Hi Lo Book List

I thought I'd add my Hi Lo book list to the blog. Hi Lo books are books that appeal to teens but are easier to read. They are generally fast paced, have more white space on the page and have shorter chapters. Often the font size is larger. The covers are often quite attractive to teen readers. Many of these books have under 200 pages, but there are a few that are over 300. The story lines are generally direct and easy to follow. I included books that can help students bridge to higher reading levels. These books have more complex story lines with time shifts and often multiple story lines.

I have only added books that I've personally read and feel comfortable recommending. If you are an author who would like me to review a book that might fit on this list, please let me know.

Hi Lo Book List

Curated and Compiled by Catherine Crosby @ www.Buildinglifelongreaders.blogspot.com

Lexile	Books Designated and Marketed as Hi/Lo
500HL	Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans – Science Fiction, fantasy; superpowers, evil scientist, mind control, manipulation, friendships, trust, betrayal, fast paced, more white space on page, short chapters, great cover, first in a series of five and all but one are designated HL, 326 pages
520HL	The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender – Autobiography. This is her account of her time spent in concentration and death camps during the WWII Holocaust. 264 pages. This is the first of a three book series.
520HL	Running for my Life by Ann Gonzalez – Realistic fiction; mental illness, abuse, running, friendship, good characters, more white space on page, okay cover, 235 pages.
530HL	Benito Runs by Justine Fontes – Realistic fiction; Iraq war, PTSD, anger management, running away from home, more white space on page, short chapters, great cover, 98 pages.
560HL	Wired by Sigmund Brouwer – Mystery; skiing, snowboarding, burglary, larger font, more white space on page, short chapters, great cover, 104 pages.
610HL	Beneath by Roland Smith 2015 – Realistic Fantasy/Adventure. Brother must fight his fears to rescue his older brother. Danger, going under NYC, cults, homelessness, friendship, siblings, bravery, more white space on page, short chapters, 264 pages.
650HL	The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen – Realistic fiction; amputation, running, friendship, determination, great characters, fast paced, short chapters, great cover, 336 pages.
680HL	The Selection by Kiera Cass – Dystopian: A futuristic book that mimics the television show, The Bachelor, friendships, class war, romance, betrayal, beautiful cover, more white space on the page, 327 pages.
680HL	Under a War-Torn Sky by L. M. Elliot – Historical fiction: WWII American pilot shot down behind enemy lines, hunger, torture, resistance to Nazis, allies, friendships, PTSD, inspired by true stories, fast paced, more white space on the page, short chapters, 284. First book of two. A Troubled Peace is the second book and has a Lexile of 820.
700HL	Girl Stolen by April Henry – Realistic Fiction; kidnapping, blindness, self-sufficiency, friendship, fast paced, intense, strong female character, more white space on page, 213 pages.
HL700	Inhuman by Kat Falls – Dystopian: war, biological warfare, biological disasters, mutants, friendships, betrayal, loyalty, violence, cool cover, more white space, larger font size, short chapters, 375 pages. First book of a two-book series.
710HL	Legend by Marie Lu – Dystopian; war, family, friends, courage, trust strong male and female characters, fast paced, intense, point of view changes, font color changes when point of view changes, good cover, first in a series of three, 305 pages.
HL720	Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige – Fantasy: A continuation of The Wizard of Oz where everything has gone wrong and Dorothy is evil. Violence, fast pace, more white space, short chapters, 432 pages, first book of a four-book series. Students need background knowledge of The Wizard of OZ to understand this book.

Figure 2. Books Not Designated as Hi/Lo but that Work as Hi/Lo

Lexile	Books Not Designated as Hi/Lo, but that Work as Hi/Lo
500L	The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender – Autobiography; teen Holocaust survivor, writing, poetry, simple language, larger font, good cover, first in a series of three, 264 pages.
520L	The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo – Realistic fiction; relationships, death, ethical treatment of animals, death of mother, abuse, good characters, more white space on page, poor cover, 116 pages.
530L	Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury – Adventure, realistic fiction; natural disaster, earthquake, tsunami, friendship, scouts, survival, good cover, 191 pages.
570L	The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate – Realistic Fiction based on the true story of Ivan the gorilla from Atlanta Zoo; Animal cruelty and neglect, environment, friendship, communication, art. This book has a tremendous amount of white space on the page allowing students to focus and read. Short chapters, 320 pages.
570L	Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor– Realistic fiction; mental illness, learning disabilities, neglect, strong main character, larger font, more white space on page, winner of the Schneider Family Book Award, babyish cover, 290 pages.
570L	Heartland: Coming Home by Lauren Brooke – Realistic Fiction; horses, death of mother, accident, trust, horse whisperer, friendship, family relationships, larger font size, more white space on page, great cover, first of a series of twenty, 140 pages.
580L	Beastly by Alex Flinn – Traditional literature; fairy tale told from the Beast’s point of view, romance, magic, friendship, larger font size, more white space on page, short chapters, great cover, 304 pages.
580L	Zach’s Lie by Roland Smith – Realistic fiction; witness protection program, drug smuggling, identity, friendship, fitting in, short chapters, good cover, first in a series of two, 211 pages.
590L	Searching for David’s Heart by Cherie Bennett – Realistic fiction; sibling relationships, friendship, accidents, heart transplant, anger, adventure, larger text size, poor cover, 220 pages.
590L	Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli – Realistic fiction; high school popularity, friendship, strong female character, larger font size, more white space on page, good cover, first in a series of two, 186 pages.
600L	Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko – Historical Fiction, Sports; living on Alcatraz, Al Capone, disabilities, family, friends, more white space on page, first of a series of two, 215 pages.
620L	Haunted Sister by Lael Littke – Mystery; mental illness, death of sister, large font, more white space on page, great cover, 217 pages.
650L	Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan – Mystery/Horror: vampires, theft, friendship, spiders, monsters, circus, parental relationships, sibling relationships, death, pretty dark at times, more what space on page, larger font, short chapters, good cover, 257 pages.
650L	Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn – Mystery; ghost story, drowning, beach, good cover, 187 pages.
650L	Money Hungry by Sharon G. Flake – Realistic fiction about Raspberry Hill, a girl who has been homeless and now lives precariously in a bad neighborhood with her mother. She is obsessed with making money because she never wants to be homeless again. Larger font, plenty of white space, short chapters, interesting characters and situations. Great cover. Coretta Scott King award.
650L	Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff – Realistic fiction; foster care, trust, family, larger font, more white space on page, great characters, good cover, Newberry Honor book, 166 pages.
660L	The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney – Mystery; kidnapping, mental illness, romance, high school age characters, family, great cover, first in a series of six, 184 pages.
670L	Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz – Action, mystery, science fiction; murder, intrigue, fast paced, dangerous situations, close calls with death or injury, great cover, larger font, more white space on page, first in a series of ten, 256 pages.
690L	Dark Life by Kat Falls – Adventure, mystery, science fiction; farming underwater, complex characters, danger, intense, fast paced, larger font size, more white space on page, great cover, first in a series of two, 297 pages.
690L	The Limit by Kristen Landon – Dystopian; family, kidnapping, political prisoners, economics, value of life and belongings, over spending, government control, intelligence, more white space on page, short chapters, 291 pages.
690L	Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements – Science fiction; invisibility, friendship, fast paced, mediocre cover, first in a series of three, 251 pages.
720L	The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn – Dytopian; rebellion against government control, people getting bar coded, strong characters, friendship, family, trust, first in a series of three, 256 pages.
730L	Ghost by Jason Reynolds – Realistic Fiction: Family, Family trauma, shoplifting, running, track, family violence, larger font, more white space on page, 180 pages. This is the first book of a series of four.
Unknown Lexile	Counting Wolves by Michael F. Stewart – Realistic fiction: mental illness, destigmatizing mental illness, fairytales, friendships, trauma. Wonderful cover, plenty of white space, short chapters, and a story that is fast paced, exciting, and a bit scary. Definitely content that older teens can relate to. 215 pages.

Figure 3. Books to Bridge Hi/Lo Reading Experiences to Grade Level Reading

Lexile	Books to Bridge Hi/Lo Reading Experiences to Grade Level Reading
620L	The Last Dog on Earth by Daniel Ehrenhaft – Science fiction; epidemic illness, step-parent, fast paced, exciting, strong main character, short chapters, good cover, changes in point of view; reminds me of I Am Legend, 234 pages.
650L	When She Was Good by Norma Fox Mazer – Realistic fiction; mental illness, abuse, intense storyline, flashbacks, great cover, 228 pages.
660L	Holes by Louis Sachar – Realistic fiction; juvenile punishment, obsessions, loyalty, fast paced, exciting, relatable characters, more white space on page, changes in point of view and flashbacks, good cover, Newberry winner, first in a series of two, 233 pages.
670L	Crazy by Han Nolan – Realistic fiction; multiple personality disorder, mental illness, parts of story are told by the voices (personalities), fast paced, intense, foster care, abuse, more white space on page, time changes, good cover, 348 pages.
670L	Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen – Realistic fiction; bullying, fighting, reparative justice, alcoholism, abuse, relatable characters, bear attack, flashbacks, first half is fast paced but second half slows down, good cover, first in a series of two, 240 pages.
680L	Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan – Fantasy, Historical Fiction: Fairy tales, WWII, The Great Depression, orphans, migrant workers, Europe, United States, music, families, siblings, Japanese Internment Camps, beautiful cover, more white space, short chapters, 587 pages. This book is a work of art.
700L	The Angel Experiment by James Patterson – Science fiction, fantasy; human/avian experiments, loyalty, flying, PTSD, fast paced, exciting, great cover, larger font, more white space on page, extremely short chapters, first in a series of nine, 413 pages.
710L	Dread Locks by Neal Shusterman – Mythology, Fairy tales; Goldilocks, Medusa, mystery, horror, fast paced, dark, geared toward older teens, more white space on page, short chapters, great cover, 164 pages.
750L	Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman – Historical fiction; women’s rights in India, family roles and structure, students will need background knowledge of WWII, strong characters, more white space on page, good cover, 243 pages.
750L	Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney – Realistic fiction: Refugees, war, family roles, diamond trade, immigration, suspense. More white space on page.
750L	As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds – Realistic Fiction: families, blindness, pulling together, grandparents, birds, nature, guns, hard work, large font, plenty of white space, 410 pages.

Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Terezin by Susan Goldman Rubin

Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Terezin by Susan Goldman Rubin published in 2000 tells the heartbreaking story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis. She was an art teacher and art therapist who was sent to the Terezin concentration camp.

She had been given an opportunity to escape but couldn't bear to leave her husband and family, so she stayed. When packing for Terezin, she filled her suitcases with art and drama supplies and used these supplies to help the children of Terezin. She organized plays for the people to view and to perform in. She hid thousands of their drawings, paintings, and artworks. These are now on display in many museums.

"Of the 15,000 children who passed through Terezin, only 100 survived" (42). That is chilling and horrific.

Friedl Dicker-Brandeis did not survive the war. She was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau in October of 1944 with 30 of her students and they all were killed. Her husband survived.

Friedl Dicker- Brandeis was a hero and a light in a horribly dark place. She did all she could to ease the suffering of the people of Terezin. She was an amazing artist, but did not do much art while in Terezin as she wanted to save the supplies for the children. The book includes pictures of some of the artwork and it is pretty haunting, especially when you see that most of the artwork was done by children younger than 12 and most of them were murdered by October of 1944.

Quotes I liked:

"If we're only given a day, we have to live it." (8) ~ Friedl Dicker-Brandeis

"I turned out more courageous then I had supposed." (12) ~ Friedl Dicker-Brandis (May I live by this quote even though I am somewhat of a coward.)

A poem by 11 year-old Ivo Leo Katz who died at age 12:
"Some day we shall outrun this hour,
Some day there will be comfort for us,
And hope again burst into flower,
And peace and guardian care restore us.
The jug of tears will break and spill,
And death be ordered: 'Hush, be still!'" (43).

When  I think of the talent, the intelligence, the humanity of those who were murdered by the Nazis, I am saddened to the core. What might they have done, become, or their children become? How much knowledge, advancement of humanity was lost in the death camps?

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe

Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe was published in 1979 just when I started having children. I only read it recently, and I think my grand kids will enjoy it. 

This book is written for early elementary and middle grade readers. This fun story has many of the elements of Dracula without any of the evil. 

The story is told from Harold's, the family dog, point of view. He and Chester, the family cat, can see that there is something unusual about the family's new pet rabbit, and when all the vegetables in the fridge begin to turn white, they know they must make sure their family is safe from Bunnicula. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel

Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel was published in 2015. The books begins with Maisie Winters running. Before she reaches her house, lighting strikes a tree near her knocking electrical wires into her and catching her body and face on fire.

She awakes in the hospital after a month long coma. Before she is even released from the hospital, she is given a face transplant. The rest of the book is Maisie's attempt to deal with her injuries, her recovery, her grief, her guilt about the person whose face she now wears, all while being a high school senior.

Sheinmel had a lot of emotions to deal with, both of Maisie's and those who love her.

I enjoyed this story. It makes me thankful for my health and for those in our world who are willing to donate organs, bodies, and faces to improve the lives of those who so desperately need them.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Back before Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett became household names - if your have a reading household - they wrote a book together. This book is Good Omens and was published in 1990. The subtitle is: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.

Blurb from the back of the book: The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to the The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplace the Antichrist.

The book begins in the Garden of Eden were the reader meets the demon/snake Crawly and the angel Aziraphale, and we learn what has become of Adam and Eve. After a page or two, we are taken to a time eleven years from present day, and then to present day in the last week before the Apocalypse.

This book is funny. It is irreverent and laugh out loud funny. It is also thought provoking with well written characters.

Quotes I liked:

"He'd been an angel once. He hadn't meant to Fall. He'd just hung around the wrong people" (20).

"But he liked seeing nuns around, in the same way he liked seeing the Salvation Army. It made you feel that it was all right, that people somewhere were keeping the world on its axis" (21).

"Hell is empty, and all the devils are here" (34).

"People couldn't become truly holey, he said, unless they also had the opportunity to be definitively wicked" (34).

"Where you found the real McCoy, the real grace, and the real heart-stopping evil, was right inside the human mind" (77).

'"You see, evil always contains the seeds of its own destruction,' said the angel" (87).

"Adam grinned. Notoriety wasn't as good as fame, but was heaps better than obscurity" (129).

"Perhaps they saw what their minds were instructed to see, because the human brain is not equipped to see War, Famine, Pollution, and Death when they don't want to be seen, and has got so good at not seeing that it often manages not to see them even when they abound on every side" (313).

'"We were only doing our jobs,' muttered Crowley. 'Yes, so what? Lots of people in history have only done their jobs and look at the trouble they caused'" (341).

My copy has a drawing of Crowley the demon. I look forward to reading this book again.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

The Martian by Andy Weir

I'm late to the party as usual, but I finally read The Martian by Andy Weir. Published in 2011 as an ebook and in 2014 in hardback and paperback, this book was quickly made into a movie. 

I review a lot of books for children and young teens, but this book is for adults as it has adult language right up front in the opening sentence. As I've said before, I'm fine with adult language as long as it's not gratuitous. The language in this book fits the situations. 

A giant dust storm on Mars forces the crew to evacuate, and astronaut Mark Watney doesn't make it to the escape pod before it leaves the surface of the planet. His crew watched him get hit by equipment and tumble out of sight. All the data from his suit says he is dead, but Mark is alive. 

He's alone on Mars with not enough food or water to survive until another launch brings a new Mar's crew. He will have to use his own ingenuity, determination, and intelligence to keep himself alive. This book combines science with a great story to keep the reader turning pages. 

I haven't watched the movie but knew that they cast Matt Damien for the title role and heard the narration of his voice in my head. I can see why they cast him. If you watched the movie, what did you think? Was it as good as the book? Should I take the time to watch it?

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy was first published in 1874, and yes, I'm on a bit of a Thomas Hardy kick. He is a good story teller who weaves many relationships together. 

Blurb from Goodreads.com: Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy, and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the stability of the whole community. The first of his works set in Wessex, Hardy's novel of swift passion and slow courtship is imbued with his evocative descriptions of rural life and landscapes, and with unflinching honesty about sexual relationships. 

I liked this book even more than Tess of the D'Urbervilles because the ending is better. I believe Thomas Hardy was a man ahead of his time. He sees the issues that women faced and often still face and writes about them. 

Bathsheba Everdene is young, but she has money and has inherited an estate. She is beautiful and sought after. Fanny, another character in the story, faces ruin, and one man must choose between Fanny and Bathsheba. 

Hardy sets the stage well. Each chapter heading gives the reader a hint of what is to come. He sets up the love quadrangle and then adds Fanny to it. He has the reader hoping for their favorites to win. Each character is well written and multidimensional. 

I listened to the audio version that was excellently narrated by Tadhg Hynes, and his accent was dreamy. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

The Shape of Illusion by William E. Barrett

I found The Shape of Illusion by William E. Barrett at a book swap. Published in 1972, this 215 page novel has an interesting premise. An art dealer discovers a piece of art that was created in the seventeenth century by an unfamiliar artist. The artist depicts Jesus being taken to his crucifixion. People are mocking and abusing him, and when one looks at the picture, the viewer discovers himself as one of the abusers of Christ.

The main character, Kirk Donner, is agnostic and a talented artist. He is sent to Germany to see what he can find out about the artist. He meets Joan, a Catholic journalist, and they form a friendship of sorts.

He finds that people are often eager to destroy that which they do not understand. The story is well paced and the characters grow and learn.

Quote I liked:
"A lot of us are lonely because we won't pay the price of not being lonely" (185).

Britney Shaw gave us two copies of The Cat in the Hat for our NICU babies. I had this book memorized at one point because James and Angie loved it so much. 

An anonymous donor left these for Angie at in the NICU.

Dani Phipps sent a collection of books for the babies.

We appreciate every donation as our donors' generosity helps our project grow. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.