When upper elementary children struggle with reading, as teachers, we want to do all we can to help these reluctant readers improve their reading skills and see reading as an enjoyable activity.
One of the ways to help struggling readers is to have plenty of high-interest, low-readability books available.
You are reading: High interest low level books
Of course, every student is different, and what appeals to one may not appeal to another. however, the idea is to have a large enough variety of books to be able to provide choices for the child. Ideally, these options will be books that don’t seem childish and are engaging, but at an easier reading level.
best of all, we can hope that the books are so interesting that the upper grade student actually wants to spend time reading that book, and then the next…and the next…!
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1. book series
Getting kids hooked on one author or series of books is a great way to get kids reading multiple books or more!
Book series suggestions:
- rotten school by r.l. stine
- hank zipzer by henry winkler (yes, the fonz!) and lin oliver
- nancy drew by carolyn sharpe
- dragon masters by tracey west
- jon scieszka’s time warp trio
- donald j. sobol
- ready freddy by abby klein
- the boxcar children by gertrude chandler warner
- ballpark mysteries by david a. kelly
- emily windsnap by liz kessler
- charlie bone by jenny nimmo
- the penderwicks by jeanne birdsall
- bunnicula by deborah and james howe
2. graphic novels
many kids like graphic novels (and some don’t!). however, they are a great genre for reluctant readers who enjoy them. some of the graphic novels are read-once books, while others are also a series of books.
graphic novel suggestions:
- battle bugs by jack patton
- dogman by dav pikey
- captain awesome by stan kirby
- lunchlady by jarrett j. krosoczka
- sports illustrated (as quarterback rush)
- bad kitty by nick bruel
- mighty robot by ricky ricotta
- mighty jack by ben hatke
- zita the space girl by ben hatke
- stick dog by tom watson
- diary of a wimpy kid by jeff kinney
- bad island by doug tennapel
- wings of fire by tui sutherland
- anne of green gables by mariah marsden (yes, some classic books have been turned into graphic novels for children who are not yet ready for all chapter book format).
3. selected chapter books
See Also: 17 YA Non-Fiction Books That You Need to Be Reading | Epic Reads Blog
There are lots of really good chapter books out there that are of great interest but at an easier reading level for struggling readers.
chapter book suggestions:
- the barn by avi
- the chocolate touch by patrick skene catling
- tales of a fourth grade nothing by judy blume
- superfudge by judy blume
- socks by beverly cleary
- the pinballs by betsy byars
- crash by jerry spinelli
- stuart little by e.b. white
- the mouse on beverly cleary’s motorcycle
- the scapegoat for sid fleischman
4. non-fiction books
Most kids like nonfiction, and there are quite a few that are considered high-end books (high interest, low readability).
Nonfiction book suggestions:
- non-fiction companion books to the magic tree house series:
- themes are really fun, like world war 2, mummies, ninjas and samurai, and dinosaurs, of course. name a few.
- who would win?
- These books are compare and contrast books. compare two animals, such as lions and tigers, and describe their attributes. lots of good scientific information is included.
- who was or who is books
- this series of books are biographies of some really interesting people, like walt disney, harriet tubman, or sacagawea. there are tons of these books, so just like the book series suggestion, if a student reads one and likes it, they might want to read more!
5. historical fiction books
I’m a huge fan of history and these are books that excite me. some of your students may also begin to enjoy real life stories after reading a few of these.
Historical fiction book suggestions:
- i survived the series
- this series of books takes kids right into the story and they are very interesting! Examples include: I survived the Japanese Tsunami of 2011, I survived the Hindenberg Disaster of 1937, and I survived the Great Molasses Flood of 1919.
- who-was books:
- these are published by penguin, who also publish who-was books. This series tells stories about famous and not-so-famous places and events, including Ellis Island, the Pearl Harbor bombing, the Great Depression, and more.
- wouldn’t you like to be…
- this series actually appeals to a lot of kids, even those who aren’t really drawn to the story. the graphics are great and the books even look like fun! There are titles like: you wouldn’t want to be a pyramid builder, you wouldn’t want to be a viking explorer, you wouldn’t want to be a civil war soldier, and you wouldn’t want to be at the boston tea party.
6. poetry
yes, I said it, poetry! Of course, I’m not recommending Emily Dickinson, but I’m thinking more along the lines of Shel Silverstein! there are plenty of funny poetry books that reluctant readers really enjoy.
One of the best things about them is that they come in bite-sized reading pieces. Since many of the poems are simply one-page readings, it’s less intimidating than a full chapter book.
See Also: Elizabeth Adler – Book Series In Order
Here are some poetry book suggestions:
- where the sidewalk ends next to shel silverstein
- i once laughed the shit out of it
- jazz day: the making of a famous photograph
- take me to the ball game
- it’s raining pigs and noodles
- my life as a goldfish
- hip hop speaks to children: a celebration of poetry with rhythm
Upper elementary grades are a crucial time to get our struggling readers back on track (albeit without pressure).
When children come to us as reluctant readers, who may go to great lengths to avoid reading, our goal is to not only provide meaningful comprehension lessons, but also help them find books that make them want to read independently.
If you want more ideas on how to motivate struggling readers, you can read another post I wrote. Click here to read how to motivate reluctant readers in upper elementary school.
if you need some uncomplicated but differentiated reading resources (three levels for each passage and games and task cards for 3rd-5th grade reading levels), you can check out take a look at these :
package of main ideas
text test kit
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