High-Interest Books for Reluctant Readers

Is it a human? Neanderthal? A yeti? Few mysteries stoke a kid’s curiosity like the legendary creature thought to lurk deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest.

This intriguing nonfiction Read-To-Me book captivates beginning readers with rumored facts, theories and photos. They beg the questions: is Bigfoot real or is it all a hoax? Let your young reader decide. 

Two of the best ways to help reluctant, emerging and struggling readers become more confident are by finding books that let them follow along with a narrator and pairing text with engaging illustrations. This Read-To-Me Epic Originals comic book series achieves both. 

When a dimensional portal sends Mom and Dad who-knows-where, it’s up to Nia and Jayden (and their robot nanny, Dusty) to save them. This is the first book in an exciting series that follows two siblings on countless out-of-this-world adventures through the multiverse. 

It’s science versus the supernatural when Master Hamster brings in paranormal expert Rathskeller to convince feline superhero Cat Ninja that ghosts exist! 

Here’s another action-packed Read-To-Me comic book from Epic Originals. In this wildly popular series, kids can follow the adventures of master-of-kat-fu Cat Ninja and his squad as they best supervillains and fight for justice. Check out the whole series. 

Fans also love this themed Boredom Buster packed with crafts, games and activities. 

In the first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series by “Dog Man” author and illustrator Dav Pilkey, hilarious grossness ensues when 4th-grade best friends George Beard and Harold Hutchins invent the wedgie-powered superhero Captain Underpants. 

The only thing that class clowns George and Harold love more than jokes and pranks is making comic books, and that’s when they invent the greatest superhero in the history of their elementary school.

Faster than a speeding waistband! More powerful than boxer shorts! In other words, he’s the perfect hero to serve up plenty of laugh-out-loud fun. 

Another great way to engage your reluctant reader is to connect them to books featuring their favorite topics. Part of an entire series all about the world’s coolest, best-designed, highest-performing cars, this title introduces young readers to the fastest one of all: the Bugatti Veyron.

If your kid is into cars, they can explore 15 other books in the series on Epic, covering their histories, unique features and defining characteristics.

Is your kid a Minecraft fan? This graphic novel edition of the hit Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior series takes young readers on a fully illustrated adventure along with their favorite characters through the Minecraft universe.

Runt doesn’t fit in with his fellow village boys. He’d much rather be a warrior than grow and sell carrots. But one day, after he meets a zombie who wants to be human, the  two embark on an extraordinary journey. This is the perfect book to engage little gamers excited to read.

This is the first book in a delightful comic series following young Phoebe and her reluctant best friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils the unicorn (Marigold has no choice after granting Phoebe a wish). But can a conceited mythical creature and a dreamy nine-year-old ever really be friends?

This silly book will have your young reader giggling away and reaching for even more in this hilarious series about unlikely friendships and forging unexpected bonds.

Level-appropriate stories involving fantasy and magic have tremendous appeal to kids who love this otherworldly brand of adventure. In this enchanted page-turner for middle-grade readers, 14-year-old Blue Jasper must enter the magical Crosswood after his twin siblings are kidnapped by a Faerie king. As Blue frantically searches for them, a strange woman appears in the forest claiming to be the Faerie Queen. After making a magical pact, Blue must find his way through Crosswood to the dangerous Faerie lands to find the twins before sunset.

This book is tremendously popular among kids who love sports and admire female athletes. This real-life true story is about two-time Women’s World Cup soccer champion and Olympic gold medalist Megan Rapinoe. 

This inspirational read teaches kids about passion, courage and perseverance through Rapinoe’s story—while building reading skills with easy-to-read text, captioned photos, engaging questions and prompts, activities and definitions. If your child loves this, they can find many other titles in this nonfiction book series on Epic.

Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they?

Greg Heffley does (it’s a journal, though, if you ask him). And as the new school year starts, he’s got plenty to write about. He shows up to his first day of middle school, along with his sidekick and best friend Rowley—only to discover he now has to share the halls with boys who are taller, meaner and already shaving. When Rowley starts to become more popular, Greg tries to use it to his advantage, triggering a series of events that test their friendship.

In this first book in the hugely popular Wimpy Kid series, young readers can share in his relatable experience of growing up before one’s ready, through the hilarious words and drawings Greg records in his diary.