I know that I'm certainly not the only person who's teaching english out there in the world, and I also know that I'm certainly not the only teacher who might read this blog. So I thought that after all the reading I've done, that I would write about some of the great books that I've read recently with my students, and if you readers want to offer any suggestions, then I'd love to hear from you. Most of these books are for, in the ESL realm, advanced readers - so students who are relatively good readers, who are also in grades 3-5, or possibly older. Most of these books are recommended for students aged 9-12, however, I sometimes enjoy reading the books more than my students do.
I'll include as much information about the books as I can - otherwise, I'm certain that any google query will come up with all of the required information.
Yolanda's Genius - written by Carol Fenner. A great story about an African-American girl who grows up in Chicago, but due to the violent neighbourhood, moves to Michigan. She struggles at first, but finds her niche in her new city, all the while trying to prove to everyone around her that her brother, while shy and quiet, is in fact, a "genius". It does an excellent job showing how younger children deal with issues of race and inequality.
Wayside School Series - by Loius Sachar. This is a halarious three series book about a strange-messed up school. Each book contains 30 short stories about each of the 30 students in the class in some way shape or form. My students and I laughed and laughed while we read these books, and I'm sad that they're finishing. A great read by the same author of "Holes", and a host of other great children's books.
The Giver - by Lois Lowry. This was a more difficult read, as it dealt with issues that many students couldn't understand. However, beyond that part, this is an excellent book nonetheless, and I would highly recommend it.
Dr. DeSoto - by William Steig. This is a younger children's book with a crafty moral in the end. I won't give the story away, however, its short enough that you could read it again and again. The pictures are excellent, and the story of a mouse dentist, and a fox patient had my younger students in awe of the pictures.
Dead Poets Society - the screenplay - by Tom Schulman. This adapted version of the original book was confusing at first for my students. There were many things they didn't comprehend at first, however, as the story unfolded, their eyes would open up to the possibilities of what could happen if you did practice the belief of "Carpe Deim", and living life to its fullest.
The Magic Treehouse series - by Mary Pope Osbourne. This book I'm sure will ring a few bells, and if it doesn't, it's sure to be a hit. Aimed primarily at students who read more than others for their age, these books for students grades 2 and higher have a wide variety of tales that left my students asking me how many different books she has written. There's a veritable collection of them, and under any topic that you can imagine.
The last one that I'll mention now is the "A to Z(ed) Mysteries" series, staring Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose. Its written by Ron Roy, and the adventures that these three children get into as they try to solve mysteries ranging from "The Bald Bandit, to Canary Caper, the Deadly Dungeon, and so forth. With such a wide range of options, one is sure to please any student.
Those are the one's that I can think of now. When more come to me, I'll try to include them on the list. Enjoy reading, its a gift we should never stop giving.
Cheers,
me