my 15 yo sister told me recently that she struggles with reading, but she would like to enjoy it more. she said that she has a hard time with large, blocky paragraphs and getting lost in all the words. i struggled to give her pointers because i am the direct opposite (hyperlexia, baby). does anyone have any recommendations on books that are formatted with more spacing/fewer words per page and could be engaging for a teenager who's been through a lot of shit? she said she's liked some graphic novels but she wants to branch out.
my first thought was ellen hopkins because i loved her books when i was 13-14, but i've been rereading her stuff recently from an adult perspective, and i don't love some of the messaging or the handling of eating disorders and self harm. the subject matter is fine, just a little too, uh, instructive with that author. like, in retrospect i definitely picked up some unhealthy coping behaviors when i read those books lol! so i don't feel okay recommending those to my sister, but i think the general idea of not shying away from pain teenagers experience is great, and the poetry style formatting seemed like something my sister could try out. are there other authors who have done something similar?
by cosmicinsect25
1 Comment
Laurie Halse Anderson and Margaret Petersen Haddix are both excellent at that sort of thing. I also recommend the first Hunger Games book. I’ve hooked a lot of less-confident readers her age with that one.