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GRADED READERS
Sometimes called graded readers, sometimes called simplified novels or simplified classics, sometimes called guided readers, sometimes called adapted readers. Universally accepted classic novels, as well as popular and intriguing recent short stories. With a vocabulary as few as 300 words and as many as 5000, they allow readers to enjoy stories at their own level. Most come with a teachers manual, activity book, CD, cassettes, or some combination, but getting your hands on these aids can be a chore. They can be used to teach reading, listening, literature, drama, and sometimes culture. They are available from several publishers. Oxford, Penguin, Longman, York, Heinemann, Nelson, MacMillan, Baronet, Express, and MM, to name a few.
Hienemann information about its Elementary Level readers provides some insight into the adaption process:
" Information Control: Stories have straightforward plots and a restricted number of main characters. Information which is vital to the understanding of the story is clearly presented and repeated when necessary. Difficult allusion and metaphor are avoided and cultural backgrounds are made explicit.
Structure Control: Students will meet those grammatical features which they have already been taught in their elementary course of studies. Other grammatical features occasionally occur with which the students may not be so familiar, but their use is made clear through context and reinforcement. This ensures that the reading as well as being enjoyable provides a continual learning situation for the students. Sentences are kept short - a maximum of two clauses in nearly all cases - and within sentences there is a balanced use of simple adverbial and adjectival phrases. Great care is taken with pronoun reference.
Vocabulary Control: At Elementary Level there is a limited use of a carefully controlled vocabulary of approximately 1,100 basic words. At the same time, students are given some opportunity to meet new or unfamiliar words in contexts where their meaning is obvious. The meaning of words introduced in this way is reinforced by repetition. Help is also given to the students in the form of vivid illustrations which are closely related to the text. "
From the Scholastic website:
" What Is a Leveled Book Collection? A leveled book collection is a large set of books organized in levels of difficulty from the easy books that an emergent reader might begin to the longer, complex books that advanced readers will select. In some schools, the collection is housed in a central area. There are multiple copies of many books. There might be ten levels for grades K0131 and three or four levels for each later grade. A leveled book set has several advantages, including the following:
It is also crucial to provide variety within each level. Readers who experience only one kind of book may develop a narrow range of strategies for processing text. Instead, we want young readers to use their skills in a flexible way for many different purposes. A leveled collection may be constructed simply by gathering a large set of books and working with colleagues to evaluate the texts. Using your experiences in teaching children, you will find that you can place books along a continuum of difficulty. Of course, your initial rankings should be tested with children over a period of time. Gradually, categories will become more stable. Many groups of teachers have worked with their collections over several years, periodically coming together to discuss books, revise levels, and add new books. As you discuss books, you will discover that you are also talking about the children and their reading behavior. You will be getting to know both the books and the readers. Some Criteria for Leveling Books No single aspect or characteristic of text can be used to evaluate reading material. In placing a text along a gradient of difficulty, many factors are considered.
The Black Cat Guide to Graded Readers, by Robert Hill, explains the differences between extensive reading and intensive reading:
"ELT methodology distinguishes two different kinds of reading, which are often presented as opposites: extensive and intensive reading.
EXTENSIVE READING means reading in quantity and in order to gain a general understanding of what is read. It is intended to develop good reading habits, such as reading without worrying about every single detail, and to encourage taking pleasure in reading. Vocabulary and structures, although not consciously studied, are unconsciously acquired through high exposure to language. In short, it is intended to resemble reading for pleasure or information in the mother tongue.
INTENSIVE READING is generally done at a slower speed with short passages, and requires a higher degree of understanding than extensive reading. It is task driven: the passage is generally accompanied by comprehension questions intended to develop reading subskills and/or accompanied by language activities focused on vocabulary and structure.
The following comparison sets out the differences in reading styles and methodology:
Extensive reading: The main aim is fluency in reading.
Extensive reading: Long texts - complete books, stories, articles.
Extensive reading: Quick, unrepetitive reading. It does not involve going back over the text.
Extensive reading: No comprehension questions after reading.
Extensive reading: The reader should not study lexical / structural aspects of the text.
Extensive reading: Usually done outside class, alone, without the guidance of the teacher.
My favorite graded reader so far is Sunnyvista City, Oxford, by Peter Viney. The plot and sentences flow smoother than any I've read. Even with a vocabulary of only 1000 words, the actions and explanations are clear and succinct. The dialog is simple but crisp. There are enough characters to flesh out the story but not so many as to overwhelm us. The mystery unfolds at just the right pace, not so slow as to lose our interest and not so fast as to lose our comprehension. Another favorite is Simon Decker and the Secret Formula, Express Publications, by Jenny Dooley. Some day, this story is going to make a good movie.
The Missing Scientist, Oxford, by D.H. Howe, is an interesting and enjoyable story. But the format corresponds to the detective assigned to the case: slow, thorough, and methodical. Much space is devoted to dry, tedious, detailed, and often unnecessary accounts of what the characters say, do, and think. Almost all of this paragraph, for example, could be eliminated: "She led them to the lift. When they got to the fourth floor, she took them to a flat. She unlocked the door and opened it, and then stood back to allow the detectives to enter the sitting room. As soon as they were inside the flat, they saw that something was wrong." This would be sufficient: "When she took them to the flat, they immediately saw that something was wrong." The plot is standard operating procedure. Key events are not fully exploited for dramatic effect. Even the pronouns are generic. All of this might be wearisome to native readers, but is to the advantage of ESL readers, who might not have the same exposure and practice.. So if you're a native reader, forgive the drudgery. And if you're an ESL reader, expect a workout.
The most challenging I've read so far is I, Robot, Oxford, by Isaac Asimov, one of the most ingenious and prolific writers of all time. In I, Robot, the people who design and work with robots deal with one major, unexpected crisis after another. Applying the 3 laws of robotics, robot pschology, logic, and detective work, they must outwit their creations - and they don't always succeed.
Jojo's Story, Cambridege, by Antoinette Moses, is the story of a orphan refugee, told simply but vividly through the eyes of a 10 year old boy. Frightened, he does little more than hide, convinced that the soldiers who annihilated his family and village are on the verge of returning. Soldiers arrive, but they are wearing blue hats. Reluctantly, he bids farewell to his deceased family and the only home he has every known. The foreign soldiers take him to an orphanage. He is befriended by Chris, a British photographer, and Dr. Nicky, the orphanage physician from Doctors Without Borders. His parents warned him about "the people on the other side of the river." But not until he sees the handiwork of these people does he begin to realize how evil and dangerous his fellow man can be. Painfully, he compares the happiness and activity of his farm and village before the battle with the stillness, destruction, and smell of death after "the people on the other side of the river" have left. He also describes the deep psychological wounds of the other children at the orphanage. He relates the relentless horror of the war as it gets closer and closer, to the very yard of the orphanage. He takes the UN to task for seemingly not pursuing its stated mission. He also wants to know why Chris would want to tell the stories of children on the other side of the river, and why Nicky would want to treat them. He compares the condition, clothes, and weapons of the UN soldiers - there strictly to provide humanitarian aid and forbidden to fire unless fired upon - with those of his battleworn countrymen. When soldiers of Jojo's country arrive at the orphanage, the plot takes a heartbreaking turn, followed by a disturbing surprise ending. The author gives Jojo a consistently simplistic and limited perspective, often with humorous results. This is a risky technique, but in this case, it's very effective. Jojo's Story is testimony, not commentary. There are no monologs, no philosophying. The world is viewed through the eyes of the story's most important and most vulnerable character. Readers are left to draw their own conclusions. This strategy is also effective. Many times I've had to read a review to understand a story because it is sophisticated or so subtle. By contrast, the implications of Jojo's Story are immediately recognizable. We never learn Jojo's nationality, not even his region. Nor are we offered geographic names or family names. Jojo represents a multitude of children all over the world and all through history. This is a powerful, timeless story with universal lessons. It's hard to imagine how the orphan refugee story could be told better. I wouldn't change one word. I say this without exaggeration or hesitation: Jojo's Story is destined to become a classic. Winner of the 2004 Extensive Reading Foundation award, it deserves both the Pulitzer and Noble prizes. It is one of the best and most important books of all time, and belongs in every literature, reading, and English classroom in the world - indefinitely.
PENGUIN READERS:
What a selection!!! The catalog cover sums it up: "Something for everyone!" Whereas Oxford offers more classics, Penguin offers more current titles. And Penguin has several important classics Oxford does not. Many Penguin Readers are also popular movies, including several by John Grisham. The catalog includes an extensive table of Penguin's progressive vocabulary and grammar system. Free teacher's guides. Free tests. Free answer keys. Free photocopiable resource books. Free photocopiable worksheets. Free factsheets. Online monthly dossier newsletter.
Recommended Penguin Readers:
Level 1 - 300 words The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain The The Crown - M.R. James Little Women - Louisa May Alcott Amazon Rally - Eduardo Amos and Elisabeth Prescher Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne Brown Eyes - Paul Stewart Marcel and the Shakespeare Letters Stephen Rabley The Missing Coins - John Escott Run for Your Life - Stephen Walker The Wrong Man - Kris Anderson Level 2 - 600 words The Call of the Wild - Jack London Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Anita Loos The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maude Montgomery A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson Black Beauty - Anna Sewell Heidi - Johanna Spyri King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table The Last of the Mohicans - James Fenimore Cooper The Mysterious The Prince and the Pauper - Mark Twain Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck The Railway Children - Edith Nesbit Moonfleet - J.M. Falkner Persuasion - Jane Austen Robin Hood Round the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne White Fang - Jack London The Tales from the Arabian Nights The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame Three Short Stories of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Cay - Theodore Taylor The Story of the Treasure Seekers - Edith Nesbit Walkabout - James Vance Marshall Apollo 13 - Dina Anastasio E.T. - William Kotzwinkle The Lady in the Dante's Peak - Dewey Gram The Scorpion King - Max Allan Collins Another World - Elaine O'Reilly Wanted: Anna Marker - Kris Anderson Lost in Project Omega - Elaine O'Reilly Don't Look Now - Daphne du Maurier Level 3 - 1200 words The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain The Count of Monte Christo - Alexander Dumas The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Victor Hugo David Copperfield - Charles Dickens The Ideal Husband - Oscar Wilde The Frankenstein - Mary Shelley Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte The Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Boscombe Pool - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane A Scandal in Silas Marner - George Eliot The Return of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen The 39 Steps - John Buchan Amistad - Joyce Annette Barnes Forrest Gump - Winston Groom Vanity Fair - William Thackeray The Swiss Family Robinson - Johann Wyss Braveheart - Randall Wallace The Fugitive - J.M. Dillard Notting Hill - Richard Curtis The Chrysalids - John Wyndham Brothers in My Fair Lady - Alan Jay Lerner Madame Doubtfire - Anne Fine Rain Man - Leonore Fleischer The Yearling - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings The Climb - John Escott Food for Thought - Pauline Francis K's First Case - L. G. Alexander The Boxers - Mary Tomalin Photo of the Tall Man - Stephen Rabley The Ring - Bernard Smith Striker - Peter and Karen Viney Level 4 - 1700 words 1984 - George Orwell Emma - Jane Austen Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell Macbeth - William Shakespeare The Go Between - L.P. Hartley King Solomon's Mines - Sir H. Rider Haggard Nicholas Nickleby - Charles Dickens Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde About a Boy - Nick Hornby The Red Pony - John Steinbeck As Time Goes By - Michael Walsh Cinderella Man The Day of the Jackal - Frederick Forsyth Three Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Three Great Plays of Shakespeare The Client - John Grisham
Dr. Stangelove - Peter George The Lost World: Love Actually - Richard Curtis The Gladiator - Dewey Gram On the Beach - Nevil Shute Strangers on a Train - Patricia Highsmith The Interpreter The Street Lawyer - John Grisham Detective Work - John Escott Level 5 - 2300 words The War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells The Hound of the Baskervilles - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck The Invisible Man - H.G. Wells The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte Tales from Shakespeare - Charles and Mary Lamb More Tales from Shakespeare - Charles and Mary Lamb Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen The Prisoner of Zenda - Anthony Hope Sherlock Holmes Short Stories - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier Round the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne Dr. Zhivago - Boris Pasternak The Citadel - A.J. Cronin The Firm - John Grisham The Brethren - John Grisham Four Weddings and a Funeral - Richard Curtis The Partner - John Grisham A Time to Kill - John Grisham The Pelican Brief - John Grisham The Rainmaker - John Grisham Level 6 - 3000 words Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy Les Miserables - Victor Hugo Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens Tom Jones - Henry Fielding East of Eden - Madame Bovary The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins Great Expectations - Charles Dickens Cry, the Beloved Country - Alan Paton The Beach - Alex Garland Brave New World - Aldous Huxley The Chamber - John Grisham I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro Saving Private Ryan - Max Allan Collins The Runaway Jury - John Grisham Schindler's List - Thomas Keneally The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough
Classic: level 1: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain Little Women - Louisa May Alcott Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne level 2: The Call of the Wild - Jack London The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maude Montgomery A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson Black Beauty - Anna Sewell Heidi - Johanna Spyri King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table The Last of the Mohicans - James Fenimore Cooper The Mysterious The Prince and the Pauper - Mark Twain Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck The Railway Children - Edith Nesbit Persuasion - Jane Austen Robin Hood Round the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne White Fang - Jack London The Tales from the Arabian Nights The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame level 3: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain The Count of Monte Christo - Alexander Dumas The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Victor Hugo David Copperfield - Charles Dickens The Ideal Husband - Oscar Wilde The Frankenstein - Mary Shelley Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte The Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane Silas Marner - George Eliot Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen Vanity Fair - William Thackeray The Swiss Family Robinson - Johann Wyss The Yearling - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings level 4: 1984 - George Orwell Emma - Jane Austen Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell Macbeth - William Shakespeare The Go Between - L.P. Hartley King Solomon's Mines - Sir H. Rider Haggard Nicholas Nickleby - Charles Dickens Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde The Red Pony - John Steinbeck Three Great Plays of Shakespeare level 5: The War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck The Invisible Man - H.G. Wells The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte Tales from Shakespeare - Charles and Mary Lamb More Tales from Shakespeare - Charles and Mary Lamb Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen The Prisoner of Zenda - Anthony Hope A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier Round the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne Dr. Zhivago - Boris Pasternak level 6: Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy Les Miserables - Victor Hugo Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens Tom Jones - Henry Fielding East of Eden - Madame Bovary The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins Great Expectations - Charles Dickens Brave New World - Aldous Huxley Movie: level 2: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Anita Loos Apollo 13 - Dina Anastasio E.T. - William Kotzwinkle Dante's Peak - Dewey Gram The Scorpion King - Max Allan Collins level 3: The 39 Steps - John Buchan Amistad - Joyce Annette Barnes Forrest Gump - Winston Groom Braveheart - Randall Wallace The Fugitive - J.M. Dillard Notting Hill - Richard Curtis Brothers in My Fair Lady - Alan Jay Lerner Madame Doubtfire - Anne Fine Rain Man - Leonore Fleischer level 4: About a Boy - Nick Hornby As Time Goes By - Michael Walsh Cinderella Man The Day of the Jackal - Frederick Forsyth The Lost World: Love Actually - Richard Curtis The Gladiator - Dewey Gram Strangers on a Train - Patricia Highsmith The Interpreter level 5: Four Weddings and a Funeral - Richard Curtis The Beach - Alex Garland Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro Saving Private Ryan - Max Allan Collins Schindler's List - Thomas Keneally The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough Sherlock Holmes: level 2: Three Short Stories of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle level 3: Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Boscombe Pool - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle A Scandal in The Return of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle level 4: Three Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle level 5: The Hound of the Baskervilles - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes Short Stories - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Shakespeare: level 3: Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare level 4: Macbeth - William Shakespeare Three Great Plays of Shakespeare John Grisham: level 4: The Client - John Grisham The Street Lawyer - John Grisham level 5: The Firm - John Grisham The Brethren - John Grisham The Partner - John Grisham A Time to Kill - John Grisham The Pelican Brief - John Grisham The Rainmaker - John Grisham level 6: The Chamber - John Grisham The Runaway Jury - John Grisham Mystery/Detective: level 1: Brown Eyes - Paul Stewart Marcel and the Shakespeare Letters Stephen Rabley The Missing Coins - John Escott Run for Your Life - Stephen Walker The Wrong Man - Kris Anderson level 2: The Mysterious The Three Short Stories of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Story of the Treasure Seekers - Edith Nesbit The Lady in the Wanted: Anna Marker - Kris Anderson Project Omega - Elaine O'Reilly Don't Look Now - Daphne du Maurier level 3: Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Boscombe Pool - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Climb - John Escott Food for Thought - Pauline Francis K's First Case - L. G. Alexander Photo of the Tall Man - Stephen Rabley The Ring - Bernard Smith Striker - Peter and Karen Viney level 4: The Day of the Jackal - Frederick Forsyth The Client - John Grisham Strangers on a Train - Patricia Highsmith The Interpreter The Street Lawyer - John Grisham Detective Work - John Escott level 5: The Hound of the Baskervilles - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux Sherlock Holmes Short Stories - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Firm - John Grisham The Partner - John Grisham The Pelican Brief - John Grisham level 6: The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins Adventure: level 1: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain Amazon Rally - Eduardo Amos and Elisabeth Prescher Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne level 2: The Call of the Wild - Jack London Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Anita Loos The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson Black Beauty - Anna Sewell The Last of the Mohicans - James Fenimore Cooper The Mysterious The Prince and the Pauper - Mark Twain Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe Moonfleet - J.M. Falkner Robin Hood Round the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne White Fang - Jack London Tales from the Arabian Nights The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame The Cay - Theodore Taylor Walkabout - James Vance Marshall E.T. - William Kotzwinkle Dante's Peak - Dewey Gram The Scorpion King - Max Allan Collins Lost in level 3: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain The Count of Monte Christo - Alexander Dumas The The 39 Steps - John Buchan The Swiss Family Robinson - Johann Wyss Rain Man - Leonore Fleischer The Yearling - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings level 4: King Solomon's Mines - Sir H. Rider Haggard The Red Pony - John Steinbeck The Lost World: level 5: Round the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne Science Fiction: level 1: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne level 2: E.T. - William Kotzwinkle Another World - Elaine O'Reilly level 3: Frankenstein - Mary Shelley The Chrysalids - John Wyndham level 4: 1984 - George Orwell The Lost World: level 5: The War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells The Invisible Man - H.G. Wells level 6: Brave New World - Aldous Huxley Romance: level 1: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Anita Loos level 2: The Last of the Mohicans - James Fenimore Cooper Persuasion - Jane Austen level 3: Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen Forrest Gump - Winston Groom Vanity Fair - William Thackeray Notting Hill - Richard Curtis level 4: Emma - Jane Austen Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell The Go Between - L.P. Hartley As Time Goes By - Michael Walsh level 5: Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier Dr. Zhivago - Boris Pasternak level 6: Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy Great Expectations - Charles Dickens The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough Animal: level 2 The Call of the Wild - Jack London The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling Black Beauty - Anna Sewell White Fang - Jack London The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame level 3 The Yearling - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings The Lost World: Political: Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift 1984 - George Orwell Brave New World - Aldous Huxley Dr. Stangelove - Peter George On the Beach - Nevil Shute The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck Cry, the Beloved Country - Alan Paton A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
MACMILLAN:
CAMBRIDGE:
All
By far the best human interest story in the Cambridge collection is Jojo's Story. Jojo's Story is the story of a orphan refugee, told simply but vividly through the eyes of a 10 year old boy. Frightened, he does little more than hide, convinced that the soldiers who annihilated his family and village are on the verge of returning. Soldiers arrive, but they are wearing blue hats. Reluctantly, he bids farewell to his deceased family and the only home he has every known. The foreign soldiers take him to an orphanage. He is befriended by Chris, a British photographer, and Dr. Nicky, the orphanage physician from Doctors Without Borders. His parents warned him about "the people on the other side of the river." But not until he sees the handiwork of these people does he begin to realize how evil and dangerous his fellow man can be. Painfully, he compares the happiness and activity of his farm and village before the battle with the stillness, destruction, and smell of death after "the people on the other side of the river" have left. He also describes the deep psychological wounds of the other children at the orphanage. He relates the relentless horror of the war as it gets closer and closer, to the very yard of the orphanage. He takes the UN to task for seemingly not pursuing its stated mission. He also wants to know why Chris would want to tell the stories of children on the other side of the river, and why Nicky would want to treat them. He compares the condition, clothes, and weapons of the UN soldiers - there strictly to provide humanitarian aid and forbidden to fire unless fired upon - with those of his battleworn countrymen. When soldiers of Jojo's country arrive at the orphanage, the plot takes a heartbreaking turn, followed by a disturbing surprise ending. The author of gives Jojo a consistently simplistic and limited perspective, often with humorous results. This is a risky technique, but in this case, it's very effective. Jojo's Story is testimony, not commentary. There are no monologs, no philosophying. The world is viewed through the eyes of the story's most important and most vulnerable character. Readers are left to draw their own conclusions. This strategy is also effective. Many times I've had to read a review to understand a story because it is sophisticated or so subtle. By contrast, the implications of Jojo's Story are immediately recognizable. We never learn Jojo's nationality, not even his region. Nor are we offered geographic names or family names. Jojo represents a multitude of children all over the world and all through history. This is a powerful, timeless story with universal lessons. It's hard to imagine how the orphan refugee story could be told better. I wouldn't change one word. I say this without exaggeration or hesitation: Jojo's Story is destined to become a classic. Winner of the 2004 Extensive Reading Foundation award, it deserves both the Pulitzer and Noble prizes. It is one of the best and most important books of all time, and belongs in every literature, reading, and English classroom in the world - indefinitely.
Level 1: Bad Love Inspector John Doe Blood Diamonds Don't Stop Now! Parallel The Big Picture Level 2: Apollo's Gold The Double Bass Mystery A Picture to Remember Level 3: A Puzzle for Double Cross The House by the Sea The Level 4: But Was It Murder The The University Murders A Matter of Chance Level 5: In the Shadow of the Mountain Emergency Murder A Tangled Web Death in the Dojo Level 6: Deadly Harvest He Knows Too Much This Time It's Personal Trumpet Voluntarily
EXPRESS PUBLICATIONS:
Graded Readers Classic Readers Illustrated Readers A comparatively smaller but good list of titles, including some not so easy to find classics. At the beginning of each book are portraits of each major character, making it easier to keep track of who's who. Many full page, color illustrations and several two page spread illustrations. A chapter by chapter, alphabetized vocabulary list. The vocabulary list includes word class: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, phrase, phrasal verb, idiom, expression, pronoun, conjunction, determiner. Many verbs in the Classic Readers vocabulary list include conjugation. The activity books for the novels include a glossary in English, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish. The activities for the Classic Readers are at the back of the story. Express publishes one of my favorite graded readers, Simon Decker and the Secret Formula, an ELT Graded Reader, level 1, by Jenny Dooley.
BARONET BOOKS:
Baronet books are not graded. Text on the left page, black and white illustrations and accompanying quotes on the right page. Wordcount is about 12,000.
Recommended Baronet Books:
Gulliver's Travels Journey to the Center of the Earth Around the World in 80 Days King Solomon's Mines War of the Worlds Moby Dick Mutiny on the Bounty The Three Musketeers Last of the Mohicans Count of Monte Cristo King Arthur Hunchback of Notre Dame Ivanhoe Captain Courageous Robinson Crusoe Swiss Family Robinson Robin Hood Jungle Book Call of the Wild White Fang Black Beauty Oliver Twist David Copperfield Huckleberry Finn Little Women Great Expectations Pride and Prejudice The Prince and the Pauper Picture of Dorian Gray Tale of Two Cities
HARCOURT SHORT CLASSICS: SET 1: The Call of the Wild The Frankenstein Great Expectations Gulliver's Travels Hamlet Huckleberry Finn The Hunchback of Notre Dame The Iliad Ivanhoe Jane Eyre Julius Caesar Macbeth A Midsummer Night's Dream SET 2: Moby Dick The Odyssey Pride and Prejudice The Red Badge of Courage Romeo and Juliet A Tale of Two Cities Sherlock Holmes The Time Machine Tom Sawyer 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
OXFORD:
Classic Tales Dolphins
Dominoes
English Today Readers
Hotshot Puzzles
Oxford Bookworms Starters
Oxford Bookworms Library
Oxford Bookworms Factfiles
Oxford Bookworms Playscripts
Oxford Bookworms Collection
Oxford Progressive Readers
Oxford Storyland Readers
Start with English
Storylines
Level 1 - 200 headwords Level 2 - 300 head words Level 3 - 400 headwords Level 4 - 500 headwords Level 1 - 400 headwords Level 2 - 750 headwords Level 3 - 1000 headwords Level 4 - 1250 headwords Starter - 250 headwords Level 1 - 400 headwords Level 2 - 700 headwords Level 3 - 1000 headwords Level 1 - 400 headwords Level 2 - 700 headwords Level 3 - 1000 headwords Level 4 - 1400 headwords Level 2 - 2100 headwords Level 3 - 3100 headwords Level 4 - 3700 headwords Level 5 - 5000 headwords
Pacemaker Classics Adapted Classics Globe Masterworks Collection Fastback Series Double Fastback Series Bestellers Uptown, Downtown Sportellers Matchbook Five Minute Thrillers MC Comics Hopes and Dreams Lifetimes Worktales An American Family Amazing Adventures
NELSON READERS: Level 1 - 300 headwords Level 2 - 600 headwords Level 3 - 1000 headwords Level 4 - 1500 headwords Level 5 - 2000 headwords Level 6 - 2500 headwords
Level 1 - 1200 headwords Level 2 - 1500 headwords Level 3 - 2000 headwords SAMPLE BOOK REPORTS
Teacher: This book report was written by an ESL college professor for a reading class.
Call of the Wild by Jack London Buck is a dog who is stolen from his comfortable home in In In addition to adapting to all of these things, he later adapts to the wild when he leaves the world of men. Buck learns several lessons as he adapts: he must survive or die; he must help himself because maybe no one else will help him; if he doesn't cooperate with his masters, he will suffer; if he gets into a fight with another dog, he must kill or be killed; men can cause problems or they can provide solutions. He learns to avoid being beaten with clubs by men. He learns to be careful of unfriendly and wild dogs. He learns how to steal food. He learns how to sleep in the snow. After he kills his chief enemy, who was the lead dog, he also learns to assert himself with men. They choose another dog as leader, but he insists on being the lead dog. Eventually they let him be the lead dog and discover that he is the best leader on their team. Buck is willing to live with men, but his deepest desire is to live in the wild. He has great love for his best master and shows strong loyalty to him by performing heroic feats to save his life and earn him money. While with this master, he frequently makes trips into the wild, staying longer and longer each time. During his trips into the wild, he is accepted by a pack of wolves. When this master dies, Buck is very sad for a while. But then he hears wolves. This is where the author gets the title to the story. The howl of the wolves is the call of the wild. Finally, Buck is free. This is an unedited book report written by a sophomore ESL college student for a reading class. The outline was suggested by, but not required by, the professor. Summary: Matty is fifteen and is leaving school in a few weeks time. He wants to work with animal, and would like to get a job on a farm. But his parents say he is too young to leave home - he must stay in the town and get a job in ship-building, like his father. They also say he can't go on a camping holiday with his friends. And they say he can't keep his dog, Nelson, because Nelson barks all day and eats his father's shoes. But it is because of Nelson that Matty finds a new life. The Plot: is very nice and easy, so I could follow easily the plot of this novel. Characters: 1) The main character in the story is a boy his name is Matty and he is fifteen years old, who has a dog his name is Nelson. 2) The second main character is Nelson, because of Nelson that Matty finds a new life. Basically, it all began because of Nelson. 3) Matty's parents, Mr. And Mrs. Doolin, especially his mother Mrs. Doolin, that she pushed Nelson out into the street, so Nelson died because of her, but she didn't mean that, she was angry from Matty because Matty stayed out all day, and the dog was barking for hours while she was waiting for him, so she pushed Nelson out into the street, then the car hit him. 4) Mr. Funnell. He was Matty's teacher in the school, but he also helped the children to find jobs when they left school. 5) Willie and Joe, they are Matty's friends. Also, the camping holiday was Willies's plan. He, Matty, and Joe were best friends. 6) Mr. Walsh, the farmer and Mrs. Walsh and her daughter Jessica, and Mr. Walsh's the two sheep dogs, the bigger dog her name is Betsy and the other one, her son, Prince. Subplots: 1) Staying out all day including the story of Nelson's death. 2) Going for their first long walk. 3) The storms story. 4) The Matty's first real day on a farm. 5) Matty and Jessica, having a talk in the barn. 6) The story of Matty and Jessica's adventure on the hills. Action: the action of the story is very interesting and dramatic. There are six basic actions: 1) Matty and Nelson 2) Camping 3) Blisters and storms 4) Helping on the farm 5) A night on the hills 6) A new life for Matty Themes: Kindness, love, respect, cooperation, and helping are the main themes of the novel. Moral: The moral of the story is that if you want something in this life, you have to work to get it. Opinion: In my opinion, Matty was not young to leave home, because Mr. and Mrs. Walsh will be life second parents to him. In addition, he will be very happy in his job, because he loves animals and he loves the hills and mountains. But, I think, at fifteen, nobody really knows what he wants to do. Also, perhaps Matty will be bore with his job after a few or many years.
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