Let’s start with The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier. It’s about a kid named Jack who survives a zombie apocalypse from his treehouse. Yes, it’s silly, but it’s also packed with heart and amazing illustrations.
Your ten-year-old will love the video-game-style action, and you’ll love that they’re actually reading. Warning: you might hear them shout “ZOMBIES!” at dinner. Worth it.
Another riot is Dog Man by Dav Pilkey. Yes, it’s a graphic novel, and yes, it’s about a half-dog, half-man superhero. But it’s brilliantly clever with puns and jokes that sneak in big vocabulary.
If your kid rolls their eyes at “real books,” hand them this. They’ll be giggling so hard they won’t notice they’re reading at a fifth-grade level. Plot twist: you’ll laugh too.
