Take Five: Hi-Lo Series for Middle Grade Readers

Doing something a little different here this week and instead of sharing 5 books, I’m sharing 5 publishers putting out hi-lo (or high/low, or hi/lo) books for young readers. If you’re unsure what this term means, it means the books are high interest and low reading levels. These are great for reluctant/emerging readers. The lower reading level but higher interest and age-appropriate characters and settings mean middle grade and teen readers can pick these up without it looking like they’re reading a “baby” book featuring kids much younger than they are. I’m including material from each publisher’s website to give you a little more information. Click on through each link to find books for readers in your life!
Saddleback Educational Publishing
“Hi-Lo books, short for high-interest, low-readability books, are key to cultivating reading skills and a love for literature in tweens. These engaging and relatable books are invaluable in sparking interest and enhancing literacy in middle schoolers.
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At Saddleback, we provide diverse reading resources, including an extensive selection of Hi-Lo books designed specifically for tweens.”
North Star Editions/Jolly Fish Press
Of their Harbor series:
“Characterized by exciting, fast-paced plots and age-appropriate themes, Harbor’s Hi-Lo books are both engaging and easy to read. Short chapters, simple sentence structures, and an accessible format make these books perfect for tween reluctant readers. Harbor books are written at a 2nd- to 3rd-grade reading level with an interest level of ages 10 and up.”
Union Square & Co.’s Everyone Can Be a Reader
“Union Square & Co.’s Everyone Can Be a Reader books utilize dyslexia reading tools like specialized fonts and paper tones, and are carefully formatted to meet readers where they are with engaging stories that encourage reading success across a wide range of age and interest levels.”
“West 44 Books™, the new hi-lo middle grade and young adult fiction imprint of Enslow Publishing, is an exciting platform for new, authentic voices and gripping stories. With West 44 Books™, struggling readers, especially those from at-risk populations, no longer have to sacrifice page-turning fiction. Middle grade series for readers ages 8 to 13 deal with everything from the paranormal to basketball to the everyday challenges of middle school and family life. Young adult books tackle tough topics for readers ages 14 and up, from social justice to drug abuse to gender identity. West 44 Books™ offers young adult novels in verse, which combine the rhythmic, powerful language of poetry with a riveting storyline. Subject matter is diverse and relatable to readers from all backgrounds. West 44 Books™ ensures that every reader is able to both get lost in a book and find themselves on its pages.”
“What makes Orca’s hi-lo different? Like any bestseller, every Orca novel for striving readers begins its life as a creative spark in a talented writer. Our editors work closely with writers, mindful not only of meeting the technical requirements of the reluctant-reader audience, but also the need for a good story, well told. And readers recognize this. They may not realize what they are responding to, but we have seen time and time again that striving readers return to the shelf for Orca stories.
Now, these best books for aspiring readers are available in an ultra-readable format so they can continue to create readers who reach for more books.
Our goal is to engage all readers, including striving readers, English-language learners, dyslexic readers and those with other learning challenges. Our books are now more accessible than ever while still telling a great story.”
Filed under: Take 5

About Amanda MacGregor
Amanda MacGregor works in an elementary library, loves dogs, and can be found on BlueSky at @amandamacgregor.bsky.social.
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