Books and Spinach

I loathe cooked spinach.  When I used to watch Popeye cartoons, I would literally feel like gagging when he'd down the stuff right out of the can.  I avoided it like the plague until I was an adult and had an amazing salad with these tasty green oval-shaped leaves...spinach.  After discovering that maybe ALL forms of spinach aren't abhorrent, about 5 years ago I let my husband convince me to try Italian spinach, covered in cheese and garlic. YUM!

For a lot of kids who have reading issues, books are a lot like spinach.  The thought of reading makes them ill, for some kids, literally, they get so nervous and stressed out, they make themselves sick.  In order to learn to read, you have to read.  If you can get kids reading SOMETHING enjoyable, it is a lot like the spinach - they might be willing to try again and could actually grow to enjoy it!

Once kids hit about 5th grade, I find that kids with reading issues tend to have a hard time finding things to read independently.  They are very conscious of not reading "babyish" things, and it can be challenging to find reading material that is high interest and low stress.  Here are some of my older students favorites...if you have any to share, post them in the comment section!

MCI Leveled Readers  Notice the covers are not babyish, the topic matter is not babyish, but the reading level is about 2nd-3rd grade.

I have bought several of these Graphic Historical Stories from Timberdoodle.  Kids often find the comic book format easier to read and the subjects are interesting and geared toward older kids.  The students really like them and sometimes Timberdoodle has titles on sale for $2.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret was a HUGE hit in the 5th and 6th grade one year.  The book was passed around and around and around.  The librarian ordered more copies for the school.  It was like a dare to finish because it is 550 pages long.  The secret?  Few pages are words, mostly pictures tell the story.  Huge confidence booster to be able to carry around a gigantic book.

Series!  Sometimes getting a kid to like one books, excited them enough to read the whole set.  Rick Riordan has three series, two of which feature Percy Jackson, a dyslexic main character.  Two of the most reluctant readers I know (one who belongs to me) started this series and is now motivated to read every one.  As the series progresses, the reading level gets higher.  Most of the time, the kids don't even notice and are thrilled when it is pointed out to them.

I am not biased on this just because I know the author personally, I promise!  Michael Mullin writes a series of stories called TaleSpins.  They are original, modern twists on familiar fairy tales written in verse.  Verse! Yes, they rhyme!   Young adults love them because they are edgy, honest and a little dark.  Young adults who might not love to read love them because they are edgy, honest, a little dark - and SHORT.  Characters stand out because they are smart, quirky, and nonconformist.  One of them, Princess Penny, is also....guess what?  Dyslexic! Mike is working on his next book, a twist on Jack and the Beanstalk.  I am looking forward to that one -  I always thought the Giant got a really bad rap!

A cushy sofa and fuzzy blanket go a long way to encourage reluctant readers :)