Dapple Grey Press
A UK-based independent pubisher of accessible children's books.
Parents & Carers
We know exactly how difficult it is when your child is a struggling reader.
We know the heartache. We've hid in the toilet and cried, desperate for a book that would capture our child's imagination while being accessible to them.
Help should never be behind a paywall.
Dapple Grey Press is here to support you and your reader. We are always happy to recommend books (regardless of publisher), and provide free resources that helped us.
Choosing the right book...
Let's face it. Going to the bookstore with a struggling reader is stressful.
We know they're going to be drawn to the cool cover that promises the action / adventure / laughs / romance / mystery that they crave. And we cringe a little, knowing that it will end in tears somewhere around page 2. If we're lucky enough to get that far.
That's why Dapple Grey Press does the following:
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Hi/Lo Stories - plainly, these are big kid stories that are suitable to a lower reading age. For example, a teen romance may be suitable to 11-14 year olds, but written at the 8-9 year old reading level.
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Discreet Labelling - the Hi/Lo ages are on our covers. But they're tucked away so that our struggling readers and their friends don't see them.
For example IA-8+ RA-7/8 means interest age is age 8 and up, while reading age is 7-8.
Help shouldn't be behind a paywall.
- A personal message from Dr. Rae Lawrence, CEO of Dapple Grey Press.
When my daughters were diagnosed with dyslexia at age 7, I felt a mix of relief and sadness. Relief came from knowing the source of their struggle; the sadness came from the realisation that they may never truly feel joy in reading.
I'm of the mind that tears don't solve problems. So I jumped in, head-first, into the deep end of dyslexia resources desperate to find something - anything - that could help them achieve some level of reading proficiency.
The first thing I discovered is that resources can get really expensive, really fast. And ultimately not be helpful. I've bought several phonics courses, annual app subscriptions, books, books, and more books - that were ultimately about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
Then there was specialist tutoring. More books. More subscriptions.
We were lucky. We could spend a few pounds on supporting our children. But not every family of a struggling reader has that luxury.
That's why we're creating a collection of resources that you can explore and use for free. If the material is helpful, we'll be delighted. If not, it was free.
The collection will build over time - some will be accessible via the webpage; more useful resources will be accessible to our newsletter subscribers.
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