Best Books for Second and Third Grade Readers

Develop Kids’ Burgeoning Reading Skills

Looking for your child’s next great read? Have their reading skills expanded beyond picture books and easy readers? If you want stories that will capture their imagination and keep them coming back for more, check out this list of the best books for second and third grade readers sure to please the seven and eight-year-old crowd.

Poppleton: These books about Poppleton the pig offer the next step after easy readers. With only a few sentences on each page, kids can build reading skills and vocabulary. Each book contains three stories, perfect for reading out loud or practicing on their own. And who can resist the colorful illustrations and upbeat attitude of this positive porker?

Hamster Holmes: This clever rodent fights crime. Kids can enjoy the brightly colored pages and small amounts of text as they follow along to solve the mystery. The pages come loaded with clues in Morse code, adding another dimension to their reading experience. These short stories also help build practical skills like matching.

Magnificent Makers: This series puts kids in charge of discovery. Follow along with Violet and Pablo as they navigate the magical Makers Maze. The books use scientific terms and practices to grow kids’ knowledge base, making it perfect for anyone who enjoys chemistry, geology, and other sciences. Short chapters and frequent illustrations help keep kids engaged with topics like germs, space, and more.

Dragon Masters: Kids will love these fantasy tales about the Dragon Masters and their dragons. Each book in the series focuses on a different character, and how they harness their dragon’s special talents to solve an issue. With more than twenty books and lots of black and white illustrations to fuel their imaginations, kids will keep reading these long past the required amount of time.

Magic Tree House: With so many books to choose from, kids can keep reading these popular titles for months on end. Each book follows Jack and Annie on their adventures through time thanks to the traveling tree house. From the fields of Camelot to ancient Egypt and back to the Amazon, each book brings the setting to life with details kids will love. Travel along with this pair through chapters filled with fun facts and more.

Pet Rescue Club: Each of the books in this inspirational series comes from real-life rescue tales. Choose their favorite pet, and let kids learn about how they can change the world in ways both big and small. The big lessons imparted in this series come paired with large text and black and white illustrations, making them perfect for kids who love animals.

My Weird School: This series offers lots of books to keep kids reading. Each book focuses on another teacher with wacky tendencies at the local elementary school. Follow along with their antics in the longer chapters packed with funny anecdotes. 

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle: This indomitable authority figure tackles any problem with aplomb. She turns everyday chores into fun games in these tales. Kids and parents alike can enjoy the antics from this series of books. With longer chapters packed with more text, these books work great for kids ready to tackle bigger sentences and more content.