Almost every high school has a World Literature course on its curriculum, but how often are our students actually ready for it? World Literature often encompasses some difficult reads; how can we make it accessible to all students? Keep reading for four World Literature novels you can use with struggling readers!
Looking for more? This post covers some World Literature activities for any novel!
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What Makes a Novel Great for Struggling Students?
When making this list, I had a few criteria in mind.
First, the novel had to be appropriate for World Literature courses. I wanted books from non-American authors.
The books also had to be relatively easy to read. This means the novels have lower Lexiles, added pictures, increased engagement, or some combination of the above. Students want to read these books, and they are easier to comprehend.
All four of the novels featured in this post fit the bill! Of course, you’ll want to check with your school and district, but they should work for both your World Literature curriculum and your struggling students.
World Literature Novels for Struggling Readers #1: Persepolis
Persepolis by Margane Sartrapi is a graphic novel memoir about Sartrapi’s own experiences growing up during the Iranian Revolution.
As a graphic novel, there are fewer words to trip up reluctant readers. Instead, they’ll have to “read” the images as much as the words.
Sartrapi’s experiences are also relatable; she’s just an ordinary teenager living in difficult circumstances. Students will be interested in her story.
To learn more about this awesome novel, you can check out my full blog post about Persepolis here.
World Literature Novels for Struggling Readers #2: Born a Crime
Born a Crime is Trevor Noah’s (comedian and previous host of The Daily Show) memoir about growing up in South Africa during apartheid.
While this novel is certainly more challenging than a graphic novel, you can scaffold the read by grabbing the young readers’ edition instead of the unabridged version. This will give you a version of the text that is a bit shorter and free of swearing.
Packed with funny anecdotes and observations about the world, Noah’s account of his childhood will engage your students and have them begging to keep reading.
Plus, there’s no shortage of deep themes to explore with your students.
Find out more about why Born a Crime is a fantastic novel to teach in this blog post here.
World Literature Novels for Struggling Readers #3: Maus
Admittedly, I’m stretching my criteria a bit with this one. Maus by Art Spiegelman is a graphic novel recounting Spiegelman’s father’s story of survival during the holocaust. Technically, Spiegelman was born in America, but he is Polish by descent and most of Maus follows his Polish father.
Still, depending on how strict your district’s definition of World Literature is, this one might not quite qualify.
If, however, you can get this one on your syllabus, you won’t be disappointed!
I prefer The Complete Maus to teaching just the first graphic novel. Because they are comics, reading both books will still go quickly in your class.
Maus has all the advantages of teaching a graphic novel: easier Lexile, faster pacing, short read, etc. But it also has a highly engaging story. Your students will be at the edge of their seats as they follow Vladek’s survival during World War II.
Find out more about how The Complete Maus is perfect for your classroom right here.
World Literature Novels for Struggling Readers #4: The Alchemist
Bestseller The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is an easy read about a boy pursuing his dream. It’s full of life lessons and easy-to-digest parable-like stories that are perfect for students who struggle to interpret metaphors and symbolism.
Honestly, The Alchemist is the perfect training ground for practicing analysis, since so much of Coelho’s writing goes just slightly deeper than surface-level.
Written at an easy reading level, you can read this novel with your class, explore its ideas, and still have time for an engaging project!
Conclusion
Teaching World Literature doesn’t mean you’re stuck teaching high-difficulty novels only. There are plenty of novels suitable for struggling readers, especially if you consider modern novels that haven’t found their way into the canon yet.