Especially for our ENGin buddies, we’d like to share a list of books that are popular in the American school system. We’ve either read or are familiar with all the books in this list. Many of them we read with our kids when they were little. Even though some of the books may seem to be for younger readers, they are all very entertaining.
Many of the high school / college books also appear on the AP Literature reading list.
In addition to improving your reading skills, we hope that these books give you a glimpse inside the life of America over the past 150 years.
We start with books that are often taught in Elementary School.
A Message from Elder G
Dear Buddies,
In every journey, whether across vast prairies or through the pages of a book, we find opportunities to learn, grow, and make meaningful connections. Your dedication to improving your English is a testament to your resilience and determination. Remember, every word you learn is a step towards new friendships, new adventures, and a brighter future.
Keep embracing the challenges with a smile, just as Hank the Cow Dog would face each new day on the ranch, and let your imagination soar like the Little Prince exploring distant stars.
Peace through twine,
G
Elder of WLBOTT
[ed. note: Elder G is excited about the ENGin project, and has provided all the illustrations below.]
Elementary School
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
Because of Winn-Dixie is a 2000 children’s novel written by Kate DiCamillo….A 10-year-old girl named India Opal Buloni has just moved to a trailer park in the small town of Naomi, Florida, with her father, who is known as The Preacher because he preaches at the local church. Her mother, Benjean-Megan, abandoned them when Opal was three. She describes the preacher as a turtle, always sticking his head into his shell, and never wanting to come out into the real world. This is most likely because of how sad he is about her mother, with whom he is still in love.
While in the supermarket, Opal sees a scruffy dog wrecking the store and decides to take him home, naming him Winn-Dixie after the supermarket chain.
Wikipedia
Charlotte’s Web
by E. B. White
Charlotte’s Web is a book of children’s literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams…. The novel tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered by the farmer, Charlotte writes messages in her web praising Wilbur, such as “Some Pig“, “Terrific”, “Radiant”, and “Humble”, to persuade the farmer to let him live.
Wikipedia
Hank the Cow Dog Series
by John R. Erickson
Hank the Cowdog is a long-running, ongoing series of children’s books written by John R. Erickson and illustrated originally by Gerald L. Holmes, and later by Nikki Earley. The books follow Hank, a dog who views himself as the “Head of Ranch Security”.
In each book Hank and other characters must deal with several events, issues and mysteries that occur at their Texas Panhandle home in Ochiltree County.
Wikipedia
Little House on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little House on the Prairie is an autobiographical children’s novel by Laura Ingalls Wilder, published in 1935.
The novel is about the months the Ingalls family spent on the prairie in Montgomery County, Kansas. Laura describes how her father built their one-room log house in Indian Territory, having heard that the government planned to open the territory to white settlers soon.
Wikipedia
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
by Richard and Florence Atwater
Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a children’s book written by Richard and Florence Atwater, with illustrations by Robert Lawson, originally published in 1938. It tells the story of a poor house painter named Mr. Popper and his family, who live in the small town of Stillwater in the 1930s. The Poppers unexpectedly come into possession of a penguin, Captain Cook. The Poppers then receive a female penguin from the zoo, who mates with Captain Cook to have 10 baby penguins. Before long, something must be done, lest the penguins eat the Poppers out of house and home.
Wikipedia
The Little Prince
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Little Prince is a novella written and illustrated by French writer and military pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It was first published in English and French in the United States by Reynal & Hitchcock in April 1943 and was published posthumously in France following liberation; Saint-Exupéry’s works had been banned by the Vichy Regime. The story follows a young prince who visits various planets, including Earth, and addresses themes of loneliness, friendship, love, and loss. Despite its style as a children’s book, The Little Prince makes observations about life, adults, and human nature.
The Little Prince became Saint-Exupéry’s most successful work, selling an estimated 140 million copies worldwide, which makes it one of the best-selling in history. The book has been translated into over 505 different languages and dialects worldwide, being the second most translated work ever published, trailing only the Bible.
Wikipedia
The Ramona Series
by Beverly Cleary
The Ramona books are a series of eight humorous children’s novels by Beverly Cleary that center on Ramona Quimby, her family and friends.
Wikipedia
Wayside School
by Louis Sachar
Wayside School is a series of short story cycle children’s books written by Louis Sachar. Titles in the series include Sideways Stories from Wayside School (1978), Wayside School Is Falling Down (1989), Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger (1995), and Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom (2020). The books tell of a school where the contractor misread the blueprints and mistakenly built it sideways. As such the school was constructed as a 30-story skyscraper. The 19th floor was omitted from the plans.
Wikipedia
