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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Petunia Perry and the Curse of the Ugly Pigeon
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Petunia Perry and the Curse of the Ugly Pigeon
Petunia Perry is writing her memoir to fully explain why she's no longer friends with Cammy - and why, therefore, she and Cammy's …
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The Poet X
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The Poet X
Xiomara, a teenage girl of Dominican heritage, is starting to notice boys, but her strict Catholic parents have decided on no cont…
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A Different Dog
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A Different Dog
A boy taking part in a running competition stops to help a van which has crashed - but the only survivor is a dog. This emotional …
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Invisible Emmie
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Invisible Emmie
Emmie is a talented artist - but no one really knows because Emmie is cripplingly shy. If only she could be more like Katie who is…
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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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Blood Line
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Blood Line
A republication of a short novel which Kevin Brooks wrote more than 10 years ago for Barrington Stoke's excellent series for reluc…
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Shadow Girl
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Shadow Girl
The story examines relationships between teenager and adult, and coming to terms with past experience. Another Barrington Stoke wi…
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Omega the Unknown
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Omega the Unknown
The story of a mute, reluctant super hero from another planet, and the earthly teenager with whom he shares a strange destiny.
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Mind the Gap
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Mind the Gap
When Mikey's unreliable, mysterious and more than slightly dodgy dad Vinny dies, Mikey seems to lose himself and spirals into a se…
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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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Mysterium: The Black Dragon
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Mysterium: The Black Dragon
Embarking on an action-packed quest through Hong Kong, Danny finds out about the Mysterium - the travelling circus of which his pa…
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Trollhunters
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Trollhunters
This black comedy has a highly visual, cinematic feel. It is wildly imaginative and rich in description, comedy gore and elaborate…
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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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Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood
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Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood
This is a captivating retelling of the Robin Hood story with punchy dialogue and suitably dark and atmospheric images.
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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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