Books for reluctant readers (12+)
There's a book out there for every teenager, even the most reluctant of readers.
Try a few of the books below to see if they click with your teenager and help them love reading. There's non-fiction, graphic novels, rhyme and verse! Let us know which one works for your teenager.
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Invisible Emmie
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Invisible Emmie
Thirteen-year-old Emmie is the quiet girl at school, the one nobody notices. She loves to draw – and is good at it too – and has a…
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Kerb-Stain Boys: The Crongton Broadway Robbery
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Kerb-Stain Boys: The Crongton Broadway Robbery
Briggsy, his best friend Terror and the love of Terror’s life, Caldonia, are 14 year olds living on the wrong side of the tracks. …
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Truly Tyler
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Truly Tyler
Tyler is used to being one of the most popular boys in school, so when he teams up with quiet, shy Emmie to draw a comic for a sch…
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The Red Gloves and other stories
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The Red Gloves and other stories
A creepy collection of nine short stories with a strange, supernatural edge inspired by myth, legend and ancient tales.
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Girl (In Real Life)
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Girl (In Real Life)
Lots of teenagers are embarrassed by their parents but when yours vlog about everything in your life, including your first period,…
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White Bird
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White Bird
Now he’s a teenager, Julian wants to hear the details of what happened to Grandmère during her childhood in France in World War Tw…
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Sister Switch
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Sister Switch
Lily and Erin are sisters, but they couldn't be more different. So what on earth will happen when they find that their bodies have…
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The Climbers
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The Climbers
This punchy and exciting thriller explores status, friendship and potentially deadly rivalry – and shows how saving face at a…
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Melissa (formerly published as George)
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Melissa (formerly published as George)
To everyone around her, George is a boy - but George longs to be like Charlotte, the wise and gentle hero of Charlotte's Web. This…
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Show Us Who You Are
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Show Us Who You Are
When 12 year old Cora meets Adrien, they become inseparable. But when Cora starts to visit Adrien's dad's company - which creates …
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The Hideaway
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The Hideaway
Pam Smy’s heartbreaking yet heartwarming illustrated novel has a supernatural element, but is really about the terrible impact tha…
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SkyWake: Invasion
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SkyWake: Invasion
This exhilarating futuristic adventure, the first in a trilogy, is a fast-paced, thrilling read, perfect for gamers and sci-fi fan…
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This Book Is Cruelty Free
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This Book Is Cruelty Free
In this thorough, well-researched and impassioned guide for older readers, Linda Newbery offers tips and advice on how to live a l…
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The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks
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The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks
Lottie Brooks is just starting secondary school and she's just about ready to die of embarrassment - she hasn't got a bra, her hai…
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Running from the Rainbow
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Running from the Rainbow
In this touching story, Rosie decides to reinvent herself when she moves to a new town and starts a new school.
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The Weight of Water
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The Weight of Water
This beautiful book is written in verse and captures 13-year-old Kasienka’s emotions and experiences perfectly
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Roller Girl
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Roller Girl
It’s really exciting to be starting at Roller Derby summer camp, but less so when Astrid finds herself doing it alone. A fantastic…
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Death Match
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Death Match
During the occupation of Ukraine in World War II, players from what had been the Dynamo Kiev football team set themselves up as St…
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Apple and Rain
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Apple and Rain
Engrossing and uplifting, challenging and charming, Apple and Rain brings fiction and poetry together in a well-crafted story abou…
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Ghost Stadium
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Ghost Stadium
Three boys go camping in the abandoned Northface football stadium. But all is not as it seems. Tom Palmer's Ghost Stadium&nbs…
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The Sad Ghost Club
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The Sad Ghost Club
A sad ghost wants to go to a party, but his social anxiety keeps holding him back. When he meets another anxious ghost, he realise…
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A Different Sort of Normal
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A Different Sort of Normal
Abigail, the author and illustrator of this exceptional non-fiction book, spent most of her life not knowing she was autistic. Ins…
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