Good Reads

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Jess and Gregor live in a basement apartment. Gregor is a comedian and Jess is a struggling actor. The sudden death of their close friend Peter forces them to think about their lives. They stay up all night talking, loving, arguing. This is their night of truth. Who are they? What do they want? What do they mean to each other? Lexile level: HL330L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. One evening, Ivy goes out for dinner and meets Mark. At thirty, Ivy longs for her first real boyfriend. Her wish soon gets her into trouble. But Mark has stepped into trouble too. He has never known a woman like Ivy - and he never will again. Ivy makes sure of that.

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Paul Stone is an artist. One day, a beautiful woman named Zena walks into his studio. For Paul, it is love at first sight. Zena offers Paul a simple, but strange, job. When Paul takes the job, he steps into a world of trouble. Zena is mixed up with a crook. They are planning to steal three paintings. Paul finds himself dragged into an art theft worth $3 million. As time goes on, Paul learns he is being lied to, even by Zena. Will Paul stick to the plan? Who will end up with the money? And who will go to jail? Lexile level: HL520L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Sara used to be a back-up singer in a band. She left her singing career to raise a family. She is content with being a stay-at-home mom. Then, one Saturday, Sara's world changes. Sara and her family go to an outdoor music festival. There, on stage, Sara sees Jim, the lead singer from her old band. He invites her to sing with him. Being on stage brings back forgotten feelings for Sara - and for Jim. And Sara's husband Rob sure doesn't like what he sees. Sara also sees something else: a coyote. Learn how Coyote, the trickster spirit, turns Sara's life upside down. Lexile level: HL500L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Rose and her daughter Hazel are on the run in a big city. During the day, Rose and Hazel live in a shack hidden in the bushes. At night, they look for food in garbage bins. In the summer, living in the shack was like an adventure for Hazel. But now, winter is coming and the nights are cold. Hazel is starting to miss her friends and her school. Rose is trying to do the right thing for her daughter, but everything is going so wrong. Will Hazel stay loyal to her mother, or will she try to return to her old life? Lexile level: HL630L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Duncan is very angry. Tess, his wife, has turned their dining room into a library. Then disaster strikes: Tess gets sick, and soon Duncan is alone. Right away, he clears out the books he hates. Suddenly, things in the house start to move around by themselves. A strange message appears in the kitchen. Is the house haunted?

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. The year is 1920, and all of Mexico is at war with itself. Gangs of rebels roam the country, stealing money, food, and horses. Carlos is twenty-eight years old. He works in his father's cafe. One day, a gang rides into Carlo's village. When the gang leaves, they kidnap Carlos. Weeks later, the rebels and Carlos ride into the town of Rosita. Suddenly, Carlos is forced to make a life or death decision. He does so, though in a way that surprises everyone. Is Carlos a brave man or a coward? It is a question that takes him a lifetime to answer. Lexile level: HL590L

Wish you could find a money book that doesn't make your eyes glaze over or your brain hurt? Easy Money is for you. Gail knows you work hard for your money, so in her usual honest and practical style she will show you how to make your money work for you. Budgeting, saving, and getting your debt paid off have never been so easy to understand or to do. Follow Gail's plan and take control of your money. This book is a quick and easy read for people on the go. Lexile level: 890L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Missing is based on a true story. Luc Caron lives in northern France during World War I. One day, he sees three airplanes fighting in the sky. Luc watches in horror as a plane flips over and the pilot falls to his death. Luc is the only witness. The Greenwoods own an apple farm in Canada. Their son, a pilot, has been missing for 11 years. In 1928, they receive a package from England. The package contains a letter and three objects found at the site of a plane crash. How is the mystery of the missing pilot solved, bringing peace to Luc and to the pilot's parents? Lexile level: HL710L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Kathy Brown suddenly wakes up. Was that a noise in the house, or part of her dream? In her dream, Kathy was about to kiss Michael, her high school boyfriend. Her husband, Jack, lies beside her, snoring. Michael is exciting. Jack is boring. When Kathy hears the noise again, she gets up. Then she hears whispers. Then she feels a gun at her head. Two men are in the house. Kathy and her husband face a living nightmare. Kathy must also face her real feelings about her husband. The outcome surprises everyone, most of all Kathy herself. Lexile level: HL530L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Annie runs a bed and breakfast. She has lived alone since her husband died five years ago. Now, she wishes for someone to love. One morning Brent, a guest, walks into her life. Her heart skips a beat. Handsome, charming, well dressed - will Brent turn out to be the man of her dreams? Lexile level: HL470L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Marcus and Alex have two things in common, they each have a broken heart and a plan. Marcus wants to win back his girlfriend. He is ready to stage a break-in for her. Eleven-year-old Alex wants to find his father's killer. He has a gun and may be ready to use it. When Marcus and Alex cross paths, they make a mess. But in a strange way, they also begin to understand each other. The Break-In is a funny story about finding brotherhood in dark times.

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Liz invites her sister, Roma, and two friends to dinner. The four women have something important in common: they are hearing daughters of deaf parents. Each woman brings an old family picture to the table. Each tells a story about her picture. Roma has always felt alone and different. As a child, she had to "listen and tell." Roma became the listener because her mother could not hear. But by the end of the evening, Roma knows she is not alone. She and the other women learn that growing up with deaf parents has given them rare and special gifts. LExile level: HL610L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Early one Saturday morning, Mike's phone rings. “Nice day for a little kayak trip, eh?" says the deep, echoing voice. "But I wouldn't go out if I were you." Mike's business is guiding visitors on kayak tours around the islands off the west coast. This weekend, he'll be taking Liz, his new cook, and two strangers on a kayak tour. Soon, his phone rings again. "I'm watching you," the caller says. "Stay home." Mike and the others set off on their trip, but the stalker secretly follows them. Who is he? What will he do? The Stalker will keep you guessing until the end. Lexile level: HL540L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Tribb has always been a thinker, not a doer. But he needs to do something about the mice in his house, and fast. Linda, his wife, hates those mice. If only Tribb could get rid of the nasty little things. Then Linda might be happy again. Maybe even fall in love with him again. Tribb has his troubles, all right. Mouse trouble. Marriage trouble. In the end, though, Tribb solves his problems. Or does he? Lexile level: HL610L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. Tommy lives with his family in Ajax, a small town close to Toronto. His parents are Ismaili Muslims who immigrated to Canada before Tommy was born. Tommy, a shy, chubby seventeen-year-old, feels like an outsider. The arrest of a terrorist group in Toronto turns Tommy's world upside down. No one noticed him before. Now, he experiences the sting of racism at the local coffee shop where he works part-time. A group of young men who hang out at the coffee shop begin to bully him. In spite, Tommy commits an act of revenge against the group's ringleader. The repercussions of that act go further than Tommy ever imagined. HL690L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. On New Year's Eve, Dixie and her husband Grady set off on a car trip. They plan to visit Grady's family, five hours away. But soon they're caught in a blizzard. They turn off the highway and go to their friend Ron's house. Both Grady and Ron are RCMP officers. When Ron must go out on duty, Grady goes with him. Dixie spends the evening sharing secrets with a couple of other RCMP wives. By midnight, Dixie has learned a thing or two about marriage, and about love. New Year's Eve leads to a turning point for Dixie and Grady. And a new road for them both. Lexile level: HL480L

This high-interest, low-vocabulary novella is intended for adult basic education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) readers. A retired police detective tells a story from his family's history. On a cold winter morning in 1873, a crowd gathers on the shore of a Nova Scotia fishing village. A stormy sea has thrown a ship onto the rocks. The villagers work bravely to save the ship's crew. But many die. When young Will Murdoch and the local priest examine the bodies, they discover gold and diamonds. They suspect that the shipwreck was not responsible for all of the deaths. With the priest's help, Will- who grows up to be a famous detective- solves his first mystery.