Best Books for Reluctant Readers: Part 2, Authors M-Z

This post is getting too long (and crashing) so I am going to split it into three parts:

Best Books for Boy Readers, Reluctant or Otherwise: Part 1 (Authors by Last Name A-L)

Best Books for Boy Readers, Reluctant or Otherwise: Part 2 (Authors by Last Name M-Z) below

Best Books for Boy Readers, Reluctant or Otherwise: Part 3 (Non-Fiction)

———————-

This has been a popular post for me on a topic near and dear to my heart. I am kicking off a week of posts that focus on Reluctant Readers and this is the first stop. I have more posts in a category labeled “Reluctant Readers” here. I have also updated this list. How about you? Can you please add your picks to this list? Thank you!

p.s. If you like this list, you might also like:

NY Times Top Selling Graphic Novels

Top 10: Summer Books with Activity to Coax Boys to Read

Top 10: Baseball Chapter Books

———————

I love to find books that excite reluctant readers. The key is to find that magic intersection that marries your child’s just-right level with content that matches their interest and a layout that is visually appealing (small chunks of text broken by pictures, larger font size, etc.). Alas, this is a moving target. I have an actual person that I select these books for, my youngest son’s best friend’s older brother who is a 4th grader with my oldest. My mom friends have had success with these books for their reluctant boy readers and suggest you try them. If you want to purchase a book, click on the image of the book to buy at Amazon.com.

Best Books for Reluctant Readers

Stink series by Meghan McDonald

Judy Moody’s little brother Stink is now a movie but as they say, the book is always better than the movie! [chapter book, ages 6 and up]

The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Basil by Wiley Miller

A completely delightful story of a boy who finds adventure when a man in a hot air balloon passes by his window. The book has large print and illustrations so it’s perfect for reluctant boy readers. If he enjoys this book, there is a sequel, Attack of the Volcano Monkeys. [chapter book, ages 7 and up]

Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat

“The adventures of two owls who shake up an entire neighborhood and turn a house topsy-turvy.” [middle grade, ages 10 and up]

Thank you to Christa from my LinkedIn group Moms on the Job for this list of great picks: The Narnia Series, Harry Potter, Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Captain Underpants, Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Owls in the Family are some books that my 9-year-old has enjoyed recently and in the past year.

The Pharaoh’s Secret by Marissa Moss

If your child likes Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles series (the first book out is The Red Pyramid), this is similar but I actually think better because the plot is a little tighter and easier to follow. There are the same themes of Ancient Egypt, finding out your heritage that happens to include special powers, and fulfilling a quest. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]

Shiloh series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

This was a book that my oldest daughter’s entire grade was assigned to read. Pragmatic Mom polled the play date kids that hang out at her house and it got a big thumbs up. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Max Finder Mystery series by Liam O’Donnell

My 7-year-old son and I have been reading this book recently and have been delighted to find VERY SHORT (5 pages!) graphic novel mysteries. While Max Finder is in Junior High School, I find that younger kids can definitely enjoy this book. The only issue for younger readers is that the font is very tiny. There are many things to love about this series; the mysteries are difficult to solve but doable. We definitely improved as detectives as we progressed through the book. The clues are both in the words and the pictures which is a clever use of a graphic novel format. Finally, I love the multi-cultural cast of characters. Bullies are included, as come with the Junior High territory, but not in a scary way. Max’s best friend is also a girl so I think girls would also enjoy this. [graphic novel mystery, ages 8 and up]

The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park

Set in 15th century Korea, Korea’s Golden Age, two brothers — one skilled in kite making and the other skilled in kite flying — combine their skills to compete in a kite-flying contest on behalf of the king. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Maximum Ride series by James Patterson

Be prepared for the ride of your life in this sci-fi fantasy adventure series. Fast-paced with short chapters and a plot spanning 7 books and an evil conglomerate that seeks to rule the world. It’s all in the hands of Max (a girl who is part bird) and her flock (also human/bird hybrids) created in a secret lab. The bad people are closing in and there are more twists and turns than I can handle. My 5th grade girl loves this series but it turns out her male classmates do too! [middle grade, ages 9 and up]

Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson

Though this appears to be a Diary of a Wimpy Kid  “spawn,” about a boy grappling with the usual Middle School stuff including bullying there is a more serious story in the background that includes a useless and slightly abusive step-father and a twin brother that is not who he seems to be. Still, the tone is light and the book still manages to be funny. Quite a feat! [middle grade, ages 9 and up]

Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen

Thank you to Jude from The Fruitcake Files for this recommendation! [middle grade, ages 10 and up]

The Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

A classic survival in the wilderness tale of a boy with just a hatchet. “Since it was first published in 1987, the story of thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson’s survival following a plane crash has become a modern classic. Stranded in the desolate wilderness, Brian uses his instincts and his hatchet to stay alive for fifty-four harrowing days.” [middle grade, ages 10 and up]

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen

This series came highly recommended off a book list for boys from a library. [middle grade, ages 10 and up]

Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce

Thank you to reader Wendy B for this great suggestion! [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

This is a Newbery Award-winning book, and it’s the sequel to A Long Way From Chicago. While this book is set in a small country bumpkin town during the Great Depression, it’s a hilarious story about fifteen-year-old Mary Alice who is sent to live with her Grandma for a year during the Great Depression while her parents get situated. Grandma Dowdel is a force to be reckoned with; her resourcefulness is matched by her heart of gold and Mary Alice’s year is filled with enough drama to fill a newspaper. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

Written from Mary Alice’s older brother’s perspective during their eight summers at Grandma Dowel’s farm and the antics they got into. It also gives a gentle history of how the Great Depression impacted their community. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Fair Weather by Richard Peck

Thirteen-year-old Rosie Beckett and her siblings’ lives are about to change forever when a distant aunt sends them tickets to visit her in Chicago to visit the 1893 World Fair. Not only are their adventures hilarious, but you feel like you are stepping back in time and visiting the World Fair which would be ten times more amazing than our modern-day equivalent of visiting Disney World & Epcot Center. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Soup and Bro by Robert Newton Peck

Children’s author Steve Vernon says, “I’d also throw in Robert Newton Peck as a great choice for reluctant boy readers. His Soup series is fantastic. Also dug his book BRO.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce

Thank you to LinkedIn group Moms on the Job member  Kara who shared: ” My oldest has read quite a few on that list–an excellent list, by the way–and now he’s moved to Big Nate books.” [graphic novel, ages 8 and up]

Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

Thank you to Christa from my LinkedIn group Moms on the Job for this list of great picks: The Narnia Series, Magic Meets the Moon, Harry Potter, Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Captain Underpants, Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Owls in the Family are some books that my 9-year-old has enjoyed recently and in the past year. [graphic novel, ages 7 and up]

His Dark Materials (Trilogy) by Phillip Pullman

Thank you to OINKTales for Phillip Pullman “His Dark Materials” series was excellent as well (although I’d say that they were for kids in grades 6 and up).” [middle grade, ages 11 and up]

American Chillers series by Johnathan Rand

South Carolina Sea Creatures, Alien Androids Assault Arizona

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson Series) by Rick Riordan

This is “Harry Potter meets Greek Mythology” and it’s a fantastic read! It’s such a page-turner that I stayed up to 2 a.m. to finish it! This is a MUST READ before the movie comes out! Percy Jackson is an ADD, dyslexic, 6th grade hero who has trouble staying in school because, as it turns out, he’s no ordinary human but a half-blood related to one of the big three in Greek Mythology. He must find and return Zeus’ lost lightning bolt to prevent WWIII. This series makes Greek Mythology come alive so I’ve included a Greek Mythology book as well. The level of difficulty is slightly easier than Book 1 of Harry Potter; this book is 375 pages long, normal-sized type. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

My 5th grader and I loved this spin-off 5 book series … more Percy Jackson! [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan

The Red Pyramid, Throne of Fire

Shockingly, not all Percy Jackson fans are taking to his new Ancient Egypt fantasy adventure series. I am not sure why. My 5th grade daughter and I really like it. We like Ancient Egypt though. A lot! [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

Can Billy win the bet by eating a worm a day for fifteen days? This book has very short chapters with illustrations. The story is really appealing to boys. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Holes by Louis Sachar

I own this book but somehow I haven’t read it yet, but I know people who have. No, seriously, my fifth grader loved it and the fifth grade boys’ book club read this book in late 3rd or 4th grade. It was listed by the Boston Public Library as a YA book, so late 4th or fifth might be the sweet spot.

I have read a small pile of Louis Sachar’s books (Sideways Stories of Wayside School, Someday Angeline, There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom) and I find them strange with weird, oddball, difficult-to-relate to characters. They are just too quirky for me but my fifth grader’s friends love his work when they were in 3rd and 4th grade, particularly the Sideways Stories series. Holes is his best work though I’ve heard The Cardturner is also quite good. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

The Light at Tern Rock by Julia Sauer

A boy and his aunt are stranded tending the Tern Rock lighthouse. What will happen with Christmas right around the corner? This book is very short with illustrations throughout and a decent-sized font. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Mudville by Kurtis Scaletta

All the boys in my school’s 5th grade book club read this book last year and loved it, even the kids who don’t play baseball. This group also has reluctant boy readers amongst the members. It’s got all the elements of a great read from an implausible situation — a town in which it rains every day, ever since the bad blood and the Native American curse. Add to it Roy, a talented 12-year-old baseball player now living with a new foster brother and the fun begins. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet series by Kirk Scroggs

This is a “spawn” of Diary of a Wimpy Kid if you can imagine Diary of a Wimpy Kid crossed with The Muppets. I know a reluctant reader who says this is his “Drop Everything and Read” book. He has a newfound interest in the Muppets and has always loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It’s the perfect intersection for him. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]

Milo Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg

My going-into-6th-grade Reluctant Reader friend gave me a list of his favorite books this past year and this was one of them. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Winner of a Caldecott, The Invention of Hugo Cabret seems lengthy but it’s only because it is mostly gorgeous pencil illustrations that also tell the mystery of an invention an orphaned boy discovers as the key to unlocking the secret to his past. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]

The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart

The book is thick so this would be a great series to read aloud or share the reading. For kids who like plots similar to that movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off where kids are in control and know a whole lot more than adults then this series would be appealing. It’s actually more complex than Ferris Bueller though and the plot revolves around a set of orphans, selected after the grueling test for their remarkable abilities to save the world from evil in the form of an evil twin. This is an exciting but not scary read. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]

Riding Freedom by Pam Muñoz Ryan

An orphan girl who lives in an orphanage for boys rides a horse named Freedom to safety. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Bone graphic novel series by Jeff Smith

Thank you to reader Jemi for this great addition. I am new to graphic novels but I saw dog-eared piles of this series at my public library. [graphic novel, ages 8 and up]

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Jeffrey “Maniac” Magee, an orphan and an athlete of legendary acclaim, breaks the racial barrier existing between two neighboring towns. If your child is a reluctant reader, this might be a 4th grade or 5th grade read. It’s about the same difficulty level as the Ramona the Pest series. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]

Sinking Deeper: Or My Questionable (Possibly Heroic) Decision to Invent a Sea Monster by Steve Vernon

Steve Vernon gave some great suggestions including his own book, “And, I’d have to add that I’ve had an awful lot of positive feedback from my own book SINKING DEEPER: MY QUESTIONABLE DECISION TO INVENT A SEA MONSTER. With today’s tattoos, caber tossing, musical saw, bagpipes, a jailbreak, a ghost or two, and a SEA MONSTER you can’t go wrong.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Dragon Breath series by Ursula Vernon

Thank you to Trisha from LinkedIn Group Moms on the Job for this suggestion. My son just bought this at the school book fair. It’s a hybrid of easy chapter book and graphic novel, a diabolically clever combination. And the dragon is “every boy” who doesn’t like to do homework, goes on crazy adventures, and has a cautious and more serious sidekick that gets dragged along. It’s a lot of fun! [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Nerd Camp series by Elissa Brent Weissman

My 5th grader daughter said it was funny and it was confirmed by another friend of hers, also a 5th grade girl. They liked it even though the lead character is a nerdy boy trying to hide his nerdiness from his soon-to-be stepbrother. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

The website, The Art of Manliness, has posted a list of 50 Best Books for Boys and Young Men. I also have some great blogs on my blogroll below under Children’s Lit that specialize in books for boys and are excellent resources.

p.s. Related posts:

10 Books to Turn Reluctant Readers into Eager Ones!

Best Books for Grades 3-5, Highly Recommended by Kids

Book Lists for Reluctant Readers

Say It Ain’t So: My Child Is a Reluctant Reader

Books for 8yold Boy Reluctant Reader

Writing for Reluctant Readers by Ty Drago

Are All Kids Reluctant Readers? Mine Are! And What to Do

Funny Books for 3rd Grade Boy: Reluctant Reader Challenge

The Middle School Reluctant Reader

From Reluctant Reader to Voracious Reader: What Worked for Me

How To: Get Reluctant Readers Who Can Decode Reading

Partnered Reading Tutorial for Getting Reluctant Readers to Read

Tips for Engaging Reluctant Readers

Favorite Books for Reluctant Readers Grades 3-8

How to Train Your Dragon ebook for reluctant readers

Tips for Hooking Reluctant Readers

NERDS: A series for Reluctant Readers

Great Books for Reluctant Boy Readers

Best Graphic Novels for Readers, Reluctant or Otherwise (ages 3-16)

Best Books for Boy Readers, Reluctant or Otherwise (ages 7-14): Part 1, Authors A-L

Best Books for Boy Readers, Reluctant or Otherwise: Part 3 (Non-Fiction)

Best Books for Boy Readers, Reluctant or Otherwise (ages 7-14)

Books for Reluctant Boy Readers

Hi-Lo Books for Middle Readers

Top 10 Books for Struggling Teen Readers

How to Get Your Kid to Be a Fanatic Reader

Turn Your Child Into a Reader

To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Follow PragmaticMom’s board Best Graphic Novels on Pinterest.

Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.

Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.

My books:

 Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

• Junior Library Guild Gold selection
• Massachusetts Book Award Long List
• Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
• Starred review from School Library Journal
• Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
• 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
• Green Earth Book Award Long List
• Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids

 Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me