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Quick reads

Quick reads are short, sharp shots of entertainment; as fast and furious as an action film, as thrilling as a theme park ride; brilliantly written books by bestselling writers and celebrities. Don't have the time to read a full novel? Like to try something new? Brushing up on your reading skills? Give quick reads a go.

There are more Gatehouse books and Quick Reads to choose from, single copies of titles can be found by looking at the online catalogue or by speaking to a member of staff.

Author Title Publisher Number of copies Notes
Ahmed, Nazira The Custom of Marrying Cousins

Gatehouse

Dual language English and Urdu

12 This brave, thought-provoking and sensitively written book raises issues surrounding the custom of marrying cousins. An adult beginner readers for ESOL use. Dual Language - in English and Urdu.
Affridi, Zahida

Taking Some Honey Home

Gatehouse

Dual language English and Punjabi

12 This is Zahida’s delightful story of how she returns to the village where she grew up in Pakistan. This dual language book - in English and Punjabi - is an adult beginner reader for ESOL use.
Ashraf, Tabassum

First Day in College

Gatehouse

Dual language English and Hindi

 

12 This is a fun story which captures beautifully the naivety of a young girl starting out in life. This dual language book - in English and Hindi - is an an adult beginner reader for ESOL use. .
Barrow, Carol Fresh Pickings Gatehouse 12 An endearing tale about life in a bygone age when children’s pleasure came from being outside, picking fresh fruit, making a pie and being with neighbours. Part of the Food for Thought Series.
Bassett, Jennifer Changing Their Skies: Stories from Africa Oxford Bookworms

15

The stories in this volume come from Malawi, South Africa, and Tanzania by African writers Steve Chimombo, Farida Karodia, and M.G. Vassanji. (Oxford Bookworms Stage 2)
Beharrie, Mavis

Don't Give Up

Gatehouse 12 Mavis shows great determination to pass her driving test. This emotional journey, with a strong message that persistence pays in the end, is an adult beginner reader.
Bromley, Pauline That Smile Gatehouse 12 At the tender age of 15, a young girl is raped by her father’s friend. When she discovers she is pregnant, her family turn against her. Pauline has never forgotten her baby and, 36 years on, she decides to try and find the daughter who was so cruelly taken from her against her will. An adult beginner reader.
Burgess, Melvin

Billy Elliot

Scholastic

13 Billy's good at something for the first time in his life and he won't give it up easily, despite his immediate family's perilous financial woes.
Collier, Catrin

Black-eyed Devils

Quick Reads

13

One look was enough. Amy Watkins and miner 'Big' Tom Kelly are in love. But can they keep their feelings secret or face the threat of death in a community torn apart by the miners' strike?
Cox, Josephine

Girl on the Platform

Quick Reads

12

Best mates Mark and Pete board a train to London for their lads' night out. As Pete finds a seat he notices a girl sitting on a bench. She looks sad and lonely. When the train leaves, he can't get her out of his mind because in her, he has seen a glimpse of himself.

Dickens, Charles

A Christmas Carol

Macmillan Heinemann ELT

16

Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old skinflint. He hates everyone, especially children. But at Christmas three ghosts come to visit him, scare him into mending his ways, and he finds, as he celebrates with Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and their family, that geniality brings its own reward.
Dickens, Charles Great Expectations Green Apple 13 The story of Pip, a poor village lad, and his expectations of wealth is Dickens at his most deliciously readable. The cast of characters includes kindly Joe Gargery, the loyal convict Abel Magwitch and the haunting Miss Havisham.
Fay Listen to me: Talking Survival Gatehouse 12 Hard-hitting and intensely readable, the writer tells the story of a woman looking back on being sexually abused as a child. She goes on to show how she copes with this experience as an adult. Disturbing, moving and powerful, this book is especially useful to those in women’s health groups and social services.

Furr, Mark (editor)

Bookworms Club Bronze: Stories for Reading Circles

Oxford Bookworms 14

These short stories from Oxford Bookworms include story introductions, author information, and suggest activities for each story. Resources include photocopiable Role Sheets and Reading Schedule Chart, and Expansion Activities.

Furr, Mark (editor)

 

Bookworms Club Silver: Stories for Reading Circles

Oxford Bookworms

15

These short stories from Oxford Bookworms have a unique set of resources and information for running successful Reading Circles.

Grenko, Victor

A Guide to the Monsters of the Mind

Gatehouse 10

This series of snapshots about personal feelings and well-being is a stimulus for discussion, writing and the visual arts.

Harber, Stephen Born Twice (with a spider on her head) Gatehouse 12 Born Twice is a poignant exploration of the fragility of life. A road accident leaves five year old Hayley fighting for her life. When she leaves the hospital, the family must come to terms with the fact that she has permanent brain damage.

Hardy-Gould, Janet

Henry VIII and his Six Wives

Oxford Bookworms

15

It was a dangerous, uncertain life to be the wife of a king. After the king's death in 1547, his sixth wife finds a box of old letters - one from each of the first five wives. They are sad, angry, frightened letters. They tell the story of what it was like to be the wife of Henry VIII of England.
Holden, Frances

Keep Your Hair On

Gatehouse 12 When Frances and Kathleen went out for the night on Christmas Eve, they thought it would be an ordinary evening. Then something unexpected happened.
Holden, Frances Por Los Pelos

Gatehouse

Dual language English and Spanish

12 Por Los Pelos is a dual language version of Keep Your Hair On, with text printed on facing pages in English and Spanish. When Frances and Kathleen went out for the night on Christmas Eve, they thought it would be an ordinary evening. Then something unexpected happened.
Hughes, Sian and Affi M

A Song for Carrying Water

Gatehouse

Some sections translated into Somali

12 Somali women delight in telling traditional folk tales to their children. Escape into a completely different world - you will be fascinated by ‘Dhag-Dheer’, the witch with one ear who eats little boys and Arawelo, the man-hating warrior queen. There are vivid accounts of nomad life in East Africa, and life as a refugee in present-day Britain. Sections of the book are translated into Somali.
Garvey, Jane The Diet Gatehouse 12 A simple story in poem form, suitable for complete beginners, along the lines of that all too familiar theme of battling the bulge.
Kennedy, Ricky

The Dog Hole

Gatehouse

12 Ricky is invited to his mate’s house after school and gets quite a shock. He realises that his own situation isn’t quite so bad after all, and starts to appreciate his own family.

Various

The Sun Book of Short Stories

Quick Reads

12

To celebrate the launch of Quick Reads in 2006, The Sun ran a short story competition called 'Get Britain Reading' in order to find the hidden talent among its millions of readers. This book contains a selection of the winning entries. They may make you smile, laugh or cry - but all of them are sure to entertain you.
Osborne, G and Morgan, L Fear and Longing Gatehouse 12 This book will change the way you think about bullying, school phobia and school refusal, whether you are a child, a parent, a teacher or therapist. Gemma had regularly absented herself from school because she was afraid of bullies. Over a period of years this developed into a phobic reaction that she could not control. Gemma was eventually referred for clinical psychology intervention because of her significant level of depression.
Newsham, Eric Life on the Buses Gatehouse 12 A light-hearted account of Eric’s job as a bus conductor, working with Trevor, his driver mate. Caroline Jariwala’s delightful, comic illustrations really bring Eric’s story to life.
Newsham, Eric Not so Bothered Gatehouse 12 A day out shopping ends in disaster. Eric gives a vivid yet amusing account of his eventful journey home and reflects on his feelings of helplessness.
Paillier, Julia

Mehdi's Story

Gatehouse 12 A young man flees his native Afghanistan in the back of a truck, in search of safety in Canada. Tricked by the very people he hoped would save him, Mehdi embarks on a new life in England.
Phillips, Fiona A Day to Remember Gatehouse 13 A Day to Remember is a successful business but, when her husband runs away with their receptionist, Jo is left to pick up the pieces. Bookings are a mess and who'll drive the limo now Steve has scarpered? It not just her marriage breakdown that Jo has to content with but local garage mechanic Matt comes to the rescue. This work presents a modern romantic comedy about love, loyalty and limos.
Rankin, Ian A Cool Head Quick Reads 12 Gravy worked in the graveyard - hence the name. He was having a normal day until his friend Benjy turned up in a car Gravy didn't recognise. Benjy had a bullet hole in his chest, but lived just long enough to ask Gravy to hide him and look after his gun.
Richards, Justin

Code of the Krillitanes

Quick Reads 36 Can eating a bag of crisps really make you more clever? The company that makes the crisps says so, and they seem to be right. But Doctor Who is worried. Who would want to make people more brainy? And why? With just his sonic screwdriver and a supermarket trolley full of crisps, the Doctor sets out to find the truth.

Stevenson, Robert Louis

Treasure Island

Macmillan Heinemann ELT

13 Twelve-year-old Jim Hawkins sails with Squire Trelawney, Dr Livesey and Captain Smollett on the Hispaniola to search for Captain Flint's treasure. But Long John Silver is on board too, and he and his friends want the treasure for themselves.
Tagoe, Rebecca T

Trader

Gatehouse 12 Trader is a fascinating story about buying and selling cloth in Ghana. This is Rebecca’s vivid account of coming to England and finding that opportunities for women are very different than back in her homeland. The book includes hand drawn maps of Africa and the world.
Thompson, Jean

Me and My Shadow

Gatehouse 12 Jean's funny account of life with her faithful dog, Shadow. Shadow's love for water gets her into lots of trouble. This is an easy beginner reader for dog lovers everywhere.

Torr, Sue

Secrets

Gatehouse 12 Sue was a dinner lady when, at the age of 38, she finally admitted that she couldn't read or write. Secrets is an autobiographical account of the difficulties she faced in a life without literacy. It has been designed for both beginner and confident readers, with standard text on the left-hand page and a simplified text on the facing page. Secrets also makes fascinating reading for children of primary and secondary school age.
Various Chipping in Gatehouse 10 A collection of three skilful and amusing short plays for reading aloud. The plots centre on a wedding, a courtroom drama and the survivors of a plane crash on a desert island. A useful introduction charts the writers’ approach to working collectively and encourages others to try their hand at writing.
Various

Working Lives

Gatehouse 12 Ordinary people’s experiences at work make fascinating reading. Some of the stories are amusing anecdotes, while others are more serious accounts covering issues such as immigration.
Various

The Power From Within

Gatehouse 12 Inspired first and foremost by their children, the writers of this beautifully rendered collection speak frankly about the issues they face being parents of black children. The writing is heartfelt and powerful and challenges the negative stereotypes which are all too evident in modern-day Britain

Various

Tales from The Thousand and One Nights

Black Cat 15 A selection from the famous collection of Oriental stories known as the One Thousand and One Nights, including the classic favourites Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Sindbad the Sailor. Travel through the streets of old Baghdad, around luxurious palaces and fragrant gardens in India, to desert islands in the China seas… all in the company of kings, sultans, princesses, merchants, enchanted horses, sailors and thieves.
Various

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Penguin 15 Elizabeth lives on a Caribbean island, a very dangerous place. A young blacksmith is interested in her, but pirates are interested too. Where do the pirates come from and what do they want? Is there really a curse on their ship? And why can t they enjoy their gold? (Penguin Readers Level 2)
Various

Write about… bullying

Gatehouse 13 This collection of stories, poems and images is inspired by experiences of bullying. The strength, humour and sensitivity evident in these writings inspires us all by showing how even the most traumatic experience can shape a person into becoming stronger than they could have imagined.
Various

On the job: Car mechanic

Gatehouse 12 The first title in the new On The Job series features James, a successful young car mechanic who is a great role model for aspiring young engineers. James tells us about his training, career path, day-to-day job and his ambitions for the future.

If you would like to print this out, you can download this set of Medway Readers' quick reads (pdf 89KB). To use this file you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this on your computer, please use our advice page.

For more information contact Medway Libraries by telephone: 01634 337799 / TextRelay 18001 01634 333333 or by email: chatham.library@medway.gov.uk

Write to: Medway Libraries, Chatham Community Hub, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TX

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