High interest. Low readability.
Hi-lo books pair grade-appropriate, gripping stories with an accessible reading level — so older striving readers stay engaged instead of checked out. We source hi-lo fiction and nonfiction across publishers and deliver it classroom-ready.
What makes a book “hi-lo”
High-interest, low-readability titles carry the topics, pacing, and cover design a teen wants — sports, survival, mystery, real-world nonfiction — written at a controlled reading level (often 2–4 grades below). Unlike decodables, hi-lo books aren't about phonics patterns; they're about keeping a striving secondary reader reading with content that respects their age.
Brain Hive carries hi-lo lines from across 80+ publishers, matches them to your readers' interests and levels, and delivers one classroom-ready order — instead of a stack of single-publisher POs.
Hi-Lo fiction & nonfiction
A sample of what we carry for grades 6–12. If your readers want something else, send the list.
Reach the readers who've given up
Reluctant readers
Fast-moving, high-interest stories that win back students who think they “don't like reading.”
Below-level secondary readers
Age-appropriate content at an accessible level for 6th–12th graders reading below grade.
Multilingual learners
Engaging, lower-readability titles that support older MLLs building English fluency.
Classroom & intervention libraries
Stock a secondary intervention shelf with titles students actually choose.
Related
Send us your striving-reader list.
Your interests, your reading levels, your quantities. We'll source it across publishers and deliver it classroom-ready.