Accelerated Reader – Year 2

This is an absolutely beautiful book from former Olympic medallist Ibtihaj Muhammad, exploring themes of heritage, diversity, siblings, acceptance and new beginnings.

The story is positive and empowering, and explores the beautiful bond between sisters Faizah and Asiya as they each begin new phases of growing up.  When the time comes for Faizah’s first day at school, she is excited to share the special day with her older sister Asiya, whose first day of wearing hijab it is. Asiya’s hijab is made of a beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waves or the endless sky. Sadly, not everyone sees hijab in the same light and in the face of ignorant comments, Faizah learns not to hold on to hurtful comments but to find strength in new ways.

A thought-provoking story with a warm and positive message, illustrated in striking blues.

A young graphic novel series, about two friendly ‘bugbops’ called Bumble and Snug.

This brightly illustrated story is lovely for Key Stage 1 to read independently. The characters are lovable, the story is fun and easy to follow, and the comic strip style makes for a really fun read. There are oodles of fun moments to enjoy, from picnics and pirates to jelly and a giant octopus.

Visual readers new to the graphic novel format will find this a real treat.

Troll Stinks makes for an excellent choice of book for today’s children and one with the potential to both entertain and spark meaningful discussions about internet safety with primary children.

Billy the Goat and his friend Cyril are playing with a phone when they decide to send mean messages to the troll living under the bridge. Soon, the two friends discover that their online actions have had a significant impact on the troll’s feelings and that their messages were not such a fun idea after all.

The book is part of a series that spins traditional tales into the modern age and examines the impact of technology on children’s safety. With more primary-aged children than ever having access to online messaging, the book is bound to open impactful classroom discussions. Even for children who have not yet used their devices in this way, the broader themes of bullying, empathy, recognising the impact of words and stopping mean behaviour in its tracks will resonate with even the youngest children.

This important and entertaining story is a modern must-read.

We are big fans of the InvestiGators graphic novel series. This pun-filled action series is a hit with younger fans of the graphic novel format and has hooked in lovers of Dog Man and The Bad Guys through its full-colour animal antics, funny cases to solve, and clever wordplay.

We love the good, clean fun of this series, and parents and teachers know that young graphic novel fans are in good hands with these books. Author John Patrick Green said of the series, “Of all the comics I’ve created in my professional career, making InvestiGators has come closest to recapturing that feeling of being 11 years old, drawing comics in my bedroom, with the sole intention of making my friends and classmates laugh.”

John’s commitment to child-centred visual humour and puns has clearly paid off and is reflected in the popularity of this series, which teachers and librarians tell us is flying off primary bookshelves at lightning speed. For children, the books are funny from the get-go, and pun-loving grown-ups like us can’t help but smile at the non-stop wordplay woven through the action scenes, too.

We adore this charming story about a young boy who is tasked with finding a hat in order to be allowed into a party. When the boy struggles to find one, a helpful animal friend steps in to save the day. However, when he arrives, a tough doorman and an even tougher series of entry requirements lead to a snowballing of humorous actions and a hilarious climax.

The story is filled with wonderfully illustrated, silly characters and a ridiculous storyline that will have children and adults alike laughing out loud.  This is a picturebook to recommend to anyone looking for a fun and engaging story to share with children. With vibrant illustrations and humorous characters, You Must Bring a Hat is a sure-fire hit in the classroom and a book that children will ask for over and over again. We think this is a perfect choice for entertaining storytimes with Year 1 and 2.

This is a high quality text full of detailed comic-style illustrations.

It follows the adventures of an Action-Man style hero with an outfit for every occasion. His daily superhero challenges include rescuing lost toys, diving in the sieve-wreck and saving distressed damsels.

Highly recommended for KS1 and filled with humorous details to pore over, this is a winner of a book.

A classroom favourite from the popular children’s author Roald Dahl.

This is the laugh-out-loud tale of George Kranky, who plots revenge on his mean and miserable Grandma by concocting a magic medicine for her. Little does he realise that the medicine will have weird and wonderful effects on the old lady’s body.

This is one of the shorter Roald Dahl chapter books, and suits readers who like anarchic humour or stories with a little bit of unexplained magic. Children love the fun of George’s concoction, the transformations of size when Grandma grows so tall that her head bursts through the ceiling and the supersized farmyard animals.

We recommend this classic children’s books series about a boy who becomes flattened by an incident with a pinboard.

Learning to navigate life with his new flat-as-a-pancake body, Stanley finds himself enjoying the novelty of sliding under doors, being posted in the mailbox and flying in the sky as his brother’s kite. Soon, being flat presents challenges too, and the usually positive and optimistic Stanley begins to long to return back to his old self.

These short chapter books go down a treat with children aged 5-7.

We highly recommend the Marv series, about an ordinary boy who finds that his superhero skills are in very much in need!

The story starts with Marvin as an ordinary school boy. When he finds a superhero suit in the attic, he transforms and is required to put his new superhero powers to the test to stop a super-villain with a giant robot from causing destruction.

The book is packed full of illustrations that accompany the action and the story contains themes of friendship, forgiveness as well as endless determination. It also has humour and a real warmth in the characterisation.

Alanna and Austin are at their Aunt Kessie’s art studio and find a magic face painting set that transports them onto a pirate ship and takes them on a grand adventure. As the two see a small ship approaching with two thieving pirates, they take on the task of protecting the New Leaf pirates.

This magical story is so vibrant and full of imagination. It is exactly the kind of story that children with wild imaginations love. This story transports the reader to a whole new  world with something as simple as a magic face-painting set

This book would make a fantastic independent reading book for those just starting out with chapter books and is also perfect for anyone with a vivid imagination or who loves adventure stories.

This chapter book is part of a classic children’s series that has been entertaining readers for generations. The stories follow children Joe, Beth and Frannie as they stumble upon a magical Faraway Tree, where they embark on a series of thrilling adventures. The tree is filled with intriguing characters and a different land awaits at the top of the tree each time they climb up.

Alongside their companions Moonface, Saucepan Man, and Silky the fairy, the trio travels to the top of the Faraway Tree in each new chapter to uncover which new land awaits them – including the Land of Spells, the Land of Birthdays and the Land of Take-What-You-Want. These classic infant books feature top-notch storytelling that still enchants readers today through simple and magical adventures.

We really love this easy-listening and charmingly funny series!

Readers will laugh out loud at well-meaning mischief and misadventure of Marge, the madcap babysitter with rainbow hair. When no grown-ups are around, Marge is in charge and anything can happen!

Highly recommended as a fun read-aloud, each book in this series contains short stories about the funny escapades of seven-year-old Jemima and younger brother Jake when Marge the babysitter is in charge. There is plenty of slapstick and good natured fun to giggle at, and Marge’s outrageous antics make the children feel like she is the one who really needs a babysitter.

This animal story is a great choice for a story time chapter book for Key Stage 1.

Martin isn’t like the other cats on the farm. Teased by his family for being different, Martin is gentle and caring and does not want to catch and eat mice. When he does catch one, he decides to keep it in an old bathtub as a pet. Martin is determined to care for his captured new friend, named Druscilla, and is surprised to learn of the arrival of a new set of baby mice! When his mice escape, Martin learns a new lesson about freedom, safety, and being true to oneself in the face of opposition.

Readers love rooting for Martin, and Dick King Smith pens the story with just the right ratio of peril, tender moments and funny elements to make this a tale that readers will feel invested in.

This is part of an award-winning and hugely popular series about a loveable dog called Claude and his hapless companion Sir Bobblysock. These short, colour-illustrated chapter books are perfect for newly independent readers transitioning to chapter books.

In this story, Claude stumbles across a circus and cannot help but inadvertently become the star of the show. This entertaining series is full of slapstick humour and amusing illustrations that hold a high appeal to new readers aged 6-8 looking for a fun, accessible read.

Highly recommended!

This is a highly recommendable early chapter book series, featuring an inclusive and humorous story a with illustrations throughout.

Scooter lives in a jam factory with his parents and has Cerebral Palsy. His head fizzes with brilliant ideas and he’s the one behind all of the fantastic jams produced in the factory. Scooter is also longing for a friend – and his wishes come true when a friendly alien called Fizzbee crash-lands through the jam factory window! The pair pull together to thwart a devious villain who wants to steal Scooter’s jam-making secrets.

This is an original story full of warmth and humour and a lovely choice to read aloud to Year 2 children.

The first in a joy-filled series of illustrated chapter books, telling the funny story of Mira’s adventures as she starts unicorn school. Mira wishes to be paired up with the most beautiful, sparkly unicorn of her dreams, but the reality presents a grumpy, untidy, doughnut-eating unicorn named Dave.

This humorous adventure series explores themes of friendship, inclusion and loyalty, with a backdrop of rainbows, glitter and a dose of unicorn toilet humour, too. Children love the idea of the secret unicorn school – a bit like a sparklier version of Hogwarts. Illustrations, age-appropriate humour and a diverse cast of characters make this a super choice of chapter book story for readers aged 6-8.

‘Emperor of the ice’ is a beautifully written story based on fact. The book informs the reader about the life of penguins through the year and the struggles they face.

The illustrations are stunning and help to make it clear what time of year each event takes place. The information at the back of the book about climate change and how it is affecting emperor penguins was clear and well-explained.

This is a great book for children in Year 2 and beyond to learn about the topic of polar regions. Highly recommended for the classroom.

When Mrs Stewart invites a small penguin to visit on a spontaneous visit to London Zoo, no one could have imagined that later that day they would find him on their doorstep, rucksack on his back and an adventure about to begin…

Einstein the Penguin is the debut children’s novel for Iona Rangeley, aptly brought to life with the help of the award-winning illustrator, David Tazzyman. A lovely mix of whodunnit with a slightly preposterous story of a penguin who comes to live with our two heroes, Imogen (age 9) and Arthur (age 6), causing them to put aside their sibling squabbles and come to his rescue. Rangeley manages to pull at your heartstrings as you come to understand each of the characters’ insecurities, bringing together the fear of losing a friend with the loneliness associated with never having had one. The grown-ups are scatty at best and young readers will love it as our heroes come to put one over on them.

Lovely as a class readaloud, children will enjoy the parody of incompetent teachers/zoo-keepers/detectives/parents while also prompting several discussion points about right and wrong. This could be a fun next step for readers who have enjoyed Paddington or Erica’s Elephant.

The Daisy and the Trouble With… books by Kes Gray are a hit with younger readers getting to grips with the independent reading of chapter books. Children enjoy the funny, illustrated adventures recounting the ups and downs of Daisy’s life as she gives her take on visits to the zoo, going on holiday, having a birthday or taking part in sports day. Mishaps seem to follow Daisy wherever she goes and she finds herself in plenty of sticky situations to sort out. Kes Gray’s line illustrations add a familiar warmth and humour to these popular chapter books.

In this story, Daisy visits London with her grandparents, who are keen to see the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. Daisy, on the other hand, is mostly interested in seeking out pigeons.

A super loveable series for Year 2 and beyond.