On this page you can find hyperlinks to information about recommended books. If you would like to read short stories, excerpts and articles recommended by your teachers and classmates, please click on the link to the short passages page. You may also be interested in the books on Mr. Johncock's Anobii bookshelf.

Some great fiction for younger readers:

Some great, thought-provoking science books for the non-scientist:

Asian Writers in English

Graphic Novels and Comic Strips

Mention comic strips to students and they may think of violent and exploitative Japanese manga. But there are many graphic novels which deserve to be regarded as important works of art and literature and which deal with serious issues in a mature and moving way. Issues such as the Nazi holocaust, the attacks on the World Trade Centre and what it is like to grow up under theocratic rule in Iran have all been given the graphic treatment. Here is a selection of graphic novels and comic strips that I recommend to students. Click on the book covers to link to more information.

Philosophy

Why are we here? Does life have a purpose? How should we make moral choices? How can we ever be certain about anything? These are questions that most young people ask themselves sooner or later. If you have ever thought about any of these questions and tried to figure out an answer by yourself, then you are already a philosopher. Here are a few fun and easy-to-read books that will help inspire you to think more deeply about the ultimate questions in life. Click on the covers to find out more.

Picture Books

Sure, they're written for young children, but picture books can be wonderfully entertaining for readers of all ages, particularly those that make good use of rhyme, rhythm and repetition to help develop reading skills and those that have funny characters and situations that readers can identify with. Here are a few of my favourites. Click on the covers to find out more.






World IssuesHere are some thought-provoking fiction and non-fiction titles which will help students to gain an understanding of what's going on in the world around them. Many students don't know much about what's happening beyond Hong Kong. Through these novels, travelogues and other titles, you can get behind the headlines and find out what it's like to live in North Korea, Burma or Iran, and learn about the most pressing issues facing the planet: oppression, poverty and the environment.