Recent Popular Series to Hook Middle Grade Kids on Reading

Very Easy
Franny K. Stein, Jim Benton
My Weird School, Dan Gutman
Mijos, David Gonzales
Zack Files, Dan Greenburg
Captain Underpants, Dav Pilkey
Stink, Megan MacDonald (Judy Moody's little brother)

A Little Harder
Dear Dumb Diary, Jim Benton
Shredderman, Wendelin Van Draanen
Animal Ark, Baglio
GhostHunters, Cornelia Funke
Judy Moody, Megan MacDonald

Book Lists for Teachers and Parents

Partner Books
One way to get kids reading for entertainment is to make it a social activity they can do with their friends. Humor and joke books are great for this. These books are great for getting kids to read with one another:
Garfield
Calvin & Hobbes
Guinness Book of World Records
Kids Discover Magazine
I Spy (good for EL kids as they learn more vocabulary)
Simpsons Comic Books
DK Books
Oh, Yuck!: The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty, Joy Masoff
Oh, Yikes!: History's Grossest Moments, Joy Masoff
Kat Kong, Dav Pilkey
Dogzilla, Dav Pilkey
The Big Book of Boy Stuff
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, Jon Scieszka
Squids Will be Squids,Jon Scieszka
Ugliest: Amazing Facts About Ugly Animals
1000 Facts on the Human Body
Animals Nobody Loves, Seymour Simon
Question & Answer books or cards
Top Ten of Everything, Russell Ash
Animalia, Graeme Base
More sophisticated alphabet books like those by Jerry Pallota
MIstakes that Worked
Eat Your Words
Monkey Business, Wallace Edwards

How do you get reluctant readers to read?

Someone wrote in asking how I get kids to read who don't want to. Excellent question. I use a variety of strategies. One of the most important is to have an extensive collection of reading materials in my classroom. An important part of that collection is the Captain Underpants series, by Dav Pilkey. No boy, and few girls will pass up these easy-to-read ridiculous books about two cut-ups named George and Harold.

Reading also becomes a social activity in my classroom (this year a 4-5 combination). I read great books aloud to the whole class during our read aloud time. The read along with books on tape during Silent Reading. I have a special collection of books for Partner Reading, which means reading with a friend.

I am also the "Silent Reading Nazi." During Silent Reading time, I insist that they stay at their seat and LOOK at their books.

Through one-on-one conferences (during silent reading once the class is trained) I learn whether or not they are understanding what they are reading. I try not to tell them, "Oh, this book is too hard for you." But help them decide a book is a little too confusing, then help them choose something more appropriate to their reading level. I have books ranging from 1st to 8th grade reading levels in my room.

I've built up a classroom library over the years, but in the five to ten years, I try to get most of my books from Friends of the Library bookstores or other second hand sources. This way I don't get too upset if my books go home and don't come back.

I have lots of other strategies. Ask me some more questions.

About Getting Kids to Read

I am a teacher on a mission. I believe that all kids can learn to love reading if they are guided to it. How do we guide kids to love reading? For one thing, when they "are old enough to read on their own" don't leave them to read on their own. Learning to read is work, and if we take the fun out of it, they will lose the desire to read.

When children can't read, parents read to them. Even when kids CAN read, parents still need to read to them what they aren't ready to read on their own, but will listen to and enjoy. For a great list of wonderful books, visit my classroom website at http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/teachers/rradlauer/ms_radlauers_read_alouds.htm.

Have a question about your own child's interests and books? Ask a question here!