Tales of magic and mystery for struggling readers
HIP FANTASY books for struggling readers provide plenty of excitement and enchantment, but at accessible reading levels. Many readers enjoy reading about magical powers and imaginary worlds, but the nature of the fantasy genre sometimes makes for challenging reading.
The HIP Skinwalkers inhabit a world of magic and shape-shifting. Three separate and discrete novels feature common characters and settings. A series TEACHER’S GUIDE is available for purchase, or FREE with orders of 6 or more copies of any title or pack.
The HIP Dragon Speakers books tell tales of saving the world’s last dragon. Though each of the titles may be read separately, they also can form a continuous story. Note that due to a reprint issue, Draco’s Fire is only available as part of the DRAGON SPEAKERS LIBRARY PACK at this time. A series TEACHER’S GUIDE is available for purchase, or FREE with orders of 6 or more copies of any title or pack.
The deeply discounted SKINWALKERS LIBRARY PACK and DRAGON SPEAKERS LIBRARY PACK each contain three books.
INTEREST LEVELS Ages 10-16 (Grades 5-10)
READING LEVELS: Grade 2.8-3.4 LEXILE LEVELS: 450-500
“These slim books pack a lot of action and plot into 110 pages. The short chapters and quick plots will make it easy for reluctant readers to get into the stories…I forgot I was reading a hi-lo book!” (Lawral the Librarian)
TRY THIS PRE-READING ROUTINE WITH ANY FANTASY NOVEL:
Understanding the genre guides readers in how to approach the text and helps them comprehend the story. Read more about The Power of Pre-Reading. Before reading a fantasy novel, have students brainstorm the elements they might expect to encounter in this genre, such as:
- magic – sorcery, witchcraft, spells
- villains, usually with power, such as rulers or kings
- heroes, often unlikely
- a quest
- good vs. evil
- mythical creatures such as dragons or unicorns
- a well-developed setting that involves another world
- danger and adventure
Not every novel will have every one of these features. During reading, have students revisit the list to see which elements they meet.
HIP FANTASY titles may be found in the following LIBRARY PACKS.
