Readers for teenagers

Work Teaching English in Taiwan
#1

I teach a few advance classes. Students are around 12-14. My school wants to incorporate story books with the texts we are already using.

I was thinking longer stories that we could do over a period of time. Something Harry Potter-ish would be awesome! Though, the vocab used in the Harry Potter series is too difficult.

Does anyone out there have experience with novels in Taiwan? I am looking for recommendations!!!

thanks in advance
Steve

#2

Both Cranes and Caves carry graded readers suitable for these ages, though they are far from novel length.

#3

Charlotte’s Web is a good one, as is The Trumpet of the Swan - both by E.B. White. I’ve also had success teaching Danny, the Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl. For something a little more modern, you might want to go to the Darren Shan series… young teenagers are eating that stuff up…

I also saw some higher-level readers from Scott Foresman. Check out the link…

http://www.sfreading.com/

#4

One the best books ever written is called, “The Phantom Tollbooth”. I forget the author. Have it at home and will give the author’s name later.

#5

I usually choose Newbery books. Last year, I read Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White over a month while my 4th grade students worked on a play based on part of the book, read Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia Maclachlan and wrote a week’s worth of lessons based on an excerpt from Louis Sachar’s Holes (Newbery Medal, 1999). This December I am reading Sarah, Plain and Tall again (5 days’ worth of reading) and A Cricket in Times Square by George Selden aloud for my 4th graders. A few more of my favorite Newbery books are From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Koenigsburg, The View from Saturday by E.L. Koenigsburg, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary, and The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. These books have fairly easy vocabulary for ESL students, are interesting for high school students, and are not too culturally loaded. I have used some of these books in lessons or encouraged my upper elementary students here to read them on their own.
Another teacher at my school read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien aloud to her 5th graders, and they seemed to understand it pretty well.
I know for a fact that, with the exception of The Westing Game, all of these books can be found in the children’s books section of the Eslite on Dun Hua S. Rd. near Ren Ai circle. I went there last year when I bought a Newbery Medal or Honor book for every single one of my 4th graders based on their personalities and reading abilities as an end-of-the-year present which I plan to do for my students this year since they are so great and are all excellent readers, even though some need more prodding than others.

#6

Best graded readers I’ve ever seen are Black Cat’s Green Apple editions. They’re mostly classics and beautfifully illustrated.
blackcat-cideb.com/homecideb.htm

They’re accompanied by a variety of well-designed reading skills activities. Caves sells them and we’re basing our own teen readers activities on the premise they’ve installed in the Black Cats. Brilliant stuff.

Oxford also has its Bookworm Library series of classic and modern stories, that come with tapes or cds, graded six levels:
oup.com/elt/global/isbn/5590/?view=get

And Oxford Progressive English Readers graded across five levels are adaptations of classics:
oup.com/elt/global/isbn/5831/?view=get

However well adapted, Oxford’s readers don’t have the cool activities that accompany the Black Cats, although there is a TM and book of activity worksheets.
oup.com/elt/global/isbn/5611/
oup.com/elt/global/isbn/5610/

#7

Hi, thanks for the suggestions everyone. I am at school now making up a list for the boss. Charlotte’s Web seems to be a favorite! I’ve read The Giver and it’s a cool book, the kids will probably like that.