Book Talks: 2nd Grade

Future scientist Kimmy eagerly shares information about dinosaurs during a school field trip until classmate Jake tells her "girls aren't scientists," but Mr. Tiffin sets her straight. [print | e-book]

An enthusiastic bee-loving narrator tries to convince a bee-phobic friend that our fuzzy, flying neighbors are our friends—we should all give bees a chance! [print | e-book]

Before you finish reading this sentence, trillions upon trillions of neutrinos will have passed through your body. Not sure what a neutrino is? Get an up-close-and-personal introduction in this dazzling picture book from MIT Kids Press, told in lilting rhyme from the neutrino’s point of view and filled with mind-bending, full-bleed illustrations that swirl and splash the cosmos to life. Some of the smallest bits of matter known to exist—and they exist everywhere—neutrinos are inspiring cutting-edge and Nobel Prize–winning research. [print | ebook]

Move over, humans! We're not the only creatures who can invent and use tools to keep ourselves fed, warm, safe, healthy, comfortable--even entertained. Thanks to the careful observations of biologists working in the field, we now know that elephants use sunscreen, long-tailed macaques floss their teeth, assassin bugs use bait to lure their prey, orangutans make pillows, and crows will go sledding just for fun. Who's the clever one now, eh? [print]

Before Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin made the same choice. She insisted on standing up--or in her case, sitting down--for what was right, and in doing so, fought for equality, fairness, and justice. [print | ebook]

Around the world, bridges, tunnels, and highways are constantly being built to help people get from one place to another. But what happens when construction spreads over, under, across, and through animal habitats? Thankfully, groups of concerned citizens, scientists, engineers, and construction crews have come together to create wildlife crossings to help keep animals safe. From elk traversing a wildlife bridge across a Canadian interstate to titi monkeys using rope bridges over a Costa Rican road to salamanders creeping through tiny tunnels beneath a Massachusetts street, young readers are certain to be delighted and inspired by these ingenious solutions that are saving the lives of countless wild animals. [print | ebook]

Welcome to the wild world of pandas! In this intro to the species, youngsters discover where on Earth this bear lives, what it eats, how big it grows, and how it communicates. Cool photos of adorable panda cubs and panda relatives bring the creatures into full focus. After learning the basics, young readers will discover why pandas need our help and what people around the world are doing to help save them. [print | ebook]

Learn how Messi keeps his body fit for the game, what his life is like off the pitch, and more. [print]

An informative introduction to the weirdest, wildest, pinkest creatures in the animal kingdom.
[print | e-book]

Learn how Messi keeps his body fit for the game, what his life is like off the pitch, and more. [print]

The Bad Seed is in a good mood...for once. That's because there's a really cool book at the library available for checkout. The Bad Seed reads, and reads, until the book can't be read anymore. But suddenly, he gets bad news: The book must be returned to the library so another seed can enjoy it. Will the bad seed return to his baaaaaad ways and keep the book? Pick up this really cool book to find out! [print | ebook | eaudiobook]

Raymond is a brave, strong and hairy buffalo. Gilbert is a quiet, growing and not-at-all hairy boy. Raymond is the hero of Gilbert's favorite book, and Gilbert brings his favorite book everywhere. When an unfortunate incident separates the two, Raymond finds himself in a very unusual situation--outside of his book and loose in the local library! There's nothing for Raymond to do but wait for Gilbert to come find him. But as the days turn into months and months into years, Raymond has to be brave and make a new home in the library shelves and a new friend in the librarian, Nicole. [print | ebook]

Think dragons exist only in fairy tales? Think again! Meet huge komodo dragons, flying lizards, and all sorts of amazing creatures that really are stranger than fiction. Adult and child readers will learn all about fierce and funny REAL dragons together. [print]

Bessie Lee might be the teeniest in her first-grade class, but with the tap-tap-tap of her wand, some glitter, and a little magic . . . she's going to dazzle the crowds to win the school talent show. But when a trick goes disastrously wrong, Rufus, the class hamster, disappears! Can Bessie find a way to bring him back in time? Or is Rufus truly gone forever? [print]

Wilson is a curious sheep, and after he foolishly climbs into the back of a piano movers' truck, he ends up alone in the big city, far from the farm. But Wilson is also one smart sheep, and soon enough he's finding his way home to his worried owner by recognizing the sounds that he heard while he was trapped in the truck—a jackhammer, a calliope, a hotdog man. And could that be the excited barking of his friend Tippy, the border collie? [print | ebook]

Nova, Duke, Harley, and Peanut have never won Best in Show... which is okay with them! But they have to work together to pass their Agility Exam, because either the whole pack passes or the whole pack fails. Nova has convinced her pals to train, but on her practice course, Duke is afraid to climb the high ramp. Harley keeps chasing squirrels, and Peanut can't make it through the hoops. Nova's not doing much better - she's so excited she keeps knocking the whole course over! Will the pups make the grade, or are they doomed to be Underdogs forever? [print | ebook | audiobook]

Sydney is a skunk and Taylor is a hedgehog, but no matter how odd the pairing may seem, their friendship comes naturally. They live happily in their cozy burrow . . . until the day Taylor gets his Big Idea to go see the Whole Wide World. From mountains taller than a hundred hedgehogs, valleys wider than a thousand skunks, to the dangers that lie in the human world, Sydney and Taylor wanted to see it all. With a map and a dream, they bravely set off, soon discovering that the world is much bigger than they realized . . . [print]

One imaginative girl and her magic notebook: Polly and her magic book, Spell, have all kinds of adventures together because whatever Polly writes in Spell comes true! But when Polly and Spell join forces to make the school fair super spectacular, they quickly discover that what you write and what you mean are not always the same. [print | ebook]

Baron von Bubbles, a.k.a "Bub," is the self-proclaimed cutest pug on the planet! Things he loves: fashion, peanut butter, and his human, Bella. Things he does NOT love: Nutz the squirrel, baths, and the rain. When Bella enters the Inventor Challenge, Bub helps her craft the best project ever. But what happens when Nutz gets on Bub's nerves and makes him ruin Bella's project? If Bub wants to make it up to Bella, he'll have to stand up to Nutz -- and the rain -- once and for all. [print]

Mary's new in town and worried about starting classes at a new school. So her mom called the Helper Hounds--and that is why Sparkplug, the wildly handsome, wickedly smart, world famous Helper Hound is on the scene. Includes fun facts and information about the mixed dog breed, Border collie and Bernese mountain dog. [print | e-book]

Sadiq's third grade class decides that they want a classroom pet, and their teacher, Ms. Battersby, is okay with the idea, so the students form a club to decide what kind of pet to get, and to research how to take care of it. [print | e-book]

Jasmine makes a wish for a pet flamingo on the special daruma doll her grandmother sent from Japan, then sets out to prove herself responsibile enough for a pet. [print | e-book]

On the last day of second grade, twins Finn and Molly discover a magical camper in their driveway that takes them from Ohio to Colorado, where they must save a famous cow. [print | e-book]

Two pugs. One beloved toy bunny. What could go wrong? Sunny's new little sister, Rosy, is getting her paws into everything. When Rosy takes Sunny's favorite toy, Mr. Bunny, and loses him, Sunny is barking mad. [print | e-book]

Perodia is threatened by Thorn, a powerful vulture, who is using magic to spread a terrible darkness--but when a young owl named Tag, and his best friend, the squirrel Skyla, rescue a golden egg from Thorn's Tiger bats they may have found the key to Perodia's salvation: the last firehawk, guardian of the ember stone. [print | e-book]

Mindy Kim wants to fit in at her new school, but her favorite lunch leads to scorn, then a thriving business, and finally big trouble. [print]

When supernatural things start happening in the house timid Andres and his parents just moved into, next-door-neighbor Desmond Cole, eight, comes to the rescue. [print | e-book]

When Rosie Revere's Uncle Ned gets a little carried away wearing his famous helium pants, it's up to Ada and friends to chase him down. As Uncle Ned floats farther and farther away, Ada starts asking lots of questions: How high can a balloon float? Is it possible for Uncle Ned to float into outer space? And what's the best plan for getting him down? [print | e-book | audiobook]

When a storm separates Hedgehog from her lifelong friend, Mutty, she bravely sets out to find him and makes some very good new friends in the process. [print | e-book]

In this compilation of four separately published books, Pakistani American second grader Yasmin learns to cope with the small problems of school and home, while gaining confidence in her own skills and creative abilities. [print]

Rat brothers Louie and Ralphie Ratso try to prove they can be as rough and tough as their father in the Big City, but every time they try to show how tough they are, they end up accidentally doing good deeds instead. [print | e-book]

When the squirrel Tail comes barreling into the chicken coop ranting about a round, shiny, green, big, scary thing in the yard, Dirt, Sweetie, Poppy, and Sugar investigate this strange object. [print]

Marisol Rainey’s mother was born in the Philippines. Marisol’s father works and lives part-time on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. And Marisol, who has a big imagination and likes to name inanimate objects, has a tree in her backyard she calls Peppina . . . but she’s way too scared to climb it. This all makes Marisol the only girl in her small Louisiana town with a mother who was born elsewhere and a father who lives elsewhere (most of the time)—the only girl who’s fearful of adventure and fun. Will Marisol be able to salvage her summer and have fun with Jada, her best friend? Maybe. Will Marisol figure out how to get annoying Evie Smythe to leave her alone? Maybe. Will Marisol ever get to spend enough real time with her father? Maybe. Will Marisol find the courage to climb Peppina? Maybe.
[print | e-book | playaway]

After an embarrassing incident on his school field trip, Sam is determined to prove that he is not afraid of ghosts. [print | e-book]

The students of Room 26 are doing reports about the jobs they want to have when they grow up—and Humphrey the classroom pet hamster helps aspiring magician Miranda show the class about her own dream job. [print | e-book]

Blue, Barry, and Pancakes are best friends! They love funky music, penguins that wear hats, and going on BIG adventures! One day, Barry convinces Blue and Pancakes to enter an epic sundae-making contest. Blue and Pancakes just want to have fun, but Barry is in it to WIN IT. He knows exactly how he’s going to get the trophy, but it’s going to be dangerous. It’ll take sacrifice. He might even lose his pals along the way… Like all friends, Blue, Barry, and Pancakes can make mistakes... but at the end of the day, they always have each other’s backs. And tops, and sides, and fronts, too! [print | ebook]

When Shelby gets a letter from Fred the hermit crab claiming that all the shells are missing from the beach, she and Watts are just the duo to help him. With Shelby's deductive skills and Watts's scientific knowledge, there's no case the two of them can't solve--one environmental mystery at a time! [print | ebook]

Cranky Chicken is, well, cranky. With one cranky eyebrow, cranky eyes, and even cranky, scratchy feet. But then one day, Cranky meets a very friendly worm named Speedy who wants nothing more than to be friends. Young readers will love seeing the mismatched friendship grow over the course of three charming and laugh-out-loud short adventures as Chicken and Speedy become BFFs (Best Feathered Friends) and Speedy shows Chicken how to look on the bright side. [print | ebook]

Melly loves to play games. All her feline friends want to do, though, is take a nap. So when she doesn't leave them alone, the cats trick her into burying a shoe in the backyard. But the small prank turns into a big problem when Melly falls down the hole . . . and is magically transports her to another world! Melly lands smack-dab in the middle of a scuffle between a group of knights and a huge monster. But Melly soon befriends the grumpy giant, learning he isn't as scary as he seems. He's being hunted by a greedy king. One who has also been stealing from his people and locking them up in the dungeons. So although Melly is desperate to find a way back home to Mama and Papa (her human owners), she makes it her mission to help her new friend and the kingdom. But how could someone so tiny defeat such a powerful king? It may just take a game that only Melly can win. [print | ebook]

Welcome to the world of Simon and Chester, ghost and boy duo extraordinaire. They like to kick butt and take names. They don't like chores. They are best friends. And they are about to solve the MYSTERY OF A LIFETIME. (Oh, and eat some snacks probably.) [print]

Paige loves facts! She records interesting information in her facts journal and shares it with anyone who will listen. Wombats’ poop is cube-shaped! Her street’s buildings have seventy-three windows. And a boy named Penn lives next door. The two couldn’t be more different. The craziest thing Paige believes is that bananas are actually berries (scientifically proven!), but Penn thinks there’s a monster in the neighborhood! Paige will prove Penn wrong and that monsters aren’t real, one fact at a time. [print | ebook]

It's Wednesday! Which means it's time for Jim Panzee's weekly Wednesday walk. He wakes up, stretches a little, grabs his stress orange, and sets off. Jim's favorite part of the walk is the blissful silence. When he's alone, he can hear all the jungle sounds. Until . . . his best buddy, Norman, decides to join him. And before he knows it, Jim is followed by every animal in the jungle. It's all just too much. Now Jim and his not-so-helpful friends are on a quest across the jungle to find another stress orange before it is too late!
[print | e-book]

Nugget is a chicken nugget. Dog is a hot dog. They are friends, and they like ketchup. Their town of Gastropolis is a peaceful place...until a spicy mustard packet named Dijon Mustard tries to make everyone grumpy. Nugget and Dog want to help, so they start a K.E.T.C.H.U.P. club, standing for Kind, Empathetic, Thoughtful, Courageous, Helpful, Unique, and Powerful. Can Nugget and Dog save the day with ketchup and kindness? [print]

Belly and Norma are the best of squirrels . . . or so they think! After discovering donuts for the first time, they are determined to get some for themselves, even if they have to outsmart the food truck driver to do it! [print | e-book]

Peter and Ernesto are sloths, friends, and nothing alike, so Ernesto decides to go off on an adventure alone. Will the pals' separation tear them apart or bring them closer together? [print]

Jay wants to get a photo of Bigfoot while on a camping trip and Sass the Sasquatch and her curious forest friends are playing practical jokes on the campers, but when Jay falls into a rushing river, Sass saves his life and the pair become friends. [print]

Ara is the odd turtle out in his family, preferring his rock collection to new or wild adventures—until he meets Baeoh, a confident tiger who practices martial arts. Unsure if he has what it takes to join Baeoh's taekwondo team, Ara must learn how to come out of his shell, persist through failure, and accept the help of his new friends to complete the Tiger Fitness Challenge. [print | e-book]