Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mmstyle]

My middle school would like to put together a small English library for the students to use. It's an all boys school. I'd love to get some suggestions.

It's a private school, but uses the public school English curriculum. My students' abilities run the gamut. I have students who can say no more than "Hello" to fluent students that have lived in English speaking countries for 4-6 years. The high level students will be the ones who use it the most, but it would be good if there was something in there for everyone.

I'd like to have some novels, some poetry, and I think I'll suggest National Geographic Kids or Adventures (I'm not sure which one would be good for middle school), maybe some madlibs.

Also, I was looking for some books to interest my fluent students and came across one, but never wrote down the title or author. It was a comic strip style journal written by a middle school boy. The comics were stick figures, I think, and it was part of a series. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[madhusudan]

If they're all boys I would suggest subjects that might be interesting to them. Maybe children's stories on King Arthur, Robin Hood, William Tell, Sinbad, vikings, cowboys, Jim Bowie, Davey Crockett, etc.

Good luck. Sounds fun.

[ddeubel]

If you want to start an extensive reading library, start with [url=http://eflclassroom.ning.com/resources/topics/826870:Topic:47643]
these leveled readers[/url] . Lots more in the Resources area too.

You can go with lower level Booksworms from Oxford or a lot of other publisher stuff also. However, I prefer the above books and get the students to "gloss" them. {they look up one/two words on a page they don't know and right the Korean word in the margin}. this will help weaker readers and those who read the book next.

Further, see this booklist that I made. Click the category on the right - many lists were made from thousands of recommendations by experienced teachers (most non EFL teachers though).

Don't forget the Tarheel Reader. http://tarheelreader.org

DD
http://eflclassroom.com

[iotaphi821]

I can offer up a few suggestions, though, i think context wise, some may be a bit much. Regardless, just a thought.

Animal Farm

Where the Red Fern Grows (this damned book tears me up everytime I read it)

All Quiet on the Western Front

Of Mice and Men

Like I said, topically, they may be a bit heavy. Regardless, they were the books that spurred me onto majoring in English during my "college career"

[Dazed and Confused]

Check out arbookfind.com. They've got reading lists and you can search by title, isbn, author, subject, level etc....It also makes organizing the books by levels super easy if you stick with Accelerated Reader books. Furthermore, when you buy the AR software (not required though) you have access to quizzes, worksheets and tests to use with all the books listed.
I am currently using it to build my library. Although not every book on the shelf is an AR book, I've still found it usefull.

[theatrelily]

Ella Enchanted

The Whipping Boy

The Westing Game

A Wrinkle in Time

any of the Narnia Chronicles

any of the Harry Potter books

The Secret Garden

The Little Princess

Charlotte's Web

any of the R. L. Stine Goosebumps series

[alpope23]

Robert Heinlein's juvenile science ficton books are great!
Early Heinlein novels
Rocket Ship Galileo, 1947 *
Beyond This Horizon, 1948 (initially serialized in 1942, and at that time credited to Anson MacDonald)
Space Cadet, 1948 *
Red Planet, 1949 *
Sixth Column, 1949 (initially serialized in 1941, and at that time credited to Anson MacDonald) (aka: The Day After Tomorrow)
Farmer in the Sky, 1950 (Retro Hugo Award, 1951) *
Between Planets, 1951 *
The Puppet Masters, 1951 (re-published posthumously with excisions restored, 1990)
The Rolling Stones, 1952 (aka: Space Family Stone) *
Starman Jones, 1953 *
The Star Beast, 1954 *
Tunnel in the Sky, 1955 *
Double Star, 1956 -- Hugo Award, 1956 [2]
Time for the Stars, 1956 *
Citizen of the Galaxy, 1957 *
The Door into Summer, 1957
Have Space Suit�Will Travel, 1958 -- Hugo Award nominee, 1959 [3] *
Methuselah's Children, 1958 (originally a serialized short story in 1941)
Starship Troopers, 1959 -- Hugo Award, 1960 [4]

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein_bibliography

[QbertP]

My co teacher has had alot of success with graded readers mainly from Cambridge university press. The stories are semi interesting(often crime related) and the students are able to choose based on there level.

[waynehead]

Any comic books/graphic novels you can get your hands on will be a big hit.

[detourne_me]

Ultimate Spider-man Graphic Novels would be a big hit. They are age-appropriate and well-written.
Roald Dahl books are also a good choice.
The Phantom Tollbooth may be a little difficult.
Earlier in the year I had the task of building an English library for my middle school too. Most of my comic book suggestions were taken by the school's own library though (like Watchmen, Persepolis, Bone)

And of course, Harry Potter. Artemis Fowl is another series like Harry Potter which would be good.

[Fishead soup]

Henry Miller A Tropic of Cancer
A Tropic of Capricorn
An Air Conditioned Nightmare

William S Burroughts
Naked Lunch
Queer
Junky

JG Ballard High Rise
Crash

Charles Bukowski Women.

Bernard Trink I Just Don't Give a Hoot

[mmstyle]

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't read many comic books, but my students love them, so it's good to get some ideas.

A Wrinkle in Time, great suggestion-I'd forgotten that series, which I loved growing up.

Any more ideas?