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Books for Reluctant Readers Aged 9-11

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Best Books for Reluctant Readers in Upper KS2

For parents and teachers, there is often pressure and desire to guide every child successfully through the process of learning to read – while making sure it’s fun, enjoyable and a learning journey that will lead to a lifelong love of books. But which books are best for hooking in children who don’t feel interested in reading?

We’ve put together a curated collection of books designed to engage children who can appear reluctant to read for pleasure. At BooksForTopics, we understand the unique challenge of inspiring a love for reading in older primary school students who may be hesitant or less enthusiastic about picking up a book. Our list aims to break down common barriers and offer a diverse range of titles that cater to varied interests and reading abilities.

Try offering titles with a high image-to-text ratio like the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series or Freddy vs School, offering an immersive reading experience that appeals to visual learners. We also recommend that you explore books with high-interest themes like Rashford Rules or Gamer, addressing hobbies and interests that are likely to captivate readers seeking meaningful reads. For those drawn to real-life stories and relatable worlds that create an easy connection between the reader and the narrative, try Ella on the Outside. For those who find reading boring, why not introduce a good dose of humour through Grimwood or Iguana Boy Saves the World With a Triple Cheese Pizza?

With something for all different tastes, this selection of our top book choices for engaging reluctant readers in Year 5 and Year 6 is here to help. Schools can purchase full sets of the books from Peters.

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Guidance: Books for Reluctant Readers in Upper Ks2

Every reader is unique, and it follows that different children are likely to have their own reasons for finding books disengaging. Identifying the key reasons behind the reluctance towards books can help to pinpoint book suggestions that might capture individual children’s interest. For readers who find large blocks of text overwhelming, try offering something with a high image-to-text ratio, like the 13-Storey Treehouse series or the extremely popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. Graphic novels are also often a huge hit with readers in upper KS2, from the wildly popular Dog Man books to the Bunny vs Monkey graphic novels. Where dyslexia is present, we highly recommend Barrington Stoke’s dyslexia-friendly reads that cater to all sorts of different tastes, like David Long’s Titanic-based non-fiction Tragedy at Sea to the football-themed Finding Her Feet.

For children who love to laugh, we suggest Sam Copeland’s highly entertaining Charlie Changes into a Chicken, the action-packed Iguana Boy series or – one of our all-time favourites – the completely whacky Mr Gum series.​ As for readers who need to find common ground with the worlds they read about, try Cath Howe’s pre-teen drama Ella on the Outside, the brilliantly funny Sam Wu series or – for footie fans – the highly recommendable Soccer Superstars books.​

For pupils who get ‘stuck’ on a very favourite author or series, browse around our Branching Out lists, which give suggestions of alternative books similar to popular favourites like David Walliams or Tom Gates.​

If you are looking for further Year 5 and Year 6 book recommendations, be sure to check out our Reading for Pleasure booklists.

More Booklists to Help Reluctant Readers 

Reluctant Readers KS2 (9-11) – this page

Reluctant Readers KS2 (7-9)

Dyslexia-Friendly Books

Graphic Novels KS2

Funny Books

Branching Out Booklists

Hi-Lo Books (high interest, low difficulty)

 

You may also like our Year Group booklists, featuring 50 Recommended Reads for each primary school year group, or our curriculum topic booklists.

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