Making kids laugh is essential to building a pleasant
association with reading. But you need to understand what tickles
kids' funny bones at different ages. The humor in picture books
is broad and very visual. Easy readers (and some picture books
for ages 6 and up) begin to introduce verbal humor: wordplay,
puns, double meanings. As kids move into the chapter book arena
they can handle jokes that need a setup and a payoff that's
played out over several scenes. Dialogue, how characters react to
each other, or the situation in which a character finds himself
may be innately humorous.

Well-Defined Characters

Many kids want to identify strongly with
the characters in their books; for reluctant readers, this is
essential. It doesn't matter what the character looks like on the
outside (be it space alien, a clown or a talking frog), on the
inside this character needs to embody the perspective of the
reader. This means the character is dealing with issues the
reader might face, or seeing the world in a childlike way. Book
characters must have multidimensional personalities with
strengths and weaknesses in order for the reader to care about
them and want to stick with them for the entire story. In
nonfiction such as biographies, authors who find an element of
their subject's life that is relevant to the target audience have
a better chance of reaching reluctant readers.

Fast-Paced Plot

Ideally, each chapter should contain one clear
event (or one specific point in nonfiction), and have an arc of
its own (a beginning, middle and end). This makes reading even
one chapter a satisfying experience. Chapters that end on a high
note in the action will make the reader want to see what happens
next. Episodic novels (where each chapter stands alone as a short
story) are also good bets for reluctant readers. Richard Peck's "A
Long Way from Chicago" and Louis Sachar's "Sideways Stories from
Wayside School" are two middle grade examples.

Kid Relevance

This applies to the themes and ideas that form the
basis for plots or how an author approaches a nonfiction topic.
These ideas should be relevant, meaningful, and applicable to the
reader's life. Instead of conveying a lesson your adult
perspective tells you the reader needs to know, try using the
reader's frame of reference as a starting point. Write to your
audience, not at them. And remember, books can be just for fun.

Suitable Text

Depending on the age and ability of the reader,
the text needs to be challenging but not overwhelming. Strive to
write your story as clearly as you can, using active sentences
and concrete nouns and verbs. When writing for a broad age range
of reluctant readers (8-12, for example), make the vocabulary
accessible to the younger end, but the interest level appealing
to kids on the older end of the spectrum.

Unique Presentation

Reluctant readers often choose nonfiction
over fiction because it speaks to their personal interests.
Finding a new or unusual slant to your topic helps keep that
interest alive. Humor doesn't hurt either. "It's Disgusting" and "We
Ate It! True Food Facts from Around the World" by James Solheim
appeals to middle graders' love of the gross while sneaking in
some history on the side.