Recommended Reading for English Learners

Books made into Movies

Some people prefer to read the original story in a book before watching the film adaptation. Other people watch the film and never read the book. Some English learners prefer to watch a movie first before reading the book. If readers are familiar with the characters and plot, they may understand the book more easily.

• Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
  The personal diary of an English woman who is tired of single life.
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (for all ages)
  A small group of children win an adventure into the mysterious chocolate factory. Their chaperones are shocked by the eccentric tour guide.
• Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (for all ages)
  A young girl adopts a baby pig and becomes attached to her barnyard friends.
• Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
  Fantasy novels about a young wizard and his friends who take part in several quests to destroy a dark wizard.
• Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
  A vampire tells his 200-year-life to a reporter.
• Jaws by Peter Benchley
  A giant shark attacks beachgoers in a fictional resort town.
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
  A 13-year-old is expected to donate a kidney to her dying sister.
• Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (for all ages)
  A nine-year-old with super strength does not want to grow up.
• Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
  A banker is charged with the murder of his wife and her lover. He attempts to adapt to prison life. An inmate named Red takes him on a journey.
• Star Wars by George Lucas
  A series consisting of two trilogies based on a fictional galaxy far, far away where a battle between good and evil takes place.
• The Bourne Trilogy by Robert Ludlum
  A spy series featuring the fictional spy Jason Bourne.
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  A story about female black women in the American South in the 1930s.
• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
  A mystery novel about a murder at the Louvre Museum. Explores the history of Christianity.
• The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
  A young nurse looks after a badly wounded pilot from World War II.
• The Firm by John Grisham
  A lawyer discovers the dark side of a law firm.
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
  A fantasy trilogy. A creature called a hobbit is sent on an important mission to save Middle Earth. His fellowship of friends helps him on his long journey.
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  A science fiction series about a future nation where kids are forced to enter into an annual battle.
• The NeverEnding Story by Michael Ende (for all ages)
  A shy boy who loves reading hides from real life and finds himself inside a fantasy story.
• The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
  A love story about a poor man who falls in love with a rich woman.
• The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (for all ages)
  Two children are bored in the house and find their world turned upside down by an uninvited guest.
• Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
  A teenage girl falls in love with a vampire.
• White Fang by Jack London
  A story of a wolf's domestication in the Yukon. Told by the wolf itself.