Now old enough to sit and listen to longer stories, many of our Year 2 children start to enjoy chapter books at this age. Picture books remain important at this age too, both for independent reading and for shared storytimes with adults, where the words and pictures can be discussed and enjoyed together. Children at this age are often able to handle an increasing complexity of themes, including learning to empathise where characters experience a range of emotions and new experiences. Funny books are hugely popular with this age group, as are visually appealing and highly illustrated non-fiction texts covering topics of interest.

With this in mind, our team has carefully selected a balance of different types of books to engage Year 2 children in reading for pleasure - either for reading independently or together with an adult. They have a core set of Traditional Tales, Poems and literature which is classed as 'Literacy Heritage' alongside the Books for Topics 50 Recommended Reads. We at Compass Primary review this annually to ensure that children are familiar with new authors and texts. We also select the children's favourites from the year and send up to their next classroom, so they can continue to enjoy them again and again. 

Books for Topics, 2023 - https://www.booksfortopics.com/booklists/recommended-reads/year-2/

Traditional Tales:

Poetry:

Literacy Heritage:

50 Recommended Reads: