Best Children’s Chapter Books for Reluctant Readers
September 4th, 2013
Bonnie · Staff Recommendations
Our Summer Reading Game was a great success this year and the participants read many books and spent a lot of time reading for pleasure this Summer. Congratulations to all of them, I am very proud of you!
Along with many avid readers, there are also many children who did not pick up a single book this Summer, and really don’t want to. They just are not interested. Perhaps they haven’t found the right story that holds their interest. Perhaps they find reading difficult and don’t realize we have many books on CD that they can listen to, as well as downloadable audiobooks for their devices.
I wanted to recommend a few interesting books this month for those reluctant readers. These books have been very popular with the age 8 and up crowd, have interesting characters and storylines and some have been made into movies as well. If you have a reluctant reader, or know one, maybe one of these books will spark their interest. We have many more like these in our children’s room and some in our Young Adult area (ages 12+).
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #1) by Jeff KinneyIn book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.
Holes (Holes #1) by Louis SacharAt Camp Green Lake, the warden makes the boys “build character” by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the treacherous warden is searching for something, and before long Stanley begins his own search—for the truth.
Frindle by Andrew Clements, Brian SelznickHe really just likes to liven things up at school — and he’s always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he’s got the inspiration for his best plan ever – the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? But his teacher REALLY doesn’t approve…
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Fudge #1) by Judy BlumeLife with his little brother, Fudge, makes Peter Hatcher feel like a fourth grade nothing. Whether Fudge is throwing a temper tantrum in a shoe store, smearing mashed potatoes on the walls at Hamburger Heaven, or trying to fly, he’s never far from trouble. He’s an almost three-year-old terror who gets away with everything, and Peter’s had it up to here!
Queen of the World! (Babymouse #1) by Jennifer L. Holm , Matthew HolmIt’s the same thing every day for Babymouse. Where is the glamour? The excitement? The adventure? Nothing ever changes, until . . . Babymouse hears about Felicia Furrypaws’s exclusive slumber party. Will Babymouse get invited? Will her best friend, Wilson, forgive her if she misses their monster movie marathon? Find out inBabymouse: Queen of the World, a graphic novel.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Ralph S. Mouse #1) by Beverly ClearyRalph the mouse ventures out from behind the piney knothole in the wall of his hotel-room home, scrambles up the telephone wire to the end table, and climbs aboard the toy motorcycle left there by a young guest. The ringing telephone startles Ralph, and he and the motorcycle take a terrible fall – right to the bottom of a metal wastebasket. Keith rescues Ralph and teaches him how to ride the bike. Thus begins a great friendship and many awesome adventures. Once a mouse can ride a motorcyle … almost anything can happen!
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick RiordanPercy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school… again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’ master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’ stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus.