Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Wednesday February 19th, 2025, to discuss the topic: Reads For Non-Readers

We asked our members to share their favourite reading ideas for Non-Readers, as well as general tips & tricks for encouraging Non-Readers to try a book.

This was particularly topical as the Australia Reads research report, Understanding Australian Readers : Behavioural Insights Into Recreational Reading has just been released, with lots of research backed ideas about helping different categories of readers overcome barriers to reading.

Disclaimer: The lists generated as a result of Book Club discussions are not, by any means, an exhaustive list of all titles or authors for each genre/category discussed. Nor will all titles be suitable for all libraries. We advise staff discretion when referencing these lists, to properly confirm individual title suitability for individual libraries, school and student’s needs. These are suggested titles only, shared by our members and inclusion on, or exclusion from, a list does not suggest SLAV endorsement or rejection of a title.

Strategies for Engaging Non-Readers

Have a ‘just for fun” shelf near some comfortable seating options. Suggested books for this shelf would include Guiness Book of Records, books of short facts, quick sports reads, Where’s Wally books.

Posters or bookmarks such as ‘If you liked this book…. Try this one too’

Read the first chapters of books to students to hook them into the story

Students like to read books that are recommended to them by their peers or buddy’s

Ask the students for their recommendations for books to add to the Collection

Read with a Mate (like having a gym buddy) – students choose books for each other and then read to each other before they then read independently. This way they keep each other accountable for their reading. Give students questions or interview students to help develop a book list of books they may be interested in. Then, based on the answers to the questions, give the students a limited list of books they can choose to read. Based on a program at Brisbane Grammar School,

Make reading a social experience.

Run competitions.

Have a Borrowing Loyalty Card – similar to a café coffee card. When a student borrows enough books to complete a card they get a small prize, such as a sticker. Could also link to House points if this is a thing at your school.

Give out bookmarks to use as reading trackers

Started Year 10 cohort with a focus on rediscovering the will, skill, and thrill of reading. These are particularly sporty students.

Encourage students to listen to audiobooks

Suggest the graphic novel version of a popular book or of books their friends are reading.

When speaking to students ask them what they like about their favourite characters to help with book recommendations.

Older teens often prefer adult books – Year 10 and up enjoy books by Liane Moriarty, Jane Harper etc

Encourage teachers to also read when their class has reading time to model reading behaviour.

Look at ways to encourage parents to model reading at home.

Suggest non-readers try verse novels. They are quick to read, fast-paced and include lots of white space.

Hold a parent information evening about the benefits of reading, a wide reading program, and emphasise reading for fun.

Graphic novels and Manga are a great way to encourage reluctant readers.

Try suggesting Choose your own Adventure books

Develop a ‘Grab, Sit, Read’ Collection next to comfortable seating options

Sports books – Fiction, Biographies, graphic novels, non-fiction

Try shelving Fiction and Non-Fiction books of particular interest together – for instance, I have all my Sporting books shelved together – Non-Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Biographies. I also have my Law and True Crime Non-Fiction books shelved with my Mystery & Suspense Fiction books. Has proven very popular with students and increased the borrowing of these areas.

Book Series Suggestions

The ‘My Story’ series of books

The ‘Australian Girl’ series of books

The ‘Royal Diaries’ series of books

The ‘I Survived’ series of graphic novels

The ‘Wings of Fire’ series of graphic novels

The Illuminae series by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufmann

The ‘Minutes of Danger’ series Jack Heath

The ‘Maze Runner’ series by James Dashner

The ‘Hunger Games’ series Suzanne Collins

The ‘Divergent’ series by Veronica Roth

The ’Once’ series by Morris Gleitzman

The ‘Harry Potter’ series by J.K. Rowling

The ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ series by Holly Jackson

The ‘Don’t Call Me Ishmael’ series by Gerard Bauer

James Patterson Bookshot books – short books under 150 pages

The ‘Can you survive?’ series

The ‘You Choose Monster Hunt’ series

Anthony Horowitz Legends series

The ‘Heidi’ series by Johanna Spyri

The ‘Where’s Wally?’ series

Hi Lo Graphic Novels by Judd Winick

Author Suggestions

Tristan Bancks

Jack Heath

Garth Nix

John Green

Jacqueline Wilson

Stephen King

Felice Arena

Non-Fiction Suggestions

The Guiness Books of Records books

DK non-fiction books – have great illustrations and small, digestible chunks of text

Wednesday Warriors : Doing it for the jumper (the St Pat’s Ballarat tradition) by James Gilchrist

Fatal Faults  - Challenger explosion by Erin Braun

Individual Book Suggestions

The Summer I turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Mike by Andrew Norris

The Face On The Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill (younger readers graphic novel, with cute dragons)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Billy Lemonade by Sarah J. Maxwell (short and emotional)

What We Are Reading!

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner

Cold Truth by Ashley Kalagain Blunt

The Safe Keep by Yael van der Wouden

James by Percival Everett

The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

Playground by Richard Powers

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks

The Wolves of Greycoat Hall series by Lucinda Gifford

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

The 113^th Assistant Librarian by Stuart Wilson

Books by Anne Tyler