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The 18 Best Books for English Language Learner (ELL) Students of Any Level
Books for English language learners can be an effective tool for engaging your class while providing structure to your lessons.
The best ELL books will make your lessons more interesting and enjoyable—for you and your students.
But if you choose the wrong ones, they can bore your students and discourage them from actively participating.
In this article, we’ll explore a few key qualities of great ELL books plus some excellent options for every age group.
What to Look for in an ELL Book
Ell books for elementary school students, 1. “let’s go” series.
- 2. “Our World” Series
3. “Oxford Picture Dictionary: Content Areas for Kids”
4. “oceans of the world in color”, 5. “super silly mad libs junior”.
- 6. “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak
ELL Books for Middle School Students
7. “headway” series.
- 8. “Coraline: The Graphic Novel” by Neil Gaiman
10. “Smile: A Graphic Novel” by Raina Telgemeier
- 9. “Fire on the Mountain” by Jane Kurtz
10. “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio
11. “the hunger games” by suzanne collins, ell books for high school students, 13. “hampton-brown edge” series, 14. “face2face” series.
- 15. “1,000 Conversation Questions” by Larry W Pitts
16. “Almost American Girl” by Robin Ha
- 17. “101 Conversations in Simple English” by Olly Richards
18. “Ghost” by Jason Reynolds
Tips for teaching with ell books.
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If you’re able to choose the English books for your curriculum, look for ones that offer the following:
- A fun and creative approach to learning English with elements that appeal to different learning styles .
- Meaningful information that’s relevant to students’ age groups, proficiency levels and interests. Researchers have found that ELL students learn better through culturally relevant material , so search for ELL books that also relate to your students’ culture.
- Exciting, new information. Find books that are relevant in modern society and cover everything from recent social events to improvements in technology to celebrity news.
More than anything, the best books for ELL students are the ones that take a student-centered approach . This means they encourage students to engage in active learning and work together to solve problems.
The key to choosing books for this age group is to focus more on activities than actual content. ELL books should help your young students get more comfortable reading and using English, rather than drilling the technical details.
“Let’s Go” is a popular seven-level book series that’s excellent for ELL students from kindergarten up to sixth grade.
“Let’s Go” takes a simplified approach to learning English, which is why it’s perfect for young children. Instead of learning why specific grammar rules exist, students learn the right and wrong way of saying commonly used phrases and get question-and-answer practice.
“Let’s Go” also incorporates music and movement . This makes the books perfect for teaching English without overwhelming students.
If you want an effective ELL book to use in your elementary English class, this is a great option. Don’t forget to grab the accompanying workbook for practice exercises!
2. “ Our World” Series
“Our World” is National Geographic’s best-selling, seven-level series of English textbooks designed for young learners.
This dynamic resource features a rich blend of interactive activities, vibrant visuals and real-world contexts to foster language learning in an enjoyable manner.
The curriculum covers essential language skills while also emphasizing cultural awareness and global themes .
With its student-centered approach , the book encourages active participation, critical thinking and collaborative learning, making it an ideal tool for English teachers to create lively and immersive language lessons.
It’s also available in British English .
This is a comprehensive visual dictionary designed specifically for young learners of English. Featuring colorful illustrations and clear labels, the dictionary covers various content areas, such as science, math, social studies and everyday life topics.
It serves as an invaluable resource for English language learners, helping them expand their vocabulary, improve reading comprehension and gain a better understanding of the world around them.
Through engaging visuals and contextualized language , students can explore a wide range of subjects, making language learning a dynamic and enjoyable experience. There’s also an accompanying workbook for structured practice.
Sometimes the best books for elementary ELL students aren’t textbooks or English books at all, but rather exciting picture books.
After all, what child doesn’t love looking at vivid underwater photos? “Oceans of the World in Color” intersperses these photos with facts about the ocean .
This book is excellent for a warm-up or icebreaker activity that’ll capture the attention of your young learners. Be sure to ask a lot of questions as you flip through the pages!
This book also provides a nice opportunity for students to take turns reading aloud, as the pages with text are short and digestible .
Mad Libs are fun, non-traditional books that’ll liven up any ELL elementary classroom. You may remember them from your childhood; there are stories with blanks left for nouns, adjectives and other words to be filled in .
It’s a great way to boost your students’ vocabulary and get them more familiar with grammar and parts of speech, all while getting everyone laughing and encouraging creativity in the classroom.
Plus, since students draw upon their own English knowledge to fill in the story, you can re-use the same Mad Libs books and pages for multiple lessons.
6. “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak
This is a classic children’s picture book that follows a young boy named Max who enters a wild and magical imaginary world inhabited by monstrous creatures known as the Wild Things.
Through this imaginative tale, English learners can explore vocabulary related to emotions, actions and nature while being drawn in by the story.
The book’s repetitive and simple language also helps reinforce sentence structure and storytelling skills, making it an engaging and effective tool for language development.
Middle school students learn differently than their younger counterparts. They’re at the age where they can think critically and be challenged to tackle problems with different perspectives. You want to make sure to choose ELL material that enables and encourages that.
Headway is a popular series of ELL books covering a range of proficiency levels . It’s structured in a similar format to the “Let’s Go” series, except that the material in “Headway” feels a bit more mature.
With “Headway” online , you’ll have access to interactive exercises, games and a “test builder” feature . This adds a helpful digital element to your lessons and reinforces learning.
This series is a great choice for middle school ELL students who will benefit from learning material that strikes a balance between seriousness and fun.
8. “Coraline: The Graphic Novel” by Neil Gaiman
This is a visually stunning adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s dark fantasy tale , brought to life by P. Craig Russell’s remarkable illustrations.
The graphic novel follows Coraline Jones, a spirited young girl who discovers a mysterious door leading to an alternate world.
The graphic novel serves as an engaging English teaching tool, allowing students to explore descriptive language, character development and dialogue while honing their reading comprehension and storytelling abilities in an imaginative and captivating context.
Here’s another easy-to-read graphic novel. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and won the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Teens in 2011.
The book tells a heartwarming and relatable coming-of-age story that captures the challenges and triumphs of middle school life. It follows the author’s real-life experiences as she navigates through orthodontic mishaps, friendship dynamics and boy troubles.
Through expressive illustrations and engaging dialogue , the book addresses themes of resilience, self-acceptance and finding one’s identity.
The relatable characters and compelling storyline make it an excellent resource to spark discussions and creative activities in the classroom.
9. “Fire on the Mountain” by Jane Kurtz
Using literature to teach ELL students is a great way to keep your students engaged and thinking critically, provided the English level isn’t too difficult.
This book is particularly interesting, as it touches on life in an Ethiopian village and deals with problem-solving, conflict resolution and personal growth .
It’s an excellent book to pair with writing or speaking activities in a lesson designed around exploring a different culture.
This fictional book is perfect for middle school ELL students who can likely relate to the plot. It’s a great tool and discussion starter for pertinent issues that confront most middle schoolers such as bullying, friendship and empathy .
The book uses relatively simple language and can help your students understand a variety of grammar concepts while building their vocabulary.
You can have your students take turns reading out loud, assign sections for homework or play the audiobook version in class to practice listening skills.
Now that your students are at an age where they can appreciate complex stories, have them read the instant young adult classic trilogy “The Hunger Games.”
The series is centered on young characters, and the plot is easy to follow but also involves some complex themes to grapple with, all of which helps to draw budding readers in.
You can read this trilogy together as a class, or assign individual books or chapters for independent reading.
Choosing the right material for high school ELL students is tough. You want to find resources that’ll set them up for success , but keep the elements that make learning English fun and enjoyable.
Commonly referred to as “EDGE Reading,” this book series takes a multidisciplinary approach to learning English.
Rather than a straightforward language textbook, think of “EDGE” as an educational book designed specifically for English learners.
Every chapter is filled with quality photographs and interesting articles that you can easily use to help build a top-notch English lesson.
Plus, the “EDGE” series includes tons of helpful support packs and additional materials for teachers .
Your junior and senior classes will love “face2face” because of the way it approaches ELL education.
The content is trendy, witty and most importantly, up to date—that means no articles talking about irrelevant singers from the ’90s and early 2000s!
Each “face2face” level includes about 80 hours of core teaching material , plus additional ideas in the supplementary teacher’s book and practice exercises in the workbook.
There’s also a CD with practice activities, recording capabilities and customizable tests , among other features.
15. “ 1,000 Conversation Questions” by Larry W Pitts
This book is great for conversation practice with intermediate or advanced students .
It has over 1,000 conversation questions covering 100 different topics such as culture, technology, ethics and more. And you can easily photocopy or scan the pages to make handouts.
You can use it for quick warm-up conversations or build a whole discussion-based lesson around some of the questions.
At this age, it’s important to help students get past their fear of speaking and build their comfort and confidence using the language. This book is a great tool for encouraging meaningful discussions and debates on topics they’ll likely discuss in real life.
This graphic novel will likely resonate with students who are living in or planning to move to an English-speaking country. It tells the autobiographical story of the author’s journey from South Korea to the United States.
Through captivating illustrations and poignant storytelling , Ha shares her experience as a teenage immigrant, navigating the challenges of adapting to a new culture and language.
The visual nature of the graphic novel enables students to engage with the story and context more easily, improving their reading comprehension and vocabulary. The book also offers valuable discussion points around identity, belonging and resilience.
17. “ 101 Conversations in Simple English” by Olly Richards
There are many ELL books that focus on grammar and vocabulary, but great books for practicing real-life conversation skills are harder to find.
This book is just that—it follows the story of two friends who come across some valuable paintings in an antique market while visiting London. With plenty of enticing drama and dialogue , your students can act out the conversations and improve their speaking skills.
The book provides an immersive experience that will help prepare your students to handle everyday scenarios such as ordering at a café or browsing a shop.
If your students are at an intermediate level, you can opt for “ 101 Conversations in Intermediate English.”
This is a compelling and emotionally charged young adult novel that follows the life of Castle “Ghost” Cranshaw, a young boy with a troubled past and a natural talent for speed. The story follows his journey to earn his place on the track team.
The novel’s accessible language and relatable characters make it an enjoyable read for English learners. It allows students to develop vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking skills while connecting to the characters’ experiences.
This novel is ideal for 9th or 10th-grade ELL students or for weaker English learners in 11th grade.
Getting your hands on groundbreaking ELL books for students is only half the battle. You still need to present them in a way that students will appreciate. Here are some things to remember to help you get the most from your ELL books:
- Use your books as a source of inspiration, not the blueprint for your entire lesson. Choose which elements to cover and feel free to skip anything irrelevant to your class or too difficult for your students’ level.
- The themes covered in your ELL books are a good place to start, but you can dig much deeper. Expand upon the written content with activities, discussion time or related resources; it’ll really get your students thinking about the material.
- Plan, plan, plan. Don’t think just because you teach with top-rated ELL books that you don’t have to do any lesson prep. Plan your lessons thoroughly and think about what supplemental material you can add to drive new concepts home.
- Remember that almost any book can be used for dynamic ELL lessons , not just your traditional ELL textbook . Story and picture books, comics and even science books can all make successful books for ELL students when utilized properly.
To further engage students, you can supplement ELL books with authentic video content from a language learning program like FluentU . In the FluentU library, you’ll find many authentic English clips from media like the Harry Potter films and other famous adapted works.
Every video comes with interactive subtitles to help your students grow their vocabulary. Plus, you can set homework tasks and learning goals for your students and track their progress.
Using a combination of different types of books for English language learners will help them build their language skills without losing interest.
So try to take a creative approach to teaching as you choose books for your ELL classroom. With the right materials and preparation, you’ll have your ELL students reading and chatting in English in no time!
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The Best English Learning Books For ESL Readers
Nikki DeMarco
The inimitable Nikki DeMarco is as well-traveled as she is well-read. Being an enneagram 3, Aries, high school librarian, makes her love for efficiency is unmatched. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, and is passionate about helping teens connect to books. Nikki has an MFA in creative writing, is a TBR bibliologist, and writes for Harlequin, Audible, Kobo, and MacMillan. Since that leaves her so much time, she’s currently working on writing a romance novel, too. Find her on all socials @iamnikkidemarco ( Instagram , Twitter , Threads )
View All posts by Nikki DeMarco
I teach high school English and am fortunate enough to collaborate with an ESL (English as a second language) teacher in a class with multilingual students specifically. This has given me some unique insight into the kind of books that can help people who are learning English. While this list of English learning books is geared more towards adult learners, seeing what has worked in the classroom, many of them will work for readers from 8 to 85.
English Learning Books: Graphic Novels
Graphic novels are an excellent place to start for English learners of all levels. Since they are written in all genres, for audiences from elementary school to adults, it’s a comprehensive place to start. These books range from memoir to fantasy, from history to contemporary. Finding a book that is interesting to the reader is just as important as finding one with accessible language. Graphic novels don’t make adult learners feel like they are reading children’s books. The illustrations give the reader context for the words, helping them intuit meaning.
Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha
A powerful graphic novel memoir about immigration, belonging, and how arts can save a life, Almost American Girl tells the story of Robin moving to the United States as a teen with her mother from Seoul, South Korea. The author was an English language learner herself and depicts some of the struggles of being immersed in a new culture surrounded by a language you don’t understand.
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
For the reader who loves contemporary stories, This One Summer is an award winning graphic novel. Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It’s their getaway, their refuge. Rosie’s friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose’s mom and dad won’t stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. One of the local teens — just a couple of years older than Rose and Windy — is caught up in something bad…something life threatening.
It’s a summer of secrets, and sorrow, and growing up, and readers will get swept up in this enthralling coming of age story.
March: Book One by John Lewis
History lovers are sure to enjoy March , a nonfiction graphic book about the Civil Rights movement in America. Congressman John Lewis (GA-5) is an American icon, one of the key figures of the civil rights movement. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper’s farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to the 1963 March on Washington, and from receiving beatings from state troopers to receiving the Medal of Freedom from the first African American president.
March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis’s lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis’s personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
This graphic memoir tells the story of George Takei’s imprisonment as a child in American concentration camps during World War II. Takei’s firsthand account of those years behind barbed wire, the joys and terrors of growing up under legalized racism, his mother’s hard choices, his father’s faith in democracy, and the way those experiences planted the seeds for his astonishing future.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Pantheon Graphic Library) by Marjane Satrapi
In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages 6 to 14, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.
Instructional English Learning Books
Instructional books are often necessary when an English language student wants to move from conversational proficiency to becoming completely fluent. They help explain the rules of the language in greater detail, helping students of English perfect their abilities.
Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics – An Engaging ESL Textbook for Advanced Students by Eric H. Roth
This is another instructional book to help with fluency. The book includes chapters organized by themes, over 1400 questions, 500 vocabulary words, 250 proverbs and American idioms, and 500 quotations. Designed for both adult education and intensive English language students, the conversations set up in this book deepen critical thinking skills and speaking skills essential to success.
The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English: The Quickest Way to Improve Your Spoken English by Christopher Hill
Written by an international English professor, The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English is an excellent handbook for intermediate to advanced learners. This book has tips on how to increase fluency and what techniques you may have been taught in school that are ultimately ineffective. This book is ideal for international business people who want to improve their English.
The Great Book of American Idioms: A Dictionary of American Idioms, Sayings, Expressions & Phrases by Lingo Mastery
Sure, you can learn English with a language course or a textbook just fine, and climb up the ranks in terms of your grasp of the language…but are you sure you can talk like a native?
For starters, many expressions used by fluent speakers of American English can’t exactly be learned in a book, and it can be frustrating to realize that your formal learning hasn’t been enough to teach you the way people talk in real life. English language learners living in America need help understanding out slang and this book is a great basis of that knowledge.
English for Everyone: English Vocabulary Builder
Spilling over with thousands of entries for useful words and phrases, this is the perfect study aid for any adult learning English as a foreign language.
With 3,000 words across hundreds of pages, English Vocabulary Builder brings you an easy resource to search by category. From activities, family, holidays, science, and work to animals, feelings, health, sports, and weather, just about every subject in the English language is covered in eye-catching, illustrative detail. All the vocabulary is shown with both UK and U.S. spellings, and every word can be heard with its own audio recording in the accompanying app available for download. Additional interactive exercises ensure language learning is an easy, entertaining, and educational experience.
The Best Grammar Workbook Ever: Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage for Ages 10 Through 110 by Arlene Miller
The workbook covers grammar basics, common grammar problems, punctuation, capitalization, and word usage. In addition to a Pretest and Final Test, there are more than 100 practice exercises and tests at the end of each chapter. A complete list of answers is included in one of the appendixes. Other appendixes include commonly misspelled words, commonly mispronounced words, Greek and Latin word roots, and writing tips. The book is written in a friendly and easy-to-use tone. There are helpful hints throughout and a complete index.
ESL Intermediate & Advanced Grammar (English as a Second Language Series) by Mary Ellen Muñoz Page
This book was written by a bilingual author who uniquely understands the needs of English language learners. Designed for intermediate and advanced high school– and college-level non-native speakers of English who need to improve their ESL grammar skills. ESL Intermediate & Advanced Grammar provides students with simple explanations of grammar, skill-building exercises, detailed answer keys, and test-taking techniques. It’s the perfect companion for classroom use or self-guided studies in ESL.
English Learning Novels
Novels are a resource that English language learners should take advantage of because they can help increase vocabulary from context clues and are high interest to keep the reader engaged when they might get frustrated otherwise and want to give up on a story. Knowing where to get started here can be a challenge, however. The following are a few places to start.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Christopher John Francis Boone has to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog. This book is told in the first person point of view of a boy who has autism. The first person is helpful for English language learners because they can see what the narrator is both saying and thinking. This novel in particular is a great place to start because the narrator clearly explains everything he’s thinking and doing quite literally. Plus, the story is engaging and easy for the reader to follow while the sentences are often short and plainly explained.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Told in a series of vignettes — sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous — it is the story of a young Latina girl, Esperanza Cordero, growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. This novel is mostly simple sentences that are easy to understand, making it ideal for English learners. Again the first person point of view is easy to follow and the story of Esperanza’s desire to belong is relatable from people of all cultures.
The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her “our little genius.” This thriller is hard for anyone to put down. It is told in present tense, which isn’t common for many novels and makes it uniquely accessible to people studying English. It is also told from the point of view of a little girl, making the vocabulary easy to understand and many of the sentences short. The combination of thrilling plot with child narrator is perfect for someone who wants to read this novel in English.
Nonfiction for English Learning
Nonfiction books are an excellent resource for English language learners who want to study a specific category of vocabulary. From business to auto body repair, these books give an in-depth look at verbiage particular to a topic.
The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides us through the human body — how it functions, its remarkable ability to heal itself, and (unfortunately) the ways it can fail. Full of extraordinary facts (your body made a million red blood cells since you started reading this) and entertaining anecdotes, The Body is a great resource for learning anatomy language. Bryson’s conversational tone and simple, not overly medical explanations are perfect for people learning English who might also one day want to go to the doctor and understand what they are saying.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas. This book helps students of English with abstract thinking vocabulary. He has a conversational tone as well that’s much easier to understand than many other big idea books.
My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places by Mary Roach
My Planet is a series of articles Mary Roach published in Reader’s Digest . The short articles make each topic more approachable and easier to understand. The reader can jump around to topics that interest them. Roach discusses everything from cleanliness to the internet to fashion. Most readers will be able to find a portion of this book that interests them and also can find vocabulary specific to different situations all in one book.
I hope these books help give you a place to get started. Of course we have other resources for you if starting here isn’t really your thing. There are audiobook apps for language learning and bilingual books for English language learners . Are you an English speaker who’s trying to learn another language? Check out how to read in another language . Or maybe you’re just looking for that one word you don’t know, and should take a look at the best dictionary apps available.
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The Seven Best Simple Novels for EFL Students
In my previous article I looked at the many benefits of extensive reading which include gains in reading and writing competence, oral and aural skills, vocabulary growth, and increases in self-esteem and empathy.
It is also highly motivating for students to discover that they can read in English and that they enjoy it. For this reason it is essential that the books are interesting to students and at a level appropriate to their reading ability. If students find the books compelling and interesting, and can understand them, they may become more eager readers. However, finding books that are interesting to your students and at a level appropriate to their reading level is not always easy. For students from level A1-B1 I would strongly recommend using graded readers – books which have been adapted by avoiding using difficult grammar and vocabulary for people learning a foreign language. Most of the main ELT publishers have graded readers series and you can find a list of these series at the end of the article.
While graded readers are a wonderful way of getting your students to read in English, at higher levels (B2.1 +) it can be a good idea to supplement graders readers with novels which have not been adapted for language learners. However, you have to be very careful when selecting these novels as it can be very discouraging and demotivating for students to read a novel and not understand the content.
In this article I’m going to look at the seven novels that have worked best with my students.
1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
This wonderful, hilarious and moving book tells the story of the adventures of a young boy Christopher who has Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism. People with Asperger syndrome often have difficulty in social relationships and in communicating, and this is certainly the case with Christopher. When he discovers the murder of a neighbour’s dog, he decides to investigate it. The story is told from Christopher’s point of view, and his explanations for everything he sees and hears are clear, logical and easy to understand. The language used is very direct and straightforward.
My students have loved the story and Christopher, and also discovered a lot about autism.
2. Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah
Refugee Boy tells the story of Alem, a 14-year old boy whose father is Ethiopian and his mother Eritrean, and as these two countries are at war, Alem’s family is not welcome in either place. Alem has to flee from both Ethiopia and Eritrea and ends up as a refugee in Great Britain. Benjamin Zephaniah writes in a simple and clear style which students with a B1 + level have little difficulty understanding; he also exposes us to the complexity of life as a refugee. I have heard my students discussing the theme of refugees with an understanding and empathy which would not be possible without having read this beautiful and sad novel.
3. Animal Farm
Animal Farm is a satirical allegory for Communist Russia. It tells the simple and tragic story of what happens when the oppressed farm animals rebel to attain freedom from the farmer Mr. Jones. George Orwell’s writing style is very accessible. Indeed, Orwell was famous for the clarity of his writing , in his 1946 essay Politics and the English Language he puts forward his 5 Rules for effective writing. It’s well worth showing them to your students and getting them to discuss the rules. Here are the 5 rules are:
1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. 2. Never use a long word where a short one will do. 3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. 4. Never use the passive where you can use the active. 5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
4. The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street is the story of Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl, and her life growing up in Chicago. Sandra Cisneros uses quite simple language and short sentences which make it relatively easy for EFL students to understand. One of the outstanding features of the book is that it can help students understand and empathise with a community which is very different from their own.
5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new jobs during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Steinbeck’s compelling story is very short and told in generally quite simple language. However, there are a number of contractions such as ‘ain’t’, ‘why’n’t’, ”wanta’ and ‘gonna’ which you may like to explain to students before they read it.
6. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
This-coming-of-age novel tells the story of a teenage gang in the 1960s and deals with typical teenager themes. The sentences are short and the language is quite simple. Although S. E. Hinton wrote the book in 1967, the themes still seem contemporary to the lives of students throughout the world. From my experience the book works best with teenagers and young adults.
7. The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Giver is set in a society which at first appears to be utopian, but as the novel progresses is revealed to be a dystopia. The main character is a young boy called Jonas who believes he is living in an ideal world until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver, and then begins to understand the dark secrets behind his community. The story is told in short sentences and simple language. Although the book was written for young adults, it has been popular with many of my much older students too.
Have you used any of these novels with your students? Have you used any other novels which have been popular with your students? Let me know in your comments below!
7 Graded Reader Sites
- Helbling Languages
- Oxford Graded Readers
- Cambridge Readers
- Penguin Readers
- Macmillan Readers
Photo credit Aga Putra
31 comments on “ The Seven Best Simple Novels for EFL Students ”
Great list, thanks! My students have also liked Wonder by RJPalacio and The Boy in The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. Generally child narrators are good.
Hi Virginia, Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. I don’t know Wonder by R J Palacio; I’ll have to check it out. The Boy in Striped Pyjamas is a great book, my oldest daughter has just read it at school. I agree child narrators usually work very well. All the best, Kieran
Roald Dahl’s collection of short stories called Kiss Kiss is great for adult students. Some are quite dark though.
Hi Tim, Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. The Roald Dahl collection you mention is excellent; I think short stories often work much better than whole novels. All the best, Kieran
Dahl worked well with my classes in China and I discovered a you tube version of its screenplay to back it up. Lots of archaic language though; and this is the problem with novels in general, they are more for the upper int category
Hi John, Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. Yes, Roald Dahl seems to work with lots of students and there are many film adaptations of his books. Archaic language is a problem which makes lots of book difficult for EFL students. All the best, Kieran
I wish I would be in a class who read all these novels and discussing about them..but in our time few students like reading..As a bookwarm,I can’t find anybody around me reading anything.Just the phones in teens’hands..
Hi Nese, Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. What a shame there aren’t more book worms like you! All the best, Kieran
Like Virginia, I would highly recommend “Wonder”, by RJ Palacios. Last year we read it with our B2+ students, and they liked it a lot! Another good option for C1 students is “The Language of Flowers” by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. It presents the topics of foster homes, adopted children, what happens to those children living in homes when they turn 18… and everything linked to flowers. It’s really nice!
Hi Alba, Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. I’ll have to check out The Language of Flowers – it sounds like a great book! All the best, Kieran
Hi, Kieran, Last year we read The Girl on the Train in a Book Club I started for my B2 and C1 students. Those who joined the club enjoyed it and thought it was very entertaining. Not loads of literary value, but that’s not the purpose, I suppose…
Hi María, Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. Good to hear from you. That’s another book I don’t know, but I’m going to check it out. I don’t think that literary value is is a key factor in choosing a book; it’s more important that students enjoy what they read and engage with the characters and the story. All the best, Kieran
Hi, just finished the girl on the train… I don’t really feel like recommending it to students, I personally I had to shut the book reading the pages about Megan having a bath with her little daughter:-( It remainded me the scene from trainspotting…. According to me it’s too strong… Ps: sorry for my English… I’m Italian mother tongue:-)
Hi Phoebe, Thanks a lot for commenting. I think the fact that you didn’t like the book and another person really loves it, reflects that we all have different tastes in books and also that it’s very difficulty for the teacher to decide on a book for the whole class to read which all the students are going to enjoy. Maybe for that reason it might be better for students, with the teacher guiding them, to decide for themselves which books they’re going to read. PS: Absolutely no need to apologise for your English – it’s a million times better than my Italian 🙂 All the best, Kieran
Could you recommend novels for a2 students that don’t speak English very well within the age of 13-16years old?
Hi Roger, Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. I don’t think that unadapted novels are suitable for students at such a low level; I’d recommend checking out the list of 7 graded reader websites and finding a graded reader at a suitable level which appeals to your students interests. All the best, Kieran
My 16 years old students have read ‘The curious incident. They found it quite accessible. Thank you for the list. I will use one of them for their compulsory reading this year. And thanks also for the titles in the comments, it is very useful.
Hi Ana, Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. Glad to hear the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time worked well with your students. I’m happy you find the books useful 🙂 All the best, Kieran
Hello Kieran,
This is the list I have been waiting for for years! I have been using authentic books for a long time and totally subscribe to what you say in the introduction, but I was getting a bit tired of using the same ones over and over. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Curious Incident, The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency and more recently Room have passed through many a course, so now I can bring in some variety. Great job!
Hi Casey, Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. I can imagine The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency working well with students; detective stories are often popular. I’m very happy you find the books useful. All the best, Kieran
I have used the dairy of Anne frank a few times with teens and has always gone down very well… plus great resources online!
Hi Robbie, Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. I know a lot of teachers who’ve used The Diary of Anne Frank with success. If a book has good resources it’s a big bonus as it can save you a lot of time. All the best, Kieran
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