My boys are 9 and 11 and they still prefer to have me read to them rather than read on their own. It’s not that they don’t like reading. They love stories, but they aren’t interested in sitting down and reading a book. At least, that’s what I thought until I caught them reading a few books on their own this summer.

After trying so hard to find books they would pick up and flip through on their own, it was such a relief to spot them paging through books, eager to find out what happens in the story. If you have a child who doesn’t seem to enjoy reading, consider trying one of the books below.

Diary of a Pug

Diary of a Pug is a series of five books with a sixth coming in spring 2022—all written by Kyla May. At first, I thought this series might be a little young for my boys, because it’s intended for 5- to 7-year-olds. But Bub the pug is such a lovable dog that tends to worry a lot. He’s very relatable and my boys have fallen in love with him and keep requesting the next book in the series.

The illustrations are cute, and Bub has emotion bubbles over his head which help kids link the feelings to what’s happening in the story. And like many dogs, sometimes Bub farts, and of course, my boys think this is hilarious. Bub also has some complicated relationships with Nuts the squirrel and Duchess the cat which always makes the stories more interesting.

Dog Man

My boys used to ask me to read Captain Underpants all the time, but now that they’ve discovered the Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey, they seem to prefer it. I think the attraction with Dog Man is the fantasy aspect. He’s half cop and half dog and he gets up to some crazy stuff that is downright silly and often physically impossible.

As ridiculous as some of the stories are, Dav Pilkey still manages to weave some great lessons into his books. I also love how the Dog Man titles mimic classic literature. For example, Lord of the Fleas instead of Lord of the Flies and For Whom the Ball Rolls instead of For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Bad Guys

The Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey was recommended to me by a bookstore owner as being a great series for reluctant readers. With a title like “Bad Guys,” I was a little hesitant until she explained these are animals everyone is afraid of (wolves, snakes, sharks, etc.) trying to be good and help people. The result is pandemonium and hilarity.

These books are downright silly, but I’ve never heard my kids laugh so hard while reading, so I don’t mind the silliness. The character Piranha has a problem with gas, so you can imagine what some of the laughter is all about. What I enjoy as a parent is that while these are illustrated books, and there are not a lot of words on the pages, the words often become part of the illustrations. Sometimes the words are also really big, making them easier to read.

The Okay Witch

I discovered the Okay Witch series by Emma Steinkellner when searching the Libby app for graphic novels available as e-books through my library. As the title suggests, these books are about Moth, a thirteen-year-old who discovers she comes from a long line of witches. There’s even a hilarious talking cat who turns out to be an old friend of the family who’s been reincarnated.

Doodleville

Doodleville by Chad Sell is another graphic novel I discovered through the Libby app. This story also has a touch of magic which I think is what my boys enjoyed about it. Drew is an artist whose doodles come to life and wreak havoc in Drew’s life. When Drew creates her most mischievous doodle yet, Drew and her art club friends must come together to create a plan to save Doodleville.

This is a great story about coming together as a team to solve problems.

Cat Ninja

Cat Ninja by Matthew Cody is a graphic novel series available almost exclusively on the Epic reading app (although it looks like book one may be available as a paperback soon). At the time I’m writing this, there are over 15 Cat Ninja books available on Epic. These are read-to-me books where kids can listen and read along, or they can choose to turn off the audio and read the book themselves.

You may have noticed a pattern here! These are all graphic novels, or in the case of Diary of a Pug, a beginning chapter book with lots of illustrations and bigger, more spaced out, printing. My boys love graphic novels because the pictures help them decode the story. I also caught them reading several audiobooks over the summer too. Graphic novels and audiobooks can help develop readers just as well as more traditional chapter books and middle-grade novels.

I hope you check out some of the books above and your kids love them as much as mine do!

As a former accountant, AJ Kormon, started writing books about money to help explain the concept to her kids. As her kids got older, they showed signs of not wanting to read, so she enlisted their help creating a series for resistant readers. This is how the Halloway Hills Middle School Mysteries were born. When AJ isn't writing and cartooning, you'll find her losing to her kids at Uno.

About the Author

AJ Kormon started out writing books about money to help explain the concept to her kids. As her kids got older, they showed signs of not wanting to read, so she enlisted their help creating a series for resistant readers. This is how the Halloway Hills Middle School Mysteries were born. When AJ isn't writing and cartooning, you'll find her losing to her kids at Uno.

Find A.J. Kormon at:

Website: www.ajkormon.com

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/a-j-kormon

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20379395.A_J_Kormon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajkormon/