My son was a reluctant reader. David did not like books during elementary school. He enjoyed them if I read the book to him, but he didn’t show much interest when it came to reading books himself.
We tried to encourage him to become interested in books in a variety of ways. Each evening when it was time for bed my husband or I would read to him. We visited the library weekly. I made sure he saw us reading at home. I would ask him to help me read recipes or directions when we were going somewhere, and I would leave notes for him at home.
No matter what we tried to get him interested in reading nothing really worked, until he began to learn to read using an Orton-Gillingham (O-G) influenced reading program. Once things began to fall into place with the O-G reading program he began to read more on his own.
Even though my son was learning the tools that he could use to read and spell he would usually choose books that had stories with strong imagery. These kinds of books lend themselves to vivid pictures the reader can imagine while they read.
Since many people with dyslexia tend to have great imaginations and be creative it stands to reason that they will often enjoy reading stories that promote the use of their imagination. Reading that does not contain a lot of visual imagery can be more difficult for some dyslexics to read, especially if it is not a subject they are interested in.
I constantly looked for books that David would be interested in reading. Sometimes it was hard to find something he would like. I can’t tell you how many times I wished I could find someone who could direct me to the kinds of books that would hold my son’s interest. Over the years because of the guidance from my son I was able create a list of high interest books that provided a lot of strong imagery and excitement especially for boys. I hope you and your child will benefit from my years of hunting down books.
Following is a list of books my son and other children with dyslexia have enjoyed. Please take into consideration the age level and subject matter before choosing one of these books for your child.
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
The Boxcar Children (series) by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Calvin and Hobbs by Bill Watterson
Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey
Conspiracy 365 by Gabrielle Lord
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) by Jeff Kinney
Dragons in our Midst (series) by Bryan Davis
Freddy and the French Fries (series) by David Baldacci
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Gamer by Chris Bradford
George Brown Class Clown (series) by Nancy Krulik
The Ghost in The Bath by Jeremy Strong
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler
The Incredible Worlds of Wally McDoogle (series) by Bill Myers
Indian in the Cupboard (series) by Lynne Reid Banks
Inkheart (series) by Cornelia Funke
Johnny Delgado Private Detective by Kevin Brooks
Kingdom Keepers (series) by Ridley Pearson
Landon Snow Series by R.K. Mortenson
Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles by Julies Andrews Edwards
Little Britches by Ralph Moody
The Littles (series) by John Peterson
Meet The Weirds by Kaye Umansky
Mr. Birdsnest and the House Next Door by Julia Donaldson
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
The Number 7 Shirt by Alan Gibbons
The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riorda 
Redwall (series) by Brian Jacques
Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary
Secret Agent Dingledorf and his trusty dog Splat (series) by Bill Myers
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodges Burnett
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
The Snake Who Came To Stay by Julia Donaldson
Spiderwick Chronicles (series) by Tony DiTerlizzi
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Time Warp Trio (series) by Jon Sczieska
Tom and Ricky Mystery Series by Bob Wright
Stuart Little by E. B. White
Who’s A Big Bully Then? by Morpurgo
Wild Song by Jane Eagland
The Word Eater by Mary Amato
High Noon Books – chapter books that are high interest/low level readers – bookshighnoonbooks.com
I’m sure there are many other books out there that reluctant readers love. If you know of some great books please comment below and let us know!
For more information on Orton-Gillingham reading and spelling programs give us a call at 253-857-8186
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