Reluctant+Readers

BOYS & RELUCTANT READERS  (Or Boys who are often Reluctant Readers)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and the sequels, Catching Fire and Mockingjay

Unwind by Neil Shusterman

Bruiser by Neil Shusterman

The Schwa Was Here by Neil Shusterman

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan

Trouble by Gary Schmidt

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and the sequels

Bone (the graphic novel series) by Jeff Smith

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy and the sequels

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Last Apprentice/Wardstone Chronicles series by Joseph Delaney

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer and the sequels

The Maximum Ride series by James Patterson

Paper Towns by John Green

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Angus, Thongs, & Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison and sequels

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

ranger's apprentice series

graphic novels - ranma 1/2, identity, full metal

historical fiction

fallen angels

cars

sports

record books - top 10, guiness, etc.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

White Cat by Holly Black

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman

The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

The Thrawn trilogy of Star Wars books by Timothy Zahn

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

I highly recommend looking into graphic novels for your reluctant readers. I've had good luck with the Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi, although the kids get frustrated that it's an ongoing series and they have to wait for the next one. The Ultimate Spider-man series has also been a favorite.

I like to use "Guys write for guys read" edited by Jon Scieszka. Boys really end up liking it, even the reluctant ones!

Maus

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Seth Grahame-Smith books

Graphics – Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, MacBeth, The Odyssey, Julius Caesar, Frankenstein

The First Part Last, by Angela Johnson

Every Time a Rainbow Dies, by Rita Williams-Garcia

Looking for Alaska, by John Green

Saving Francesca, by Melina Marchetta

The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer

The Flag and Bone Shop, by Robert Cormier

Fiction:

Gordon Korman’s Son of the Mob never fails. It is the most popular book for guys who hate to read. He has a sequel, Hollywood Hustle, as well as other titles: Born to Rock, Juvie Three, Pop, Swindle.

Nonfiction:

Jack Gantos’ Hole in My Life has been a word of mouth favorite. Same with Burn Journals by Brent Runyon.

Boys:

Jonah Hex/ Justin Gray

Percy Jackson series and The Red Pyramid / Riordan

Tamora Pierce books (my boys are reading these, even though written by a 'girl')

Warrior series by Hunter

Cirque du Freak

Ranger's Apprentice

The Hunger Games series

Eragon series

Pendragon series by MacHale

Dragon Ball Z

Girls:

Bluford

Kimani Tru

Lousie Rennison books

Lauren Myracle books

What do you have by Walter Dean Myers? We read Monster in my YA class, and I loved it! It's about a teenage boy arrested for murder. It's very good.

The Bluford Series by Paul Langan and some are written by Anne Schraff:

The Bully

The Payback (the gun)

Someone to Love Me

Stone Fox by Gardiner

Looking for Alaska - Green

Twisted - Anderson

Orca Soundings Collection

exploits of a reluctant but extremely goodlooking hero – Fergus

My guys like to read the Cherub series by Muchamore (though he's a British author and his books often need to be special-ordered), the Ranger's apprentice series by Flanagan, Anthony Horowitz of course, Higson's Young bond series, Zahn's Dragonback series, Dean Hughes' books, The things they carried, Darren Shan's books, Star wars novels, Amelia Atwater-Rhode's novels, the Pendragon series by Machale.

I've only gone through two major book selection cycles (one Dec 2009, one April 2010) since I'm beginning my 2nd year. Our English and social studies teachers incorporate book projects in many forms, several of which are choose-your-own book. The book projects which are focused included 'any book from [insert time period or a theme]', which Things that I considered were the YALSA Best Books lists, including the one for reluctant readers. Also, I've considered the interests and comments from students as they respond to my questions regarding what they like to read, or what they like to do/watch (if they don't like to read). Such responses included: sports, war, mystery, musicians. A couple of students mentioned hunting, but most titles I've found were either young students or for specific instructions of how to hunt, techniques, and other things that are beyond the high school. Your students may have similar interests, but that's where I would start...

Also, I was able to 'sell' Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson. He liked light mysteries & some realistic fiction (my words) based on the shows and movies he watched.

I would recommend books by these authors:

Gary Paulsen

Will Hobbs

Louis L'Amour

Darren Shan

S.E. Hinton

John Flanagan

Rick Riordan

DJ Machale

The "Bluford High" series is very popular with reluctant readers.

Boys like the books by Mike Lupica.

Bluford High, Orca Soundings, Hip Edge Novels - all series of realistic, generally urban, fiction written about 3rd to 4th grade level. Our kids eat them up - boys and girls. Individual titles from Sherman Alexie, Walter Dean Myers, Jordan Sonnenblick, Gary Soto are good too.

These have never failed me:

Fiction: What Happened, by Peter Johnson

Non-Fiction: Goat, by Brad Land

Amory, Jay. The Fledging of Az Gabrielson and Pirates of the Relentless Desert (sequel). also boys

Bauer, Joan. Peeled.

Berry, Julie. The Amaranth Enchantment.

Oppel, Kenneth. Airborn; Skybreaker; and Starclimber (sequels). also boys

Pearson, Mary. The Adoration of Jenna Fox. girl protagonist, but I think would have boy appeal

Perkins, Mitali. Secret Keeper.

Paula Joseph-Johnson, LMS/Yearbook Adviser Bristow High School (Bristow, OK)
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