Books+for+Struggling+Readers

Books for Struggling/E.L.L. Readers

**Description:**
//A Farewell to Arms// is a novel about an American soldier working as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army during World War One. The story is told from the point of view of the soldier—Frederic Henry—and concerns both his experiences during combat and his love affair with a British nurse.

**Themes/Topics:**
Themes and topics include war and its consequences, the violent, senseless, and chaotic nature of armed combat, disillusionment, love and pain, existentialism, masculinity, and other Modernist themes.

**Rationale:**
Written by one of the 20th century's most influential authors, //A Farewell to Arms// is considered one of the West's greatest and most important war novels. The themes are complex and expansive but the language is accessible to high school students. Juniors and seniors who are struggling will find this book manageable, but they will be exposed to complex ideas and literary devices as they read. This book deals with some of humanity’s most important issues including war, love, death, tragedy, authority, violence, loyalty, and patriotism, among others. In addition to being rich in thematic material, the novel is filled with examples of literary mechanisms such as symbolism, motif, and foreshadowing.

**Text Complexity:**
The novel is 330 pages long. The lexile level is 730, which places it in the lexile band for grades 4-5. However the concepts and themes are complex and only appropriate for older readers.

**Additional Resources:**
[] -A film version of //A Farewell to Arms.// [] -The Hemingway Resource Center: A site that includes an in depth biography of Ernest Hemingway. [] -This site includes rare photos, frequently asked questions (& answers) about the author &his works, and a quote finder.

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**Title: //The Thief of Always// (1992)** --[Josiah]
**Author:** Clive Barker**Genre:** Horror/Fantasy

**Description:**
Harvey Swick is the archetypal 10-year-old boy. The book opens on a dull, gray February day, and Harvey is so bored that he’s worried he might actually die. A creepy smiling man named Rictus shows up, and he takes Harvey to a magical place called The Holiday House, where you go through all four seasons in a single day, and every night is Halloween. Harvey meets a magician named Hood and other children from different time periods. It’s all fun and games at first, but Harvey starts to worry that time is going by much faster than it should, there are mysterious ghostly fish out in the pond, and Hood might not have the children’s best interests in mind... **Theme or Topic:**Innocence. Adventure. Growing-up. Good vs. Evil. The Passing of Time. **Rationale:**This is a fun, quick, creepy little book. Clive Barker is a terrifying author, but he’s writing for younger readers here so he reigns in the full-bore psychosexual horror that he’s better known for. This book would appeal to fans of //Harry Potter// or Lemony Snicket. It’s a simple book with a smart, likable protagonist and timeless themes that students can explore. **Text Complexity:**Lexile Level: 740L **Text Complexity Rubric for Literary Texts:**Layout: Simple Text. Purpose & Meaning: Somewhat Complex. Text Structure: Simple Text. Language Features: Somewhat Complex. Text Knowledge Demands Fiction: Simple Text. **Resources:**[|Book Preview of //The Thief of Always//]. This is a fan-made video which uses Clive Barker’s own illustrations to show readers what they can expect from this fun, creepy, little book. [|Revelations, the Official Clive Barker Site]. This link goes to the Thief of Always page. You can find excerpts from a dozen different interviews where the author is discussing different aspects of the book.

Genre: Fiction, Adventure

 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/LordOfTheFliesBookCover.jpg width="198" height="310" caption="File:LordOfTheFliesBookCover.jpg"]] ||

Description:
William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: "He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet." Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition (-Amazon.com)

Themes/Topics:
Boyhood, Savagery, Survival, Utopian Ideals, Societal Conformity and Pressures, Bullying

Rationale:
Students in high school are learning to separate from their parents and deciding what is important to them and how they might act on their own. This is a coming of age story with the parental figures taken entirely out of the picture. It highlights the complexities of human nature and shows animalistic tendencies not always present in novels. Juniors and seniors who are struggling with complex texts will be able to read and comprehend the language in this novel. The language will be manageable for struggling juniors and seniors while still allowing them to improve their literacy skills and explore complex themes and topics. The content of this book will appeal to older high school students.

Text Complexity:
196 pages, simple reading, complicated themes of death and destruction Layout: Complex (long descriptive passages) Purpose and Meaning: Complex Structure: Somewhat Complex (linear plot but starts in the middle of action) Language Features: Somewhat complex (some British words but youthful dialect) Knowledge Demands Fiction: Complex

Lexile Level:
770L

**Title: //Coraline// (2002)** --[Josiah]
**Author:** Neil Gaiman**Genre:** Horror/Fantasy

**Description:**Coraline Jones moves into an old house with her parents. The other tenants are retired circus performers. Her parents are overworked, and they don’t pay enough attention to her. Coraline is bored and lonely. There is a tiny locked door in the house, and one of the neighbors tells Coraline to never go through that little door or...the unthinkable might happen. Coraline can’t go through another boring day in the house where everybody ignores her, so one night she goes through that door...and everything changes. Coraline goes into another world where she still has parents, but they are lively and fun, and they do everything they can to entertain her. (But they also have black buttons sewn onto their faces instead of eyes.) Coraline enjoys life on The Other Side until she starts to realize that it might be too much of a good thing. And her new parents might not have her best interests in mind, after all. Coraline befriends three ghost children and a raggedy black cat, and she tries to devise a plan to escape this Other World and this Other Mom and Dad. **Theme or Topic:**Growing Up. Responsibility. Reality vs. Perfection. Trust. Friendship. **Rationale:**This is another fun, quick, creepy little book. It’s written by Neil Gaiman, the master of modern fantasy, and illustrated by comics superstar Dave McKean. The book is like a modern-day Alice in Wonderland, and it deals with timeless themes and archetypes that will resonate with children of all ages. **Text Complexity:**Lexile Level 740L **Text Complexity Rubric for Literary Texts:**Layout: Simple Texts Purpose & Meaning: Somewhat Complex TextsStructure: Simple TextsLanguage Features: Somewhat Complex TextsKnowledge Demands Fiction: Simple Texts **Resources:**[|Coraline, Sandman: Books and Imagination--A Conversation with Neil Gaiman.] Neil Gaiman is an endlessly charming conversationalist, and he has a lovely voice. His audiobooks and interviews are always rewarding. [|Coraline Movie Trailer.]The movie itself is pretty great, and it could be fun to watch it in class when the students are done with the book.

**Title: //The Tempest - Magic Wagon (Publisher) - Graphic Novel//**
**Author:** William Shakespeare (Adapted by Daniel Conner and Cynthia Martin) **Description:**A graphic novel depicting, in his original dialogue, Shakespeare's classic tale of magic, revenge, romance, and humor. **Rationale:**This would be a great supplement for struggling readers learning Shakespeare. The visual representation, the colorful setting, the character map and descriptions,a glossary of terms and ideas all help to support students who need it. It also includes literary and language skills to help boost comprehension. **Lexile Level:**560

**Title: //Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone// (1997) [Rachel]**
**Author: J.K. Rowling**

**Description:**Harry Potter, orphaned at a young age, lives (miserably) with his aunt, uncle, and bullying cousin. Little does he know that his parents were powerful wizards, and his name has been in the registry for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since the day he was born! **Rationale:**The Harry Potter series is responsible for inspiring millions of kids, of all ages, to read. As a child progresses through the series, the books get more and more difficult, but never less engaging. The Harry Potter series, with all of its pop-culture support, can be the very necessary step for struggling students: a desire to read. Although it is written for younger children, its themes are appealing to all age levels. **Lexile Level:**880**Complexity:**Layout - SimplePurpose and Meaning - Somewhat ComplexStructure - SimpleLanguage Features - Somewhat ComplexKnowledge Demands - Simple **Resources:**[|Movie Trailer] [|Sparknotes for the book] [|Discussion Guide]

**Description:**
Shari Cooper hadn't planned on dying, but four floors is a long way to fall. Her friends say she fell but Shari knew she had been murdered. Making a vow to herself to find her killer, Shari spies on her friends, and even enters their dreams. She also comes face-to-face with a nightmare from beyond the grave. The Shadow - a thing more horrible than death itself - is the key to Shari's death, and the only thing that can stop her murderer from murdering again.
 * [|(From Goodreads.com])**

**Rationale:**
This book is written in very simple language, but it is about high school students. Although the book was originally written in the early 90s, it can appeal to modern readers as the themes of death and the beyond are timeless. It does a good job tying in real life with fantasy and suspense. If readers decide they enjoy the first one, they can read the entire trilogy.

**Lexile Level:**

 * 590 (based on ratings of his similar titles)**

**Complexity:**
Layout - Simple Purpose and Meaning - Somewhat Complex Structure - Simple Language Features - Simple Knowledge Demands - Simple

**Resources:**
[|Christopher Pike's Publisher Web Site] [|//Remember Me//][| book trailer]

** Description: **
When the three Baudelaire children—Violet, Klaus, and Sunny—are orphaned after a tragic fire, they are whisked away to live under the guardianship of a relative they have never heard of, the sinister and conniving actor Count Olaf. The children suffer deprivation and inconsideration at the hands of Olaf, who in time reveals that he is not, in fact, a relation and that his only interest in the children happens to be a scheme to rob them of their inheritance.

** Theme or Topic: **
Humor. Literature. Melodrama. Mystery.

** Rationale: **
Lemony Snicket engages readers with a quick tempo, humorous style, enjoyable characters, and dash of mystery. The book contains a broad array of literary and cultural references which the reader will not need to recognize to enjoy the text, but which offer an added depth which invite a closer look. The series introduces students to more complex vocabulary in a comical and non-threatening fashion.

** Text Complexity: **
Lexile Level: 1010L

** Text Complexity Rubric for Literary Texts: **
Layout: Simple Purpose & Meaning: Somewhat Complex Structure: Simple Language Features: Simple Knowledge Demands Fiction: Simple

** Resources ** :
[]. A copious listing of the many literary, cultural, and historical references in the book, as well as the rest of the series.

** Title: //The City of Dreaming Books// (2007) **** --[Adam] **

 * Author: ** Walter Moers
 * Genre: ** Fantasy

** Description: **
“ German author and cartoonist Moers returns to the mythical lost continent of Zamonia in his uproarious third fantasy adventure to be translated into English (after 2006's // Rumo // ), a delightfully imaginative mélange of Shel Silverstein zaniness and oddball anthropomorphism à la Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Optimus Yarnspinner, a young saurian novelist, embarks on a quest to track down the anonymous author of the most magnificent piece of writing in the whole of Zamonian literature. Traveling to Bookholm, the legendary City of Dreaming Books, the naïve Yarnspinner falls victim to Pfistomel Smyke, a maggotlike literary scholar who poisons Yarnspinner and abandons him in the treacherous catacombs miles below the city's surface. Stranded in an underworld steeped in terror-inducing myth and home to more than a few bizarre inhabitants, Yarnspinner undertakes a long and perilous journey back to the world above. Enchanting illustrations by the author compliment a wonderfully whimsical story that will appeal to readers of all ages. ”—//Publishers Weekly//

** Theme or Topic: **
Bibliophily. Adventure. Humor. Fantasy worlds.

** Rationale: **
Walter Moers’s books present zany, unique worlds that readers who enjoy humor and fantasy will love. Moers combines his many drawings with a seemingly unlimited array of characters and places, many of which celebrate historical, literary, and philosophical traditions of the real world. //The City of Dreaming Books// celebrates the passion for both reading and writing by exploring a fantasy culture that hinges on the production and consumption of books. The novel will playfully nudge the reader towards becoming the kind of booklover Moers celebrates in his story.

** Text Complexity: **
Lexile Level: 1070L

** Text Complexity Rubric for Literary Texts: **
Layout: Simple Purpose & Meaning: Somewhat Complex Structure: Simple Language Features: Somewhat Complex Knowledge Demands Fiction: Simple

**Description:**
Hemingway's classic novella centers on the elderly fisherman Santiago who has gone without a catch for 84 days. Santiago, determined to break his unlucky streak, travels further out than he ever has before. He is rewarded by hooking a marlin that he battles for several days. Ultimately his catch is eaten by sharks as he attempts to tow it back to shore. When he returns the townspeople look upon the skeleton of his catch with awe, and his once apprentice weeps at his return.

**Themes:**
Isolation, character creation, man versus nature

**Rationale:**
Hemingway is famous for his simple, succinct prose and for the efficiency with which he defines his characters. “The Old Man and The Sea” provides a showcase for these abilities stripped to a minimum number of characters and plot elements. Hemingway's mastery of the short story is often emphasized in literature classes, but this slightly more sizable novella avoids some of the challenges that that level of reduction presents. The novella presents struggling students with a gateway text into highly regarded American literature.

**Text Complexity:**
Lexile 940L

**Rubric:**
Layout: Very Complex Purpose and Meaning: Somewhat Complex Structure: Simple Language Features: Somewhat Complex Knowledge Demands: Simple __[]__ – A really fascinating unit plan and experiential account of teaching 'The Old Man and The Sea” in a correctional environment. __[]__ - A playful and unrepentant assessment of Hemingway's novella for the high school classroom.

**Description:**
Coelho's famous novel follows the journey of Santiago in the pursuit of the messages in his dreams. This desire takes him on an epic journey wherein he meets a colorful cast of characters including an alchemist that teaches him about the concept of an individual's “personal legend,” an understanding of which allows people to learn from their life experiences.

**Themes:**
Self discovery, philosophical implications

**Rationale:**
Coelho's simple prose contributing to the modern fable aesthetic of the story makes it an ideal candidate for struggling readers. The structure of the text is one of the oldest and most easily recognizable across a variety of cultures. It also retains the penchant of such tales to introduce complex philosophical ideas. These elements make it ideal for struggling readers as it expresses a belief in the student's intelligence and engagement while scaffolding the reading task itself for their current skill level.

**Text Complexity:**
Lexile 910L

**Rubric:**
Layout: Somewhat Complex Purpose and Meaning: Somewhat Complex Structure: Somewhat Complex Language Features: Somewhat Complex Knowledge Demands: Simple __[]__ - Paulo Coelho's official website with links to his Blog and Twitter. A wonderful resource to show students that authors are not only their contemporaries but also active and engaged members of society. __[]__ – Short video of Coelho himself introducing the philosophical backbone of “The Alchemist.”

**Title: //Seedfolks -- [Ben G.] //** ISBN: 1883332958

This book is a series of vignettes about an inner city neighborhood that is tied together by the random actions of a small Asian girl who plants some bean seeds in an empty lot. A nosy neighbor wonders what it is that she has hidden in the ground and goes to inspect when her suspicions of illicit activities are allayed she decides to help the young girl take care of her sprouting bean plants. This action has a domino effect which soon sees the entire block turning this trash filled lot into a flourishing community garden which unites neighbors. Social Unity. Compassion. Community Building. This is a perfect book for struggling readers because each character in the book is designated their own chapter(s) so it would be an easy book to use to analyze character. Also while the lexile score is low there is plenty of depth and layers of meaning in the text. For example the first character we meet infers with her thinking and action that there is much more to the actions of the little Asian girl hiding something in the ground which gets to stereotypes and generalizations about others. 710L [|Awesome Interview Of Author Paul Fleischman]
 * Description**:
 * Theme/Topic**:
 * Rationale**:
 * Lexile**:
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Title: The Hobbit (1937)

**Genre:** Fiction/Fantasy

 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/TheHobbit_FirstEdition.jpg/200px-TheHobbit_FirstEdition.jpg width="199" height="249"]] ||

** Description: **
//**The Hobbit**//, is a [|fantasy novel] and [|children's book] by [|J. R. R. Tolkien]. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the [|Carnegie Medal] and awarded a prize from the // [|New York Herald Tribune] // for best juvenile fiction. The book remains popular and is recognized as a classic in children's literature. Set in a time "Between the Dawn of Færie and the [|Dominion of Men] ", [|[1]] //The Hobbit// follows the quest of home-loving [|hobbit] [|Bilbo Baggins] to win a share of the treasure guarded by the dragon, [|Smaug]. Bilbo's journey takes him from light-hearted, rural surroundings into darker, deeper territory.The story is told in the form of an episodic quest, and most chapters introduce a specific creature, or type of creature, of Tolkien's Wilderland. By accepting the disreputable, romantic, fey and adventurous side of his nature (the " [|Tookish] " side) and applying his wits and common sense, Bilbo develops a new level of maturity, competence and wisdom. The story reaches its climax in the //Battle of Five Armies//, where many of the characters and creatures from earlier chapters re-emerge to engage in conflict.

**Rationale:**
The Hobbit is a great novel for struggling readers because its lexile level is high enough to challenge them but the concepts are not too difficult to grasp 1000L. This book would be great to teach just about any literary devices especially bildungsroman.

**Complexity:**
Layout: Somewhat complex Purpose: Simple Structure: Somewhat complex Language: Somwhat complex

**Resources:**
[] []

**Title: Oliver Twist (1838)** **Author: Charles Dickens**

** Description: **
Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novelby English author[|Charles Dickens], published by[|Richard Bentley]in[|1838]. The story is about an[|orphan][|Oliver Twist], who endures a miserable existence in a[|workhouse]and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to London where he meets the[|Artful Dodger], leader of a gang of juvenile[|pickpockets]. Oliver is led to the lair of their elderly criminal trainer[|Fagin], naively unaware of their unlawful activities. //Oliver Twist // is notable for Dickens' unromantic portrayal of criminals and their sordid lives.[|[1]]The book exposed the cruel treatment of many a waif-child in London, which increased international concern in what is sometimes known as "The Great London Waif Crisis": the large number of orphans in London in the Dickens era. [] **Rationale:**Although Dickinson falls into the category of “dead white guy” authors that we have all been forced to read throughout our education, //Oliver Twist// is a great novel for 11th and 12th grade struggling readers. The lexile level of this novel is 970 and the concepts within this book are not overwhelmingly complex for this age level. This novel also gives struggling readers an opportunity to read one of the great writers in history, and possibly inspire them to become better writers. **Complexity:** Layout: Complex Purpose: Somewhat complex to complex Structure: Somewhat complex to complex Language: Complex to very complex

Genre: Non-fiction, WWII, Diary.

 * [[image:images.jpg]] ||

Description:
A beloved classic since its initial publication in 1947, this vivid, insightful journal is a fitting memorial to the gifted Jewish teenager who died at Bergen-Belsen, Germany, in 1945. Born in 1929, Anne Frank received a blank diary on her 13th birthday, just weeks before she and her family went into hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Her marvelously detailed, engagingly personal entries chronicle 25 trying months of claustrophobic, quarrelsome intimacy with her parents, sister, a second family, and a middle-aged dentist who has little tolerance for Anne's vivacity. The diary's universal appeal stems from its riveting blend of the grubby particulars of life during wartime (scant, bad food; shabby, outgrown clothes that can't be replaced; constant fear of discovery) and candid discussion of emotions familiar to every adolescent (everyone criticizes me, no one sees my real nature, when will I be loved?). Yet Frank was no ordinary teen: the later entries reveal a sense of compassion and a spiritual depth remarkable in a girl barely 15. Her death epitomizes the madness of the Holocaust, but for the millions who meet Anne through her diary, it is also a very individual loss. (Amazon)

Themes:
Coming of age, Loneliness, the futility of war.

Rationale:
While it is very painful to read, this diary of the Holocaust offers an emotional and compelling description of one of humanity’s darkest periods. Very few students will fail to take this text seriously, which makes it a useful tool in classrooms where the students are exceptionally resistant to engagement. This book is appropriate for struggling readers at the junior and senior levels because the vocabulary is not very difficult but the themes are complex and interesting.

Text Complexity:
This novel is 304 pages long, and has a very managable vocabulary. However, the intense setting (WWII) and emotions are more appropriate for older readers

Lexile:
1080L