PREGNANCY

    PREGNANCY

    See All PREGNANCY

    Signs of Approaching Labor: How to Tell Your Baby is Coming Soon

    Anxiously awaiting your baby’s arrival? Learn to recognize the first signs of labor approaching, which signal that your little one might make an appearance soon.
    • Signs of Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Week-by-Week
    • Giving Birth
    • Labor & Delivery
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Due Date Calculator
    • Pregnancy Complications
    • Fetal Development
    • Gender Prediction
    • Baby Showers
  • BABY NAMES

    BABY NAMES

    See All BABY NAMES

    These Are the Most Popular Baby Names of 2020

    Curious which baby names stole the show this year? From new classics like Noah to tried-and-true faves like Ava, here are the top boy and girl names of the year so far, plus more naming trends to consider.
    • Baby Girl Names
    • Most Popular Names
    • Names by Origin
    • Twin Names
    • Baby Boy Names
    • Names by Religion
    • Celebrity Baby Names
    • Baby Name Quizzes
  • BABY

    BABY

    See All BABY

    How to Decode Your Baby's Cough

    Caring for a baby with a wet or dry cough? Listen for wheezing, hacking, or barking first, then read on to find out what's normal and when it's time to worry.
    • Newborn Care
    • Crying Baby
    • Health
    • Baby Development
    • Safety
    • Gear
    • Breastfeeding
    • Diapers
    • Sleep Issues
    • Feeding
    • Nursery
  • TODDLER

    TODDLER

    See All TODDLER
    • Preschool Activities
    • Behavior & Discipline
    • Toddler Development
    • Milestones
    • Potty Training
    • Starting School
    • Health
    • Safety
    • Childcare
  • BIG KID

    BIG KID

    See All BIG KID

    How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents

    Mean kids aren't just a middle-school problem. The trouble has trickled to the youngest grades. Learn how to spot it—and how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school.
    • Education
    • Health
    • Food & Nutrition
    • Bullying & School Problems
    • Child Development
    • Safety
    • Manners & Responsibility
  • FUN

    FUN

    See All FUN

    17 Budget-Friendly Kids’ Birthday Party Ideas

    A fun celebration doesn’t need to cost a pretty penny. Throw a memorable bash with these clever cost-cutting kids’ birthday party ideas.
    • Birthdays
    • Indoor Activities
    • Outdoor Activities
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Printable Coloring Pages
    • Kids' Entertainment
    • Best Toys
    • Holidays
    • Family Vacation Ideas
  • HEALTH

    HEALTH

    See All HEALTH

    All About Coronavirus COVID-19: A Concerned Parent's Guide

    Here’s everything you need to know about the disease that originated in Wuhan, China.
    • ADD & ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Autism
    • Cold & Flu
    • Coronavirus and COVID-19
    • Cough
    • Down Syndrome
    • Emergency Aid
    • Fever
    • Medication & Vitamins
    • Obesity
    • Rashes
    • Stomach Aches
    • Vaccines
  • PARENTING

    PARENTING

    See All PARENTING

    The Stay at Home Guide for Parents

    Everything you need to thrive at home as a family.
    • Positive Parenting
    • Parenting Style
    • Celebrity Parents
    • Family Dynamics
    • Divorce
    • Home
    • Adoption
    • Just for Mom
    • Money
    • Toy Recalls
    • Stroller Recalls
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    • Family Recipes
    • Baby Food
    • Toddler Finger Food Recipes
    • Hints & Tips
    • Healthy Eating
    • Birthdays
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Meals
    • Food For Pregnant Women
  • HOLIDAY

    HOLIDAY

    See All HOLIDAY

    6 Easter Egg Science Experiments for Kids

    Smarten up your annual Easter tradition with these easy, educational egg dyeing ideas.
    • Christmas
    • New Year's
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Father's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
  • News
  • THE STAY AT HOME GUIDE
  • SHOP
  • OUR MAGAZINES

    OUR MAGAZINES

    See All OUR MAGAZINES
    • Parents
    • Parents Latina
    • Ser Padres
  • MORE

    MORE

    • Newsletters
    • Contests
    • ParentsIRL
    • Adulting
    • First Year Playbook
    • Celebrate Your Way

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Your Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Fun
  3. Entertainment
  4. Books
  5. Fun Summer Reads for First and Second Graders

Fun Summer Reads for First and Second Graders

By Karen Cicero
May 24, 2016
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Shutterstock
Even when school’s out, books are still in. These titles will keep soon-to-be first- and second-graders entertained on road trips, rainy days, and whenever else they can crack open a chapter.
Start Slideshow

1 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Stuart Little

Credit: Courtesy of HarperCollins Children’s Books

By E.B. White

In this nearly 75-year-old novel—E.B. White’s first children’s book—a shy yet adventurous mouse goes to great lengths for his best friend. Valuable lesson: It’ll remind your kid what it means to be a good friend too. 

  • See More Children's Books

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

Credit: Courtesy of Penguin Young Readers

By Roald Dahl

What kid can resist a book with a marshmallow room, Golden Tickets, and cast of wacky characters, like gum-chewer Violet and TV-obessed Mike? If your child is craving more Wonka after finishing the book, watch the movie, and compare the two. 

2 of 12

3 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Once Upon an Alphabet

Credit: Courtesy of Penguin Young Readers

By Oliver Jeffers

In this gorgeous book from the illustrator of the best-seller The Day the Crayons Quit, each letter gets its own short story. Read one every couple of days throughout the summer and ask your child to write down words that begin or end with that letter. 

3 of 12

Advertisement

4 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Mercy Watson to the Rescue

Credit: Courtesy of Candlewick Books

By Kate DiCamillo

Ideal for kids who are just starting to read chapter books, this story is the first of a series of adventures for the much-loved pig.  

4 of 12

5 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Year of Billy Miller

Credit: Courtesy of HarperCollins Children’s Books

By Kevin Henkes

Your child will be able to relate to Billy’s sibling squabbles, diorama projects, and friendships in the second grade. 

5 of 12

6 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Frog & Toad Are Friends

Credit: Courtesy of HarperCollins Children’s Books

By Arnold Lobel

The unlikely BFFs hop along through four enchanting short stories, looking for buttons, waiting for mail, swimming, and doing other day-to-day relatable things. It’s one of the best early-reader books of all time!

  • See More Books for Kids

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Dory Fantasmagory

Credit: Courtesy of Penguin Young Readers

By Abby Hanlon

Great for kids with older brothers and sisters, this book focuses on a quirky 6-year-old who entices her older sibs to play with her—and eventually wins their respect. 

7 of 12

8 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

Credit: Courtesy of Penguin Young Readers

By Joe Scieszka 

Your child will be laughing along with these silly twists on fairy tales, like Little Red Running Shorts who beats the wolf to grandma’s house. Ask your child how she’d change a classic story to make it funny. 

8 of 12

9 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell

Credit: Courtesy of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

By Tanya Lee Stone

This picture-book biography about the first female doctor in America will spark a lot of questions about gender equality. After all, most kids don’t realize there was a time when a woman couldn’t be a doctor.

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Don’t Throw It to Mo!

Credit: Courtesy of Penguin Young Readers 

By David Adler

The sentences are simple, but the plot is still interesting, in this 32-page early reader about a boy who loves playing football.

10 of 12

11 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover

Credit: Courtesy of Candlewick Books

By Cece Bell

This short chapter book focuses on the silly tale of two friends with different personalities. 

11 of 12

12 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Fun Summer Reading for All Ages

Credit: Shutterstock

*Fun Summer Reads for Third and Fourth Graders

*Fun Summer Reads for Fifth and Sixth Graders

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 12 Stuart Little
2 of 12 Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
3 of 12 Once Upon an Alphabet
4 of 12 Mercy Watson to the Rescue
5 of 12 The Year of Billy Miller
6 of 12 Frog & Toad Are Friends
7 of 12 Dory Fantasmagory
8 of 12 The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
9 of 12 Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell
10 of 12 Don’t Throw It to Mo!
11 of 12 Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover
12 of 12 Fun Summer Reading for All Ages

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Parents

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • From Our Sponsors this link opens in a new tab
  • Affiliate Program this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Parents.com is part of the Parents Network. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.parents.com

View image

Fun Summer Reads for First and Second Graders
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.