Recommended+Reading

It's not just books anymore!
..because I will also eventually post information about my favourite movies as well!

On this page I will write about some of my favourite (English) books and films. While I know that every person isn't going to love the same stories that I love, if you read this list, perhaps you might find something that catches your attention.

Do you have a book other students should read? Post it in the discussions attached to this page!

=Novel: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time= Written: 2003 Author: Mark Haddon

What is it about?
The protagonist of this award-winning book is Christopher Boone, a 15 year-old boy with autism, who lives in England. The novel takes the form of his journal, written as a school assignment. When the dog next door is killed, Christopher chooses to investigate the crime, during which he meets strange new people and learns more about the relationship between his parents.

Why read it?
In addition to being quite funny, this book allows the reader a glimpse into the mind of a teenager living with autism. By reading his journal, we can begin to understand how and why he see's the world differently from most people. Understanding his perspective is the first step in understanding his actions, and eventually building acceptance and tolerance for others.

For students reading Of Mice and Men, in which mental illnesses are critically important, this book might make for great follow up reading!

Film: The Shawshank Redemption
This film also takes place during the Great Depression. However, the subject and themes of this film are very different from those in Of Mice and Men. Stay tuned for more details!



=BOOK: Painless Grammar=

Written: 2003 Author: Rebecca Elliot, Ph.D

What is it about?
An enjoyable, completely painless examination of parts of speech, sentence contruction and punctuation. With simple and clear examples, this is one of the best purchases an ESL student can make. The section on misused words is particularily useful!