Category: 1946-1999

Categories
1946-1999 All Novel Short Length (up to 2 hrs) Tough Topics

No Longer Human

Book cover

This book is a semi-autobiography of Dazai Osamu where he talks about his alienation from society.

Year of Release: 1948

Author(s): Dazai Osamu

Preview:

Further information (link): https://openlibrary.org/works/OL3923956W/No_longer_human

ISBN: 978-0811204811

ebook URL: https://www.amazon.it/Longer-Human-English-Osamu-Dazai-ebook/dp/B09XLQLL4K

Audiobook URL: https://fulllengthaudiobooks.com/osamu-dazai-no-longer-human-audiobook/

Online text: https://booksvooks.com/no-longer-human-pdf-osamu-dazai.html

Extract and usage suggestions for teaching:

The book is divided in three parts:
-in the first one, the main subject is the protagonist’s alienation from society
-in the second one the main topic is his first suicide attempt
-the third one mostly talks about his depression



Further comments for teachers:

I chose this book because, even if it covers plenty of difficult topics, I find the protagonist relatable in a lot of things. While I really love this book, which made me reflect a lot about life and mental health, I must admit that it isn’t something for everyone since the author’s way of thinking is very peculiar and it also talks a lot about things such as suicide that might be sensitive for some people.

This book also received two movie adaptations and several manga adaptations, with the most famous one being drawn by Junji Ito.

Categories
1946-1999 All CEFR B1 Drama English Extracts - Well Suited for Teaching With Extracts High school (grades 9+) Medium Length (up to 8 hrs)

The Giver

Set in a dystopian society where citizens are subdued, a teenage boy named Jonas is chosen to be trained by The Giver, who is the only one who remembers. Secrets keep getting unearthed during Jonas’ awakening in a rebellious and spiritual journey.

Year of Release: 1993

Author(s): Lois Lowry

Preview:

Further information (link): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3636.The_Giver

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Categories
1946-1999 All Audiobook eBook English High school (grades 9+) Novel Print

To kill a Mockingbird

Book cover

Set in Alabama in the mid-thirties, the novel follows the attempts made by a lawyer and his children to prove the innocence of a black man falsely accused of rape.

Year of Release: 1960

Author(s): Harper Lee

Preview:

Further information (link): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2657.To_Kill_a_Mockingbird?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=II4HJ15lhy&rank=1#

ISBN:

ebook URL: https://www.amazon.it/Kill-Mockingbird-Enhanced-English-ebook/dp/B00K1XOV5G/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_it_IT=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=To+kill+a+mockingbird&qid=1639326611&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

Audiobook URL: https://www.amazon.it/To-Kill-a-Mockingbird/dp/B079BF8PBN/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1639326611&sr=1-1

Online text:

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Further comments for teachers:

Graphic novel version available here
https://www.amazon.it/Kill-Mockingbird-Graphic-Novel-English-ebook/dp/B07G14V8S7/ref=sr_1_3?__mk_it_IT=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=To+kill+a+mockingbird&qid=1639326611&s=digital-text&sr=1-3

Categories
1946-1999 All eBook English High school (grades 9+) Novel Print

The House on Mango Street

Book cover

It’s the story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago with her family. She starts by explaining how they got to Mango Street in the first place, and then proceeds to highlight some significant moments for her and her community. As she grows, she changes, develops her own view of the world, faces hardships ad discovers her own identity.

Year of Release: 1984

Author(s): Sandra Cisneros

Preview:

Further information (link): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/139253.The_House_on_Mango_Street?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=1O4ojOzOQR&rank=1

ISBN:

ebook URL: https://www.amazon.it/House-Mango-Street-English-ebook/dp/B00C8S9WJM/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_it_IT=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=The+house+on+Mango+street&qid=1639333864&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

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Different varieties of English

Categories
1946-1999 All Available For Free (Open Access) eBook English Extracts - Well Suited for Teaching With Extracts High school (grades 9+) Online Other Text Formats Print

The Freedom Writers Diary

How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them

Book cover

A young English teacher works with “at-risk” students who deal with hostility and racial intolerance on a daily basis. After reading The Diary of Anne Frank, they start to work on an joint diary with anonimuos entries aimed against intolerance and misunderstanding.

Year of Release: 1999

Author(s): Erin Gruwell, The Freedom Writers

Preview:

Further information (link): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47304.The_Freedom_Writers_Diary?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=aiWr9Tk00l&rank=3

ISBN:

ebook URL: https://www.amazon.it/Freedom-Writers-Diary-Movie-Tie-ebook/dp/B000Q9J092/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_it_IT=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=the+freedom+writers+diary&qid=1639159066&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

Audiobook URL:

Online text: https://oiipdf.com/download/the-freedom-writers-diary-how-a-teacher-and-150-teens-used-writing-to-change-themselves-and-the-world-around-them

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Categories
1946-1999 All CEFR B1 English High school (grades 9+) Medium Length (up to 8 hrs) Short Story

The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1)

A playful tale of misfortune following the lives of the Baudelaire siblings under the mercy of their legal guardian Count Olaf.

Year of Release: 1999

Author(s): Lemony Snicket

Preview:

Further information (link): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78411.The_Bad_Beginning

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Categories
1946-1999 All CEFR B2 English Extracts - Well Suited for Teaching With Extracts High school (grades 9+) Novel Print Short Story Uncategorized Very Short Length (up to 20 min)

The house on Mango street

The House on Mango Street is Sandra Cisneros’s greatly admired novel of a Latina girl growing up in Chicago. It tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, whose neighborhood is one of harsh realities and harsh beauty. Esperanza doesn’t want to belong — not to her rundown neighborhood, and not to the low expectations the world has for her. Esperanza’s story is that of a young girl coming into her power, and inventing for herself what she will become.

Categories
1946-1999 All CEFR B2 High school (grades 9+) Medium Length (up to 8 hrs) Poetry Print

Five Sugars Please

A collection of poetry about life, family, culture, poetry in general.

Year of Release: 1993

Author(s): John Hegley

Preview: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1338550.Five_Sugars_Please

Further information (link): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl1efoOEDzg

ISBN: 0413678806

ebook URL:

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Further comments for teachers:

Lots of videos are available with Hegley introducing poetry and his poetry.

Categories
1946-1999 All CEFR B1 High school (grades 9+) Medium Length (up to 8 hrs) Novel Print

Howl’s Moving Castle

After unwittingly incurring the wrath of the Witch of the Waste, 18-year-old Sophie is cursed to live the rest of her life as an old woman. She sets off in search of heartless Howl, a wizard who presides in his ever-moving castle in the hills. Her journey to breaking the spell is also one of self-discovery. Sophie becomes more and more entangled with Howl, bargains with a fire demon and finally goes head to head with the Witch of the Waste.

Year of Release: 1986

Author(s): Diana Wynne Jones

Preview: https://preview.aer.io/Howls_Moving_Castle-ODU0MTY=?social=0&retail=0&emailcap=0

Further information (link): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6294.Howl_s_Moving_Castle

ISBN: 9780061478789 (2007 edition)

ebook URL: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/howls-moving-castle-diana-wynne-jones

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Further comments for teachers:

The book was made into a film in 2004 by Studio Ghibli: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl%27s_Moving_Castle_(film) – Students could compare the book with the film.

This book is part of the World of Howl series, which may interest students who want to find out more about Howl.