Green Acres School Suggestions for Reading for Students Entering 2nd and 3rd Grades Picture Books Aliki. A Play’s the Thing Miss Brilliant's class puts on a performance of "Mary had a little lamb." Barasch, Lynne. Radio Rescue In 1923, after learning Morse code and setting up his own amateur radio station, a 12-year-old boy sends a message that leads to the rescue of a family stranded by a hurricane in Florida. Based on experiences of the author's father. Beaty, Andrea. Rosie Revere, Engineer A young aspiring engineer must first conquer her fear of failure. Beaty, Daniel. Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me A boy wakes up one morning to find his father gone. At first, he feels lost. But his father has left him a letter filled with advice to guide him through the times when he cannot be there. Berne, Jennifer. On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein Follows the life of the famous physicist, from his early ideas to his groundbreaking theories. Bildner, Phil. The Soccer Fence Each time Hector watches white boys playing soccer in Johannesburg, South Africa, he dreams of playing on a real pitch one day. After the fall of apartheid, when he sees the 1996 African Cup of Nations team, he knows that his dream can come true. Birch, David. The King’s Chessboard When the wise man refuses to accept a reward for his service to the king, the king insists and so the wise man asks for a payment of rice for each square of the king's chessboard, with the amount to be doubled each day. Soon the royal granaries are almost empty. Will the proud king concede that he has been outwitted? Bruel, Nick. Who Is Melvin Bubble? An introduction to six-year-old Melvin Bubble as presented by his family, friends, and others. Cameron, Ann. The Most Beautiful Place in the World Growing up with his grandmother in a small Guatemalan town, seven-year-old Juan discovers the value of hard work, the joy of learning, and the location of the most beautiful place in the world. Coleman, Evelyn. White Socks Only Grandma tells the story of her first trip alone into town during the days when segregation still existed in Mississippi. Collins, Suzanne. Year of the Jungle Suzy spends her first grade year waiting for her father, who is serving in Vietnam. When the postcards stop coming, she worries that he will never make it home. Cooper, Floyd. Juneteenth for Mazie Little Mazie wants the freedom to stay up late, but her father explains what freedom really means in the story of Juneteenth, about how her ancestors celebrated their true freedom. Copeland, Misty. Firebird Prima ballerina Misty Copeland, who danced the starring role in Stravinsky’s “The Firebird Suite,” encourages the dreams of a young African American girl. Cunnane, Kelly. Deep in the Sahara An Arab girl of the Sahara who wants to wear a malafa, the veiled dress worn by her mother and older sister, learns that the garment represents beauty, mystery, tradition, belonging, and faith. Daly, Niki. Welcome to Zanzibar Road After moving into the house on Zanzibar Road that her neighbors helped her build, Mama Jumbo decides to share it with Little Chico. Davies, Nicola. The Promise On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a young girl tries to snatch an old woman's bag. But the frail old woman, holding on with the strength of heroes, says that the thief can't have it without giving something in return: the promise. It is the beginning of a journey that will change the thieving girl's life and perhaps make the world a better place. Delaney, M.C. Birdbrain Amos When Amos the hippopotamus advertises for a bird to help him with his bug problem, the tick bird that answers his ad creates a different set of problems for him by building a nest on Amos’ head. Dempsey, Kristy. A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream A young girl growing up in Harlem in the 1950s, whose mother cleans and stitches costumes for a ballet company, dreams of becoming a prima ballerina one day and is thrilled to see a performance by Janet Collins, the first "colored" prima ballerina. Fleischman, Paul. Weslandia Wesley's garden produces a crop of huge, strange plants which provide him with clothing, shelter, food, and drink, thus helping him create his own civilization and changing his life. Floca, Brian. Locomotive It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and families are traveling together, riding America’s brand new transcontinental railroad. Frazee, Marla. A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever Friends James and Eamon enjoy a wonderful week at the home of Eamon's grandparents during summer vacation. Frazee, Maria. The Farmer and the Clown In this wordless picture book a farmer rescues a baby clown who has bounced off the circus train and reunites him with his clown family. Gerstein, Mordicai. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers This is a lyrical evocation of Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers. Grimes, Nikki. Danitra Brown, Class Clown In a story told in a series of rhyming poems, Zuri faces her fears about starting a new school year with the help of best friend Danitra. Hopkinson, Deborah. Knit Your Bit: A World War I Story When his father leaves to fight in World War I, Mikey joins the Central Park Knitting Bee to help knit clothing for soldiers overseas. Hopkinson, Deborah. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt A young slave stitches a quilt with a map pattern which guides her to freedom in the North. Hooks, William. Moss Gown In a retelling of a Southern folktale, Candace is banished from her father's plantation. Her father is able to appreciate her love only after time passes and she meets her Prince Charming. Jenkins, Steve and Robin Page. What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? The authors look at the ways in which different animals use their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails. Johnson, Angela. All Different Now: Juneteenth In 1865, members of a family start their day as slaves, working in a Texas cotton field, and end it by celebrating their freedom on what came to be known as Juneteenth. Keller, Laurie. The Scrambled States of America The states become bored with their positions on the map and decide to change places for a while. Also includes facts about the states. Kelly, John and Cathy Tincknell. The Mystery of Eatum Hall A gluttonous pig and goose are invited for a weekend of free eating in an English manor filled with ominous items in an original little comedy that combines high tech and old fashioned mystery. Khan, Rukhsana. King for a Day From his wheelchair a Pakistani boy tries to capture the most kites during Basant, the annual spring kite festival, and become "king" for the day. Look, Lenore. Brush with the Gods Who wants to learn calligraphy when your brush is meant for so much more? Wu Daozi (689- 758), who lived during the T'ang Dynasty and is considered China's greatest painter, is the subject of this stunning picture book. Madrigal, Antonio Hernandez. Erandi's Braids In a poor Mexican village, Erandi surprises her mother by offering to sell her long, beautiful hair in order to raise enough money to buy a new fishing net. Mahy, Margaret. Down the Back of the Chair A poor family is searching down the back of a chair for Dad's lost car keys and, miraculously in the mess of things back there, their financial problems are solved. McCully, Emily Arnold. Beautiful Warrior Tells the story of two unlikely kung fu masters and how their martial arts skill saves them both. Meyer, Susan. New Shoes In this historical fiction picture book, African American cousins Ella Mae and Charlotte start their own shoe store when they learn that they are not allowed to try on shoes at the shoe store in town. Miller, Pat. Sophie’s Squash On a trip to the farmers' market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash. Instead of letting her family cook it, she names it Bernice, and from then on Sophie takes Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes.... What's a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble? Morales, Yuyi. Niño Wrestles the World Lucha Libre champion Niño has no trouble fending off monstrous opponents, but when his little sisters awaken from their naps, he is in for a wrestling match that will truly test his skills. Mortenson, Greg and Susan L. Roth. Listen to the Wind This book tells the story of Dr. Greg Mortenson's promise to build a school in a remote Himalayan village after the villagers saved his life. Muth, Jon J. Zen Ties When Stillwater the panda encourages Koo, Addy, Michael, and Karl to help a grouchy neighbor, their efforts are rewarded in unexpected ways. Novak, B.J. The Book with No Pictures The reader has to say every silly word, no matter what. O’Malley, Kevin. Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude Collaborating on writing a fairytale for school, a girl imagines a beautiful princess whose beloved ponies are being stolen by a giant, and a boy conjures up the muscular biker who will guard the last pony in exchange for gold. Osborne, Mary Pope. Kate and the Beanstalk In this version of the classic tale, a girl climbs to the top of a giant beanstalk, where she uses her quick wits to outsmart a giant and make her and her mother's fortune.