on this page
real things (12)
not-so-real things (3)
15 books
last updated November 2019
If you missed out on learning to read at five, you'll need books that help you pick it up later — books that are interesting, and make reading worth the effort.
The books on this page have a reading age of about 5-6, but are about topics that will interest older readers. Don't give books about zombies to 5-year-olds — they'll get scared!
There is one book about animals here — but don't imagine it's about cute, furry cats just because of the picture on the cover. It's about mean killers.
This super series called Slipstream has a reading age of 5+ and interest age of 9+. Most are level 1.
Slipstream: World's Toughest (Franklin Watts, 2014)
Some of the toughest things on Earth, from a tiny animal to mighty machines.
Slipstream: Dangerous Earth (Franklin Watts, 2014)
Some places are best avoided – volcanoes, for example.
Slipstream: Amazing Pets (Franklin Watts, 2014)
Do you have an amazing pet? Is it this amazing?!
Slipstream: How to Spend a Billion (Franklin Watts, 2013)
What would you buy if you had a billion dollars?
Slipstream: Space (Franklin Watts, 2013)
The Earth in space, the other things out there, and how we find out about them.
Slipstream: Daring Escapes (Franklin Watts, 2013)
Could you survive a plane crash, or being lost in the wilderness?
Slipstream: World's Fastest (Franklin Watts, 2013)
What's the fastest animal, car or plane?
Slipstream: Bizarre Buildings (Franklin Watts, 2013), level 2
Buildings that look like animals, buildings that seem to fall down - there are lots of weird buildings!
Slipstream: Wacky Sports (Franklin Watts, 2013), level 2
Is ironing a sport? Or running after a cheese?
Slipstream: Crazy Food (Franklin Watts, 2013), level 2
Would you eat beetles and starfish?
Slipstream: Greatest Rock Bands (Franklin Watts, 2013)
Which are the greatest rock bands of all time?
Slipstream: Super Animals (Franklin Watts, 2013)
You think animals are cute? What about animals that live inside other animals, or turn themselves inside out?
Are zombies real? What about vampires? Do people really get abducted by aliens? Find out what's really going on.
Clash: Alien Abduction (TickTock, 2008)
Clash: Zombies on the Loose (TickTock, 2008)
Clash: Vampire Castle (TickTock, 2008)
Do you want to find out about more books for new readers? If you need something a bit more challenging than the books on this page, try:
>> the next stage
>> teen stories
Older books
Infectious Diseases (Franklin Watts, 2011)
Health and Medicine (Franklin Watts, 2009)
The Cutting Edge: Medicine (Heinemann, 2006)
Machines in Medicine (Franklin Watts, 2006)
Tomorrow’s Science: Genetic Engineering (Chrysalis, 2003)
Tomorrow’s Science: Medicine Today (Chrysalis, 2003)
