High/Low Books for Middle School and High School Kids

Hi-lo (high-interest, low readability) books are designed to engage struggling readers by exploring complex, age-appropriate themes at a lower reading level. They typically feature simple sentences, controlled vocabulary, lower page counts, and short chapters.

Updated August 28, 2025
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Sussex County Library System (NJ)
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Braving the big freeze /
Tyler, Madeline
Paper Book
What would you do if the world was covered in ice? A global ice age could cause freezing temperatures, giant glaciers, and rumbling avalanches. It's time to become an ice age survival expert . . . just in case. This engaging hi-lo book draws in 5th and 6th grade readers with...
The collectors :
Paper Book
A USA Today and National Bestseller From Michael L. Printz Award winner A.S. King and an all-star team of contributors including Anna-Marie McLemore and Jason Reynolds, an anthology of stories about remarkable people and their strange and surprising collections.
Everything, everything
Yoon, Nicola
Paper Book
Risk everything for love with this #1 New York Times bestseller from Nicola Yoon * "Gorgeous and lyrical"--The New York Times Book Review What if you couldn't touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun warm your face . . . or...
Zevi takes the spotlight /
Matas, Carol,
Paper Book
★ "Zevi is Jewish, and this important part of his identity is skillfully woven throughout the narrative. This hi-lo title excels in the genre, packaging an accessible, dyslexia-friendly text with a compelling plot and likable protagonist whose journey readers will happily follow. Highly...

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