The Best Chapter Books for 2nd Grade Girls

ByBig Ideas Educator

I’ve got a little girl who LOVES to read, and we own all of these books. These are the best chapter books for 2nd grade girls. My daughter will literally read anything, but she does have her favorites. She prefers fantasy, adventurous female protagonists, mysteries in small doses, and she seems interested in social justice leaders. And, like every other kid on the planet, she loves the Wimpy Kid, despite him being a boy.

I cannot get this girl into historical fiction, so she won’t have anything to do with American Girl books. Bummer, but that’s getting a bit picky! She’ll enjoy non-fiction once in a while, but it’s not her favorite go-to genre.

Many of the books on this list are around a guided reading level M (plus or minus a couple of levels), so the average 2nd grader will do great with them! If your child is an average reader just entering 2nd grade, you’ll want to look for them to read books independently at a level K. The average reader will end 2nd grade reading on a level M.

The more advanced books on this list are still wonderful to read aloud together, which will build the stamina of your second grader, and expose them to vocabulary they need. These books are highly appropriate for second grade.

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Contents hide
1 Best Beginning Chapter Books for 2nd Graders
2 Best Average Difficulty Chapter Books for 2nd Grade Readers
3 Best Advanced Chapter Books for 2nd Grade Girls
4 Here are all my favorite chapter books for kids in one spot!

Best Beginning Chapter Books for 2nd Graders

Yasmin Series for Second Grade Girls

The Yasmin Series

We love this series. Yasmin is a Pakistani American girl who is always pursuing new dreams. There are little doses of multiculturalism in there that are accessible for all kids. Best of all, it’s a guided reading level K, making it a perfect beginning chapter book for second grade girls.

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unicorn bowling cover - chapter books for second grade girls

Phoebe and Her Unicorn

Unicorn Bowling is a wonderful little graphic novel. It’s part of a larger series called Phoebe and Her Unicorn. Since it’s a graphic novel, you won’t find a level here, but it’s suitable for most second graders because the pictures help comprehension.

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Mercy Watson cover

Mercy Watson

Mercy Watson is ADORABLE, and it’s the perfect book for late bloomers or kids who are just starting out with beginning chapter books for second graders. It’s on a level K. What could be better than this adorable, rambunctious pig? Nothing!

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Amelia Bedelia beginning chapter books for second graders

Amelia Bedelia Series

Amelia Bedelia is a silly little series that kids love, especially if they enjoy fun plays on words. Amelia Bedelia books are written on a level L, making them perfect for the average second grade reader!

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Superfairies Cover - Chapter Books for 2nd Grade Girls

Superfairies Series

Superfairies is perfect for little girls who love to transport themselves to another daydreamy world. My daughter really enjoys this series! They are a fairly easy 2nd grade chapter book read, as they are written on a level L. If your child is an average reader, they should be able to tackle this one by winter break.

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Best Average Difficulty Chapter Books for 2nd Grade Readers

Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls

These stories are inspirational for girls and so much fun. Turkey Burger has read this book numerous times, and it’s a big one!

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Judy Moody Series

All kids – both boys and girls – tend to love Judy Moody’s sense of humor. She even cracks me up! Guided reading level is M. There are lots of Judy Moody books if your kiddo gets hooked!

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Lulu Cover - 2nd Grade Chapter Book Series

The Lulu Series

Lulu is a relatable little character who loves animals. Guided reading level is M. This 2nd grade chapter book series will be best for average readers in the spring of second grade. These stories are very sweet and age-appropriate.

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Daisy Dreamer Cover - Perfect for advanced second grade chapter book

Daisy Dreamer Series

Daisy Dreamer is a lot like my daughter; she has her head in the clouds quite a bit. She’s a day dreamer with imaginary friends! I am partial to the illustrations in this book series. Because the drawings are frequent, lots of kids won’t realize they’re reading a slightly harder text. Guided reading level is N.

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Never Girls Cover

The Never Girls Series

The Never Girls Series is from Disney, and it’s perfect for kids who love fairies and fantasy. It’s written on a level N, so it will be more advanced. Still, there are quite a few books, and my daughter loved them!

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itty bitty princess kitty chapter books for second graders

Itty Bitty Princess Kitty

If your little one loves fantasy, princesses, and kitty cats, this book will be right up their alley! Itty Bitty Princess Kitty is so excited to become a princess, but a little less excited about what all that change might mean. Guided reading level N.

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Best Advanced Chapter Books for 2nd Grade Girls

Charlotte's Web Cover

Charlotte’s Web

Every kiddo needs to read this classic! It’s a bit more advanced to read and might require some help for modern readers who aren’t familiar with state fairs. Still, it’s worth the time spent reading it together.

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The Bad Kitty Series

These are really great graphic novels. The vocabulary is pretty advanced, but thanks to the super fun pictures on kitty’s naughty behavior, this one is super readable. This one is a guided reading level P, making it best for both 2nd grade boys and girls who are advanced in reading.

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Just Grace Cover

Just Grace

Just Grace is a sweet little book series, but it’s funny, too! Grace LOVES cats, and tends to get into some accidental mischief. Just Grace books are written on a level O. They’ll be challenging for the average second grader, but the interest will be there! There aren’t many pictures, so fair warning!

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silly jokes book for kids

The Big Book of Silly Jokes

This isn’t technically a chapter book for second graders, but since my own kid loves it so much, I couldn’t help but include it on the list. Now, my girl is even learning to make up her own jokes, and about 50% of them are decent! She has memorized lots of these Dad jokes, and it cracks me up.

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Princess Pulverizer chapter books for second grade girls

Princess Pulverizer Series

This is my daughter’s favorite series of all times. This little girl is a princess, but all she really wants to be is a knight! In order to become a knight, she has to complete lots of good deeds as she embarks on her “kindness quest.” The guided reading level is a P.

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Here are all my favorite chapter books for kids in one spot!