Great ideas to make you really love your Summer Reading assignment!
We’re often asked to suggest books for teens whose first language is not English. It’s a tricky question: Not only do we have to take into account the fact that teens have widely varying tastes, but teachers and students also often have very different ideas on what makes a book worth reading!
Sometimes we’re asked to suggest a list of books complied not with the aim of introducing teens to the very best of English Literature, but just to give them a book they’ll enjoy so much that they’ll forge through the language barrier to finish it. Those lists are much more fun! Our latest request asked for quick, interesting, appealing reads for smart Dutch 15-19 year olds, with the emphasis on the fun rather than edification. Here’s what we came up with.
Most of these books are enjoyed by adults and kids alike, even though they might be aimed at grown-ups, or at children younger than 15. That makes them perfect books if your first language isn’t English, or if you don’t like reading.
Action & Adventure for Boys
Books for the other Boys
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Gossip, Glamour and Gorgeous Guys for the Girls
Angus Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things
Mates, Dates and Inflatable Bras
Great Stories for Daydreaming Girls
The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants
Something for Everyone
The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas
Holidays on Ice (totally worth it, just for the wonderful Santaland Diaries)
Tags: Children's Books, class reads, Fiction, juvenile fiction, reading lists, reluctant reader, reluctant readers, summer reading, teenagers, teens, young adult fiction
Great picks for teens! (and for those young at heart)
Marjolein