Tips & Resources for Writing High-Low Books

What Are High-Low Books?

High-low books have HIGH engagement, LOW reading levels, making them appeal to struggling and reluctant readers. High engagement means:

• Exciting plots
• Engaging characters
• Fun graphics

Other Characteristics of High-Low Books

• “Friendly” font size
• Lots of white space
• Simple vocabulary and sentence structure 
• Skinny
• Address more grown-up topics than other books on reading level
• Graphic novels and books in verse appear on high-low lists

The Appeal of High-Low Books

For Readers:

• They don’t look like “baby books”
• They’re not intimidating
• The topics match their age/interest

For teachers, librarians, & parents:

• They help struggling readers (including kids with dyslexia) build vocabulary, reading confidence, and love of reading.
• They’re a stepping stone to standard texts.

Tips & Tools for Writing High-Low Books

• Picture a child of the target reading level AND ANOTHER of the target age for content
• Use fewer characters & settings to keep word count low and make it easier for readers to track what’s happening
• Plot to keep the story tight
  • Break your plot down into chapters
  • Figure out your word count/chapter
  • Know where you need to get to with each chapter as you write 
• Use a text analyzer to check the level of your text
  • ATOS readability estimate
  • Use shorter sentences and paragraphs as well as higher frequency words

Publishers of High-Low Books Include Small Press, Packagers, & Big 4

• Jolly Fish
• Capstone Press (including Stone Arch)
• Follett Books
• Gareth Stevens Publishing
• HIP Books: High Interest Publishing
• High Noon Books
• Keystone Books: We Are Heroes
• Orca Books
• Saddleback Educational Publishing
• Epic Press
• Lerner Publishing’s Darby Creek imprint
• Townsend Press
• Scholastic
• Bloomsbury

Resources: High-Low Book Lists

• The Seattle Public Library’s list of high-low books in grades 3 – 6 (includes graphic novels)
• Best High-low books for kids, tweens and teens – WeAreTeachers.com
• The School Library Journal reviews of “hi-lo” books

Other Resources

• NAEP Report Card: Reading – The Nation’s Report Card, U.S. Department of Education
• Statistics – The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance
• High/Low Books for Children – ReadingRockets.com
• “Books Where Stuff Happens”: An Exploration of Hi/Lo Books – YALSA’s The Hub
• Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers – YALSA Book & Media Lists
• “Wordcount Dracula” by Jennifer Laughran of Andrea Brown Literary

Have More Questions?

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