Reach Reluctant Middle Grade Readers with These 12 Engaging Books
Anyone who works with kids knows the signs of a reluctant reader. There can be a variety of reasons for kids to struggle with finding a book, including their reading level, not seeing books that reflect them and their interests, busy schedules, and low attention spans. We've gathered a list of books to help connect your reluctant readers to a book that will build their confidence and love for reading. Check out our tips for engaging your reluctant readers and then continue scrolling to find them the PERFECT book!
Tips for Reaching Reluctant Readers
Build positive associations with books through read alouds and low-stakes reading opportunities.
Many students are reluctant to read because they struggle with decoding and reading has become an exercise in frustration and humiliation. Of course, it is important to address the root of this issue, but it's also important to build a love of reading through shared experiences. Reading aloud to students of all ages has huge benefits. It's also great to offer judgement-free reading opportunities, such as reading to therapy dogs, sharing wordless picture books, or reading a lower-level text to younger students in a buddy class.
Offer plenty of choices.
There is a plethora of research to support that offering students choice helps them to be more motivated and engaged learners. Sure, there are times where students are going to have to do the assigned reading, but having choice in their reading materials, where they sit when they read, who they read with, etc. goes a surprisingly long way in keeping them excited.
Find books that reflect your readers.
I know that when I was teaching, my students, especially my boys, frequently came up to me and asked for books with characters, "like me". Luckily, the world of children's literature has become more diverse and is working to continue to grow. By ensuring that your collection reflects your readers and the greater world, students are more likely to see themselves in the books and feel like they belong to the world of literature.
Opt for books with short chapters, limited text per-page, or illustrations.
Especially for readers who are below grade level or have a learning disability, books with shorter blocks of text can be helpful for keeping readers on-task and improving comprehension. Illustrations, too, can be helpful for vocabulary development with Multi Language Learners and others. Short story collections can also be a great gateway! Read one of the short stories aloud and allow students to revisit the book at their leasure, whether they read one story or the whole thing.
Engage readers using high-interest topics from outside the classroom.
Whenever I started a Readers Advisory interview with a reader, I would ask them what they liked to do for fun. Sometimes I'd look at their t-shirt and notice a favorite movie character or sports team. I'd ask them if they played video games. All of this information allows you to find out what drives their passion and guide them to books that are going to feel familiar.
Movie and video game tie-in books are a great way to pull in reluctant readers and then transition them into other books in a similar genre when they've built a comfortability with reading.
Consider nonfiction, graphic novels, and other types of text and literacy.
Many reluctant readers gravitate to nonfiction. For some, they have difficulty connecting with stories that are "made up". For others, it's the dynamic text, photos, and other text features that pull them in. Encourage reading of any kind by including a robust nonfiction collection as well as magazines, graphic novels, wordless picture books, and even environmental text to build a culture of reading as a way to learn new things and have fun. Encourage students to read not just words, but pictures, graphs, timelines, and more!
Almost Sunset
By Wahab Algarmi
What it's about: It's almost sunset, and Hassan has been dreaming about eating since the sun came up. The month of Ramadan has begun, and not eating until sundown intensifies his already busy days full of homework, soccer, and gaming. And since his teachers and friends at school barely understand Ramadan and its traditions, it's easier to just...not mention it.
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: The contemporary setting will be relatable to many readers, who may not celebrate Ramadan, but likely deal with the balancing act of school, activities, and family. The graphic novel format is engaging and accessible with eye catching illustrations.
Cincinnati Lee, Curse Breaker
By Heidi Heilig
What it's about: Cincinnati Lee’s great great (great?) grandfather is famous. His adventures discovering ancient artifacts have been made into movies, and his work is widely respected by museums across the world. The thing is, in that line of work, you’re bound to get cursed. And that leaves your great great (great?) granddaughter to break the curse by returning the artifacts you “preserved.”
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: Full of fast-paced adventure, this book will have readers tuning in for "one more page" over and over. With hints of Indiana Jones and the mystery of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler this book feels both familiar and fresh.
Danilo Was Here
By Tamika Burgess
What it's about: Danilo Osorio Jr.’s baseball skills were once the pride of his father and entire hometown of El Chorrillo, Panamá. But that was then, and this is now…
Following 1989's Operation Just Cause, a US military invasion that left his neighborhood decimated, Danilo couldn’t care less about baseball or the father who abandoned him for opportunities in the States. Now Danilo’s focus is taking care of his mamá and sister and trying to save them all from needing to relocate to a refugee camp.
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: The sports hook will bring in readers who don't usually flock to historical fiction, while the high-stakes plot will keep them engaged.
A Day at the Beach
By Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge
What it's about: Here’s what’s so cool about the beach. Kids are everywhere! Kids you know, kids you want to know. Wandering from one blanket to another, from one family to another. Somebody’s mom reads a fat summer novel. Somebody’s dad snores with an iPad on his chest. Babies cry. Girls laugh. Frisbee players whoop! Kites in the perfect blue sky.
There’s the other world, where all kids hear is tomorrow, next week, next year. And then there’s the beach, where everything is right now!
Why can’t every day be a day at the beach?
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: Gary D. Schmidt may be a familiar name with some of your readers already. If not, reluctant readers will appreciate the format, which includes connected short stories that can be read stand-alone or as a whole.
I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story
By Jeramey Kraatz
Illustrated by Crystal Jayme
What it's about: On the morning of August 4, 1892, fourteen-year-old Charlie sees a horrifying act unfold at his next-door neighbor Lizzie Borden’s house—something he can’t keep to himself. Yet no one believes what Charlie saw . . . not even when Andrew and Abby Borden are found dead later that morning. Charlie is determined to use all that he witnessed to help find the murderer…even if it means having to face the prime suspect, his enigmatic neighbor Lizzie Borden, accused of killing her own father and stepmother. What began as one innocent moment of being in the wrong place at the wrong time becomes a suspenseful game of cat and mouse as Lizzie faces the trial of the century, and Charlie must ask himself: Can you ever really know someone’s true character?
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: This book combines with real-life tales aspect of the I Survived series with a graphic novel format to make for an irresistable read. Plus, what kid isn't morbidly fascinated by Lizzie Borden?
Coven
By Soman Chainani
What it's about: Hester, Anadil, and Dot are legendary across the Endless Woods as vigilante detectives and protectors of the peace. The famed trio are not only talented witches but also ride-or-die friends who’ve never left a case unsolved.
That is, until the Coven answers a call for help from a mysterious new world—Red Isle, where the Light and Dark Lands are on the brink of all-out war, each blaming the other for a grim spree of deaths. Now the Coven must work together and unmask the killer before Red Isle tears itself apart. Little do they know: The real enemy might be hiding in plain sight . . .
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: This graphic novel from bestselling author Soman Chainani is a standalone tale in a world kids may already know from theThe School for Good and Evil book series or movie.
Inside the Park
By Andrea Williams
What it's about: Pumpsie needs a win. Or to be more precise, he needs the Nashville Wildcats to win. Pumpsie’s been waiting his entire life—twelve whole years!—for his favorite team to make it to the playoffs. And this year—finally!—they’re just one win away.
But when Pumpsie accidentally gets trapped in Lookout Field the night before the last game of the season, with only a lost dog named Campy for company, he may have accidentally stumbled into the best night of his life.
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: Kids will love imagining themselves alone in a baseball park with unlimited access to concession foods and batting cages, and the action-packed mystery will keep them reading until the end.
No Purchase Necessary
By Maria Marianayagam
What it's about: Ajay has lived his life dutifully following the rules set by his Tamil parents.
Rule #3: Straight As only
Rule #5: There is no such thing as a no-homework day.
Rule #10: Never watch scary movies.
However, moving to a new school gives Ajay a new rule to follow: Get on seventh-grade all-star Jacob Underson’s good side.
When Jacob asks him to steal a Mercury bar from Scary Al’s convenience store, Ajay feels this is his chance to finally “get cool” and stop eating alone. But Jacob rejects the stolen chocolate bar, leaving Ajay to unwrap it and discover that it contains Mercury’s Twenty-fifth Anniversary Grand Prize…one million dollars.
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: "What would you do with a million dollars?" is a frequent topic of conversation among middle grade kids, and this book adds a new twist to this hypothetical question while also bringing in questions of identity in a compelling coming-of-age novel with wide appeal (and three starred reviews).
Old School
By Gordon Korman
What it's about: Dexter Foreman is twelve going on eighty. He has lived at The Pines retirement village with his grandmother since he was six years old, and as a result he gets along better with senior citizens than kids his own age. He's homeschooled by the residents up until the day the county’s truancy officer shows up and announces that Dex has to go to a “real” school, to the local middle school.
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: Gordon Korman was always a go-to for me when recommending books to reluctant readers. He has an accessible, humorous style that kids easily connect with and this book is no exception. This fish-out-of-water story will leave readers howling with laughter while sneaking in some lessons along the way.
Rick Kotani's 400 Million Dollar Summer
By Waka T. Brown
What it's about: Rick Kotani is looking forward to spending the entire summer playing baseball. Sure, his team never wins, but he's been practicing a special pitch he knows is going to land him a 400-million-dollar major-league contract . . . someday. That all changes when his mother throws a curveball of her own: Instead of playing ball in California, Rick will be heading to Oregon to help keep an eye on Grandpa Hiroshi while they move him to a retirement home. Trading no-hitters to be a babysitter? Rick is beyond bummed.
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: Baseball, friendship, family obligations, and a cross-country adventure give plenty of hooks for readers to grab onto in this perfect summertime read.
Besties: Prank War
By Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino
Illustrated by Sarah K. Turner
What it's about: Trent and Sawyer make their Besties series debut with a bang and a crash! These two friends never back down from a challenge, whether it presents itself at the skate park or in the school hallway, but will that determination get them in over their heads?
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: The next book in a favorite series is always an easier sell, but even readers unfamiliar with Kayla Miller will be sold by the title and cover alone.
Wolf Girl #1: Into the Wild
By Ahn Do
What it's about: When disaster separates Gwen from her family, she must fend for herself, all alone in the wilderness. Luckily, she’s not alone for long… After a wolf puppy, a Labrador, a Chihuahua, and a greyhound save her life, Gwen discovers talents she didn’t know she possessed.
Why it's perfect for reluctant readers: This is the first book in a new series filled with black and white illustrations to break up the text. The author is a comedian and it shows in this thrilling and entertaining survival novel.