10 Children’s & Young Adult Books About Dyslexia
By Melissa Holman-Kursky, M.A., M.Ed, A/ET
No one really hates reading.
Controversial statement alert! (No, not really.) I can hear thousands of parent and teacher heads shaking, thinking of a child who has this very day announced they hate reading. I was in the classroom for nearly 20 years and I’m a parent; I would never tell you that people don’t think they hate reading. But very few actually do.
Now, lots of kids and lots of adults do in fact hate decoding, meaning figuring out what the written words on the page or screen say. And that totally makes sense! For some, decoding progresses naturally into reading easily and fluently, which is ultimately what’s necessary to love what most of us think of as “reading.” (More on that in a minute…)
But for the millions of children and adults for whom that’s not the case, who struggle to decode because of a bunch of different reasons (dyslexia and convergence insufficiency being only two of them), learning to read can be painful. Traumatic, even, depending on what kind of support they get and what messages they receive around their learning.
If they’re lucky, they have teachers and parents (and therapists and tutors) who help them understand that decoding is only a tiny part of reading. Great readers have to think deeply about the text and examine it from multiple perspectives. They have to empathize with characters and analyze their motivations. None of that has to do with being able to sound out tiny phonemes (word particles) on a page.
Soapbox aside, one of the most important aspects of literature from an early age is representation, or seeing characters like yourself. This is definitely true for kids who learn differently, and may not have role models whose brains work like theirs readily available in their lives. Additionally, reading about the many types of learners in our world is super important for all kids, not just kids with learning differences. I couldn’t put it better from one of my fourth graders who gasped, upon discovering Percy Jackson, “Melissa! There really are all kinds of ways to be smart!”
With that, here are some of my favorites for children and young adults – ten picture and chapter books with dyslexic protagonists. If you want to find them all in one place, you can order from my list here (I may receive a small percentage of the sale, depending on the book).
And if your own child would benefit from a personalized reading list built around only the books they love – and none of the ones they don’t – head here to find out more!
#1
The Alphabet War by Diane Burton Robb is a picture book about Adam, who fights an ongoing war with letters from kindergarten onwards, until he finally gets the right kind of help to read independently. Along the way, he finds great talents of his own that help give him the courage to keep trying when reading is hard!
#2
Tom’s Special Talent by Kate Gaynor is another picture book favorite about finding one’s strengths instead of focusing only on challenges. It’s also a great way to start the conversation with a child, group, or class about how each person learns differently – not better or worse, just not the same.
#3
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco is a classic tale about little Trisha, a.k.a. Polacco herself as a girl, who loved to paint but struggled to learn to read. A special teacher recognized that she was dyslexic, helped her get the support she needed, and set her on her path to becoming one of the most beloved and prolific children’s authors of all time.
#4
If You’re So Smart, How Come You Can’t Spell Mississippi? by Barbara Esham is another great title from the “Adventures of Everyday Geniuses” series. Katie finds out that her dad, a successful attorney, struggles to spell many words correctly, shaking up her idea of what “smart” means. This book incorporates many growth mindset principles as well as introducing the idea of multiple intelligences and defining dyslexia.
#5
Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler is a series with its own subseries (Here’s Hank) written by The Fonz himself! Hank, the self-proclaimed “world’s greatest underachiever” isn’t afraid of anything...except having to write a five-paragraph essay! Silly, irreverent, and loosely based on Winkler and his son’s own journey with dyslexia.
#6
My Name Is Brain Brian by Jeanne Betancourt is another chapter book based on the author’s own experience with learning disabilities. As Brian starts sixth grade and finally gets a dyslexia diagnosis, he finds the words to deal with bullies and embrace his own learning styles. Note: this one was written in the 90s and includes some dated language around bullying, but kids are able to see past it with a little discussion.
#7
Fish In A Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt is an instant classic for upper elementary and middle school students. Every time Ally ends up in a new school, she quickly builds up her rep as class clown, filled with hilarious distractions. So many distractions, in fact, that she hopes her teachers and classmates won’t notice what she’s covering...her discomfort with reading. It’s a pleasure watching kids “see” themselves in Ally, and realize, as she tells us, that “great minds don’t always think alike.”
#8
The Lightning Thief (Percy jackson and the Olympians series) by Rick Riordan has become just as much a hallmark of childhood as Harry Potter, by this point. The series is full of adventure, Greek mythology, a little romance, a little teen angst...and one of the coolest (non-scientific) explanations for dyslexia and ADHD ever! For Percy, the strengths that come hand-in-hand with both are undeniable. Kids will want to read the whole series...and the sub-series...and the spinoffs...
#9
Close to Famous by Joan Bauer is a YA book with a little edge, about 12-year-old Foster McFee who uses her natural baking abilities to hide her trouble with reading. After her father dies in the Iraq War and her mom’s Elvis impersonator boyfriend turns out to be more dangerous than entertaining, Foster and her mom escape to a small town in West Virginia to start again. Adventure, humor, and grit make this a great pick for even the most jaded tween or teen.
#10
Looking for Heroes by Aidan Colvin should be in the dictionary under “heart-warming,” but it’s more than chicken soup for the soul. This is a true story about dyslexic high school student Aidan Colvin, who decides to write letters to 100 successful dyslexic adults over the course of one year, not expecting anyone to write back. But they do! This book features thoughtful letters from people like Arctic explorer Ann Bancroft, comedian Jay Leno, and author John Irving; and is a beautiful read for both older kids (upper elementary+) and parents who wonder what the future can hold.