We have consulted our teachers to get some suggestions for students to practise their reading skills outside the classroom. Check the different collections of graded books for students of English and choose the one suitable for your level. Head to charity shops, your local library or one of the libraries we suggested in our previous article and borrow them:
- The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Why: Alexander McCall Smith shows day to day life in Botswana with lovable characters, great descriptions and enjoyable stories. If you like mysteries and are looking for charming books that are not too difficult to read in English choose this one!
Plot summary: Mma Ramotswe’s opens a detective agency in Botswana. Her methods of solving crimes are not conventional, but she gets the jobs done. From missing husbands to wayward children she can solve any problem.
- One Day by David Nichols
Why: It has received very good reviews both from journalists and other authors, as well as prizes. It has been adapted for cinema, so you can watch the film to make sure you understood the story.
Plot summary: Dexter and Emma spend the night together following their graduation from Edinburgh University in 1988. They talk about what they will be like once they are 40. While they do not become romantically involved completely, this is the beginning of their friendship. The novel visits their lives and their relationship on July 15 in successive years in each chapter for 20 years. Emma wants to improve the world and begins writing and performing plays while Dexter travels through the world, drinking and dating women.
- The Fault in our Stars by John Green
Why: The vocabulary and content is not too complicated. A film has also been made based on this novel. You can see this to check if you understood the story. You can find plenty of comprehension exercises about this book. For example follow this link: http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/study-break/video-zone/fault-our-stars
Plot summary: Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old with thyroid cancer attends a cancer patient support group. During the support meeting, Hazel meets a 17-year old boy named Augustus Waters, whose cancer caused him to lose his right leg. Augustus is at the meeting to support his friend, Isaac, whose remaining eye is soon to be removed due to cancer. Hazel and Augustus strike up a bond immediately and agree to read each other’s favourite novels.
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon
Why: As the story is told by a boy the vocabulary and structures are simple. It has been adapted to theatre and you can enjoy it in London’s West theatres, very close to the school!
Plot summary: It’s a story about the adventures of a young boy, Christopher, who suffers from autism. Christopher goes to a special school and finds it very hard to understand and communicate with people from the outside world. He discovers that his neighbours’ dog has been murdered and decides to investigate the crime. This takes him on a terrifying and challenging journey that changes his life.
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