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I'd like some suggestions for a book or books for a struggling reader/writer. This summer I'd like to work with my 15yo son with special needs (he attends ps) in reading and writing. I'd like to find a book or books that he could read a chapter, we could then read it together and discuss it, then we would summarize the chapter together, first with me writing and hopefully, eventually he would take on the role. He loves to spend time with me and loves to listen to books so I'm hoping this will help. Anyways, I need book recommendations for him that this might work well with. He's reading at about a fourth/fifth grade level, likes books like 39 Clues because of all the geography and history woven in. Any suggestions?

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Looking down the list my similar leveled DC is going to get assigned next year...these could go over well with an older kid?

The Twenty One Balloons
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

 

The Giver and Divergent are about that level.

 

Does he like science? Perhaps the Stephen Hawking series (George's Secret Key, etc) would go over well.

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If you think he might like historical fiction, he might like Twenty and Ten, a short chapter book about French children in a little French village during World War II who hide Jewish children in their midst, at a Catholic boarding school.  It is a very inspiring story!

 

https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Ten-Claire-Huchet-Bishop/dp/0140310762/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

 

Edited by J-rap
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Two classics that come to mind as being readable at that level while being interesting enough for an older reader are:

 

The Trumpet of the Swan - E.B. White

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe- C.S. Lewis (or any of the Narnia books)

 

You might also post this question on the learning challenges board. I'm sure they would have good suggestions too.

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My favourite series right now is Gerald Morris's Squire's Tales.  There are ten books in the series which retell the legends of King Arthur.  The characters are likable and great role models, the books are really, really funny, they stick fairly closely to the earliest versions of his stories, and each book has a great moral included in it without being at all preachy.  I have read all but the last two with my kids (the last two are about the end of Camelot so are a bit darker), and they are favourites with kids and parents alike.  

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How about some of the Horrible books. Horrible Geography is especially good for this, I found.

 

This is a little tricky. Do you want something like the 39 Clues? Has he exhausted all of those? Some of the authors might appeal to him, like read Percy Jackson or some of the Gordon Korman or Margaret Peterson Haddix series.

 

Or, how about the I, Survived series? Easy reading, high interest historical events.

 

I'm thinking short but meaty books would be good for this. So he needs lower level reading but that won't feel babyish, I assume?

 

Shorter "good" books...

A Long Walk to Water

The Giver

Sounder

Number the Stars

The Cay

Loser

The Westing Game

Hatchet

 

Edited by Farrar
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Yes, he's exhausted all the 39 Clues books and could probably recite them. LOL. He's read or listened to the PJ books and the Korman books but didn't seem to like Haddix. He has also read all the I, survived.

 

Yes, short but meaty. Not babyish. I have several of the "shorter good books"you listed on my bookshelf. I'll take a look at those. Thanks.

 

That King Arthur books sounds interesting. I'll have to look for it. Thx for the suggestion.

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