18 Fantastic Chapter Book Series for 2nd Graders

Your 2nd graders will love these 17 fantastic chapter book series to keep them hooked on reading.

(If you want to see all my book reviews for 2nd graders, visit this page.)

18 Fantastic Chapter Book Series for 2nd Graders

 Bird and Squirrel on Ice by James Burks
HUMOR / GRAPHIC NOVEL
In this hysterical graphic novel book series, Bird’s over-confident, laissez-faire character pairs perfectly with Squirrel’s logical, fearful one. In this first book, the duo crash land in the Penguin world where Bird is thought to be the “Chosen One” meant to save the penguins from the Great Whale.

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive! by Jack Chabert, illustrated by Sam Ricks
CREEPY
Sam isn’t thrilled about becoming hall monitor. Especially when he discovers that the school is ALIVE and trying to harm he and the other students. Sam has quite a wild adventure trying to save the students from the school. If your child loves spooky and scary, this is a great series for them.

Zoey and Sassafras Dragons and Marshmallows #1 by Asia Citro, illustrated by Marion Lindsay
SCIENCE / FANTASY
Kids love these entertaining and well-written stories that have the coolest mix of science and magic, a diverse main character, and fantastic illustrations. Zoey, like her mom, can see magical creatures and is tasked to care for any injured creatures that might need help. In this story, she uses her science skills (including research and the scientific method) to figure out how to care for a sick baby dragon.

Jessica Finch in Pig Trouble (Judy Moody and Friends) by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Erwin Madrid
REALISTIC
Jessica Finch is a delightful early chapter book with exceptionally pleasing and colorful illustrations. Jessica wants nothing more than a pig for a pet. For her birthday. When a misunderstanding happens with her best friend, Judy Moody, she learns a valuable lesson about not making assumptions and calling people names. This is one of my top picks for an early chapter book series for 2nd graders!

Stink: The Super-Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
REALISTIC
Stink is the brother of Judy Moody. He’s got a big imagination which he uses to imagine he has superpowers, helping him to deal with his daily life. The writing is funny and relatable peppered with incredible Peter H. Reynolds’ illustrations. Kids love this humorous series. Boxed Set HERE.

Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
HUMOR
Mercy lives with Mr. and Mrs. Watson. They feed her buttered toast and take her for drives in their convertible. One night, Mercy gets scared and decides to sleep with Mr. and Mrs. Watson. Can you imagine what happens next? Hilarious and quirky, this is a fun series filled with many amazing adventures. Boxed Set HERE.

 

Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon
REALISTIC/HUMOR
Dory is one of my favorite book characters because her imagination is THE BEST! She has three imaginary friends: one monster friend, one fairy godmother, and one bad lady nemesis. This book is totally hilarious and you’ll love the child-like illustrations — it’s a favorite chapter book series for second graders. See all the Dory books here.

The Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne HISTORICAL MYSTERY
These are MUST-READ chapter book series for all kids! The books combine mystery, history, magic, and adventure as siblings Jack and Annie adventure through time to solve mysteries. I highly recommend this series and if you get a chance, they’re GREAT on audiobook, narrated by Mary Pope Osborne herself. Boxed Set 1.

 

Sofia Martinez My Vida Loca by Jacquline Jules (series)
REALISTIC

My Vida Loca is the first chapter book in the series about the adventures of a spunky girl named Sopha — from her singing (that annoys everyone except abuela) to a cooking mishap of arroz con leche that her familia helps her fix. I love the bright pink text that indicates the Spanish words (maybe 1 or 2 a page). The illustrations are fun, capturing the emotions and action perfectamente.

 

Rise of the Earth Dragon (Dragon Masters) by Tracey West, illustrated by Graham Howells
FANTASY

In the times of castles and kingdoms, Drake learns he is a dragon master (and that dragons are real!) He must train with the other kids to master his dragon, an earth dragon. This is a fun chapter book series that will interest almost any child as it has just the right amount of conflict, adventure, and excitement.

 

The Bad Guys #1 by Aaron Blabey
HUMOR

Mr. Wolf invites other “bad guys” to a meeting with hopes they will join him in becoming good. Your kids will find lots of drawings and minimal text, making this series a favorite choice for second-grade readers who like ironic and potty humor.

Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot  by Dav Pilkey, illustrated by Dan Santat
SCI-FI
Get ready for an addictive, action-packed, engaging sci-fi series for young readers. With awesome illustrations. It’s not often you see a book in full color – love that! After reading this book, kids will wish they had their own giant robot friend to help them conquer evil in the universe.

The Last Firehawk: The Ember Stone by Katrina Charman, illustrated by Jeremy Norton
FANTASY
Tag, an owl, is in training to become an Owl of Valor. One day while playing tag with his squirrel friend, Skyla, Tag finds a golden egg who hatches into a Firehawk, the last one alive. Tag and friends must keep the Firehawk, Blaze, safe. Then they’ll quest to find the magical stone that may save their land from the Vulture and his army of tiger bats. This easy chapter book introduces kids to epic fantasy stories with the theme of good vs. evil.

Notebook of Doom by Troy Cummings FANTASY
I think your 2nd graders will love this engaging, slightly creepy chapter book series. Alexander discovers his new town is FILLED WITH MONSTERS! And, he’s right in the middle of everything– especially after he finds an old notebook of drawings and facts about monsters. Box set here.

 

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
SCI-FI/GRAPHIC NOVEL
One of our favorite graphic novels, Zita the Spacegirl, is a true friend who not only saves her best friend but the entire galaxy! Boxed Set HERE.

A to Z Mysteries by Rob Roy
MYSTERY
This addictive chapter book mystery series will keep your kids reading for hours and days and months. My kids read them all more than once so we highly recommend this series, especially for second grade. Box set here.

The Critter Club
MYSTERY
The girls in the Critter Club love animals and want to help them any way they can. You’ll find plenty of sweet stories in this series for animal lovers.

 

 

Rainbow Magic Fairies
FANTASY
These are very predictable but so many kids ADORE these chapter books – they are some of the most checked out books at our library. They’re about two human girls who are trusted to help the magical fairies search for something Jack Frost’s goblins stole.

Amelia Bedelia Chapter Book #2: Amelia Bedelia Unleashed by Herman Parish, illustrated by Lynne Avril
ADVENTURE
I’ve been enjoying these updated Amelia chapter books by the original author’s son. In this story, Amelia searches for the perfect puppy. Great for 2nd graders (second graders) who love pets and goofy humor.

Nancy Clancy Seeks a Fortune by Jane O’Connor, illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser
REALISTIC
It’s impressive how well the author took the Fancy Nancy picture books and developed an older Nancy into good beginning chapter books! This is the 7th in the Nancy Clancy series and another enjoyable read in the series. Nancy and her best friend, Bree, learn about Gold Miners at school and determine to make their own fortune with a small business. Their entrepreneurial spirit has them making face cream (the dog eats it) and tiaras (their supplies cost more than they think) which teach them valuable life lessons. Box set here.

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