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Format: Dyslexia-friendly

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly

Try as he might, Arun simply cannot wriggle his way out of taking the maths test at school. Instead, he must learn to face his fears in this encouraging and relatable school story from Serena Patel.

Maths test? Nightmare! Arun is determined to get out of a Maths test at school. But how? A school-wide protest against all tests? Pretending to be sick? He’s ready to try anything, but maybe he’s not the only one who feels this way, and maybe in the end it’s better to face your fears?

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendlyHi-Lo

Booklist: Recommended Hi-Lo Books (High Interest, Low Difficulty) for KS2

Hi-Lo books are books tailored for children whose reading age is lower than their actual age. The style and content of the books on this Hi-Lo booklist will appeal to the interests matching the child’s actual age, while the vocabulary, syntax and formatting are suited to their lower reading age.

Often older children with a lower reading age struggle to find books that don’t appear ‘babyish’ in style. This selection provides books that match the style and interest level of the books that many of their peers will be reading, but formatted with text that suits a slightly lower reading age and manageable chapter length. There’s something to appeal to all different tastes on this list, from thriller stories like The Invasion of Crooked Oak to adventures like Wings: Spitfire and tales of friends and family like Picture Perfect and All About Ella.

The books in this collection are selected from the Barrington Stoke Hi-Lo range and the Bloomsbury High Low primary fiction selection. Hi-Lo books are particularly helpful for struggling and reluctant readers because they offer accessible texts which match their actual age and interests. The books in this collection have been selected with Upper KS2 children in mind (actual age 9-11), and despite the simpler text, dyslexia-friendly formatting and shorter chapters, the storylines are no less gripping than other books aimed at this age range.

Full packs of the books on this list are available for schools to purchase via Peters.

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly

Times are tough for Cari and her mum. A violent storm has flooded the valley where they live, destroying their home and café business.

Things seem bleak – but hope appears in the form of a plan to reintroduce beavers into the area, as the changes that these amazing animals make to the waterways might prevent another flood.

Cari knows that she has to get involved. But with the project facing resistance from locals, can she convince them to give the beavers a chance – and will it be enough to save her home from being destroyed for a second time?

Dyslexia-friendlyNon-fiction

On 4 November 1922, a young Egyptian boy working on Howard Carter’s archaeological dig in the Valley of the Kings stumbled across a strange piece of rock. On closer inspection it turned out to be a stone step that would lead Carter to a long-lost tomb – and to treasures beyond his wildest dreams.

The tomb belonged to boy pharaoh Tutankhamun and was packed full of priceless artefacts. It had been largely untouched for over 3,000 years and remains one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time. But did the opening of the tomb trigger a deadly curse?

David Long’s fact-filled account shows how Carter’s amazing discoveries told us so much about life in Ancient Egypt.

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly

As the brutal Second World War stretches on with no end in sight, life for ordinary Dutch people in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands is fraught with peril and hardship. There is very little to eat and the population lives under the constant threat of arrest and enslavement.

After the murder of her beloved uncle and the capture of her brother by the Germans, Edda is determined to do anything she can to help the resistance fight back against their oppressors. But what can a teenage girl do and how much risk is she willing to take?

Award-winning author Tom Palmer shines a light on the incredible work of the WWll Dutch resistance, in a story inspired by the childhood of Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn.

Dyslexia-friendlyNon-fiction

Everest is the world’s highest mountain, towering like an icy giant over the Himalayas. For the millions of people living nearby, it has always been a magical place, known as “Goddess Mother of the World” or the “Peak of Heaven”. To explorers and adventurers, it represents a perilous but thrilling challenge to be conquered.

In this exhilarating account by award-winning author David Long, he looks back at the first attempts by international mountaineers to reach the fabled summit, many of which ended in death and disaster.

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly

Only a sensible, level head can save the day when disaster strikes on a school trip in this hilariously slapstick introduction to Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Frank and his drama club are off on a dream school trip to perform The Tempest at a festival. But it turns into a nightmare when their ferry is hit by a terrible storm! Half of the actors wash up on a sandy shore and they can’t believe their eyes.

Is this a desert island? Why is there strange music coming from the forest? Where are the rest of the cast? To Frank, it all sounds strangely like the plot of The Tempest and he hasn’t got a clue how they’re going to get out of this mess. One thing’s for sure … they’ve been tripwrecked!

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly

From the horrors of the slave trade to a book that changed the world, Catherine Johnson celebrates the incredible life of Olaudah Equiano in this gripping true story.

Born in what is now Nigeria in 1745, Olaudah Equiano’s peaceful childhood was brought to an abrupt end when he was captured and enslaved aged 11. He spent much of the next eight years of his life at sea, seeing action in the Seven Years’ War. When he was finally able to buy his freedom, he went on to become a prominent member of the abolition movement and in 1789 published one of the first books by a Black African writer. Journey Back to Freedom focuses on Equiano’s early life, demonstrating the resilience of the human spirit and one man’s determination to be free

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly

Stranger Things meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers in this fast-paced, horror adventure with an ecological twist.

Something sinister is happening in Crooked Oak.

Ever since the fracking site closed, Nancy’s parents have been acting weird. Their eyes are blank, they won’t eat – it’s like they’re no longer themselves. And now the symptoms are affecting others as well.

Nancy and her friends Pete and Krish are determined to find out what’s going on. But the deeper they dig, the scarier the mystery gets. A dark presence is spreading its tendrils across Crooked Oak. Can they stop it before it takes over the whole town?

Dyslexia-friendly

Booklist: Dyslexia Friendly Books

On this booklist, we feature a selection of recommended books that have been specially designed for dyslexic readers by the experts at Barrington Stoke. All of the books on this list have a dyslexia-friendly layout, typeface and paperstock, so that even more readers can enjoy them. Scroll down to find the best books for dyslexic readers in KS1, lower KS2 and upper KS2.

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