This comedy-drama explores racial prejudice, friendship and the complex relationship between a 72-year-old Jewish woman and her black chauffeur. Daisy Werthan is a retired school teacher and doesn’t want to accept she needs help when she crashes her car into her neighbour’s yard. Her son hires Hoke Colburn as her new driver. And although opposed […]

Beloved is a Postmodern historical fiction novel about slavery, motherhood and community. 1873, it is the time just after the Civil War and the former slave Sethe lives with her 18-year old daughter Denver in 124, a haunted house on the edge of Cincinnati. The novel explores the lives of the two after they escaped from […]

This picture book by Jim Arnosky beautifully illustrates Bob Dylan’s song “Man Gave Names To All Animals” (1979) and makes the reader aware of the diversity of animals living on our planet. Its vivid images invite us to learn the names of about 100 animals – from B for ‘baby crane’ to Z for ‘zebra’. […]

In this time-flip novel, preteen Hannah Stern is sick and tired of her relatives’ stories about the past. But when she is transported back to 1942 to a village in Poland she faces the harsh reality of those stories. She, along with the village’s Jews, is abducted by Nazis. After being brought to a concentration […]

This collection of poems by Tolkien is packed with imagination, beautiful illustrations and smooth storytelling. While some of the characters and creatures can be recognized from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, each story stands alone. With its wide range of themes and length, there’s something for everyone. The Oliphaunt describes a grey animal, whose name […]

A postcolonial short story by the award winning author Salman Rushdie on international relations, gender and power, cultural differences, and the many-sided nature of human nature. Miss Rehana visits a British consulate in India, to be reunited with her fiancée who is living in England. A man named Mr. Ali approaches her in front of […]

In this poem about loss, grief, the fragility of happiness and growing up, the author processes the death of his younger brother who died at the age of four in a road accident. He describes the feelings and impressions when he takes a break from college to visit his family’s home. There he encounters his […]

A Gothic novel of moral depth about mental health, social pressure, belonging and a family dream that turns into a dark nightmare. The birth of Ben, the fifth and rather unusual child of Harriet and David, threatens and disrupts their ordinary and happy family life. Ben’s violent, aggressive and reckless behaviour, which is due to […]

This wintery picture-only tale tells the story of a boy and his snowman, who suddenly comes to life. Together they travel to the north pole and meet father Christmas and his raindeers. Home again, the weather has changed and the boy’s friend begins to melt… The beautifully illustrated picture book gave way to an award-winning […]

Acclaimed fantasy author Tolkien composed these letters for his own children, spanning no fewer than two decades of Christmas celebrations. In each letter, either Father Christmas himself or one of his fantastic side-kicks tells the story of a new adventure from the North Pole.

A classic rhyming tale about the meaning of Christmas and commerce. The sheer thought of the nearing festivities so enrages the green monster everyone knows as simply the Grinch that he plans to steal the whole celebration in the middle of the night.

Years after breaking up, Bill and Mary randomly meet on the street. Despite the time that has passed and the two of them having new partners and children, Mary still seems to be emotionally attached to Bill. But after a short exchange of words, they go their separate ways. This short story shows that what […]

A classic children’s novel about poverty and wealth, humility, kindness and greed. Charlie is an eleven-year-old boy who loves chocolate and lives with his parents and grandparents in a little hut close to a big city. They do not have a lot of money, but Charlie and his family live a happy life until Charlie’s […]

A coming-of-age novel about patriarchy, racism, social injustices and rape. Esperanza is a teenage girl living with her family in Chicago. In short episodes she tells the reader about her life, growing up on Mango Street in a poor Mexican-American community. Esperanza grows up, makes friends, falls in love and endures sexual assault. Through all […]

Set in Nigeria during the late 19th century, this tragic novel problematises the battle between tradition and change, the role of colonialism, religion and patriarchy. Okonkwo is a respected member of his community, the Igbo people. When white missionaries arrive, Okonkwo’s son, like many others, converts to Christianity. Tensions rise between the natives and the […]

This anthropomorphic novel full of rabbits tells the tale of social unrest, community and hope, all kick-started by man-made environmental destruction. Fiver, a young rabbit with a sixth sense, is part of the Sandleford warren. He starts having disturbing visions of his home’s destruction and, along with his older brother Hazel, tries, to no avail, […]

John Lennon’s song “Imagine” encourages listeners to envision a world at peace. He describes how without the barriers of religion, nationality or material possessions, humans could finally live together harmoniously. During the Vietnam War, it became a protest song and symbol for the peace movement. The song is suitable for interdisciplinary teaching with regard to […]

This series of picture books combines wonderful illustrations with playful tasks that can help language learners practice expressing whereabouts of objects and people as well as describing images. In these picture puzzles, students must find “Wally” and his friends that are cleverly hidden across the image. Each page has a different theme and setting, ranging […]