1. Erin McCurdy
7 December 2011

2.  According to The Merriam-
Webster Dictionary, the
definition of reluctant is
feeling or showing
aversion, hesitation, or
unwillingness.

3.  Young adults who, for whatever reasons,
do not like to read. – YALSA
 “… the students who read in order to pass
their classes or do well on state tests but
who never embrace reading as a
worthwhile pursuit outside of school.) –
Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer.

4.  Reluctant readers come in many forms:
• Both male and female
• Able readers or struggling readers
• Young and old
(Lesesne)

5.  Reading Interest Survey
• Find out their hobbies – are there books about that?
• What books have sparked their interest in the past? Is
there something similar?
 Conferencing
• Conferencing is an essential part of teaching reading.
This is how the teacher learns about the student as a
reader and what interests him or her. As a media
specialist, conferencing is still as important, although
is may come in the form of casual conversation.

6.  Let the students choose their own books!
• Donalyn Miller says, “By denying students the
opportunity to choose their own books to read,
teachers are giving students a fish year after year,
but never teaching them to go near water, much
less fish for themselves.” (Miller, 29).

7. The Book Whisperer When Kids Can’t
Read, What Teachers
By Donalyn Miller Can Do
By Kylene Beers
In the Middle The Reading Zone
By Nancie Atwell By Nancie Atwell

8.  NancieAtwell’s In the Middle provides a useful
survey for all readers, especially your reluctant
readers. This survey, or one similar, will provide
you with some background information to help
you get to know your student as a reader.
• An adaptation of Nancie’s survey can be found
here.

9.  Kylene Beers devotes an entire  Fiction:
chapter of When Kids Can’t Read • Thin books and short chapters
to finding the right book. She • White Space
points out specific fiction and non- • Some illustrations, especially
fiction text features that appeal to characters
reluctant readers. • Well-defined characters
• Plots with a lot of action that begins
 Non-Fiction: right away
• Visual features • Mysteries
• Two-page spreads • Funny books
• Beyond the book formats • Characters their age or only slightly
• Index, table of contents, headings older
and boldfaced terms • Characters who face tough choices
• Thin book • Realistic language
• High-interest topics
• Vocabulary defined at point of use
• Wander-around books (Beers, 285-290).
• Biographies

10.  YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
• This list is chosen each year by the Young Adult Library Services
Association.
 ReadKiddoRead.com
• Author James Patterson created this website to read out to
parents to help get kids reading.
 GuysRead.com
• A website dedicated to recommending literature for boys.
 RHI: Reaching Reluctant Readers
• A publication by Random House, Inc. Teacher guides are
available and you can request a free copy of the publication.

11. Heat Holes
by Mike Lupica by Louis Sachar
Hatchet The Million Dollar Putt
by Gary Paulsen by Dan Gutman

12. Deep and Dark and Dork Diaries
Dangerous
By Rachel Renee
By Mary Downing Hahn Russell
TTYL The Secret Identity of
Devon Delaney
By Lauren Myracle
By Lauren Barnholdt

13. Maximum Ride series Alex Rider series
By James Patterson By Anthony Horowitz
Shadow Children series Diary of a Wimpy Kid
series
By Margaret Peterson
Haddix By Jeff Kinney

14.  Graphic Novels are a
great way to entice your Bone series
reluctant readers.
by Jeff Smith
 “Many writers agree
that graphic novels
could be that special
something that provides
interest and that a Twilight, The Graphic
teenager connects Novel
with.”
by Stephenie Meyer
(Snowball)

15. Guts: The True How Angel Peterson
Stories Behind Got His Name
Hatchet and the Brian
Books By Gary Paulsen
By Gary Paulsen
DK Eyewitness Books
By Various Authors

16. Caroline B. Cooney Lois Duncan books
books
Swim the Fly
by Don Calame

17. Atwell, Nancie. In The Middle: New Understandings about Writing, Reading, and Learning. 2nd ed. Portsmouth, NH:
Boynton/Cook, 1998. Print
-- The Reading Zone: How to Help Kids Become Skilled, Passionate, Habitual, Critical Readers. New York: Scholastic,
2007. Print.
Barnholdt, Lauren. The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney. New York: Aladdin, 2007. Print.
Beers, Kylene. When Kids Can't Read, What Teachers Can Do. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. Print.
Calame, Don. Swim the Fly. Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2010. Print.
Cooney, Caroline B. The Face on the Milk Carton. New York: Bantam, 1991. Print.
Duncan, Lois. Killing Mr Griffin. Puffin, 1990. Print.
Gutman, Dan. The Million Dollar Putt. New York: Hyperion for Children, 2006. Print.
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Hidden. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998. Print.
Hahn, Mary Downing. Deep and Dark and Dangerous. New York: Clarion, 2007. Print.
Horowitz, Anthony. Stormbreaker: an Alex Rider Adventure. New York: Speak, 2006. Print.
Lupica, Mike. Heat. New York: Puffin, 2007. Print.
Kim, Young, and Stephenie Meyer. Twilight: Graphic Novel. Yen, 2010. Print.
Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New York: Amulet, 2007. Print.
Lesesne, Teri. "Reaching Reluctant Readers: Suggestions for Igniting the Spark." English Leadership Quarterly 31.3
(2009): 2-3. ProQuest Education Journals. Web. 5 Dec 2011.

18. Meng, Cece, and Joy Ang. I Will Not Read This Book. Boston: Clarion, 2011. Print.
Miller, Donalyn. The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass,
2009. Print.
Myracle, Lauren. Ttyl. New York: Amulet, 2006. Print.
Patterson, James. "How to Get Your Kid to Be a Fanatic Reader - CNN.com." CNN.com. CNN, 28 Sept. 2011. Web. 05
Dec 2011.
-- Maximum Ride: the Angel Experiment. New York: Little, Brown, 2007. Print.
Paulsen, Gary. Guts: the True Stories behind Hatchet and the Brian Books. New York: Delacorte, 2001. Print.
-- Hatchet. New York: Bradbury, 1987. Print.
-- How Angel Peterson Got His Name: and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports. New York: Yearling, 2003.
Print.
Russell, Rachel Renee. Dork Diaries. London: Simon & Schuster, 2010. Print.
Sachar, Louis. Holes. New York: Scholastic, 1998. Print.
Smith, Jeff, and Steve Hamaker. Bone. New York, NY: Scholastic, 2006. Print.
Snowball, Clare. "Teenage Reluctant Readers and Graphic Novels." YALS (2005): 43-45. ProQuest Education Journals.
Web. 3 Dec 2011.