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Friday, March 30, 2012

Good Reads


Short books. Easy reading. Great Canadian authors.

 

What are Good Reads® books?

Good Reads® are original stories by well-known Canadian authors written specifically for adult literacy and ESL learners. Enjoyable and engaging, Good Reads encourage reading practice, develop reading skills, and increase reading confidence. Good Reads also appeal to more fluent readers who enjoy a quick read.

 

Good Reads are short books—about 85 pages and 12,000 words. Authors follow guidelines to ensure that vocabulary and structure are accessible to adult learners. Reading levels vary with each Good Reads title, ranging from CLB/LINC 4 to 9, and Fry Reading Grades 2 to 6.

 

Good Reads is an initiative of ABC Life Literacy Canada, a national not-for-profit organization that inspires Canadians to increase literacy skills, and Grass Roots Press, a Canadian publisher of adult literacy and ESL resources. Good Reads is funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

 

Who writes Good Reads books?

Some of Canada's bestselling authors wrote Good Reads books published in 2010 and 2011.

 

Gail Anderson-Dargatz     The Stalker

Deborah Ellis                           In From the Cold

Marina Endicott               New Year's Eve

Joy Fielding                    Home Invasion

Robert Hough                          The Day the Rebels Came to Town

Anthony Hyde                          Picture This

Frances Itani                           Missing

Maureen Jennings           Shipwreck

Rabindranath Maharaj     The Picture of Nobody

Louise Penny                           The Hangman

Gail Vaz-Oxlade              Easy Money

 

In 2012 and 2013, Good Reads titles by authors Joseph Boyden, Tish Cohen, Trevor Cole and Sandra Gulland will be available.

 

Where are Good Reads available?

Literacy organizations, libraries and ESL programs can order directly from Grass Roots Press. Good Reads are also available at Indigo, Chapters, and independent bookstores; HarperCollins Canada is the retail distributor. E-books are available on Amazon and Kobo.

 

Reading guide for each Good Reads title

Reading guides for each title can be downloaded from Grass Roots Press and Good Reads websites. The reading guides include suggestions for educators, discussion questions, and activities to help engage readers in the stories.

 

Good Reads website www.goodreadsbooks.ca

Good Reads website has resources for readers and educators, including video interviews with authors, first chapters, reader reviews, news and events, author photos and biographies, links to authors' websites, and downloadable reading guides.

 

For more information

www.goodreadsbooks.ca

www.abclifeliteracy.ca

www.grassrootsbooks.net