High Interest, Low Level

Greetings!

Last week I received a request from a teacher who has a fourth grade boy with a low reading level. She wanted some suggestions for books that this boy might enjoy and also specified that he really likes dogs. I quickly realized that many of us have a very similar situation and so this week will be focusing on high interest, low level books.

Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. This is about a young man who enters a dog sled race to try to win money to save his family farm. Reading level is about 3.2.

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. The reading level is about 2.7 for the first book and ranges to just over 4.0 in the series. The books are fun, the premise is interesting, and kids usually devour them. They are about 150 pages, so they don’t look like a baby book either. If he hasn’t read any of these, I recommend that he start with book # 1 then go to any of the books after that.

Childhood of Famous Americans by various authors. These books have been around for many, many years. They have been reprinted in many different covers. I remember reading these with an orange cover and a blue/green cover. I have them in my library in those covers plus a red and white paperback cover. The plus of these is that they are basically true stories, biographies, and parents appreciate this. However, they are a little higher reading level – about 3.2 – 5.5 depending on the book chosen. Most school libraries have these books in them.

Beverly Cleary’s Henry Huggins, Henry and Ribsy, Henry and the Clubhouse, Henry and Beezus all have a boy as the main character plus his dog, Ribsy. Henry Huggins is the first book and this is when he acquires Ribsy. RL for these is about 4.2 – 5.6. High, but the interest is high also. Her book Socks is about a cat and is a 2.0 RL.

Horrible Harry series by Suzy Kline is fun, hilarious, and only about a 3rd grade RL. The books are thinner and look a little more childish, which can be a con.

The Kids of the Polk Street School series by Patricia Reilly Giff. This series is a good one for your boy. The Reading Level is only about 1.9 – 3.0 and the Interest Level is for 3rd – 5th grades. They are thin books and old. You may have them or can buy them in a used book store for cheap, but they are also available new.

You might be able to find a simplified “Lassie” book.

I have a set of very old books about dogs that seem to be fairly easy to read. They are by Margaret S. Johnson and Helen Lossing Johnson. There are about a dozen of these in my library and they are all about either dogs or horses. There seem to be more about dogs than horses. Vicki, Guide Dog is one title I noticed. They may be able to be purchased through a used online bookstore if you don’t happen to have them.

The Barn by Avi is about Ben and his siblings who build a barn to fulfill their father’s dying request. Reading level is a 3.0 and interest level is grades 5 – 12.

Superfudge by Judy Blume is the sequel to Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing about Peter and his brother, Fudge. Reading level 2.0 and Interest level 2 – 4. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is slightly higher.

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman is a shorter story that is similar to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court with a RL of 3.

Try doing a search for more books by entering “High Interest Low Level” and you will see many sites that have some great options.

I hope you have a great week.

Audrey