Books About Kids Who Find Reading Hard

Solomon has never had an easy time in school because of his dyslexia. But then, in a desolate part of an old graveyard, he finds himself battling the effects of an ancient curse put on the land by a witch many years before. With the help of a professor, his teacher, and a young girl, they unravel the mystery and break the curse forever.

Learning how to read isn’t easy for Trisha. But with the help and support of a wise new teacher, she begins to blossom. Told with warmth and sensitivity, and illustrated in Polacco’s signature style, the story of a girl overcoming dyslexia is based on the author’s own experience.

I’m normal because I am a normal kid — going to school, being happy, getting homework, having a family. I’m not normal because I’m dyslexic… Thus begins the autobiography of an eleven-year-old boy who describes how he created a board game based on the popular Harry Potter series and entered it into his school’s yearly Invention Convention, where it became an instant hit.

In this book by Newbery Medal-winning author Karen Hesse, the highly skilled Juice, who can handle everything from power tools to her Pa’s depression, is plagued by an inability to understand letters and reading.

Joey is out of control. He knows it, his mom knows it, and the school knows it. Nothing seems to remedy his behavior until Joey runs away from a class field trip, hurts a classmate, and is sent to a special education program. There, his medications are regulated and Joey achieves a level of control.

Judge is desperate. His mother has threatened to send him to a different school next year. To prove he can succeed at his current school, Judge needs to bring up his grades. After weeks of hard work — all while dealing with his sometimes difficult brother and his dyslexia — Judge’s hopes depend on winning a science competition. Soon it all comes down to the egg drop.

More than anything, first grader Jim wants to read. Even though his teacher is reassuring, Jim is impatient. But then, one day it happens — Jim reads! Adults and children alike will appreciate the subtle message of different learning rates and styles in this gentle story.

On the first day of fourth grade, Hank’s teacher assigns a five-paragraph essay, “What I did on my summer vacation,” and he knows he’s in trouble. It has always been difficult for him to read, write, and spell so he decides to “build” his assignment instead — to “bring Niagara Falls into the classroom, water and all.” This is the first book in the Hank Zipzer series. (opens in a new window)

Brian was not excited to enter sixth-grade. He knew that it would be just as frustrating as every other school year. People tease him when he reads aloud in class or writes on the blackboard. But Brian soon learns that this year will be different! This year his teacher notices that Brian is dyslexic. He isn’t stupid or lazy; he just needs to learn a little differently.

Although he loves stories, Aaron has trouble reading but has been an artist his whole life. With the help of Miss Greer, his astute 2nd grade teacher, Aaron’s gifts are realized and he gets help with reading. The rhyming text and illustrations call to mind the creators’ other collaborations and are equally captivating.

Ben loves baseball. He loves the lines of diamond-shaped field and the dome of the pitcher’s mound. What Ben doesn’t like is reading. Ben has dyslexia, which means letters and sounds get jumbled up in his brain, and then the words don’t make sense. But when Ben starts looking at reading like he looks at baseball, he realizes that if he keeps trying, he can overcome any obstacle that comes his way. In this empowering story by California Governor Gavin Newsom, inspired by his own childhood diagnosis of dyslexia, readers will learn that kids with the determination to try (and try again) can do big things.