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Find out moreIn this list you'll find a selection of titles specifically written to help dyslexic readers. The age range above (12+ years) represents the interest age, whilst the reading age for each title is detailed within each title page.
Together with Barrington Stoke, the leader in the field of dyslexia-friendly books and the leading charity Dyslexia Action our aim here at LoveReading4Schools is to help children crack the reading code.
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Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | From acclaimed author Eve Ainsworth comes this new novella that packs a powerful punch in its openhearted, honest account of a teen girl trying her hardest to cope with her mum’s alcoholism. Violet has always seen her mum as being “strong, funny and in control”, as a “pretty, glamorous and confident” person who firmly believes, “You have to give a good impression at all times.” In contrast, Violet is “the quiet one …I’m the worrier who can never be confident.” But since her mum’s boyfriend left, Mum’s “it’s just one glass” of wine is starting to have an affect on their family life, with Violet increasingly having to pick-up caring for her little brother when Mum’s too hung-over to get out of bed. As Violet finds more empty bottles around the house, and finds herself having to lie to cover her mum, matters come to a scary head and she knows she has to be brave and seek help. Truly brilliant at capturing Violet’s conflicted feelings – an excruciating pull between love and anger – this compelling, moving story will engross fans of true-to-life fiction, while casting sensitive light on a tough subject. And, since this is published by the ever-brilliant Barrington Stoke, this book is especially suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers, with its expert attention to vocabulary, layout, font and paper.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month January 2020 | January 2020 Book of the Month | Interest Age Teen Reading Age 9 | Award-winning author Tanya Landman captures the high drama and deep romance of Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre is this fresh retelling. While in the setting of the story and the overarching plot and twists that propel it she is faithful to the time and place of the original and to the feel of both, she has given Jane a boldness and independence that is both entirely in keeping with the original and refreshingly modern.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | Elizabeth Wein’s thrilling new World War II story stars a young Polish pilot – a female one. Kristina Tomiak and her twin brother are members of the White Eagles, Poland’s air force, and at the forefront of their country’s resistance when the Nazis invade. Things quickly turn bad and Kristina is forced to flee in her RWD-8 plane, together with an unexpected passenger. As she makes her escape, her destination changes until finally she is heading towards England. The story is full of excitement and gives readers a broad yet detailed understanding of those early days of the war, and of flying a plane too. Published by Barrington Stoke this is written to be accessible to all readers including those with dyslexia but I recommend it to any reader fascinated by history and the brave individuals who make it.
May 2018 Book of the Month | Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | When a billionaire phone-tech entrepreneur challenges the Year Eleven pupils in her former school to switch off their phones for six weeks, Esther is determined to rise to the occasion. With her American-born dad, sister and baby nephew now living in New York, she has her sights firmly fixed on the £1000 prize, which she’d use to visit them, plus she could do with a break from the constant peer pressure to share super model style selfies. But almost immediately, Esther’s FOMO (fear of missing out) “is at emergency levels”, not least because she has no idea what her friends are up to. As a result, she and a few fellow participants set up a support group in her mum’s new cafe, among them River, who gives an impassioned speech about how social media users are “just pawns in the hands of people making money out of us”. Alongside an engaging exploration of the pros and cons of online life, there’s a sensitive sub-plot about the complications of family life, with the downsides of digital media touched-on through that too (her mum’s café is struggling to find customers in the wake of a poor online review), and reference to being aware of “fake news” and inaccurate reporting. Thought-provoking and topical, this pacey read is especially suitable for reluctant and dyslexic teen readers. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 13+
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2020 | Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8+ | Maggie’s story is charged with emotional energy from the opening lines, when her involving narration reveals a deep, deep bond with her Pa, whom she lost at the tender age of eight. He was a man of few words whose “every last syllable was worth hearing”. “Their souls were cut from the same cloth”, whereas her city-born Ma and her siblings are truly out of place living in the wilderness. Pa’s death leaves Maggie “in a place of bewildering horror”, and the family in a desperate struggle for survival, and so Maggie does what Pa would have done. She takes his gun to hunt for food to keep her family alive. But in place of praising and thanking her super-shot daughter, Maggie’s cold-hearted, convention-heeding Ma sends her to the County Infirmary for displaying “unnatural”, “unladylike” behaviour. While the rest of her childhood is marred by terrible abuse, Pa’s pervasive presence and Maggie’s indomitable inner strength see her stick to her guns, a tenacity that brings unimaginably spectacular change. Propelled by heart-pounding, high-stakes action, this is a richly rewarding, sparky story for young adults with a reading age of 9+.
Winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2020 | Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2020 | February 2019 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month July 2020 | Interest Age Teen Reading Age 9 | Cleverly set within a gripping adventure, Lark is a deeply touching story of the special bond between brothers. Older brother Nicky narrates the story of the day he and his younger brother Kenny set out on a simple day out on the moors. Proposed by their father as a way of filling time while they wait nervously for their mum to return from her new life in Canada, it is meant to a fun day out tinged with a bit of nostalgia as they are retracing a walk that he used to enjoy. But the simple walk which begins in a light hearted way soon becomes a deadly dangerous adventure as the weather conditions close in, the boys get completely lost and Kenny has to show exceptional courage and intelligence to make sure he can get Kenny home safely. Anthony McGowan maintains the intensity of the story throughout while also keeping the writing simple.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8+ | Expert Review for Brock by Julia Eccleshare: Nicky knows he must do everything in his power to save the innocent and brave badger. But fighting the three local bullies whose cruelty towards it seems to know no bounds is an incredible challenge. With his father drifting into depression and his younger brother needing constant supervision, Nicky has enough on his hands already but he knows the real value of nature and knows he cannot stand by and see such wilful destruction. A powerful story about the importance of protecting wildlife.Expert review for Pike by Andrea Reece:Not a word is wasted in this fine novel. On one level it is a thriller: fishing on Bacon Pond Nicky spots a glint of gold in its murky depths, and recognises the Rolex owned by a local gangster. It seems to be still attached to his wrist. Nicky feels that the gangster owes him and his family, and sets out to retrieve the Rolex with the help of his brother Kenny. Nicky’s search for the watch results in a series of events that will change his and his family’s life for the better. McGowan writes in prose as spare and effective as that of Barry Hines, to whom the book is dedicated, and there’s an extraordinary depth and elegance to this story. An outstanding novel.Expert review for Rook by Andrea Reece:This finely written story speaks directly to readers in language that is frill free but shines with original, precise imagery. It opens with a scene in which a young rook is attacked by a larger bird. Nicky and his younger brother Kenny save it. As the bird hovers between life and death, Nicky’s own future is in the balance: an incident with the school bully sees him facing expulsion, at the same time he’s tentatively trying to start a relationship with a girl he fancies. For all his nerve Nicky is vulnerable, and things could easily go wrong for him, instead they start to look up. He isn’t expelled, Sarah likes him too, and Rooky is taken in by the animal sanctuary despite being, in Nicky’s dad’s words, ‘too common and too scruffy and too much trouble. Bit like us, eh?’ There’s a lot of story effortlessly packed into this short novel and readers will be very happy for Nicky. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers of 13+
One of our 2018 Books of the Year | Interest Age YA Reading Age 8 | Alex Wheatle serves up an invigorating slice of teen life starring three kids growing up on his fictional Crongton estate. Briggy and Terror have been best friends for years but Terror’s romance with the gorgeous, super-cool Caldonia threatens to push them apart. So when Terror comes up with a ‘cadazy’ plan to rob the Crongton post office, for the sake of their friendship Briggy has no choice but to go along with it. As the boys plan their heist, normal life goes on, with tension at home making Briggy’s get-rich-quick dreams even more powerful. Sharp, funny, moving and written in rat-a-tat sentences that turn teen speak into a kind of poetry. Brilliant.
October 2018 Book of the Month | Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | One of our 2018 Books of the Year | A heartfelt, hard-hitting, super-readable novella about the life-affirming, life-saving friendship that blossoms between a young teenager and her 59 year-old neighbour. All sweet-hearted Aman wanted was for her dad to stay a little longer, but he died before she had chance to read her special letter to him. While grappling with grief, she’s bullied by a bunch of older kids, but thankfully new neighbour Gurnam intervenes to scare them off. While Aman sees Gurnam as her “personal superhero”, she notices a sadness about him, but he won’t reveal the cause of his pain. The truth is revealed with poignant, page-turning urgency, leading to a shocking finale that sees Aman grasp a second vital chance to read her love-filled letter. There’s so much humanity and soul in this short gem of a story. While the content is YA, this is written for those with a reading age of 8+, in a lucid, gripping style that tells it like it is and gets to the core of the characters’ hearts. I relished every word.
June 2018 Book of the Month | | Mal Peet, who died in 2015, wrote with extraordinary sensitivity and insight and this novella, freshly published by Barrington Stoke, is testimony to his talent. Benjamin finds himself by accident outside his old home and revisits memories of the garden and treehouse that 20 years ago were such a key part of his childhood. His father built the treehouse for him but it quickly changed from being a place of shared stories to something less happy – a hideaway from his mother, a hiding place for his father as he turned away from the outside world. The story is a painful one, years on Ben is still torn by conflicting loyalties, still angry with his father, still guilty for abandoning him. His return brings some new perspectives, but no happy resolution. Emma Shoard’s new illustrations equal the text for rawness, depth and resonance. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 14+
A sharp, well-observed teenage drama that is bang up to date. Life for teenagers these days can seem like an endless popularity contest, everything played out in the spotlight of social media. Just-dumped Rob hits a nerve when he tells Jade that everyone fancies her best friend more anyway; comparing herself to Becky, Jade is horribly conscious of coming second in everything. It’s a toxic atmosphere, intensified when the two girls find themselves leading rival parties in the school election, and it leads Jade to do something almost unforgivably cruel. Pratt leads the field in authors writing for a young adult audience: setting, voice and storyline are completely authentic, and this will score zillions of ‘likes’ from its readers. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 13+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
February 2018 Book of the Month | The story of a young man and the special relationship he forms with the lollipop man who once saved his life, Zebra Crossing Soul Song is an original and touching coming of age story, full of insight and set to a playlist of songs that will have all readers swaying in time to its music. Lenny is eighteen and resitting his psychology A level; revising episodic memory sets him thinking about his friend Otis, and how their conversations over the years at Otis’s zebra crossing have left ideas and music imprinted on his mind, more indelibly even than those black and white marks on the road. It’s a relationship strong enough to endure through the different pressures on both of them. Scattered with song lyrics, and seeded with truths, this memorable and absorbing story moved me to tears. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 13+
December 2017 Book of the Month | Full of love, humour and heartbreak, this beautifully crafted YA novella from the multi award-winning author of Ketchup Clouds and My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is a compassionate and distinctive tale of modern family life and its issues. Archie is devastated at the news his parents are splitting up. He and his dad are very close and when he realises that his father is leaving for another man – something his two sisters have already worked out – the shock has a physical impact. Archie has already been the victim of bullying and, perhaps to avoid a repeat, has become friends with the bullies at his new school; he is terrified of their reaction to the news. Things are complicated further when Tia, the girl he fancies, confides in him about her brother’s suicide and as the pressure mounts, Archie himself contemplates taking his own life. Annabel Pitcher portrays Archie with real insight and readers will understand completely the agony he feels. She chooses to end the story in a supermarket where the aisles, through their very prosaic normality, open up a world of hope and new beginnings. Published by dyslexia specialists Barrington Stoke, this will be accessible to all readers and is worth recommending to all readers. NOTE: some of the content and language may be seen by some as inappropriate for younger teens - why not read the extract first to find out.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | Teenage love is the subject of Juno Dawson’s thoroughly creepy new book for Barrington Stoke: ‘I think we love more freely… more playfully, with reckless abandon’, says Eliza to her boyfriend Sam shortly before she is killed in a car crash, which almost explains his actions after her death. Sam’s grief is all-encompassing, and he is prepared to do absolutely anything to see her again… It’s a genuinely chilling story, but Dawson keeps a playfulness there too, and finally leads Sam back to hopes of a happy future. Beautiful full page illustrations by Alex T Smith send more shivers down the spine; one to read with all the lights on. Readers gripped by this dark story would enjoy short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, M R James and E F Benson. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic teen readers.
UKLA Longlist Book Awards - 2019 | Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2018 | Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 This finely written story speaks directly to readers in language that is frill free but shines with original, precise imagery. It opens with a scene in which a young rook is attacked by a larger bird. Nicky and his younger brother Kenny save it. As the bird hovers between life and death, Nicky’s own future is in the balance: an incident with the school bully sees him facing expulsion, at the same time he’s tentatively trying to start a relationship with a girl he fancies. For all his nerve Nicky is vulnerable, and things could easily go wrong for him, instead they start to look up. He isn’t expelled, Sarah likes him too, and Rooky is taken in by the animal sanctuary despite being, in Nicky’s dad’s words, ‘too common and too scruffy and too much trouble. Bit like us, eh?’ There’s a lot of story effortlessly packed into this short novel and readers will be very happy for Nicky. Readers shouldn’t miss the two previous books in this trilogy, Brock and Pike.
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award | Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | A story of a daring escape made by two slaves, a young woman and her husband, provides the inspiration for Tanya Landman’s story. Rosa and Benjamin meet, fall in love and marry but because they are slaves, their lives are not their own. When Rosa discovers she is pregnant – and confesses to her husband that the child might be her master’s – they decide to run. Rosa is so fair skinned that even Benjamin mistook her for a white at first, so they decide to disguise themselves as a white master and his ‘boy’. Their escape is full of drama and tension, but what will shock young readers is the casual brutality and hateful self-justification of the white slave owners Rosa encounters. It’s a story that makes you doubt humanity, while also celebrating individual courage and resilience. For more books on this theme head over to our sister site, LoveReading4Schools topic list - The Slave Trade
Interest Age 11+ Reading Age 8 In a nutshell: creepy, haunting story of the young Jekyll and Hyde Catherine MacPhail admits to being fascinated by the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and here she takes Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic thriller as inspiration for a properly sinister new story, imagining Henry Jekyll as a boy, already struggling to control his own dark instincts and desires. Tension mounts as rumours spread of a terrifying creature roaming the night, and MacPhail’s vivid descriptions both of Edinburgh’s damp, foggy backstreets and the stuffy, claustrophobic Victorian villa that is Henry’s home amplify the sense of terror and suspicion. This is completely true to Stevenson’s vision and an unsettling read in its own right. For readers inspired to seek out the original, Barrington Stoke are publishing it in a dyslexia-friendly format this summer. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 11+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | In a nutshell: bullying, injustice and the power of friendship In short, sharp, economical sentences, Bali Rai presents a story of bullying – by individuals and the state – and of escape and redress. Cal is picked on at school by Anu, who humiliates him and hurts him for being smart and geeky. New boy Jacob is singled out by the other class bully for being scruffy, poor, an outsider. Cal thinks they could be friends – they share in interest in superheroes – but Jacob, who uses a foodbank, is super sensitive to pity. Eventually the two do become friends and, with the help of a girl called Freya, find a way to expose those who like to hurt the weak and less fortunate. The setting will be familiar to all readers, and the message that by standing together it’s possible to improve society, is an important one. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 13+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | In a nutshell: topical unputdownable thriller | In a topical and gripping new thriller for Barrington Stoke Keren David sends her young hero on a search for the truth – about his family and himself. It leads him to question everything he’s ever believed. River is an accomplished, occasionally extravagant liar; and you get the sense that this talent has developed because he’s constantly been inventing stories about the dad he’s never known. Who was he? Why did he leave his family? What would he think of his son? River the born storyteller is an irresistible narrator and readers will be completely caught up in his story from first page to last. There are twists, shocks and surprises throughout and a truly explosive ending, all told with a tough economy that makes it accessible to all readers. ~ Andrea Reece A Piece of Passion from Mairi Kidd, MD of Barrington Stoke: “We are honoured to publish Keren David for the first time, and what a novel she has given us. Inspired by real-life cases of women deceived into relationships with undercover policemen and the resulting families, Keren has created an incredibly vivid narrator, a cracking plot and a great sense of unease as the action builds to an explosive denouement. We wanted to give this book a seriously special treatment to reflect its themes of concealed and forged identities, and have spun a ‘passport’ design complete with rounded corners with a clever take on the coat-of-arms of the Metropolitan Police.” Lovereading Review will follow. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 13 | In a nutshell: inspiring story about women winning the vote | It’s summer 1914 and Lizzy is enjoying a new freedom: she’s saved the wages from her job as an office junior in an insurance company and bought a bicycle. The job and her new bike lead Lizzy indirectly to a meeting of the Women’s Social and Political Union, and more freedoms: inspired by what she hears she joins the Suffragettes, willing – even proud – to be imprisoned for her cause. Linda Newbery brings the suffragette movement to life through the eyes of one vividly drawn young woman, making us all aware of our continuing responsibility to stand up for what we believe, and to use our votes. It’s worth checking out the story of the cover too, specially created by artist Stewart Eaton. Readers will also enjoy Anna Carey’s longer novel The Making of Mollie and Opal Plumstead by Jacqueline Wilson, which also feature Suffragettes. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range. ***If you like historical fiction you might also be interested in Tilt by Mary Hoffman, a novel set in the Romantic era in Pisa, Italy and the puzzle of the leaning tower.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 | In a nutshell: thought-provoking examination of an important social issue | Robert Swindells is a skilful storyteller and expert at writing about issues that matter to young people. 14 year old Sam is sure he’s a marked man and that sometime soon the local gang will get him. He wants a knife to protect him and when he finally gets his hands on one it makes him feel 10 feet tall. But how long can the knife keep him safe? A candid conversation with the real owner of the weapon makes Sam see things differently. Taut and tightly plotted this short novel provides readers with lots to think about. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 7+ There’s more than one ghost in Michelle Magorian’s genuinely creepy new short novel. Hannah, her mum and dad and little brother are on holiday and she’s sure there’s a sinister presence in their little holiday flat. But her mum and dad are distracted, ever since Mum lost the baby they’ve been snapping at each other, and they won’t believe her. It’s only when they do that Hannah can escape the ghost and find a way to acknowledge the loss of the baby too. Magorian explores family relationships with typical sensitivity and insight and there’s lots to think about in this spare, economically written novel, as well as moments to send shivers down the spine. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of super-readable short fiction by some of the very best children’s authors and illustrators in the UK. Each title has a host of unique accessibility features to offer cracking reads to more children including reluctant and struggling readers and those with dyslexia or visual stress. Here at Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting the best of their new and backlist titles to recommend to you. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
July 2016 Book of the Month | Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 World War One didn’t just affect those involved in the fighting but those left at home, and subsequent generations too as this novel shows. Charlie joins up, underage, in a rush of excitement and tragically so does his even younger brother. His experience of the trenches and the Battle of the Somme is vividly described, though the facts are well known now this feels a very personal account. Charlie survives, but changed by his experiences. Two images stick in the mind: fruit cakes sent to the soldiers by mothers and wives at home; Charlie years later pacing the streets at night unable to escape the memories of the trenches. Charlie’s great-grandsons have a part to play too, and through them we see how even a century on, the effects of the war are still felt. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of super-readable short fiction by some of the very best children’s authors and illustrators in the UK. Each title has a host of unique accessibility features to offer cracking reads to more children including reluctant and struggling readers and those with dyslexia or visual stress. Here at Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting the best of their new and backlist titles to recommend to you. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
June 2016 Book of the Month | Interest Age Teen, Reading Age 8 In a Nutshell: mysteries – urban jungle - escape With typical intensity, Kevin Brooks presents readers with a slice of the life of a singular young man. Cole and his brother Ruben live in East London, as much a part of the landscape as the sooty railway bridges and flat grey sky. A chance encounter in the Live and Let Live pub with a girl who resembles their dead sister, and a monkey, a sudden act of violence, and the four of them are in a car and heading to Scotland. At times chilling, with a palpable sense of foreboding, the book ends on a note of pure joy. Despite its short extent, there’s a real depth to the story and while Brooks deliberately leaves questions about characters unanswered, readers will understand them completely at the book’s close. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 7 - In a Nutshell: love and laughs This witty comedy of modern manners will have young people snorting with laughter and quite possibly squirming with embarrassed recognition too. Poor Joe just can’t seem to get a girlfriend; they don’t like his cheesy chat-up lines – memorised from a website – and even his female best friend wants to stay just friends. A new online school dating site offers hope however and his sister and her super-cool boyfriend have all sorts of advice for Joe on ways to make himself more eligible. In the end though, it’s the old-fashioned approach that works. 21st century problems examined in an easy to read and revealing short novel! ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 - In three words: violence – love - tragedy John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is the inspiration for Anne Cassidy’s novel and she follows the original very closely. George is a young man struggling to make a life for himself while caring for his child-like cousin Lennie. The setting is now the south coast of England, where George gets by working as a DJ in pubs, and the bleak cash in hand, hand to mouth existence rings very true. Just as in Steinbeck’s original, as things seem to be on the up, Lennie does something truly terrible forcing George to take action. Cassidy depicts a world where love and violence are inextricably linked, where family loyalty is paramount, and in which George and Lennie’s lives are mapped out for them. A spare, thought-provoking reworking of a classic. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range. *** Announcing the first-ever dyslexia-friendly edition of a classic novel: John’s Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men — the inspiration for Anne Cassidy’s Thicker Than Water. Of Mice and Men, the powerful story of tragedy and beauty, critically acclaimed across the world and studied in UK schools at GCSE level, will now be available in an accessible format for all readers.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8+ Not a word is wasted in this fine novel. On one level it is a thriller: fishing on Bacon Pond Nicky spots a glint of gold in its murky depths, and recognises the Rolex owned by a local gangster. It seems to be still attached to his wrist. Nicky feels that the gangster owes him and his family, and sets out to retrieve the Rolex with the help of his brother Kenny. Nicky’s search for the watch results in a series of events that will change his and his family’s life for the better. McGowan writes in prose as spare and effective as that of Barry Hines, to whom the book is dedicated, and there’s an extraordinary depth and elegance to this story. An outstanding novel. ~ Andrea Reece One of our Dyslexia Friendly Books of the Year 2015 | Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range. .......................... Read a special Q&A with Anthony McGowan on his novels Pike and Brock.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 Young footballer Baljit, the hero of Bali Rai’s Dream On, is preparing for a trial with Liverpool FC’s youth squad – something he’s dreamed of all his life. But there’s lots else going on in Baljit’s life – his girlfriend is worried that she’ll lose him; his best friend Danny’s hopes of a career in football may have been ended; and there’s a racist thug out to get him. Can Baljit work out a way to follow his dream without harming the people who matter to him most? Football-mad readers will love this, but so will anyone who likes their fiction fast-paced, involving and firmly rooted in contemporary life. I’ve really got to like Baljit and his family, and hope there’ll be more stories about them to come. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range. ...................................... Read a special Q&A with Bali Rai on his book, Game On.
Interest Age Teen Reading Age 7 In just 54 short pages Melvyn Burgess creates a drama that encompasses a whole life. Trapped in a coma, Marianne doesn’t know who she is anymore, and no longer feels like a person at all. She’s aware of the woman who comes to visit every day, and likes the feel of the woman’s warm breath on her face. That physical contact stirs memories of another occasion when she was lost, and then found, and those memories help her begin to recognise who she was, and is. Burgess uses the situation to ponder the importance of memories and identity in a haunting and powerful drama that doesn’t waste a single word. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
February 2015 Book of the Month - Interest Age Teen Reading Age 8 Award-winning Kevin Brooks tells a gripping and thoughtful story about the irresistible appeal of a dangerous friendship. Jack is cruising along in year 10; not part of any group but not likely to be picked on either. And then Dean arrives. Dean is tough and fearless. Jack is wary but also attracted by Dean’s courage and his ability to make things happen. But, when the Jack agrees to go away with Dean on holiday, he soon finds he is out of his depth. Dean courts danger with tragic results and Jack is left considering a brief but influential episode in his life. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 12+ A Piece of Passion from Mairi Kidd, Managing Director, Barrington Stoke All at Barrington Stoke cheered when Kevin Brooks won the Carnegie Medal back in June. Not only is he one of our favourite writers for children and young adults - a truly fantastic prose stylist – but he is also firmly committed to the same principles we are. Namely more young people, reading more. Kevin says: ‘I’ve never quite understood why – and this is something I feel really passionate about – our business as a whole seems to focus so much on a relatively small default audience of young readers (which gets even smaller as the target-age group increases), and we forget about the much larger potential audience that’s undoubtedly out there. It’s almost as if there’s a general acceptance that these kids don’t read, so there’s no point in reaching out to them. But I wonder if a big part of the reason they don’t read – or think they don’t like reading – is that we don’t give them a chance because we don’t reach out to them.’ Hear, hear! We are delighted to add to our list of titles by Kevin with the stunning The Devil's Angel. It's short and although it's not sweet, it packs a power in no way in proportion to its page-count. At its heart is the curious intensity of teen friendships, played out in one particular, lost summer. We think it's brilliant; please do let us know what you think via twitter, Facebook or email. _______________________ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
Interest Age 7+ Reading Age 8+ Based on a phonic approach to finding spellings, this schools edition of the best-selling Dictionary of Perfect Spelling gives a fresh way of finding words for those who find matching letters and sounds hard. Users can find words by applying a phonic attack which will lead them to the correct spelling and to irregular plurals, word endings and any word derivatives. For all those who struggle with a regular dictionary, this is an invaluable approach that will unlock ways of improving all written work.
Chosen by the public through a survey to coincide with the 10th birthday celebrations of World Book Day 2007, this title is one of ‘the ten books the nation can’t live without’. Have you read them all? Below are links to each title and position on the list. 1. Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen 2. The Lord of the Rings JRR Tolkien 3. Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë 4. Harry Potter JK Rowling 5. To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee 6. The Bible 7. Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë 8. Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell 9. His Dark Materials Philip Pullman10. Great Expectations Charles Dickens
