Best Books for a 9-Year-Old with Dyslexia: How to Support a Reluctant Reader

Understanding the Struggles Behind the Pages

When a nine-year-old wrestles with reading, it’s rarely about a lack of curiosity or intelligence. In families of dyslexic children, books can become battlegrounds — not for lack of trying, but because the act of reading itself often feels like climbing a mountain with every page.

If you're a parent watching your child avoid reading homework or grappling with what feels like an endless decoding task, you're not alone. Knowing which books can help — and which might discourage — is key to nurturing confidence and joy despite the learning challenges.

What Makes a Book Dyslexia-Friendly?

Dyslexia-friendly books aren’t just “easy” books. They are thoughtfully crafted with specific features that reduce the visual and cognitive strain dyslexic children experience. This includes:

• Font: Many publishers use a sans-serif font developed to aid legibility, like OpenDyslexic or Dyslexie.
• Spacing: Generous word, letter, and line spacing helps guide the eyes more comfortably.
• Short chapters: Allow for natural breaks, which reduces fatigue and boosts a sense of progress.
• Engaging content: Humor, fantasy, and relatable stories keep reluctant readers emotionally connected to the text.

Leading publishers such as Barrington Stoke specialize in such titles, and their catalog is a treasure trove for dyslexic readers around age 9.

Choosing Books Based on Your Child’s Interests

Whether your child is fascinated by dragons, wild animals, or funny school adventures, tapping into their personal interests is one of the most powerful ways to create motivation. You might have to explore different genres together and be open to experimentation. Graphic novels, for instance, are not a cop-out — they are a valid doorway into storytelling for many dyslexic readers.

A great choice might include humor-driven stories like Tom Gates by Liz Pichon or Dog Man by Dav Pilkey. Though not written specifically for dyslexic readers, the illustrations and punchy dialogue in these books offer cognitive relief and emotional reward.

Another approach is to pick books where the layout is intentionally designed for readers with dyslexia. Try titles like Frankie’s Magic Football by Frank Lampard or Harper and the Scarlet Umbrella by Cerrie Burnell, both friendly for younger or reluctant readers.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Audio

One of the most supportive ways to help a dyslexic child is through audio storytelling. Rather than seeing audiobooks as a shortcut, think of them as a bridge — one that connects your child’s imagination with the narrative power of books, without the decoding burden.

Listening is real reading. It develops sentence structure understanding, vocabulary, and comprehension — all without the visual effort. In fact, many children start to fall in love with reading once the stress of print is taken off the table.

Apps like LISN Kids offer an easy entry point into this world. With original audiobooks and episodic audio series designed for children aged 3 to 12, it’s a screen-light way to connect kids with stories. The app is available on iOS and Android.

A Reading Routine That Builds Trust, Not Tension

The goal at age 9 isn’t to chase perfect fluency—it’s to build a relationship with text that feels safe. That’s why creating predictable, pressure-free routines is so critical. Evening read-alouds, weekend audio chapters, and cozy story time can go much further than another session of forced silent reading.

If you're wondering how to turn bookish moments into something joyful instead of stressful, this resource on evening routines for dyslexic children may give you helpful ideas.

Where to Go from Here

Helping a 9-year-old with dyslexia enjoy books doesn’t mean forcing them to read cover-to-cover every night. It means shifting the focus from performance to pleasure, and trusting that with the right support, they will come to see themselves not as struggling readers — but as thinkers, feelers, and dreamers.

To understand more about what your child might be experiencing, check out this guide on how to detect and support moderate dyslexia.

And if your child is younger or you're still unsure if what you're seeing is early dyslexia, this article on early signs of dyslexia in kids can help clarify what to watch for.

Finally, beyond books and audio, there are many supportive reading tools emerging to help dyslexic kids access content. Explore our round-up of alternative reading support tools to see what might work for your family.

Your child doesn't need to become a "great reader" by conventional standards — they just need the freedom to navigate stories in ways that work for them. And with your guidance, they will.