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Reading levels and needs

Books that work well for kids with dyslexia

No book is dyslexia-friendly on its own, but some features help: short chapters, plenty of white space, pictures and predictable plots. This list also includes books where a character has dyslexia.

Titles, authors and publication details were checked against Open Library in October 2026; age ranges follow publisher and library guidance and are approximate. Series order is the order of publication. Checked 2026-10-25. Nobody paid to be here. The buy links are plain search links, not affiliate links, so Peabody earns nothing from them.

  1. Fish in a Tree

    Lynda Mullaly Hunt · Ages 9-13

    Ally hides that she cannot read until a teacher spots dyslexia. A child's-eye view of shame and recovery.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  2. Thank You, Mr. Falker

    Patricia Polacco · Ages 6-10

    Polacco tells how a teacher helped her learn to read when she was in fifth grade. Picture book memoir.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  3. The Alphabet War: A Story about Dyslexia

    Diane Burton Robb · Ages 6-9

    Adam struggles with letters in school until he learns he has dyslexia.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  4. The Lightning Thief

    Rick Riordan · Ages 9-13

    Percy has dyslexia and ADHD, and the book treats these as marks of a demigod. Riordan wrote it for his own dyslexic son.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  5. Hank Zipzer: Niagara Falls, or Does It?

    Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver · Ages 7-11

    Hank has learning differences and is shown trying very hard. Winkler has dyslexia.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  6. Dog Man

    Dav Pilkey · Ages 6-10

    Pilkey has dyslexia and ADHD and has said so publicly; the comic panels carry much of the story.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid

    Jeff Kinney · Ages 8-12

    Short entries and cartoons mean less text per page.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  8. Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark

    Mary Pope Osborne · Ages 6-9

    Short chapters, regular structure and plenty of illustrations.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  9. Hatchet

    Gary Paulsen · Ages 10-14

    Short chapters and a plot that moves, with plain sentences.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  10. Sideways Stories from Wayside School

    Louis Sachar · Ages 7-10

    Thirty short chapters, no connected plot to lose track of.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  11. Frindle

    Andrew Clements · Ages 8-11

    Simple scenes and a clear plot; popular with reluctant readers.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  12. The Bad Guys

    Aaron Blabey · Ages 6-10

    Large type and a lot of illustration.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

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