Books for Struggling Readers

Do you have a middle grader or teen who struggles with reading? This can be difficult, because this age group doesn’t want to read “little kid” books, but they still need to build up their reading skills. A great alternative for them could be high interest, low level books.

What are high-interest, low-level books?

High interest, low level books (hi-lo, hi/low, etc.) are books that typically appeal to struggling readers. High interest means that the books often have suitable content for middle graders and teens, but low level means that they have a lower difficulty level.

Why would high interest, low level books be helpful?

These types of books appeal to struggling readers because they use things like a simpler vocabulary or less pages to encourage the reader to keep reading. These titles can also be helpful for those who are learning English as a second language or youth who have learning disabilities.

I’ve compiled some of the best hi-lo books at our library in this book list: High Interest-Low Level (Hi-Lo) Books

Additional ideas for struggling readers:

Try to look for chapter books, book series, and/or collections of books

  • When something is working, stick to it. Many books designated as hi-lo come in a series or have similar titles, so if you find one that is just right for a reader, see if there are others associated with it.

When in doubt, check out graphic novels

  • Graphic novels, comic books or illustrated classics are a wonderful way to engage kids with what they’re reading without stressing too much about the length of the book or how complex the content is.
  • One of my favorite suggestions are DC comics, as they are usually familiar childhood favorites to many people and include a variety of backgrounds to their characters.
  • I also enjoy titles like “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” which include graphic novel style images inside the book but also have a healthy amount of text for kids to tackle.

Kick-start reading with nonfiction

  • Books that are informational, whether teaching kids how to use redstone in Minecraft or how submarines work, are a simple way of getting kids motivated to read, especially if they are about a topic that your kid or teen is interested in.
  • The same goes for biographies. Famous people are a big part of our lives, whether it’s Beyoncé, Oprah or the person who invented string cheese. They lived, they breathed, they existed in real life. Sometimes, that’s just the interesting pull readers need to invest themselves in a book.

Poetry (It may not be your first thought, but it could be a new fave.)

  • Poetry CAN be a hard sell. Either kids don’t have experience reading poetry or it’s too abstract to enjoy. HOWEVER, there are plenty of really wonderful poets out there. It might take a while to find out what appeals most to your youth. Do they prefer vivid descriptions, beautiful words or funny poetry? Exploring these answers can be helpful in finding the best fit.

Read more about hi-lo books

There are so many lists and publishers out there for hi-lo books. I am just one of many voices that can tell you about them. For a better understanding, I invite you to check out some of these other writers’ takes on hi-lo books and why they can be beneficial to readers.