Hooking Reluctant Readers

Author: Bruce Hale
A while back, I was shopping in the book section of Costco, a tempting place for a book-lover. While browsing the latest thrillers, I overheard this exchange between a middle-school girl and her mother.

Girl: "But why can't I read The Da Vinci Code?"

Mom: "It's a grown-up book, honey. Here, take this one."

Girl: "The Hobbit? I don't want to read that; it's a little kid's book."

Mom: "We want you to read The Hobbit."

At that point, I felt like stepping in and saying, "Excuse me, ma'am, I'm an author. Step away from The Hobbit. Let the girl read what she likes."

The truth is, it's hard enough to get some kids to put their nose in a book. No need to complicate matters by trying to make them read something they don't like.

Educators, parents and authors all want to keep reluctant readers reading. But those readers can be finickier than a roomful of felines at a cat food taste test. Maybe they know what they like; maybe they only know what they don't like.

I believe that all it takes to create a reader is the right book. Finding that tale is the trick.

So how do you pick books that will hook reluctant readers? Each child is different, with very particular tastes. Nevertheless, here are some key elements that engage child readers, along with some suggested titles:

HUMOR
Whether you hate or love Captain Underpants, you can't deny that his humor captures readers - especially boys. Kids love to laugh, and if you can put funny books in their hands, they'll keep gobbling them up.

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Time Warp Trio by Jon Scieszka
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery by Deborah and James Howe
The Chet Gecko Mysteries by Bruce Hale
Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money by Christopher Paul Curtis

SYMPATHETIC CHARACTERS
Whatever genre the story falls into, it must have a main character that the reader claims as a friend. And just as important, the tale must be told in concise, vigorous writing. Reluctant readers don’t have the patience to slog through lengthy or convoluted prose.

Amber Brown by Paula Danziger
Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee
The Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
Superfudge by Judy Blume

FANTASY
Kids love books that take a compelling “what if” (what if a treehouse was a time machine? what if a boy went to wizard school?) and spin out a story. Alternate worlds, magical happenings, extraterrestrials — all of these can capture the unmotivated reader’s imagination.

Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
The Bartimeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
My Teacher Is an Alien by Bruce Coville
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

ACTION
With so much competition from movies, TV and videogames, books must move if they want to entice. Slow-paced stories are fine for more experienced readers, but reluctant readers need books that hit the ground running.

Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Redwall books by Brian Jacques
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

THE PROMISE THAT SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN
This is why we all read, to see what happens next in the story. A book that builds suspense early on and maintains it will keep kids reading.

Animorphs by K.A. Applegate
Holes by Louis Sachar
Matt Christopher Sports Series by Matt Christopher
Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

SERIES
Series are training-wheel books. They provide familiar characters in a familiar world that’s easier to lose yourself in with each new title. Series books build literacy skills and create new readers.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
Judy Moody by Megan McDonald
Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan
The Magic Schoolbus series by Joanna Cole

STRONG VISUALS
Graphic novels, manga, and comic books, with their strong visual content, will hook plenty of reluctant readers — especially boys. These books can serve as a stepping-stone to longer fiction.

Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai
Bone by Jeff Smith
Groo the Wanderer by Sergio Aragones
Babymouse by Jennifer and Matthew Holm

SEEING THEMSELVES
Some reluctant readers don’t want fantasy; they want the real world. If we take the time to give them books with multicultural characters they can identify with, those readers will respond.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Bucking the Sarge by Christopher Paul Curtis
Who Am I Without Him? Sharon Flake (YA)

Some say that it’s not good to give kids certain kinds of books, that it’s not wise to let them read comic books or escapist literature. Personally, I’m happy if kids read almost anything — magazines, video game instructions, cereal boxes, or the writing on the wall — as long as they’re reading.

First we have to show them that reading can be fun. Only after that goal is accomplished can we offer them more challenging books that will open up their minds.

If we want to have a literate nation in the future, reaching reluctant readers now is our first task. (After that, we can focus on playing “book police” at Costco. Just kidding.)

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