For the most negative ("I HATE" to read) readers, the simple choice of whatever book they want, for 10-15 minutes each day in class, with a different response sheet every two weeks has worked. My most negative student this year told me that The Cay -  was ".  . . really good--for a book, I mean."  Others have been interested in Stuck in Neutral (one boy told me it was because they get to read "bad" language, but I notice that they finish the book). Some kids start with Scary Stories to Read in the Dark, and move with only a little nudge into mysteries.  One boy, a reluctant reader  who read mostly non-fiction books on jets and the military, tried Pilot Down, Presumed Dead, and was stunned that he enjoyed a fiction book. A couple of girls who read young romance novels exclusively discovered they liked historical fiction and  biographies. Some boys who liked the nonfiction books on weapons,  or books like the Redwall series, moved into history books on the World Wars and  the Civil War. Like all of you, I am just excited when a kid gets excited about reading, and finds new things to try and like.  

April 2002

I need the titles of 3 books that 12-15 year olds can purchase in bookstores and read over the summer. They read on a 2nd and 3rd grade level. Something of interest to them but on a level that will be challenging, yet non-threatening, would be nice. Thanks for any help. 

Response:  Every time I allow choice with slow readers, they choose books they will never finish or even read. They tend to choose above their level so they can save face. With a list, they will have something to take to the mall and know what to look for. They will always be allowed to choose whatever book they want. I just want them to read it all the way through and talk about it. Their parents can purchase the books for them. These kids are so opposed to buying books that just getting them to buy one will be a miracle. If I can get them to the bookshelves over the summer, then maybe they will purchase one of those books you have in mind that will set them on fire. I need a list to get them there. I would enjoy hearing them say, "I want this one, not that one!" Let their parent say, "You're gonna read it if I buy it!" I have a couple of suggestions. I really wanted a list of low-level Newbery book titles, but opened it up to all titles. 

Response:  I think that you can give suggestions, but they need to choose their own reading materials. If they are reading at 2nd or 3rd grade reading level, then they are really behind. My first suggestion would be to get them "turned on" to books by giving them several choices rather than just a few. 

Response:  Some of my seventh grade, very low readers (Grade 1 and 2 level, a few Grade 3) have enjoyed novels by Dan Greenberg in the series, "The Zack Files." While these are at about a 2.0 level (similar to Magic Treehouse) they are a bit more sophisticated. Zack is a ten year old who lives with his dad in an apartment in NYC. He has a number of improbably adventures that all have a bit of an odd twist to them. Concepts such as parallel universes, reincarnation, animation (of objects) and other neat stuff enliven the stories. Titles include: The Volcano Goddess Will See You Now (set in Hawaii) Through the Medicine Cabinet (parallel universe--another Zack in a different world lives on the other side of the mirror) Grandpa's In The Litter Box! (an ancestor reappears as a cat to deliver an important message) There are about seven or eight in the series, but they are very new and I haven't heard anyone on any lists comment on them. They are reasonable well written and quite funny. The character, Zack, is well-developed for a novel at this level.

May 2000

I have an 8th grade boy reluctant reader who read very little the first six weeks of school, but he's really been turned on to reading the second six weeks. He read Holes and all three Harry Potter books. Now what? He tried several books I recommended early in the year, but didn't get hooked until I put Holes into his hands. What have your Holes/H.Potter lovers been reading? 

Response:  You might try anything by Chris Crutcher. My 7th graders are loving Holes, by the way, and my 8th graders are loving Harry Potter. My reluctant 7th grade readers really like Ironman and Staying Fat for Sarah Byrns, both by Crutcher. I would also recommend Chinese Handcuffs. I hear Stotan is good, but I haven't read it yet. Also, I have a kid who is sort of struggling, and really dislikes reading because he is not yet a very efficient reader. He's been doing the Sylvan Learning thing, but doesn't think that is helping. I sent him home with a copy of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and the first audio cassette of the unabridged book. I asked him to try reading for 10 to 15 minutes a night, and he claims he can't stop after that small amount of time. You might want to try this approach. I get a catalogue called Audio Books. If this isn't something that comes across your desk, I'll try and remember to get the number to you. We start parent teacher conferences tonight, so I might get sidetracked. 

Response:  I just finished Will Hobbs' "The Maze", and it has a connection to "Holes" that might work for your reader. As the book opens, the main character (14-year-old) is sentenced to six months in a juvenile justice facility. After he reports some graft involving guards, he learns that he's being targeted for a beating and decides to escape. He ends up in the Utah desert (wrong state, but still desert) where he hooks up with a naturalist working to re-introduce N.A. condors to the wild. The bird stuff was fascinating to me--I never knew vultures could be so interesting--and there are some terrific hang-gliding scenes. BTW, the book is now out in paper. Another possibility: Jerry Spinelli's "Maniac Magee". The legends surrounding Maniac remind me of the magic realism/tall tale aspects of "Holes".

Response:  Another book that my son loved this summer (he's in eighth) is Gary Paulsen's Canyons--it has two narrations, and it is a really lovely contrast between growing up now and growing up Native American in terms of becoming a man.... My 10th grade reluctant readers really liked Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust...we read it more deeply than we might have b/c of the poetic elements...but they really liked the story itself.

November 1999

Required Book Lists?

Response:  The only list we keep in our district for instructional purposes is what grade level is teaching what so we don't repeat what other grade levels are doing. Each year we usually order a set of novels, but we designate grade level. With all the good material out there, how does one designate what should be read when? I've often ordered a book, started it and it just didn't appeal to me then, read later, though becomes a treasure, Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club, for one. 

Response:  The longer I teach, and the more my students read, the less able I am to settle for a one-size-fits all approach to literature. The kind of thinking that lies behind "If it's tenth grade it must be Julius Caesar" is largely responsible for the fact that we produce more aliterates than anything else--people who CAN read but choose not to. That's one reason I was doing small-group studies long before lit circles came into vogue. Choice is to lifelong reading as oxygen is to breathing. Although I understand the impulse to assign books to grade levels to avoid duplication, I have trouble with the concept of literature as turf to be staked out and defended against encroachment. And while we're in revolutionary territory, could we stop "teaching" books to death and instead, especially in middle school, just share freely and joyously the best literature we can find?

Response:  I think we're talking about different kinds of lists here. I'm all for lists of suggested or recommended books--the more the merrier. In fact, kids should be MAKING and annotating lists of their own in addition to having access to others we create and glean from colleagues and other professional sources. Specialized annotated bibliographies are wonderful--I'm an avid collector ( and maker) myself. What I object to is a list that tells teachers and students you MUST study these books in certain grades. 

Response:  I still do think that for kids who don't read a list is a good idea, however, I also agree on inservice for teachers to expose them to books besides Hatchet, etc. The reason that I think a list is good, and I keep several posted as I receive them, is that sometimes a name or an author catches a kids eye. 7th,8th & 9th grades are really the last leap for some students into reading. If teachers are teaching these grades, read the Newberry winners, look at the reviews in Amazon, or in other periodicals, such as The Hornbook. In order for teachers to promote good YA literature to students teachers need to read YA literature.

Response:  For example, we have a teacher that teaches The House on Mango Street to 11th grade. I would not discourage any student from reading that book, as wonderful as it is. However, I would not teach that novel as a set. We don't set out to try a one-size fits all or try to avoid encroachment on our turf, just duplication. We just figure what we would like to teach, and put it on the list for that grade level. If a 7th or 8th grade teacher wants to teach the same book, fine. That student may not have me for a teacher in 9th and perhaps would have missed out on a good read. We don't mean to stake out turf on each other. I do encourage outside reading in the classroom and use lit logs. I respect what you are saying, but students to need to be exposed to literature that they would not necessarily pick up on their own. I too, like the workshop approach, but I also like to teach the classics. Students always surprise me when we read books together, I gain new insights and they see that Homer isn't so very scary.

Response:  I strongly agree that the lists should be "suggestions" for reading, especially for middle schoolers. I have more luck with reluctant readers suggesting authors rather than titles--giving the titles seems to be too pushy for them. With a few authors to try the kids are still in control of their choices. The problem I have is that parents want a list--they do not want to give up control yet (as if they have much anyway, at this point). Our department is coming up with a SUMMER reading list-all suggestions only-not required!

April 1999