Read alouds for school visits: Second Grade

With sly humor and a subtle tug at the heartstrings, Knudson ("The Library Lion") hatches a story about learning how not just to tolerate, but to love what is different. Full color.

Growl is a little purple monster who lives alone in a big castle. Growl likes to play, but loves to growl most of all. One afternoon Growl sneaks across her garden and growls over the neighbor's fence. When they call the police, a special rule is made and Growl is banned from doing what she loves best.

The duckbill dinosaurs live across the river from the T-Rex’s. The duckbills are peaceful plant-eaters. The T’s are scary meat-eaters. When a duckbill egg hatches in the T’s nest, both the new baby and the T-Rex family must try very hard to get along. But the little dinosaur, nicknamed Drip by his new family, soon proves he’s not such a drip after all—in fact, he’s a real hero! Dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages will cheer for Drip in this timeless story about little versus big, by the author of the beloved and bestselling picture book,The Gruffalo.

Jewel is terrified of everything from mice to mountain lions. She is especially afraid of the horses on her ranch, and the one thing she would never do is ride one. But when her grandfather puts the fate of a scrawny newborn foal in her hands, she has no choice but to care for the sad little thing. Jewel names the foal Bug, and slowly grows fond of her puppylike new pet. Then one amazing afternoon, Jewel discovers an extraordinary secret about Bug.

Dexter is a little dog. He′s so little that the other dogs forget to invite him to play, and Cleevis the tomcat bullies him. But little Dexter has dreams -- big dreams. He wants to be a superhero. So Dexter starts a superhero training program. And suddenly, even Cleevis needs his help! In Superdog, husband-and-wife team Mark and Caralyn Buehner have created a timeless story about a true superhero. Dexter has determination, spirit, and heart as he proves, above all, that no matter how little you are, you can still do very big things.

An easy to understand scientific adventure with Charlie and Kiwi who take you on a journey through time and through a huge scientific principle. The story of evolution! To Charlie’s classmates, it seems like the kiwi bird got a raw deal: It barely has wings at all, so it can’t fly, and its long whiskers are more like a cat’s. How can such an unlucky bird even survive in the wild? But Charlie thinks the kiwi is cool, and with the help of his great-great-great-great-great-grandpa Charles Darwin, he travels back in time to learn how the kiwi evolved from a dinosaur-like creature to its present-day wingless state. Learning that “little changes in each generation can add up to BIG changes,” Charlie begins to understand that the kiwi bird’s flightless ways and catlike whiskers might be a bit odd, but they are exactly what has helped the species survive over thousands of years! Based on an exhibit from the New York Hall of Science that is currently touring the country, this Darwinian adventure through time explains the hugely important principle of evolution in an accessible, kid-friendly style.

April 15, 1947, was Opening Day for the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was also the first major league game for Jackie Robinson who, at 28, was older than most rookies. But Robinson was no ordinary rookie. with this game, he broke baseball's long-established color line. Watch the game unfold though the eyes of Manny Romano (a fictional character) and his father.

How do you bake an American pie? Preheat the world until fiery hot with a hunger and thirst to be free. Now find a giant melting pot on the shores of a great shining sea. From the bestselling author ofBear Snores Oncomes a remarkable recipe for America. Including a dash of purple mountain majesties, cupfuls of courage, and a pinch of liberty, this beautifully illustrated combination of ingredients yields an irresistible treat that promises plenty of servings for children everywhere.

A picture book for city lovers everywhere! Vibrant illustrations and a spare text come together in this striking picture book to tell the story of the building of Manhattan. There was a time when the city was little more than an undeveloped island. But as the small patch of land shifted from Native American to Dutch to English to American hands, it was built, layer on top of layer, into the bustling metropolis it is today. With illustrations so detailed that one look just won't be enough, this book explores the city's many layers and shows they're still visible, as long as you know where to look! A time line and bibliography are included.

An outstanding book for young naturalists Floy Hutchings, also known as Squirrel, is the daughter of the man who opened the first hotel in the Yosemite Valley in the 1860s. She has to fend for herself much of the time and is considered wild by her family and her father's guests. When the future naturalist John Muir is hired as a carpenter, Floy becomes his inquisitive shadow as he builds himself a cabin over a stream, talks to flowers, and listens to snow. Floy, determined never to grow up because she'd have to be a lady, and Muir,searching nature for a way to live free of society's expectations, are primed to find common ground. In this story set against a backdrop of watercolor paintings that vividly capture the beauty of Yosemite, Floy learns to see the world through John Muir's eyes.