Summer Reading -- Chapter Books for Grades 2-5

Disclosure: I was sent these books free of charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Yesterday I joined in the Penguin Kids Meet the Chapter Books July Summer Reading Program and introduced some chapter books for kids in grades 1-3. To avoid the summer slide it is important to have our kids continue reading all summer long and to make it so it is not a chore it is important to find the books that interest your child. Hazel LOVES to read and will read just about anything, however if it is a favorite I cannot get her nose out of the book. If it is not it becomes more of a chore. So today I am going to share with you four books for the slightly older reader--grades 2-5. (Tomorrow we will have books for older kids.) We will start with the first book in the Microsaurs: Follow that Tiny-Dactyl by Dustin Hansen. The second book in the series comes out next week. 

Danny has a very high tech father and his best friend, Lin, is a skateboarding daredevil. Danny and Lin help Danny's father test out all sorts of the high tech spy equipment. When Danny's spy camera on Lin's helmet captures a tiny dinosaur the duo are off on an adventure. The adventure gets them shrunk and stuck in a tiny world filled with all sorts of dinosaurs and Professor Penrod. This book is an adventure and interesting to read. It is for the kid who loves dinosaurs, skateboards, technology, and/or adventure. It is pretty fast moving and definitely requires some imagination. It has many illustrations and takes the reader on the high speed adventures both modern and historical ones. 

Our next book is the latest installment in the Cody books by Tricia Springstubb and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. We fell in love with the Cody books with the first one: Cody and the Fountain of Happiness. We loved the second one as well: Cody and the Mysteries of the Universe. Today we get to share the third book: Cody and the Rules of Life.

Cody is a girl who is just trying to figure out life. She lives with her parents and older brother. She has a way of finding adventures and trouble without trying. In the rules of life she is dealing with trust, friendship and prized possessions. Life can be hard especially when you are young and haven't figured it all out. Plus it does not help that your best friend wanted to trade favorite toys. Now Cody does not even have Gremlin to talk to about all these things. Join Cody on another adventure and help her figure out who she can trust. The answers may surprise you.

This book picks up with the second one left off. It has Cody and her issues in life as well as her friends and family. I love how these books take every day life and make it a great story. It reminds me of the struggles of being young and not knowing what to do. This entire series is wonderful for any child trying to figure it out--and let's face it that is all of them!

Our next book is the second book in the Calpurnia Tate Girl Vet Series by Jacqueline Kelly. We did not read the first one. The second book is Counting Sheep. Calpurnia (Callie) Tate loves animals and tries to help them. She has even been reading some of the books at the veterinarian's office. In Counting Sheep she finds butterfly eggs and helps a butterfly with a broken wing and helps deliver a sheep.  The books are set around 1899 and Callie is eleven years-old. This book is perfect for your animal loving kid and anyone who aspires to be a veterinarian. The illustrations in this book are just sketches and there are not as many as in the other ones. 

Our final book is King Flashypants and the Evil Emperor by Andy Riley. This is the first book in the King Flashypants series.  It is about a boy who is king to his own kingdom. King Edwin has an adult assistant to take care of the adult things and he gives his peasants free chocolate until he runs out of money. Then his evil neighbor Emperor Nurbison tries to make his move to take over Edwinland. Go with King Edwin on this crazy and fun adventure and see how he becomes King Flashypants. We did not read this entire book because it is not Hazel's type of book, but it is fun and has a great adventure. It has illustrations on every page. 

For more great books for grades 2-5 check out our reviews of The Chime Travelers (Book 1 and Books 2-5), Smashie McPerter, Julius Zebra, and Mystic Princesses (Book 1 and 2). Enjoy!!