What to read in English: 16 fun books for beginners

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

These works for children, teens and adults will help expand your vocabulary and simply enjoy reading.

Books for children

1. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a classic of children's literature. The book follows the adventures of a group of children who won a visit to the eccentric Mr. Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Among the lucky ones is Charlie Bucket, a big chocolate lover from a very poor family. The guys on the tour do not listen to Willy Wonka's warnings, as a result of which they get into unpleasant situations and leave the factory without the main prize. Common sense and attentiveness help Charlie get a special prize that can change the life of his entire friendly family.

The secret of the story's success lies in the author's extraordinary ability to captivate children. The book contains everything that children love so much: chocolate, magic and adventure. Roald Dahl's simple and clear language will surely appeal to little readers.

2. "House at World's End" by Monica Dickens

The great-granddaughter of the famous English writer Charles Dickens hated injustice and especially injustice towards children and animals. The main characters of the book are children without parents. Their caretakers - the insensitive uncle Rudolph and his crazy wife - send their nephews to live in a half-abandoned house in the countryside, with little interest in their future fate. The guys show their best qualities and arrange a real Noah's ark from home, giving shelter to all the animals they meet that have suffered at the hands of evil adults.

Classic English and a captivating plot will ensure one hundred percent hit in the minds and hearts of those who are just starting to live and learn a foreign language.

3. "Railway Children" by Edith Nesbit

The touching story of a family left without a father and forced to move from a big city to the countryside has been adapted many times for film, radio and television. Love, devotion, friendship and mutual assistance help the family not only reunite, but also find many faithful helpers. They have to learn a lot: to take care of themselves without the help of a servant, to see the beautiful in the ordinary and to appreciate immaterial things. New life is connected with the daily express, which children watch at the same time.

This is a story that everyone understands and a good option for getting to know the English language. There are no intricate phrases in the book, but there is an excellent plot and vivid characters that conquer from the first page.

4. "Winnie-the-Pooh" by Alan Miln

Whoever goes to visit in the morning and begins to learn English along with the good-natured Winnie the Pooh and other company, he acts wisely. Alan Milne literally on the go came up with funny stories for his son Christopher Robin about the adventures of a teddy bear - the boy's favorite. Gradually, a whole world has developed around the toys, in which the main characters live carefree and happy, as befits children.

The book will certainly appeal to young readers, if only because it contains an unthinkable number of rhymes, counting rhymes and other rhymes, with the help of which learning English turns into an exciting and not boring game at all.

5. "Jungle Book" by Redyard Kipling

"The Jungle Book" is a classic children's work on which more than one generation has grown up. A boy raised by wolves in the jungle learns to be human through the example of his four-legged friends. This book is timeless: the stories, published in 1894, have not lost a single drop of relevance. The main characters are taught to distinguish good from evil, enemies from friends, truth from lies.

Colorful descriptions of nature and the animal world will replenish the vocabulary of young readers, who, to the last page, will empathize and sympathize with Mowgli, who is so similar to all children.

Books for teens

6. "The island of Doctor Moreau" by Herbert George Wells

The chilling story of the insane Dr. Moreau, who decided to turn a secluded island into a laboratory. Here unthinkable experiments are being done on unfortunate animals. Sincere indignation and excitement for the fate of those whom the doctor managed to tame will not leave readers until the last pages of the book. The ethical issues of the human right to full control over animal life will be a cause for reflection.

A suitable addition for learners of English will be the author's chiseled classical language, not overloaded with flowery sentences.

7. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," J. K. Rowling

A modern classic, on which several generations of young people have already grown up, is the story of the adventures of Harry Potter, a young wizard with great potential. The first book - "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" - will introduce readers to the world of Harry and magic. First year at school, new friends, wonderful teachers - it is impossible not to get carried away by the universe of wizards, which J. K. Rowling has masterfully described.

The vocabulary of an English learner will be seriously replenished as you read the book: magic spells, speaking names and surnames are the case when you want to figure everything out yourself. It is all the more interesting to compare your translation of certain things with what readers could hear from TV screens.

8. "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

American writer Susan Collins has written a trilogy that has taken over the entire planet. The action takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, where, according to the laws of the genre, the rich enjoy life at the expense of the poor, forced to lead a half-starved existence. In memory of the war, an entertaining reality show for survival is organized every year. Katniss Everdeen, a volunteer participant in the games, becomes the winner, but her adventures do not end there.

A simple storyline, emotions understandable for adolescents and spoken language make reading the book enjoyable and easy. You can always distract from the love line and focus on the descriptions of the game and the accompanying attributes.

9. "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

At the very moment when 16-year-old Jacob Portman was ready to admit the absolute ordinariness of his life, the most extraordinary events began to happen to him. It all began with the tragic death of his beloved grandfather: sorting through old archives, Jacob finds extraordinary photographs of strange children and recalls the old stories about the childhood of the head of the Portman family. The search for his roots leads the guy to an ominous island in Wales, where the main events of the book take place.

Teenagers learning English will love the author's simple language, which easily describes emotions, doubts and worries typical of many teenagers. Readers will be interested to know what the main character will eventually choose - a quiet existence in the bosom of the family or a life full of amazing adventures.

Books for adults

10. "The Hound of the Baskerville" by Arthur Doyle

The classic is written in classic English with a certain ponderousness. The plot is familiar to many: London detective Sherlock Holmes, together with his faithful friend Dr. Watson, uncovers another cunning crime in Devonshire. Fans of the genius of Sherlock Holmes will appreciate the opportunity to get closer to the idol by reading the book in the original language. Along the way, you can compare the original text with the classic translation into Russian, many of the phrases from which have become winged for us.

11. "Bridget Jones's Diary" by Helen Fielding

The heroine of the book - cheerful Bridget Jones - looks like millions of women around the world. She is also trying to lose weight, build a career, find love and be happy. The unadapted original text is read in one breath, the author Helen Fielding says in such an easy and accessible language. For those who are not quite sure of themselves, the second part of the book has a classic translation into Russian with exercises and commentaries.

12. "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo

The family history of Vito Corleone, a Sicilian émigré, is a reflection of recent American history. The author honestly described the world that he saw with his own eyes from early childhood, as he grew up in a disadvantaged area of New York. Mario Puzo has moved away from the classic gangster romance with its gunfights and chases. The writer was more interested in intra-family relations, the formation of a hierarchy and control mechanisms. In a sense, he managed to create a real family epic.

Readers will undoubtedly be interested in plunging into the world of the Corleone family, feeling their characters, not distorted by the translation, even the most flawless one. The short and simple phrases of the novel are conducive to understanding and arouse the desire to quickly find out the denouement.

13. Forrest Gump, Winston Groom

A real American tale about a man who was able to withstand many of life's troubles, maintain kindness and character, and change the people around him. Forrest Gump, the protagonist, had a chance to be in different rework. The reader will be surprised to note small differences in the events of the book and the film, which has become a favorite for many. For example, it turns out that Forrest Gump was able to go into space and was captured by a real tribe of cannibals.

The book is narrated on behalf of Forrest, and even those who are just starting to learn English will be able to note the special style, syllable and spelling of the narrator. However, these moments only add atmosphere to the novel.

14. "Theater" by William Maugham

Theater is the most famous and popular novel by the English writer William Somerset Maugham. A subtle and ironic work tells about the life of a brilliant and very intelligent actress. Play and theater become a reality both for her and for those around her. Classic English perfectly frames the plot and serves as a good practice for beginners to immerse themselves in the world of a foreign language.

15. "Street Cat Named Bob" by James Bowen

"Bob the Street Cat" is the true story of the friendship between a desperate street musician and a homeless ginger cat. Two lonely souls found each other in bustling London to change their fates forever. Thanks to the cat Bob, the author was able to end drug addiction and start a new life. The touching story immediately became a bestseller in the UK and the USA.

The book is written in modern English, which is especially important for beginners to learn English. Common slang expressions will be a useful addition to your readers' vocabulary.

16. "The Old Man and The Sea," Ernest Hemingway

For the story "The Old Man and the Sea" Hemingway received the Pulitzer Prize in 1953. This is the story of the confrontation between man and nature, the hunter and the elements, strength and weakness. The old man Santiago entered the open sea in a fight with a five-meter marlin. If not for the voracious sharks, Santiago could have brought the biggest fish, the fish of dreams, to his native village. However, even the skeleton of a marlin inspires respect for the inhabitants of the fishing village, for whom old Santiago becomes a hero.

Ernest Hemingway's laconic style penetrates to the very heart. There is nothing superfluous in his works, each phrase is self-sufficient and all the more valuable for readers.