Reluctant Readers

A study conducted by Renaissance Learning in 2020 showed that 63% of teachers expected that lockdown — and all the limitations that come with it — would increase the existing attainment gap for disadvantaged students. Perhaps more alarmingly, over a third of teachers indicated that they did not feel their school was prepared to measure, and subsequently act on, those attainment differences upon returning to the classroom.

Filling gaps will no doubt be an ongoing priority for teachers as we navigate a post-lockdown landscape, with key areas of learning taking priority in the mission to catch up. Few areas are more key than literacy, and we know it is going to be a race against time to try and accelerate some students back up to the level of their peers, to reinforce the key skills that will enable them to access the rest of the curriculum. To that end, we wanted to highlight some of our best ‘reading for pleasure’ resources to provide as clear a path as possible — particularly at the all-important transition period of UKS2 to LKS3 when children need to build confidence in their literacy skills as they move on to more challenging work.

As an experienced educational publisher that has specialised in high interest, low reading level books for nearly 20 years, we have amassed a large and varied back catalogue of engaging fiction and non-fiction to cover a wide range of interests, which we are passionate to make sure act as an ‘open door’ into reading. Our fiction is rightly made up of strands of voices from different walks of life, diverse backgrounds and ways of seeing the world, and we can provide digital resources or printed books, depending on your needs.

Below we have provided details and recommended audiences for some of our popular series, as well as some of the key features that make our books so accessible for struggling or reluctant readers.

You can view our entire range

Welcome Back

It’s fantastic to see children back in school after so long a break, and we know how hard staff have had to work to implement all the new (and changing) procedures to get to this stage.

Here at Badger Learning we have been working on updating our products to make sure we have what you need to ensure children are supported in their reading journey and with their wellbeing. We know that the pandemic has put a huge strain on some children’s mental health and wellbeing and as much as we hope that will all be eased now they are back at school, some will need additional resources. Primary teachers may want to take a look at our PSHE Through Stories Collection.  For secondary schools, our Minding Your Mental Health and Supporting Your Mental Health collections address a number of mental health topics through fiction and non-fiction respectively, helping teenagers realise they are not alone and opening up conversations in a relatable way.

In these first few weeks back teachers will also have been assessing where children are at academically and looking at ways to address gaps in learning. Reading is crucial here and with the limited access to books over lockdown, a lot of children will have been reading significantly less than they would in more normal times. Supporting struggling and reluctant readers with appealing books, written by authors who specialise in accessible literature has always been a big part of what we do. Our books are all carefully assessed for Accelerated Reader™ Level, Catch-Up Level, reading age and interest age. This ensures you can place the right book in a pupil’s hand, one which will both appeal to their maturity as well as improving their fluency and comprehe

Badger publishing fans will be aware of our best-selling Two Sides series of thought-provoking stories on hard-hitting themes that are breaking new ground in accessible literature.  Emma Norry is the author of United, one of the books in the Two Sides II series, and she kindly agreed to an interview about this book and shares some tips on becoming a writer. Danny Pearson, our publisher, also gives us some insight into the commissioning process for this series and the reaction from readers.

How did you research and prepare for writing this novel?

My husband is a massive football fan, both playing and watching it. So… I watched games with him, tried FIFA and PES on the PlayStation and asked my son about playing at school. 

United is a story about Zane, a football-mad teenager coming to terms with his sexuality.  He has to cope with homophobic comments from his dad and coach — how do you think this affects his mental state?

Everything is amplified when you're a teenager. The good and the bad. Teens can be sensitive about many things, a stereotype that they 'don't care' isn't necessarily true, and when you have a secret, or are particularly worried about something, it often plays on your mind a lot and can easily become all consuming. Poor Zane ends up quite depressed and finds his personality changing in some respects as the comments he hears from respected and trusted grown-ups make him doubt any faith he has in the adults around him and make him feel isolated. 

You pack a lot into a very short story and Zane has a lot to cope with at the same time. How important was that to creating his character?

Very important. I wanted Zane to get to a point where we almost wondered if he might snap again, and if so, what would that be like, because he had so much to cope with. Worried about his friend's new relationship, as well as trying to accept his own sexuality and possi

We’ve been working extra hard over the summer to make sure there are fantastic new books available for you at the start of the school year!

And we’ve had a lot of fun developing Horror Hotel — our brand-new series of six creepy stories written by the brilliant Tim Collins. Brace yourself for some seriously scary and mysterious adventures filled with monsters, intelligent technology and an eccentric hotel manager who may or may not be there to help guests!

Horror is perennially popular with teens, so we’ve created this series for readers aged 12+ who have a reading age of 6–7.

We were thrilled to work again with talented artists Abby Ryder and James Lawrence. Take a look below at some examples of their work. Their imaginative and highly creative illustrations bring each story to life. Every double-page spread contains a perfect balance of text and illustrations, crucial for supporting reluctant or struggling readers.

We think you’ll agree that the front covers are pretty special too. We wanted to give the covers the look of vintage horror movie posters and our cover artist, Mark Penman, did an amazing job. The books make a great set when displayed together and will be sure to entice your students to pick up and dip into these spooky tales.

In terms of text, a large font size, generous line spacing and low word count (500–600 words) ensure that each book is accessible and approachable. Rest assured that we haven’t compromised on content either — each exciting plot will be sure to capture the imagination and hold the

We are delighted to bring you eight brand-new titles that will capture the interest and imaginations of teenage readers.

Between The Lines II is a series of books dealing with mature and compelling themes, filling the need for age-appropriate fiction written for teenage readers with reading ages of 8–9 years.

We’ve worked closely with a team of experienced and talented authors to create a mixture of action-packed and thought-provoking stories.

We’re especially proud of the diverse range of plots, settings and characters within this new series. From sports clubs and schools, to unfamiliar and chilling visions of the future, stories cover the dangers of internet chat rooms, crime, grief, female empowerment, friendship, bullying, dystopian futures, and much more.

 Although limited to a maximum of 6,000 words per book and with carefully controlled language, these books have the look and feel of a real novel.

You’ll notice that we have also used a new dyslexia-friendly font, with improved line spacing and off-white paper, to ensure that the books in this series are truly accessible to every teenage reader.

County Lines is one book that will resonate particularly well with teenagers at the moment. We were hearing the topic of county lines coming up more and more frequently in conversations with teenagers and realised that it would be an important topic to cover in our new series. County lines is now making headline news and so the release of Donna David’s well-researched book is perfectly timed.

Although Donna’s book covers difficult topics of organised crime and exploitation of teenagers, it is also hopeful, with a clear resolution at the end. If students are encountering similar issues to those covered in the book,

Two Sides II – Out Now!

We are thrilled to announce that we are back with a brand-new series — Two Sides II.

Given the success of the first Two Sides series — published in September last year — we expect these six new books to be a real hit with students.

As in the first series, the texts consist of two first-person narratives with differing perspectives. One ‘bystander’ narrative, usually presenting a narrow or prejudiced view, alternates with the main character’s voice who reveals the broader reality of their difficult situation.

These books really do pack a punch and consider hard-hitting topics that affect many of today’s teenagers. Gender identity, racism, sexuality, anxiety, loneliness, domestic abuse and homelessness are all covered.

They are specifically written for struggling and reluctant readers aged 13+, with reading ages of 8–9.

Each book has a dedicated section at the back with easily-digestible information about the topics covered, along with links to useful websites where students can find help and support.

United by Emma Norry

This sensitively written book tells the story of a talented young football player, Zane, and his struggle with coming out to his best friend, coach and teammates.

It is a sad fact that homophobia continues to be rife within football, at both the professional and amateur level. 

As teachers will know, the influence of professional footballers on young people shouldn’t be underestimated, meaning that it is vital for football clubs to promote a culture of diversity and acceptance. Gareth Southgate, OBE, is leading the way in changing outdated beliefs to reflect modern society:

“We’re a team, with our diversity and our youth, that represents modern England. In England, we have spent a bit of time being a bit lost as to what our modern identity is. I think we represent that modern identity and

A LITTLE SECRET - The Book Awards 2019 category winner.

I am very excited to announce that the team here at Badger Learning have won the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards – Rapid Reads category. This award is for the best quick read book for young people aged 11-16.

A Little Secret, written by Ann Evans and James Lawrence took home the award. This book is part of our bestselling series, Papercuts, an eerie series of short reads for teenagers.

We are so proud to have won this along with Ann and James as we were up against some huge titles and even bigger publishers. It’s particularly gratifying as this award is a vote by young people in Coventry who are reading these books and voting for their favourites in weekly elimination rounds. See the shortlist and results below:

A Little Secret

By Ann Evans (Author), James Lawrence (Illustrator)

Badger Publishing - The Book Awards 2019 category winner.

Long Way Down

by Jason Reynolds (Author), Chris Priestley (Illustrator)

Faber & Faber - runner-up.

Moonrise
by Sarah Crossan (Author)
Bloomsbury -  runner-up.

Illegal: A graphic novel telling one boy's epic journey to Europe

by Eoin Colfer  (Author), Andrew Donkin  (Author), Giovanni Rigano (Illustrator)

Hodder Children's Books

The Last Days of Archie Maxwell

by Annabel Pitcher (Author)

Barrington Stoke

Smile

by Mary Hoffman (Author)

Barrington Stoke

Worry Angels

by Sita Brahmachari (Author), Jane Ray (Illustrator)

Barrington Stoke

A Grave Matter by Juno Dawson and Alex T Smith

Barrington Stoke

A few words from our very talented author and artist..

Papercuts II — Out Now!

Almost exactly a year ago, we published our first Papercuts series, a brand new bone-chilling horror series for teenage reluctant readers. The eye-catching covers and gripping content were the perfect combination and the series proved very popular.

So it is with great pleasure that we are able to spice up your January for the second year running, with a brand new Papercuts series — Papercuts II. Granted, the name might not be that original but the stories are so fresh they’re practically still dripping. They are also positively brimming with twists, turns, thrills, chills and toe-curling frights; perfect for keeping a bloodthirsty teenager satisfied until the very end.

Once again our artists have surpassed themselves with some truly terrifying covers. Each book also contains four images interspersed throughout the inside text, in order to hold the reader’s attention and help them to visualise the story whilst still retaining the appearance of a teenage novel.

Just like Papercuts I, the books in Papercuts II have a reading age of 8–9 and a manageable word count of 5000–6000.

Released at the end of January, we predict these books are going to fly off the shelves. Order yours here, and check out the story blurbs on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

But be warned. Not suitable for those only partial to a happy ending.

Ready to get marooned?

We are excited to announce that our new series, Monster Island, will soon be ready for release into a classroom near you!

Lord of the Flies meets Robinson Crusoe meets Jurassic Park, this series has been expressly designed with reluctant and struggling readers in mind. 

Appearances can be deceiving. In a judgemental world, can your students see Two Sides?