Speak English Brazil  

Reading Tips / Dicas de Leitura Com Tradução em Português  

 

 

Introduction / Introdução 

Every book or author in my list of 10 fits the list of criteria I have for reading books in 

foreign languages when I'm at an intermediate level. If you're lost in the search to find 

something to read, hopefully this guideline will help you narrow your search!  

Todo livro ou autor na minha lista de 10 se encaixa na lista de critérios que tenho para ler livros

em idiomas estrangeiros quando estou com um nível intermediário. Se você está perdido na

busca para encontrar algo para ler, espero que esta diretriz o ajude a restringir sua pesquisa! 

 

 

  

My Guideline for Choosing Books / Minha Orientação para Escolher Livros 

I take 3 things into consideration when I'm picking books in a foreign language.  

Eu levo 3 coisas em consideração quando eu estou escolhendo livros em uma língua estrangeira. 

___________ 

#1. Genre, reviews and recommendations / Gênero, reviews e recomendações 

I choose books I've already read (for comprehension), books recommended by other 

language learners OR books found on GoodReads above 4.0 stars in the 4th-6th grade level 

(10-12 year olds).  

Eu escolho os livros que já li (para a compreensão), livros recomendados por outros 

aprendentes de línguas OU livros encontrados em GoodReads acima de 4,0 estrelas no 4º-6º ano 

(10-12 anos). 

Apart from novels written for 10-12 year olds, I look for non-fiction books written in the 

first person (to improve the way I talk and think about myself and life), novels by authors 

who write simplistically (ex. Paulo Coelho) or crime books (to improve conversation).   

Além de romances escritos para crianças de 10 a 12 anos, procuro livros de não ficção escritos 

em primeira pessoa (para melhorar a maneira como falo e pensar sobre mim e a vida), 

romances de autores que escrevem de forma simplista (ex Paulo Coelho) ou livros de crime 

(para melhorar a conversação). 

___________ 

#2. Extensive Reading: Look up max. 4-5 words per page or fewer  

When I'm in a bookstore and want to know if a book is a good choice, I flip to the middle of 

the book, read one page and count the number of words I don't know. If I need to look up 

more than the 4-5 words to understand the context, reading is not fun, it's work. Being able 

to immerse oneself in a story can improve the learning experience. Flow = Fun = Learning. 

Intensive reading should be left for articles.  

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Quando eu estou em uma livraria e quero saber se um livro é uma boa escolha, folhei ao meio 

do livro, leio uma página e conto o número de palavras que não conheço. Se eu precisar 

procurar mais do que 4-5 palavras para entender o contexto, a leitura não é divertida, é 

trabalho. Ser capaz de mergulhar em uma história pode melhorar a experiência de 

aprendizagem. Flow = Fun = Learning. A leitura intensiva deve ser deixada para artigos. 

___________ 

#3 Limit the Length of the Book to 250 pages / Limite o comprimento do livro 

para 250 páginas: 

Everytime I finish a chapter in a foreign language a great sense of accomplishment sweeps 

over me. Unfortunately, if a book is very long the likelihood of finishing it decreases due to 

lack of time, loss of interest, etc. As a result, I feel bad about myself. I don't risk it; I normally 

choose books under 250 pages.  

 

Toda vez que eu terminar um capítulo em uma língua estrangeira, eu me sinto um grande senso 

de sucesso. Infelizmente, se um livro é muito longo, a probabilidade de terminá-lo diminui 

devido à falta de tempo, perda de interesse, etc. Como resultado, eu me sinto mal comigo 

mesmo. Não arrisco; Normalmente escolho livros com menos de 250 páginas. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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#1: The Alchemist / The Pilgrimage / 11 Minutes  Paulo Coelho  Talk about an easy author to read! I read his books in German, French, Spanish and Portuguese at an intermediate level and I felt like I was fluent:)  

 

#2: Eat Pray Love / Big Magic / Commitment  Elizabeth Gilbert   She writes in the first person in a very natural way, talking about everyday life and situations. This style of writing can help you express yourself in everyday life or even start your own journal in English!  

 

#3: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and James and the Giant Peach  Roald Dahl   Roald Dahl books helped my reading ability drastically when I was at an basic-intermediate level in Spanish. I read the three books above and learned very useful words for everyday life.  

 

#4: The Chronicles of Narnia (The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, etc.)  C.S. Lewis  The Chronicles of Narnia are great although I must admit a little bit more difficult to understand than Roald Dahl due to extravagant vocabulary. Still a very good recommendation. 

 

#5: The Giver, Number the Stars Lois Lowry   Great books. The Giver was my favorite book when I was in 5th grade and Number the Stars was the favorite of many of my friends. These are great for ANY age level.   

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#6: The Secret Life of Bees  Sue Monk Kidd  I read this book in 5th grade and really liked it. Apart from great character development, it reflects on relationships between women and race in the South during the 1950s.  

 

#7 Outliers, Blink, The Tipping Point  Malcom Gladwell   Malcom Gladwell is a journalist who packs his books with stories and interesting perspectives on life. A few of my students have read his books and found them interesting and understandable.   Other journalistic works: Tim Ferris Books, 4-hour work week, Lean Start-up etc.  

 

#7: Ella Enchanted  Gale Carson Levine  I was obsessed with this book as a child. I don't know how many of you will pick it up, but if you want to expand your "fairy tale" vocabulary, this is the book to do so!  

 

#8 Bridge to Terabithia  Katherine Paterson   Many kids liked this series at school. It's well written and can be read at any age level and enjoyed from my opinion. Afterwards, consider watching the movie in English to repeat vocabulary (on Netflix).  

 

#10 Belle Prater's Boy  Ruth White   Hard to say why I remember this story so well, I read it when I was 11! The unique storyline and thoughts of the narrator made it an unforgettable read.  

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Recommendations from my friends: 

I asked my friends what their favorite books were when they read from 10-12 years old. 

Here is what they recommended:  

 

● Adventure: The Phantom Tollbooth, Harry Potter 

● Modern: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Freak the Mighty, Dork Diaries, The Hunger 

Games, Twilight. DC Supergirls, The Amulet Series 

● Mystery: Nancy Drew, Goosebumps, The Hardy Boys 

● Classics: Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Diary of Anne Frank, Around the World 

in 80 Days, Anne of Green Gables, Number the Stars, Swiss Family Robinson and 

The Secret Garden, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Cay, The Hatchet, Call it 

Courage. 

● Others: Holes, Brian’s Winter, Harris and Me, Redwall Series, The Golden 

Compass Series, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, The Ramona Series, 

James Patterson’s Middle School series 

 

I hope this helps you in some way! If you have any questions, leave a note in the comments.  

Espero que isso ajuda você de alguma forma! Se você tiver alguma dúvida, deixe uma nota nos

comentários. 

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