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 November 6, 2024
S
Sussex County Library System (NJ)
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All that's left to say /
Lord, Emery.
Paper Book
A poignant and powerful story of a grieving girl willing to risk everything, perfect for fans of Robin Benway and Jandy Nelson. On prom night, Hannah MacLaren sits in the headmaster's office in her fanciest dress, soaked to the bone. She is in huge trouble after pulling the...
The coldest winter I ever spent /
Jacobus, Ann.
Paper Book
Eighteen-year-old Del is in a healthier place than she was a year and a half ago: She's sober, getting treatment for her depression and anxiety, and volunteering at a suicide-prevention hotline. Her own suicide attempt is in the past, and living in San Francisco with her beloved aunt has helped...
The collectors :
Paper Book
Winner of the 2024 Michael L. Printz Award A National Bestseller From Michael L. Printz Award winner A.S. King and an all-star team of contributors including Anna-Marie McLemoreand Jason Reynolds, an anthology of stories about remarkable people and their strange and...
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...
Eyes open /
Miller-Lachmann, Lyn,
Paper Book
Portugal, 1967. Sónia thinks she knows what her future holds. She'll become a poet, and together she and her artist boyfriend, Zé Miguel, will rise above the government restrictions that shape their lives. The restrictions on what Sónia can do and where she can go without a man's permission. The...
Pangu's shadow /
Bao, Karen,
Ebook
Superman smashes the Klan
Yang, Gene Luen.
Paper Book
Harvey Award winner for Best Children or Young Adult Book! The year is 1946. Teenagers Roberta and Tommy Lee just moved with their parents from Chinatown to the center of Metropolis, home to the famous hero, Superman. Tommy makes friends quickly, while Roberta pines for home....
Those Pink Mountain nights /
Ferguson, Jenny,
Paper Book
In her remarkable second novel following her Governor General's Award-winning debut, The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, Jen Ferguson writes about the hurt of a life stuck in past tense, the hum of connections that cannot be severed, and one week in a small, snowy town that changes...
Where I belong
Mickelson, Marcia Argueta
Paper Book
A Pura Belpré Honor Book An immigrant teen fights for her family, her future, and the place she calls home. In the spring of 2018, Guatemalan American high school senior Milagros "Millie" Vargas knows her life is about to change. She has lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, ever since...

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