Activities from new Penguin Readers

There are some exciting new titles in the Penguin Readers range. Discover some of the new books and support your English language learning by using the activities below.

1) The Happy Prince

Look at the picture from page 15 of the book.

Think about this statue of the prince. How would you describe it to a partner? Make a short note of your description.

2) Godfather

Read the first page of chapter one. Can you show your understanding of the three paragraphs by giving each one a title?

1.
2.
3.

Use this as a study skills strategy whilst you are reading online or with a paper-based book. After each page or chapter, write a summary title to help you remember the most important parts of the book. Remember, a title is a short and effective way to summarise and show your understanding.

3) The Talented Mr Ripley

Have a look at the Note about the story then answer the questions below:

• Why did most people travel by ship rather than plane?
• How can you compare this to current times? How do most people travel nowadays?
• What are the main reasons that travel is so different today?

4) Pig Heart Boy

Read the blurb for Pig Heart Boy below. Can you make any predictions about what will happen in the book?

Based on your own understanding of the blurb, what would be a good title for this book?

5) The Summer I Turned Pretty

Have a look at some of the key words from this book. Can you connect the words together? What predictions can you make about the book from these pictures?

Have a look at this extract from chapter 7 in the book.

The extract is about a 16th birthday party. What do you think would be an ideal 16th birthday party?
Is the birthday party described in this extract boring?
Make an note in the space below for the most important elements needed for a fun 16th birthday party.

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

6) Alice in Wonderland

Have a look at the first paragraph from chapter one of this book.

Do you agree with Alice, “A book with no pictures is not good”.
What reasons can you give to justify your answer?

Have a look at this picture from the book, can you write a short description underneath it?