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Reluctant Readers- Boys 8-9

Getting a reluctant reader to enjoy books is difficult.  Here are some books that might help.   We always suggest getting kids hooked on a series so that they want to read the rest of the series.
Listed below are samples from series.  They are not always the first in the series but if you are interested in seeing the entire series, then go to the search and put in the series name to see the all the titles in the series.

Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 2: The Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers: The Adve (Paperback)

By Dav Pilkey
$5.39
ISBN-13: 9780439376129
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Paperbacks, 10/2003
Other Editions of this Title
Interest Level: grades  3–5  
Grade Level Equivalent:  3.5

Two 4th grade pranksters, who are best friends and next-door neighbors. They have started a comic book making club called "Treehouse Comix Inc.," and every day at school they go to the secretary's office and photocopy and print off several hundred copies of their latest comic book and sell them on the playground. George is identified by his tie and flat top haircut, Harold is recognizable by his T-shirt and bad haircut. George is 9¾ years old while Harold is 10 years old. They are considered the class clowns of 4th grade at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, a school which discourages imagination.

Secret Agent Jack Stalwart: Book 11: The Theft of the Samurai Sword: Japan (Paperback)

By Elizabeth Singer Hunt
$5.39
ISBN-13: 9781602860988
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Weinstein Books, 10/2009
Other Editions of this Title
Interest Level:  grades 3- 5 
Grade Level Equivalent:  3.5

This illustrated chapter book series has everything you need to help struggling readers: lots of action, a mystery to solve, and great gizmos. The learning elements are blended into the plot well. The book moves quickly through adventure after adventure, all connected to the main story line. Jack's gadgets are also a real appeal for today’s savvy kids who also live in a world of gadgets.  This is Alex Rider for younger kids with an ecological bent.
 

Geronimo Stilton #37: The Race Across America (Paperback)

By Geronimo Stilton
$6.29
ISBN-13: 9780545021371
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Paperbacks, 4/2009
Interest Level: grades 3 - 5 
Grade Level Equivalent: 2.3- 4.2  
(girls also like this one)

Geronimo Stilton is the Editor in chief of The Rodent’s Gazette, the most famous daily newspaper on Mouse Island, but his true passion is to write books, which become all bestsellers. He likes to read books, he likes to listen to classical music, play golf, even collect antique, 18th century cheese rinds, of all things! He adores his work and his family, but he hates to travel, because he gets airsick, seasick and carsick. Nonetheless, he often gets involved by Thea and his relatives and friends in extreme situations and adventures all around the world.   But the best part is the way the colorful text looks- different on every page.

Dump Trucks and Dogsleds #16: I'm on My Way, Mom! (Paperback)

By Henry Winkler, Lin Oliver, Jesse Joshua Watson
$4.49
ISBN-13: 9780448443805
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Grosset & Dunlap, 8/2009
Other Editions of this Title

Interest Level: 3 - 5  z
Grade Level Equivalent: 3.9 +

Hank Zipzer is a young boy growing up on the Upper West Side of New York City, who is dyslexic. Winkler based the character on himself as a child and his own experiences with dyslexia.   He considers himself the world’s greatest underachiever.

The 39 Clues Book 6: In Too Deep (Hardcover)

By Jude Watson
$11.69
ISBN-13: 9780545060462
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Inc., 11/2009
Other Editions of this Title

Interest Level:  Grades 3 - 5
Grade Level Equivalent: 3.4

What would happen if you discovered that your family was one of the most powerful in human history? What if you were told that the source of the family's power was hidden around the world, in the form of 39 Clues? What if you were given a choice, take a million dollars and walk away, or get the first Clue? If you're Amy and Dan Cahill, you take the Clue, and begin a very dangerous race.  The high-octane adventures accelerate as more books are added to this ten book series.

Feedback tells us that the Rick Riordan ones are the best.

Goosebumps HorrorLand #12: Streets of Panic Park (Paperback)

By R.L. Stine
$5.39
ISBN-13: 9780439918800
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Paperbacks, 7/2009

Interest Level: grades 3 - 5  
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.3

Fright-master R.L. Stine invites you on an all-new, all-terrifying adventure!

The thrill ride begins when 12-year-old Britney Crosby encounters an old ventriloquist's dummy with a lively secret--and a wicked plan. Just when she thinks the nightmare is over, Britney receives an invitation to an amusement park where everything is not as it seems. Who—or what—is summoning ordinary kids to HorrorLand?

Be aware that these are scary than the Goosebumps series. 

The Day My Butt Went Psycho (Paperback)

By Andy Griffiths
$6.29
ISBN-13: 9780439424691
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Paperbacks, 4/2003
Other Editions of this Title

Zombie Butts From Uranus (Paperback)

By Andy Griffiths
$6.29
ISBN-13: 9780439424707
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Inc., 4/2004
Other Editions of this Title