Hello! This is Teacher Wen Hee from Lil’ but Mighty (Marine Parade branch). When was the last time you were motivated to pick up a book and read? Don’t worry 🤗 if it’s been a while. For many of us, it is hard to carve out time to read when we have such busy schedules, even though it may be something we really enjoy. However, this June holiday, I hope that you will have the time to indulge in this habit again. For those of you who do not enjoy reading, I hope that this blog post will help to change your mind because if you resonate with the content being covered, it might spur you to pick up a book to find out more about the contents covered in the book! 📕 In this post, we’ll also be sharing some personalised book recommendations to get you started on your reading journey.
As a habit, reading is highly beneficial. As you progress through your education, dear students, cultivating a love for reading becomes increasingly important. Books not only enhance literacy skills but also broaden your horizons, allowing you to explore and express yourself in many ways. It helps you to grow your vocabulary as well as your imagination. It can also be a form of relaxation when you take a break from your regular schedule and mentally escape from everyday stresses, especially so when you are reading a genre you are passionate about.
To get you started on your reading journey, here are some highly recommended English books that are engaging, educational, and culturally relevant for your leisure and learning! 📚
1. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
This classic literature series begins with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The series consists of 7 books in total and here is a short summary that sums up what the first book is all about:
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the four Pevensie children – Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy – are evacuated from London during WWII to live in a large mansion in the country owned by the eccentric Professor Kirk. On one rainy day, the children decided to explore the house. Lucy, the youngest sibling, chances upon an enormous wardrobe filled with fur coats in a deserted room and steps into it. As she moves to the back of the wardrobe, she discovers the word of Narnia, stuck in a perpetual winter. She meets a goat-legged man named Mr Tumnus. He tells her about the evil White Witch who has enchanted Narnia so that it is always winter, and how the spell can be broken with the help of four human children. Although Lucy’s siblings did not believe her at first, the four Pevensiee siblings eventually enter Narnia together and encounter Aslan, the true king of Narnia. Together, they fight the White Witch to put an end to her wicked regime.
The next six books in the series continue the adventures in Narnia, and are filled with magic, talking animals, epic battles and important life lessons about courage, friendship, and sacrifice. The rich narrative will inspire young readers and captivate their imagination.
There have been several television and movie adaptations of the series, especially for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Netflix is also developing a new live-action adaptation of the Chronicles of Narnia, which is scheduled to be released in cinemas in November 2026. Do check them out if you are interested in watching the story come alive on the big screen. If you prefer to watch it in the comfort of your living room, you can find the entire Narnia Chronicles collection on Disney+. Here is the trailer for the 2005 Disney adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe:
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games is a science-fiction trilogy with a two recent prequels being added to the series called The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping.
In the first book, readers are introduced to Katniss Everdeen who tells the story of a dominating Capitol that repressively rules the twelve satellite Districts of Panem, enslaving the populations as workers and controlling them through hunger.
Every year, each District is forced to send a girl and a boy – known as tributes – to compete in an annual Hunger Games, where the tributes will fight each other to the death in a televised battle watched across the Districts. The first novel follows Katniss as she struggles to survive the Games. The next two books explore how Katniss eventually leads a rebellion against the oppressive Capitol in the fight for freedom and an end to the Hunger Games.
If you enjoy stories with realistic characterisation and thrilling plot moments, do give this series a try. Other than Katniss who is smart, resourceful and independent, the trilogy is populated with many interesting side characters such as the villainous President Snow and Katniss’ grumpy mentor, Haymitch Abernathy. Not only is the trilogy filled with twists and cliffhangers, but you will also encounter powerful themes, for example the inequality between rich and poor, and the use of suffering as entertainment, topics that are wholly relevant in our modern world.
Moreover, you can also check out the movie adaptations of all the books, especially if you are more of a fan of relieving the story through a movie instead of reading the books (although I do highly recommend that you read the books too!). Here is the trailer for The Hunger Games which came out in 2022:
3. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Wonder is a beautifully written story that teaches empathy and kindness through the eyes of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences. This book is great for older primary students as it challenges them to look beyond appearances and encourages them to embrace differences, making it a timely read in multicultural Singapore.
The story starts with the narrator, August (or Auggie as his family calls him) telling the reader: My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.
With such an arresting opening, Wonder takes us on a moving and inspiring journey as we witness Auggie’s first year at school and how the other children treat him.
He goes through good as well as bad times, and towards the end of the story, we learn how a tense event that unfolds during a school camp changes things completely.
This book comes highly recommended as it has won numerous awards and honours, including the Maine Student Book Award and the Vermont’s Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award, both voted on by students. These awards show how relatable the book is for students, and how it has touched their hearts with its themes of empathy and kindness for people who are different from us, and showing bravery in the face of challenges.
You can also watch the 2017 movie adaptation of the book to better understand the story. Here’s the trailer:
*BONUS*
4. Atomic Habits by James Clear
For more advance readers, you may consider reading this book. It is a comprehensive, practical guide on how to change your habits and get 1% better everyday.
If you have ever wondered whether making small changes in your daily activities can affect how you live your life, then this book is definitely for you. The book sets out to show you that achieving success does not necessarily mean needing to take massive steps but rather on making small but consistent ones. It uses a framework called the Four Laws of Behaviour Change which teaches readers how to cultivate good habits and avoid bad ones.
For a quick summary of what the book entails, watch the following video:
Students can use this book as a reference point to help be more disciplined especially when it comes to routines, be it for homework, study, play etc. Since the book encourages focusing on making small changes to your routine and building these positive habits around things you enjoy, I believe that it is something that everyone can apply easily in their lives in order to achieve personal and academic growth. Do consider giving it a read if you have the chance!
The bottom line is, encouraging children to read is essential for their cognitive and emotional development. The above book recommendations offer a diverse range of topics and themes for students’ enjoyment, and I do encourage all of you to check them out or add them to your to-read list. Should you have any book recommendations, do feel free to share them in the comments section below! If you like our content, do remember to check out the other blog posts, videos for more English tips! See you in the next post 🙂 Bye!
You can find Teacher Wen Hee in our English Tution centre at: 1 Marine Parade, #04-05 Parkway Centre, Singapore 449408
