Alex Rider discovers his deceased uncle was a spy for British Intelligence, and now MI6 is recruiting Alex. Even though the Alex Rider books have gadgets, adventures, and sophisticated villains, they aren't cutesy or silly, as Alex is a fairly reluctant spy. Look for other books in the series. Good for high school age boys who can read at a 4th grade level on up, but don't.

With all of the mediocre fantasy coming out lately, I was unprepared to like The Lightning Thief--but it was excellent! A funny, friendly, off-the-wall read with a high action quotient. Hero Percy is told he's ADHD and dyslexic, but then, his heritage is a little unusual. About a 4th grade reading level, but interest level from 3rd to 10th grades. This book has sequels.

Korman has written four or five series of quick-reading, adventurous books. Island is about kids who are sent on a boat trip as a punishment, and then they're shipwrecked on an island already occupied by some unsavory characters. About a 3rd grade level, but kids as old as 14-16 might like them.

I once taught an athletic 4th-grade girl who thought Charlotte's Web was boring, but she loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Though many of today's TV-brained kids don't have the patience for the sweet, slow stories of yesteryear, Roald Dahl still works! 3rd/4th grade level.

Here's another book on the topics in Grossology, at about the same reading level. Our program's students have really liked this book.

Hooray! Someone finally wrote a book that looks at how cars work at a 3rd grade reading level! Nice details and photos--will appeal to older kids, too. Divided into 4 sections: Power, Speed, Handling, and Technology.

This book is a classic for boys' adventure. A small plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, and only Brian is left alive. He struggles to survive, doing so in spite of many missteps made in dealing with the wild. 4th grade level.

Inspired by Paulsen's book, Hatchet, only with more humor and easier to read. Four skateboarders attack the terrorists who commandeer their plane--but then the plane crash-lands in the Canadian wilderness. 2nd/3rd grade level.

Okay, here's a fun football book by a former NFL player! Troy White has a gift for calling football plays, but no one will listen--till he finally catches the attention of a pro ball player. Green has another book now, Football Hero. 3rd/4th reading level.

Eddie Ball gets a chance to win a million dollars if he can make just one free throw, but someone seems to be sabotaging his practice sessions. Author Gutman has written other books in this series, plus books with wider appeal: The Boy Who Ran for President and The Homework Machine, for example. For 4th-8th graders, but written at about a 3rd grade level.

The stories are short, easy to read, funny, and a little weird. My favorite selection is "Mrs. Gorf," which I often used as a read-aloud when I worked as a substitute teacher for 2nd or 3rd graders. But I've had 6th and 7th graders who struggle with reading get a kick out of these stories, too. (And Louis Sachar is the award-winning author of Holes!) High 2nd grade reading level.

You'll have to explain some of the British vocabulary and humor, but check out this premise: little creatures place dog poo beneath the feet of adults who have just been mean to kids. (But what if they make a mistake?) See also 2 sequels, Rover Saves Christmas and The Meanwhile Adventures. (3rd)

Okay, here's one for the girls! The books in this series are graphic novels about a very fun heroine who struggles with the perils of middle school. The reading level is 2nd/3rd grade, but the books are for girls in 4th-8th. They are by an award-winning author of children's historical fiction and her brother.

There aren't enough fun books for 2nd grade boys, or for 3rd and 4th grade boys who have trouble reading. Lin Oliver's series is off to a rollicking start with this book and a recent sequel--about a boy who finds out he has a tiny twin and can shrink himself, too.

Not only are these poems funny (and subversive in a kid way!), they are also small bits of text, so less intimidating. I tell young readers, "Find two poems you like and read them to me." 2nd/3rd grade reading level, interest up to 5th or even higher. See also A Light in the Attic.

A new graphic novel series for the 2nd and 3rd grade crowd--goofy fun with a lunch lady who is secretly fighting for justice using cafeteria-based gadgets. Three kids help her out.

Gail Gibbons writes a lot of wonderful, reader-friendly science books on topics like plants and animals at about a 2nd grade level, but I picked this one partly to point out that yes, getting kids nonfiction books about sports is a good move, too. I know high schoolers who won't crack a book--but they'll read the sports page daily!

One in a series, Let's-Read-and-Find-Out-Science, that I bought for our school. The books hold interest for 1st and 2nd grade readers as well as for older students who are struggling with reading. They address a range of great science questions, but this food chain book is one of my favorites.

I've used Bony-Legs with 1st through 8th graders, the older kids being ESL students who couldn't read well in English. ALL of them liked this story of a girl who has an encounter with the terrifying Russian witch, Baba Yaga. The reading level is about 1st grade.

I once taught an illiterate 18-year-old to read using these books (after we built his skills). They are fairly quiet, but they're gently funny. About a 1st grade level, but accessible to older students who can't read well.