ABC Life Literacy Canada, in partnership with Grass Roots Press, and with support from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, launched the first six (of 12) titles in the innovative Good Reads series for adult literacy learners.
"Being able to connect adult learners to bestselling Canadian authors is an incredibly powerful experience for all involved," said Margaret Eaton, President of ABC Life Literacy Canada.
Good Reads is a series of fiction and non-fiction titles written by outstanding Canadian authors, expressly for adult literacy learners. The short, easy-to-read books (about 100 pages) use simple vocabulary and sentence structure, allowing for immediate reader engagement in the story.
The Good Reads book series is written for the approximately 16% of working-age Canadians, those between 16 and 65 years of age, whose reading skills approximate a grade 6 reading level or lower (according to the 2005 International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey). Written with adult characters, perspectives, themes and subjects, Good Reads are a resource to help these Canadians improve their reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary as well as increase their reading confidence.
Acclaimed Canadian authors with Good Reads books include: Gail Anderson-Dargatz (The Stalker); Deborah Ellis (In From the Cold); Maureen Jennings (Shipwreck); Rabindranath Maharaj (The Picture of Nobody); Louise Penny (The Hangman); and Gail Vaz-Oxlade (Easy Money). Good Reads books by Joseph Boyden, Marina Endicott, Joy Fielding, Robert Hough, Anthony Hyde, and Frances Itani will be published in Fall 2011.
Good Reads titles are available to literacy programs, libraries and adult education programs through Grass Roots Press. HarperCollins Canada distributes Good Reads to bookstores and other retailers.
For additional information on the Good Reads Series, or to order the books, please visit www.GoodReadsBooks.com.
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