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Stories in Action!


Award-winning French-language teacher/author Jacqueline Kelly, multi-talented educator and songwriter Matt Maxwell, creator/author of the AIM Wendy Maxwell, and David Cameron teamed-up to design a series of readers for ESL students. These readers – designed for shared and guided reading – help students develop their language and literacy skills. All of the readers seamlessly incorporate cultural and thematic elements in their simple but captivating narratives. These stories emphasize the utmost importance of treating each other and the Earth with kindness and respect. The readers are divided into levels according to student's age and reading ability.

Discount information (any combination of titles):
• 10 or more readers: 10% discount
• 20 or more readers: 15% discount

Please confirm discounts by phone: 1-800-668-6288

Readers for Elementary Students

Andrew and his Family

andrew
Story: Matt Maxwell
Illustrations: Adrien Deggan

View an excerpt from this reader

This story takes place in Québec in the early 18th century. A family of pioneers are settling into rural life. One day the family goes off into the woods to pick berries. Seven-year-old Andrew gets separated from his older sister and his parents. A young Huron boy finds him and returns him to his thankful family. Suitable for all elementary students with a basic fluency.


Albert the Acrobat

Story: Matt Maxwell
Illustrations: Jana Tublinshlak

View an excerpt from this reader

Albert is a 12-year-old boy who lives in Belize, in the city of Belmopan. This talented young fellow uses his acrobatic skills to earn money with which he buys his mother a birthday present. This story can used as a point de départ for a whole range of activities, including ones that focus on Caribbean francophone culture, and on poverty and social-justice issues.


Stephanie's Adventure

steph
Story: Matt Maxwell
Illustrations: Jana Tublinshlak

View an excerpt from this reader

Stephanie is an 11-year-old girl who is a resident of a small town in northern Quebec. The town folk decide to put on a Festival du Voyageur. Stephanie becomes bored with the cultural activities – the singing and dancing, the costumes, the sugaring off – and wanders down to the riverside, where she gets in one of the Voyageurs’ canoes. The canoe gets caught in the rapids; only the heroic actions of a young villager save the day. Stephanie comes away from her adventure infinitely more appreciative of the community of which she is a part.


Manigan the Giant

manigan
Story: Jacqueline Kelly
Illustrations: Jana Tublinshlak

View an excerpt from this reader

Manigan is a gentle giant and steward of the Earth who uses his bounty to aid those in need. He helps a couple of people who unfortunately take advantage of his kindness and eat up his stores of food. When the giant becomes weak, the couple realize that they have to give back to the one who has given them so much– they nurture Manigan back to health. This tale, which evokes First Nations wisdom, is a parable that reminds us of the need to treat our world with respect, and not just as something to be viewed as a resource for human consumption.


Prince Gimee-Gimee

gimee Story: Jacqueline Kelly
Illustrations: Jana Tubinshlak

View an excerpt from this reader

Prince Albert has been brought up in the lap of luxury. The more material goods he has, the less satisfied he feels; because of his greedy nature, he becomes known as Prince Gimme-Gimme. One day, while speeding on his motorbike, he almost runs over an old man; this event triggers a sense of remorse in him and causes him to re-evaluate his life. One night, looking up at the stars, Prince Albert decides to become a space explorer. He heads off into the heavens in his spaceship. Years later, he returns to his home with his new-found alien friends.


Simon the Grump

simon Story: Jacqueline Kelly
Illustrations: Adrien Deggan

View an excerpt from this reader

Simon is a somewhat peculiar boy who loves rain, snow, sleet and wind, and despises sunny, pleasant weather. One day he is swept up into the air by a ferocious hurricane. As he is flying through the sky, he notices a baby that has also been caught up in the wind. Risking his own safety, he rescues the child and returns him to his mother. He is heralded by the villagers as a hero. Simon the Grump becomes Simon my friend. This book is written in verse.


 

Readers for Junior High School Students

Ali and the Rain

ali
Story: David Cameron
Illustration: Jana Tubinshlak

View an excerpt from this reader

Ali lives in a North African village with his wife, Nadia. One day he decides to clean his water tank, a job that he has not done for ten years during which time his waistline has expanded considerably. His problems start when he has trouble fitting through the opening at the top of the tank; then he is attacked by mosquitoes and finally, when rain starts to fill the tank, he remembers that he does not know how to swim. Nadia has been practising her dance routine during this time so has not heard his cries for help, but eventually she arrives and rescues him from drowning.


Mad Mabel's Christmas

mabel

Story: David Cameron
Illustrations: Adrien Deggan

View an excerpt from this reader

This is a touching story about an intergenerational relationship between a young girl and a very old woman who lives in a dump.
Mad Mabel teaches Anne many lessons through this story, including a sense of responsibility for others, kindness, love and friendship. She teaches Anna that people are not always what they appear to be on the outside. This story is sure to capture your student's hearts. It is the first in our series of short novels for adolescents in the series Stories inAction!

 

 

Order Online
  Product Code          Product                                                Price
672379009092
ESL 3A Reader Mad Mabel
$ 11.50
Qty:

672379009207
ESL Reader Albert the Acrobat
$ 11.50
Qty:

672379009184
ESL Reader Ali and the Rain
$ 11.50
Qty:

672379009191
ESL Reader Andrew and his Family
$ 11.50
Qty:

672379009214
ESL Reader Minigan the Giant
$ 11.50
Qty:

672379009221
ESL Reader Prince Gimee Gimee
$ 11.50
Qty:

672379009238
ESL Reader Simon the Grump
$ 11.50
Qty:

672379009245
ESL Reader Stephanie's Adventure
$ 11.50
Qty:


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