Ivy+Bean is written by Annie Barrows and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. This is the first book in the Ivy + Bean series. This charming text is about seven-year-old Bean and the girl across the street she swore to her mother she would never be friends with, Ivy. The two girls seem to be opposites in every way. Bean has short black hair, wears dresses when her mother forces her, loves climbing trees, and being a pest to her eleven-year-old sister, Nancy. Ivy, on the other hand, had long red hair, only seems to wear dresses, and seems to spend most of her time sitting and reading. However, the two are brought together when Bean pulls a prank on Nancy that goes terribly wrong and finds out that her assumptions about Ivy were not quite right. This text is perfectly laid out as an early chapter book.
Billy Miller is an adventurous 2nd grader with a big imagination that sometimes gets him in trouble (like most boys in grade 2). In Kevin Henkes’ The Year of Billy Miller join Billy as he takes on 2nd grade and learns about friendship, family, and the sometimes fun, sometimes hard life in elementary school. This would be a great independent read or read aloud for late grade 1 or grade 2. With wonderful illustrations and plenty of humour, this book is sure to captivate readers! If you have a child who loves Ramona Quimby or any of Andrew Clements books, this book would be a fantastic recommendation.
Who was Walt Disney and how did he come to create one of the world’s most beloved television and book characters? In this expository text by Grace Norwich, students get a glimpse into the hardships, struggles, and successes of Walt Disney. This text would be a good introduction to non-fiction chapter books in Grade 2 or 3.
What happens when a boy becomes flattened? How does he get flattened in the first place? In Flat Stanley’s Original Adventure by Jeff Brown, you find out how he ended up flat and the adventures that followed afterward. This book would be a great to read whole class as an introduction to chapter books in Grades 1 or 2. There are so many wonderful ways to integrate Social Studies and Geography activities in with this novel!
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