Books with Good Hooks for Teaching Powerful Leads to Middle School
In the constant pursuit of novels that help teach writing - here is a list of books with good hooks (added bonus: students may actually want to read these novels)! The following novels are a great way to introduce students to the types of hooks. It also shows students that they are doing the work of writers.
Side note: with novels, you might find the first paragraph, and even sometimes the first page of the novel is the hook. It takes more to set the reader up and hook them into the story. This is important for students to understand because while they may not be writing a novel in class, they may find that they need more than a catchy sentence to truly captivate the reader. Enter books with good hooks and students will have authentic examples!
*This is not an exhaustive list. Please feel free to add titles to the list by reaching out to me! I am always looking for suggestions and new ways to engage students.
Descriptive Hooks - Books with Good Hooks
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
This hook could also be a character hook, but usually, students go with a descriptive hook because they can feel a Tuesday morning, waking up in February, and the effort it takes to get in the shower; so they go with descriptive because there is a picture in the reader’s mind. It is an intriguing beginning because students can relate and want to discover what will happen next.
Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar
The date is the title of the chapter, but it adds some mystery and suspense to the hook because the reader wonders why the day, date, and time matter. Not to mention, why is the reader being told so much about the former owner of this private school? The reader is left with questions and must continue reading to find out why the descriptive information is important. Definitely a book with a good hook.
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
This book definitely has a descriptive hook, and it should be on the list for books with a good hooks. The character describes the sheet over her brother’s Boy Scout project at the very beginning of the novel. The imagery creates a picture for the reader and foreshadows what the reader will discover in the second chapter. The sheet acts as if it is covering a body. The reader is immediately hooked, and the chapters are short, so it is a page-turner that will engage students from the beginning.
Sound Effect Hooks - Books with Good Hooks
Sound Bender by Lin Oliver and Theo Baker
The reader must read the whole first page to feel the power of this novel hook. Definitely a book worth reading. Sound effect is the type of hook students call out when they read the first sentence of this novel. We continue reading and find that the entire first page of this novel is a fantastic hook and exposition. The students are able to understand how a hook should play into the plot of the story with this example.
Character Hooks - Books with Good Hooks
Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
This novel has three hooks; in my opinion, the one on the very first page works as a hook, like a preface. However, the next hook in the book is in a poem, and what I consider to be the actual beginning of the book is a character hook too. It doesn’t matter where you introduce the hook; this book is a beautiful story. The students always have a great discussion about why this hook is powerful and cannot wait to read the story; it is a book with a good hook.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The whole first page is beautifully written. The reader is introduced to the main character, and the plot of the story is set up - waiting for the reader. Of course, the reader wants to know why this girl and her father suddenly moved. Why is she so attached to the trees and the swimming hole? The reader is hooked.
Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg
The reader has to keep reading; this is the BEST hook. The novel continues with the 911 call, which only continues to pique the reader’s curiosity. We know the main character has gone silent, but we do not know why. Hooked! This is one of my favorite books, and I use it for First Chapter Friday; it is a book with a good hook. The book uses a novel hook to truly craft a great story.
Peak by Roland Smith
The reader gets to know the character. This is a great hook because the reader is intrigued by the character’s name and the other possible names; this makes the reader want to keep reading to learn more about this interesting character and the parents.
Guys Read Thriller - “Pirate” Edited by Jon Scieszka, story by Walter Dean Myers
Could the reader be more curious? I must know more about this young man, so I must keep reading. I highly suggest picking up this anthology that Jon Scieszka put together. It is a collection of well-written tales from talented authors.
Dialogue Hooks - Books with Good Hooks
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card
The conversation continues to let the reader know that the people involved in the conversation are saving the world and plan to do whatever it takes. The dialogue creates interest and is a good novel hook.
Guys Read Thriller - “The Old, Dead Nuisance” Edited by Jon Scieszka story by M.T. Anderson
The hook continues about a haunted house. If the idea of a haunted house is not a good hook for a novel, the conversation between the main character and his dad is also intriguing. The reader has questions that need answers, and that is enough to continue reading.
Guys Read Thriller - “Believing in Brooklyn” Edited by Jon Scieszka story by Matt De La Peña
Relatable. and interesting. Two friends hanging out talking about wishes and eating junk food. Not to mention the idea of a wish machine, there are hundreds of stories and movies about wishes and what can happen when people mess with the unknown. This is a great novel hook.
Interesting Comment Hooks - Books with Good Hooks
Guys Read Thriller - “The Double Eagle has Landed” Edited by Jon Scieszka, story by Anthony Horowitz
An interesting comment takes the cake every time. Nothing sparks more interest than a random comment to get the mind going. The reader definitely has to keep reading. Check this story out, and you will not regret it!
Action Hooks - Books with Good Hooks
Replay by Sharon Creech
It could be argued that this hook is also dialogue, and it is a valid argument. Feel free to file this novel under dialogue and action! The reader is hooked - in this book with a good hook - because the action is a young boy saving an elderly woman; the catch is that it is in the young boy’s imagination…all the world’s a stage!
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Again, there is a solid argument that this hook is more of a character hook because we are introduced to the character, but the action hook wins! The reader gets a sense of how words pile up around the character, and it is interesting because the reader is not sure why words pile up around this character. The action words paint a picture of feeling trapped by the words, so it definitely hooks the reader and is a bok with a good hook.
This is a short list of novels you can use in your classroom when providing examples of hooks for your students. Check out the endings too, for when you want to help your students craft the end to their narratives!!
Remember to leave me a comment and let me know the books you like to use in your classroom. I am always looking for recommendations!
If you are interested in how to teach students to write hooks check out my blog post 5 Simple Ways to Teach Narrative Hooks in Middle School
You might also be interested in Hooks in Narrative Writing and 6 Types of Hooks to Engage Readers
Here’s to the magic of writing!
