Recommended English Books

[The Alternative Story]

gotcha:

Hello TAS,


Any comments on the books by Carl Sommer?


Regards,
gotcha

Hi gotcha,

Carl Sommer books are really good for character education.

In his stories, he uses animals to talk about issues like obedience
and the importance of following rules.

We have not personally read his books but they seem suitable
for children who are in preschool or P1.

TAS

[jeestan]

Hi TAS,


My son really likes the books you recommended- Charlie Bone series etc. Can you make more of such recommendations (books like Charlie Bone) thank you very much

[The Alternative Story]

Hi Leanne,


These are some recommendations we would like to make
for your son. These books are suitable for 11-12 year olds.

1) Reckless by Cornelia Funke

This is a very interesting read. Jacob, who is 12 years old, has been
trying to find out what has happened to his father. His father has
disappeared some years back. In trying to find his father, Jacob
comes across a mirror that transports him to an alternative reality-
a dark side of the fairytale world. It is a world in which his father
had disappeared into.

12 years pass and Jacob is still in Mirrorworld. Then he realizes that
his younger brother has now come into this world as well to look for
him. Through an injury, Jacob's younger brother is trapped in this
world and is turned into stone. Now, Jacob and his friends must
find a way to turn his brother back into a human and make things
right.

The storyline is interesting and the writing is very descriptive.

Here is an extract from the book:

The night breathed through the apartment like a dark animal.
The ticking of a clock. The groan of a floorboard as he slipped out of
his room. All was drowned by its silence, but Jacob loved the night.
He felt it on his skin like a promise, like a cloak woven from freedom
and danger.

There is fantastic use of personification and similes used in this
short paragraph. The author uses metaphorical language very
well and your child can pick this skill up through reading this book
as well.

2) Auslander by Paul Dowswell

In this book, Piotr (the main character) is orphaned when his
parents are killed and taken into an orphanage. However, one day
an important man from Germany comes and adopts him
because of his looks (he looks German because of his blond hair
and blue eyes). His adoptive father is a Nazi and wants to train
Piotr to also be one. At first, Piotr, desperate to be loved, does
whatever his new family tells him to. Then, one day he meets
a girl who tells him she is working for the underground and is
helping Jews to get away. He makes the decision to help her
and then one day they are found out. What would happen to them
and to the people they are helping?

It is a touching story and the author 'pulls' you into the story
effortlessly.

Where to get these books: We bring in Auslander, you can
get Reckless from most bookstores.

TAS

[The Alternative Story]

jeestan:

Hi TAS,


My son really likes the books you recommended- Charlie Bone series etc. Can you make more of such recommendations (books like Charlie Bone) thank you very much

Hi jeestan,

We will get back to you on this soon.

TAS

[peggy]

Hi Tas,


My son whose in P4 is a very reluctant reader. His english is also quite weak. Any books to recommend ?? He does not like chronicles.

Thanks !

[The Alternative Story]

peggy:

Hi Tas,


My son whose in P4 is a very reluctant reader. His english is also quite weak. Any books to recommend ?? He does not like chronicles.

Thanks !

Hi peggy,

These are some recommendations that we have for
for reluctant readers (P4 age group).
The books are also suitable for children who are not
reluctant readers in the P2-3 age group.

These books have interesting plots. The writing is relatively
simple but yet with enough good vocabulary so that they will
still learn. What puts off a reluctant reader is the thickness of
the book and the number of words he or she sees on one page.
Hence, they would usually choose thinner books. However,
the problem is that these thinner books often do not have
interesting plots.

These books that we have chosen are those that we feel
can still captivate a child with the plot but yet they are not
too wordy to put a reluctant reader off.

1) The Sticky Witch by Hilary Mckay

In this story, two children and their cat have to go and live
with their aunty. They are reluctant to do so. Their aunt has
many rules for them for them to follow. To make matters worse,
they realize that everything in the house is covered with
treacle for some mysterious reason. Later on, as they
begin to explore the house, they realize their aunt is a witch.
Would they get out alive or is their aunt actually a good
witch who can help them?

2) The Dying Photo by Alan Gibbons

Jamie is shopping with his parents one day when a photographer
stops the family and asks if he can just take a random photograph
of them. Jamie's parents agree. The camera flashes and then Jamie
looks around and realizes that his parents and the photographer
are gone. All that is left is the photograph. Now Jamie
must find the mysterious photographer and find a way to get
back his parents.

The book is a well-paced thriller that most children would be
easily drawn into.

3) Hide and Seek by Cathy Macphail

A new girl arrives at school and she asks some of the students
there if it is haunted. The kids all tell her it is and they tell her
to come down at night with them to explore the school.
They plan to scare her but that night things go horribly wrong
and the new girl is not who she seems to be. Would the kids
get out of the school safe and sound?

A great thriller, it can also be used to teach your child how
to build tension in a story.

4) Flash Flood by Andy Croft

Jaz and Toni go for a camping trip. However, they are soon
caught in a flash flood and stuck in an old house. The waters
are slowly rising and they need to find a way out. However,
nobody hears them crying out and they have no way out.
Would they get out alive and how would they do so?

You can use many of the phrases in this book to describe a
drowning or flood scene.

How to get these books: We bring in all these books.
However, some titles are sold out but we are bringing them
in within the next few weeks. These books come
with phrases that have been extracted from the storybooks
and they are categorized accordingly (eg: drowning, anger,
chase scene etc)

TAS

[The Alternative Story]

Hi jeestan,


If your child is in P2-P3, he may like the books we recommended to
Peggy. They are not fantasy books like Charlie Bone but very
interesting thrillers.

TAS

[jeestan]

The Alternative Story:

Hi jeestan,


If your child is in P2-P3, he may like the books we recommended to
Peggy. They are not fantasy books like Charlie Bone but very
interesting thrillers.

TAS

Thanks TAS, will go check it out. By the way, will you have a book sale this year?

[ctct61t]

My daughter keep reading fairy telling stories, I’m not sure this is good or not…

[flowy]

Mine too. Loves reading rainbow magic, magic ballerina books. She’s also reading Magic Treehouse and A to Z mystery books which i introduced based on TAS’s recomendations. She’s also reading them but still very much prefer different fairies books. Any other recommendations for P2s (2011)?