The Book Next Door

Extra Easy Puzzles is just that - a book of photocopiable word puzzles for ESOL/EAL learners at Beginner C level - strong beginners who are confident at reading sentences and familiar with past tense as well as present.

The puzzles are based on the puzzles in mainstream magazines and puzzle books, and suitable for adult and young adult learners (as well as for younger learners). However, although the book is illustrated, it's not just 'picture puzzles' - the focus is on simple reading and language use.

There are wordfinds, crosswords, downwords, matching puzzles, quizzes and pair work puzzles. The book has teacher notes and answers, and the CD in the back of the book has a pdf of all the puzzles, for printing or projecting onto a whiteboard.

NEWS: You can now purchase a licence for the pdf version of this book from The Book Next Door PayHip store  OR you can still buy the original paperback version from your local language bookshop or library supplier.

There are sample pages for download here, as well as on the PayHip store.

I'm Cassie. I'm 14. I love shopping.

I'm Tom. I'm 10. I love food.

I'm John and this is Marissa. We love walking.

Welcome to Hope Street is a 'pre-beginner' (literacy) reader in the Hope Street series, leading on to beginner titles like Maybe Next Year, Six Stories from Hope Street, and The Garage Sale. Each 'story' in Welcome to Hope Street introduces a different neighbour, with sentences matched to illustrations.

The audio for this book has three versions: 'listen', 'read with the teacher' (extra slow version), and 'now you read'.

The Teacher's Guide and Workbook is a little different from the other books in the series, as the story pages are designed to be photocopied back to back and folded into booklet form (not visible in the sample pages, however).

At Pre-beginner level, Welcome to Hope Street should suit learners who are gaining confidence with reading short sentences on familiar topics.

You can find sample pages here.

NEWS: DIGITAL VERSION NOW AVAILABLE: You can now purchase a licence for a pdf and mp3 version of the Teacher's Guide from The Book Next Door PayHip store  OR you can still buy the original paperback version (and the small library books) from your local language bookshop or library supplier.

There are sample pages for download here, as well as on the PayHip store.

Can You Keep a Secret? is an elementary reader, the sequel to Life is Full of Surprises, set eighteen months later. It continues the story of George and his family:

At 9 o’clock, I walked slowly into my boss’s office.

She frowned a little. “George, I have some news, but it’s confidential. Do you understand?”

“I understand confidential,” I said. “Private. Don’t tell anyone. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Good,” she said.

George doesn’t like secrets. His boss tells him some exciting news, but he can’t tell anyone. His wife and children want to give him a surprise birthday party, but George doesn’t want a party.

Suddenly, he has a lot of secrets to keep…

This light-hearted (but thoughtful) story is available with audio CD, in both a story-only library version or as a photocopiable Teacher's Guide and Workbook, which contains the full story plus exercises, activities and teaching notes.

NEWS: DIGITAL VERSION NOW AVAILABLE: You can now purchase a licence for a pdf and mp3 version of the Teacher's Guide from The Book Next Door PayHip store  OR you can still buy the original paperback version (and the small library books) from your local language bookshop or library supplier.

There are sample pages for download here, as well as on the PayHip store.

The Coat is a pre-intermediate reader, set in Melbourne, and featuring the sometimes impetuous Anni.

I was shivering when I arrived at work. Sue, my boss, looked at my thin jacket.

“Anni, you need a good coat,” she said. She was wearing a thick red jacket. She looked wonderful. She always looked wonderful.

“I’m not really cold,” I said. It wasn’t true, but I didn’t have the money for a new coat.

When Anni moves to Melbourne, she’s cold, but she doesn’t have the money for a new coat. She wants to start a business, but she can’t get a bank loan. Her boyfriend wants to get married, but she’s not sure...

Then suddenly a borrowed coat changes everything.

The Coat is available with audio CD, in both a story-only library version or as a photocopiable Teacher's Guide and Workbook, which contains the full story plus exercises, activities and teaching notes.

NEWS: DIGITAL VERSION NOW AVAILABLE: You can now purchase a licence for a pdf and mp3 version of the Teacher's Guide from The Book Next Door PayHip store  OR you can still buy the original paperback version (and the small library books) from your local language bookshop or library supplier.

There are sample pages for download here, as well as on the PayHip store.