The Best Middle School Book for Reluctant Readers That ISN’T On Your Radar
After 13 years of teaching struggling middle school readers I have culminated a shortlist of GO-TO books that will help even the MOST RELUCTANT of readers LOVE reading…even if it is only for the duration of the novel.
I have never shared this with anyone…but my secret weapon and TOP of my GO-TO book list is...ZANE AND THE HURRICANE, by Rodman Philbrick. In my opinion, it is the best middle school book to help reluctant readers enjoy reading.
Reluctant Readers
There are several reasons why middle school students can be reluctant to read novels for enjoyment. Reluctant readers often struggle with reading on grade-level, focus, interest, proper background knowledge, and the ability to make connections between the text and themselves or real-world experiences.
Help Them Enjoy Reading
Yet the middle school years can be the most crucial for students to make reading progress and foster a life-long love of reading.
Therefore it is IMPORTANT as a middle school teacher to select novels for reluctant readers that will engage and interest students.
However, just selecting the right novel is only half the battle, teachers need to make sure they are scaffolding reading to help students comprehend the text, build background knowledge, and make connections.
KICK the School Year Off Right
Personally, I love KICKING OFF the school year with this book for two reasons: 1. The actual events of Hurricane Katrina happened at the end of August. 2. The book has a gripping plot, a real researchable setting, well-developed characters, several conflicts, and a page-turning climax.
The beginning of the year can be hectic though so I am offering my novel materials in my novel bundle Zane and the Hurricane. To help you get your year off to the right start… my bundle does all the work for you, so you can focus on your students and not creating materials.
Zane and the Hurricane
Here is a little more insight on why Zane and the Hurricane is one of my FAVORITE middle school books to read with reluctant readers… it is a fictional story set in the non-fictional setting of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The main character of the story is a thirteen-year-old boy named Zane Dupree. Zane travels from New Hampshire to New Orleans with his scrappy dog Bandit, to meet his deceased father’s grandmother.
Zane’s father died before Zane was born. As a result, he knows very little about his dad. Zane learns his father ran away from home as a teenager for a mysterious reason. This information sets Zane down a path of self-discovery.
The Conflict
Zane is only a few days into his visit when Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans. In the evacuation of the city, Zane is separated from his great-grandmother. Subsequently, he must ride out the storm and its aftermath with the help of some interesting, menacing and endearing characters.
The Tone
First, author Rodman Philbrick’s tone has a way of drawing reluctant readers into his books with hooks, cliffhangers, and pun chapter titles that keep students turning pages and begging to read more. Philbrick also covers heavy subjects like racism, violence, and poverty.
Secondly, one of the things I love about teaching this book is how the themes in the story provoke engaging class discussions about human empathy and community in the face of disaster.
Lastly, another engaging element of the book is the characters’ Southern dialect which makes for fun read-aloud dialogue and class discussion.
TEACHING RESOURCES
In my teaching resources bundle for Zane and the Hurricane (available in my teacher STORE) I provide teachers the tools to engage even the most RELUCTANT of students with:
a pre-reading SETTING TRIVIA guessing game, chapter-by-chapter comprehension questions slides,
characterization graphic organizers,
novel worksheets,
a character quiz, a novel final test, and teacher answer keys.
