Books For Reluctant Readers

Avi. Nothing But the Truth.
A student's suspension for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in homeroom becomes a national issue.

Avi. Something Upstairs.
When he moves to Providence, Rhode Island, Kenny finds his house is haunted by the spirit of a black slave.

Brooks, Bruce. Boys Will Be.
Celebrates being a boy and discusses a variety of "boy stuff", including caps, sports, mothers, and friends.

Brooks, Bruce. Wolfbay Wings series.
Humorous, live-wire hockey stories, with each book focusing on an individual player.

Bunting, Eve. The Hideout.
Andy hides out in a luxurious San Francisco hotel and stages his own kidnapping.

Bunting, Eve. Someone Is Hiding On Alcatraz Island.
Running from the toughest gang in school, Danny goes to Alcatraz only to find himself trapped.

Byars, Betsy. The Pinballs.
Three lonely foster children are tired of being bumped from home to home like pinballs.

Clements, Andrew. Frindle.
Nick invents a new word to combat a teacher's love of the dictionary and things quickly get out of hand.

Conrad, Pam. Stonewords: A Ghost Story.
Zoe finds her house occupied by a ghost, who carries her back to 1870 to try to alter her death.

Coville, Bruce. Aliens Ate My Homework.
A tiny spaceship lands in Rod's science project and aliens ask his help in catching an interstellar criminal.

Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watson Go To Birmingham -- 1963.
Kenny describes the adventures of his family, "The Weird Watsons", which include "Nazi Parachutes Attack America and Get Shot Down over the Flint River by Captain Byron Watson and His Flamethrower of Death" and "I Meet Winnie's Evil Twin Brother, the Wool Pooh."

DeFelice, Cynthia C. Weasel.
Alone in the wilderness, Nathan runs afoul of the renegade killer known as Weasel.

Fleischman, Paul. Seedfolks.
A trash-filled inner city lot turned into a productive garden beautifies a city block and changes city souls.

George, Jean Craighead. My Side Of the Mountain.
A boy spends a year living alone in the Catskill Mountains.

Gutman, Dan. The Kid Who Ran For President.
Twelve-year-old Judson Moon sets out to become President of the United States.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Running Out Of Time.
Jessie discovers her 1840 village is really a tourist site and she must escape to get help for an epidemic.

Hatrick, Gloria. Masks.
When his brother is paralyzed by a rare disease, Pete uses tribal animal masks to communicate with him.

Howe, Deborah. Bunnicula.
Chester the cat tries to warn his human family that their new bunny is a vampire.

Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted.
Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.

MacLachlan, Patricia. Journey.
Abandoned by his mother, Journey feels his past has been erased until his grandfather restores it to him.

Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet.
After a plane crash, Brian learns how to survive in the wilderness with only the aid of a hatchet.

Peck, Richard. Secrets Of the Shopping Mall.
Two loners take up residence in a department store, little knowing that it's not an original idea.

Service, Pamela F. Being Of Two Minds.
Connie's ability to share "mental visits" with a prince proves useful when he's mysteriously kidnapped.

Sleator, William. The Beasties.
Why are the Beasties taking parts of bodies? And what can Doug and his younger sister Colette do?

Scieszka, Jon. The Time Warp Trio series.
Three boys find themselves taking hilarious trips through time due to the gift of a mysterious book.

Speare, Elizabeth George. The Sign Of the Beaver.
Left alone to guard his family's wilderness home in Maine, a boy learns to survive from local Indians.

Spinelli, Jerry. Maniac Magee.
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary for athletic and other feats.

Vande Velde, Vivian. Tales From the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird.
Thirteen twisted versions of familiar fairy tales.

Wallace, Bill. Trapped In Death Cave.
Gary is convinced that his grandfather did not die a natural death and sets out to find his killer.

Yolen, Jane. The Devil's Arithmetic.
Time travel places Hannah in the middle of a small Jewish village in Nazi-occupied Poland.

York, Sarah Mountbatten-Windsor, Duchess of. The Royal Switch.
A British princess and an American tourist who looks like her are mistaken for one another.

Compiled by Sarah S. Wright for MCPL Children's Services (6/99).