Graded Readers Award 2005 の投票依頼

Julian Bamford さん達が中心となって、学習用ＧＲ　のベスト図書の
を選んでいます。　詳しくは、
[url:http://www.erfoundation.org]
をご覧下さい。

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Hi Extensive Reading Rangers,

Last year, the Extensive Reading Foundation (ERF), a new not-for-profit foundation for promoting extensive reading in language education, established the Language Learner Literature Award for English language graded readers. At the IATEFL conference in Cardiff last week, the ERF announced the finalist (shortlisted) books for the 2005 Award. There are three finalist books in each of four categories: Young Learners; and three categories for Adults & Adolescents: Beginner; Intermediate, and Advanced. Over the next three months, teachers and students can read the books and vote for their favorites on the ERF website <erfoundation.org>. The winning book in each category will be announced on the ERF site on August 1st, 2005. I plan to get hold of copies of the books I don't have and encourage my students to read and vote.
Best wishes,
Julian

The names of the twelve finalist books by category, with Award judges comments are:

Young Learners
Is It a Butterfly? by Claire Llewellyn and Ant Parker. Retold by Carol
Read. Illustrated by Ant Parker. (Macmillan Children's Readers, Primary, Level 1). With pop-up pictures on each page, the life cycle of a butterfly is illustrated from the viewpoints of a bee and a snail, which makes the story more interesting than just being simply explained. The repetition of words and phrases helps readers predict what comes next while unconsciously learning vocabulary, grammar and science.

The Little Red Hen retold by Sue Arengo. Illustrated by Laurence Cleyet-Merle. (Oxford Classic Tales Beginner 1). This classic story is made appropriate for young learners with minimal loss of meaning. The layout of pictures and text on the page is excellent, and the illustrations are self
explanatory and very attractive.

Who's Stealing the Fish? by Gerald Rose. Illustrated by Gerald Rose. (Cambridge Storybooks Level 3). The story is very interesting, with an element of a detective story that keeps us reading to the final page. The art is humorous and attractive, and there is good repetition of words and phrases.

Adolescents and Adults--Beginner
Love Among the Haystacks by D. H. Lawrence. Retold by Jennifer Bassett. Illustrated by Bob Harvey. (Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2). This is an excellent adaptation of Lawrence's famous novel of two brothers and their search for love. It is written with imagination in clear prose.

Moonfleet by J. Meade Falkner. Retold by Joanna Strange. Illustrated by George Sharp. (Penguin Readers Level 2). This gripping 18th century story is about a boy who has to deal with some smugglers in his village. The story is well written and has good dialogue.

The Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy. Retold by Jennifer Bassett. Illustrated by Bob Harvey. (Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 1). This fascinating tale concerns a woman who one day finds her arm withering away for unexplained reasons. It is a good read for those who love the
mysterious.

Adolescents & Adults--Intermediate
Bamboo Girl by Anthony Kwamlah Johnson. (Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa, Junior Level). Set in a bustling city in Africa, this simple yet powerful story will touch the hearts of readers. Though the language is not graded, the story line is simple enough to allow informed guessing of some low frequency words.

Dead Cold by Sue Leather. (World Wide Readers, Intermediate [eBook]). This has all the features of a classic whodunit. The book flows smoothly from beginning to end, keeping readers in suspense throughout.

Tales of the Supernatural by Frank Brennan. (Cambridge English Readers Level 3). The six short stories take us to an entirely different world--a world that may well exist but that is difficult to explain or comprehend. Adult learners will find the tales captivating.

Adolescents & Adults輸dvanced
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler. Retold by Jennifer Bassett. Illustrated by Karen Donnelly. (Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 5). Adults will find this a delightful, compelling and well-written story with good dialogue. It is told at a pace that allows understanding and appreciation of the main characters.

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. Retold by Mary Tomalin. (Penguin Readers Level 5). This well-crafted tale is storytelling at its best, with good pace and strong themes. Used as a class reader, it is also sure to stimulate discussion and spark writing.

The Tangled Web by Alan Maley. (Cambridge English Readers Level 5). With a plot from today's headlines, this gripping and readable thriller is a real page-turner. The writing is crisp, and the subplots of love and fatherhood add welcome depth to the action.