Getting reluctant male teens excited about reading!

Get 'em reading

A big challenge secondary media specialists face is engaging reluctant readers who don’t see the
value in reading for pleasure. While there are female students who don’t want to read, many boys in
the secondary grades seem to take not reading as a badge of honor. It’s my mission to find books that
resonant with teenage boys, books with characters and situations boys identify with, lots of action and
a fast moving plot that grabs the reader.

I Hunt Killers is the first title in the Jasper Dent trilogy by Barry Lyga. Jazz is a likable 17-year-old boy
counting the days until he graduates and gets out of his small town. He lives with his grandma, has a
great best friend, and a hot girlfriend. But Jazz has one big problem - his dad. You see, dear old dad
is the most infamous serial killer in America. He’s now in prison for life, but casts a long shadow over
Jazz’s life. Jazz wants to move on and forget he ever had a dad, and just when it seems like that
might be possible, bodies begin turning up in Jazz’s town. The catch? The murders are exact copycats
of the crimes Jazz’s dad committed.  Is Jazz following in his dad’s footsteps? Is he committing the
murders but waking up with no memory of committing the crime? If the killer is someone else, can
Jazz stop them before they strike again?

This trilogy is a great choice for 9-12 grade reluctant readers. Jazz’s relationship with his girlfriend
and best friend are realistic, full of humor, and the dialogue is fun. Pages fly as you try to figure out
who is committing the crimes. Dark, gruesome, with a touch of humor, this book appeals to readers
who like to watch thrillers, true crime, and horror movies. Pair this read with the nonfiction graphic
novel, My Friend Dahmer. Want more information? Click here: Jasper Dent Series

Lockdown: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith is the first book in his
series about a prison of the future for juvenile offenders. Alex, framed for the murder of his best friend,
is sentenced to life in prison. But Alex is not going to a normal prison. He is going to Furnace, a prison
built to house the most dangerous, evil juvenile offenders in England. Furnace is buried a mile
beneath the surface of the Earth, and once you go into Furnace, you never come out. No phone calls,
letters from home, or visits with your lawyer break up the monotony of life in Furnace. Alex resigns
himself to his fate until realizes something more is happening at Furnace. Young prisoners are taken
out of the cells late at night by huge, hulking men with silver eyes, never to be seen again. The
corridors are stalked by creatures with monstrous teeth and the warden is just plain evil. Alex knows
death is preferable to what awaits him if he is taken out of his cell at night. He begins to plot the
inconceivable, his escape from the inescapable.

Hand this series to readers looking for nonstop action, a whip smart protagonist, and heart pounding
scenes where the reader is left holding their breath, waiting to see if Alex is caught. If your readers
can’t get enough of books like this, give them Joe Ducie’s Rig trilogy next. To see all of the titles in
the series click here: Escape from Furnace

Jason Bourne and James Bond fans need look no further than to Allen Zadoff’s
Unknown Assassin trilogy. The first book, I am the Weapon, introduces  Boy Nobody. At ten, he watched his father die at the hands of a black ops agency.
The agency takes Boy Nobody in and trains him to be a government assassin. At 16, he’s sent into
the field for his first kill. His specialty: killing high-placed targets, making it look like natural causes.
He is trained not to question, not to think, not to feel. But that changes when he is sent to New York
to kill the mayor. There he meets the mayor’s daughter and begins to have feelings for her. But when
you are a black ops assassin you don’t get to change your mind about your career. If the agency even
suspects that Boy Nobody is having doubts he will be the one facing a nameless assassin.

Filled with twists and action, with a little coming of age angst thrown in, give this book to readers who
like spy thrillers, political intrigue, and action titles. For older students who have finished the trilogy try
the adult series Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz. To find out more about the trilogy
click here: Unknown Assassin

Instilling a passion for reading is not always easy and many times I get visits from students who “just
can’t get into this book”. The books above are surefire winners for my hardest cases and more
than once I’ve had a student tell me “this is the first book I’ve finished since elementary school.”
Next post, science fiction recommendations for your toughest reluctant readers!

Check out what author Jason Reynolds has to say about reading!