2nd grade books about History
6 books commonly assigned to 2nd grade students explore history— every title’s grade range covers 2nd grade, so each is grade-appropriate by curriculum placement. Each links to its reading level, themes, and the curricula that cite it.
Reading difficulty: the typical 2nd grade text-complexity band is 420–820L (Common Core Appendix A). Of the 1 history titles here with a Lexile score, 1 is grade-level, 0 are more accessible, and 0 are stretch texts. Match a book to your reader’s measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
What this list holds: 5 of the 6 titles are cited by a US curriculum or award list for 2nd grade; the rest are placed here by their grade range, first published between 2000 and 2024. Themes these books most often share besides history: courage (2), survival (2).
6 2nd grade books about history
Reading the whole 2nd grade books about history? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.
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Fever 1793
Laurie Halse AndersonCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 2 to 8. Also covers yellow fever, epidemics and survival.
Here Comes the Garbage Barge
Jonah WinterCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 2 to 8. Also covers voyages and travel, barges, refuse and refuse disposal.
Hidden Hope: How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust
Elisa BoxerCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 2 to 5. Also covers courage, Holocaust and biography.
The Apothecary
Maile MeloyCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade 2 to 8. Also covers cold war, adventure and adventurers, alchemy.
Time to Make Art
Jeff MackCited in 1 curriculum, taught from grade K to 3. Also covers imagination and identity.
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
Lauren TarshisTaught from grade 2 to 5. Also covers survival, courage and family. At 590L it falls inside the 420–820L band for this grade.
History books at other grades
3rd grade · 4th grade · 5th grade · 6th grade · 7th grade · 8th grade · 9th grade · 10th grade
Other 2nd grade themes
Friendship · Humorous Stories · Imagination · Family · Humor · Dogs · Schools · Animals
← Full 2nd grade reading list · All historybooks →
Frequently asked questions
What history books are good for 2nd grade students?
6 books exploring history have a grade range that covers 2nd grade and are assigned across US-school curricula — Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and state ELA standards. Each title on this page links to its full curriculum citations and reading level.
Are these history books grade-appropriate for 2nd grade?
Every title's grade range covers 2nd grade. The typical 2nd grade text-complexity band is 420–820L (Common Core Appendix A); of the 1 books here with a Lexile score, 1 is grade-level, 0 more accessible, and 0 a stretch. Match a book to your reader's measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
How many history books are on the 2nd grade list?
This page lists 6 2nd grade titles about history, ordered by how many US curricula cite each one for this grade (ties alphabetical). The list expands as more curriculum references are verified.
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