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Reluctant Readers- Boys 10-11

Getting a reluctant reader to enjoy books is difficult.  Here are some books that might help.   We always suggest getting kids hooked on a series so that they want to read the rest of the series.

Listed below are samples from series.  They are not always the first in the series but if you are interested in seeing the entire series, then go to the search and put in the series name to see the all the titles in the series.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (Hardcover)

By Jeff Kinney
$12.56
ISBN-13: 9780810983915
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Harry N. Abrams, 10/01/2009

Interest Level: grades 6 - 8  
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.3+

Greg Heffley knows he’s not popular, but he tries hard to fit in. He records his observations about life in middle school in his journal (NOT a diary, he says) along with frequent drawings. Realistic and laugh out loud funny!

In Too Deep [With 6 Cards] (Hardcover)

By Jude Watson
$11.69
ISBN-13: 9780545060462
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Inc., 11/01/2009

Interest Level:  Grades 3 - 5
Grade Level Equivalent: 3.4

What would happen if you discovered that your family was one of the most powerful in human history? What if you were told that the source of the family's power was hidden around the world, in the form of 39 Clues? What if you were given a choice, take a million dollars and walk away, or get the first Clue? If you're Amy and Dan Cahill, you take the Clue, and begin a very dangerous race.  The high-octane adventures accelerate as more books are added to this ten book series.

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Five: Last Olympian (Hardcover)

By Rick Riordan
$16.19
ISBN-13: 9781423101475
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Hyperion, 05/01/2009

Interest Level:6 - 8  
Grade Level Equivalent: 3.5 – 4.7

Classic Greek mythology is mixed with modern adventure in this action-packed series. Twelve-year-old Percy is always in trouble, and it doesn't help that he's started seeing monsters everywhere! Things become clearer when Percy discovers he is the son of Poseidon, God of the Sea. Percy is sent to a summer camp on Long Island, but trouble starts all over again when Percy is sent on a quest to prevent war on Mount Olympus.  History, adventure, blood and guts.

The Field Guide (Hardcover)

By Holly Black, Tony DiTerlizzi, Tony DiTerlizzi (Illustrator)
$9.89
ISBN-13: 9780689859366
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 05/01/2003

Interest Level:3 - 5 
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.1

In a well-weathered Victorian era home owned by their great-aunt Lucinda, Jared, Simon and Mallory Grace discover a Field Guide to Fairies and other magical creatures that inhabit the area and wonderful adventures abound.  Lots of adventure, humor and it is scary.

Charlie Bone and the Shadow (Hardcover)

By Jenny Nimmo
$11.69
ISBN-13: 9780439846691
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Orchard Books, 09/01/2008

Interest Level:6 - 8  
Grade Level Equivalent:4.5

When Charlie’s family discovers he can hear voices in photographs, he is sent to the mysterious Bloor Academy for the Rich and Magically Endowed. Charlie adjusts to his new life at school, solves unusual mysteries, and searches for his missing father in this series that will appeal to your Harry Potter fans. The cast of characters, ranging from the off-beat Uncle Paton to Charlie’s eccentric friend Olivia, are diverse and entertaining. Charlie Bone fans will devour these novels about middle-grade kids embarking on adventures and solving intellectual mysteries:

Gregor and the Code of Claw (Paperback)

By Suzanne Collins
$6.29
ISBN-13: 9780439791441
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Paperbacks, 05/01/2008

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins  
Interest Level:  grades 6 - 8  
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.9

When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it - until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.