A Free List of Books We Love

Pirate Treasure

by Phillip Burrows,Mark Foster, 40 pgs. Divers in a boat try to find treasure under the sea.
(lots of pictures, like a comic book)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown and Downtown Campus

Dead Man’s Money

by John Escott, 40 pgs

A collection of detective stories with lots of pictures and help

(illustrated-lots of pictures. Like a comic book)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, and Mission Campuses

Give Us the Money

Maeve Clarke, 40 pgs

A collection of  crime stories

(Cool illustrations)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, and Downtown Campuses

Girl on a Motorcycle

by John Escott, 48 pgs

Short exciting stories with lots of pictures, audio available

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Downtown, Chinatown, and John Adam's campuses

New York café

Michael Dean, 40 pgs

Short modern stories adapted from fiction and nonfiction classics

Check if available at the CCSF library at Chinatown,, Downtown, and Mission Campuses

 Orca
by Phillip Burrows, Mark Foster, 40 pgs

A story about a very dangerous animal in the sea.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, and John Adams Campuses.

Star Reporter

by John Escott, 40 pgs

A collection of stories about newsmaking.

Check if available at CCSF Library at Chinatown and Downtown Campuses.

Last Chance

by Phillip Burrows, Mark Foster, 40 pgs

An adventure story about a photographer

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown and the Rosenberg Library

Big Hair Day

by Margaret Johnson, 32 pgs. funny original story

(Really popular.  Don't steal this book.)

Check if available at the Chinatown, John Adams, and Mission Campus with audio! 

The Black Pearls

by Richard MacAndrew, 32 pgs

A crime story set in the beautiful Pacific Cook Islands.

Check if available with audio at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, and Downtown Campuses 

Book Boy

by Antoinette Moses, 32 pgs

A nice boy likes books and then he meets a girl ...

Check if available with audio at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown Campuses and, with audio, at the Rosenberg Library.

The Girl at the Window

by Philip Prowse, 32 pgs

A ghost story about a girl that lives in a haunted house

( Tricky time change) (great story)

Check if available with audio at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown Campuses and, with audio,  at the Rosenberg Library.

Arman’s Journey

by Philip Prowse, 32 pgs

An illegal immigrant teenager on a journey across Europe to England

(about immigrants and soldiers and refugees)

Check if available with audio at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Mission,Downtown Campuses and, with audio, at the Rosenberg Library.

Let Me Out!

by Antoinette Moses, 32 pgs

A robot wants to be a human.

(Great, Scary)

Check if available with audio at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, John Adams, and Downtown Campuses and, with audio,  at the Rosenberg Library.

Dirty Money

by Sue Leather, 49 pgsA journalist discovers a dangerous a dangerous plan to build a mine.

Check if available with audio at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, and Downtown Campuses and, with audio,  at the Rosenberg Library.

The Big Bag Mistake

by John Escott, 15 pgs

Two travelers get their bags mixed up. Then a bag is stolen....(Yes! funny and romantic)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Rosenberg library.

 The Pearl Girl

by Stephen Rabley, 16 pgs

A girl discovers two men stealing a very famous painting

(Students like this one)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown and Downtown Campuses

 San Francisco Story

by John Escott, 15 pgs

A boy is working in a store during the 1906 earthquake.

(Great. Learn local history) 

 
Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams, and Mission Campuses

Michael Jordan

by Nancy Taylor, 16 pgs

Biography. Maybe the best basketball player of all time. But where did he come from and how did he do it?

(very popular)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown campus  

Muhammad Ali

by Bernard Smith, 15 pgs

Biography. The man, the boxer, the legend. He may be the greatest.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at  Downtown and Mission Campuses 

Mike’s Lucky Day

by Leslie Dunkling, 16 pgs

Romance

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown Campus

The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories

by O. Henry, adapted by Nancy Taylor, 26 pgs

Adapted from the original story.   A classic Christmas story about giving.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Downtown, and Mission  and at the Chinatown Campuse

Bad Love 

by Sue Leather, 32 pgs

Detectives, death, and romance! In the USA!

(YES!  Good Book.)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the John Adams and Chinatown Campus and, with audio, at the Rosenberg Library 

Blood Diamonds

by Richard MacAndrew, 32 pgs

International crime story.  Journalists discover diamonds smuggled from Africa and traded for guns.

Check if available  at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown and John Adams Campuses and with audio at the Rosenberg Library.

Don’t Stop Now

by Phillip Prowse, 32 pgs

Original fiction.  A brick smashes a window in a cafe in London.  What is the secret? 

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown and John Adams Campuses and with audio at the Rosenberg Library.

Help! 

by Phillip Prowse, 32 pgs

Original fiction. An author is fighting with his computer because it has a mind of it own.

Check if available at the Chinatown and Downtown Libraries, and with audio at the CCSF Rosenberg Library.

Hotel Casanova
by Sue Leather, 32 pgs

Original fiction.  A young man and a beautiful woman meet and fall in love in the most romantic city in the world: Venice.

Check if available at the at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, and the Rosenberg Library.

Inspector Logan
by Richard MacAndrew, 32 pgs

Original fiction. She just started working for the police in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Follow the jewelry to solve the murder in this detective story. 

(A student loved it, simple, and easy to understand. Helps you to understand the past tense.)

Check if available at the Downtown Campus

John Doe

by Antoinette Moses, 32 pgs

Original fiction.  A man wakes up in the hospital and can't remember anything, or can he?

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams Campuses,  and with audio at the Rosenberg Library.

Just Like a Movie

by Sue Leather, 32 pgs

Ever think your life is like a movie? It could be dangerous.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams Campuses,  and with audio at the Rosenberg Library.

Next Door to Love

by Margaret Johnson, 32 pgs

Romance between young neighbors in London.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams Campuses,  and with audio at the Rosenberg Library.

Parallel

by Lady Colin Campbell, Philip Prowse, 32 pgs

An assassin goes to a very strange place.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown,  and with audio at the Rosenberg Library.

The Big Picture

by Sue Leather, 32 pgs

Set in Tokyo, a photographer's picture of a sumo star gets him in trouble.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams,  and with audio at the Rosenberg Library.

Three Tomorrows

by Frank Brennan, 32 pgs
Three stories to make you think, set in the near future, 100 years and 1500 years from now.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown,  and with audio at the Rosenberg Library

California

by John Escott, 24 pgs

Learn about your favorite state! Lots of pictures too.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown and John Adams Campuses.

 The Wizard of Oz

by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Rosemary Border

Dorothy and her dog take a trip to fantastic place called OZ. Adapted for this level.
(Classic novel with a little something for everyone.)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown  Campus and the Rosenberg library, with audio CD. 

Hachiko: Japan's Most Faithful Dog

by Nicole Irving, 58 pgs

A  story set in Japan about a dog's loyalty.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Downtown Campus.

Ned Kelly: A True Story

by Christine Lindop, 56 pgs

Australian outlaw has a shootout with police in a suit of armor

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown Campus.

Animals in Danger

by Andy Hopkins, Jocelyn Potter, 64 pgs

Animal topics such as environmental issues, historical facts, and culture.  Lots of pictures!

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, and Mission Campuses.

Goodbye Mr Hollywood

by John Escott, 56 pgs

Set in Vancouver, Canada.  A suspenseful mystery about a mysterious girl and a stranger called Mr Hollywood.

Check if available at San Francisco Public Library

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, and John Adams Campuses.

Japan

by Rachel Bladon, 56 pgs

Facts, issues, history, and culture of Japan

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Civic Center Campus.

Stephen Curry

by Laura K. Murray, 56 pgs

An guide to the life, work, and popularity of this basketball star.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams, and Mission and Southeast Campuses.

Colin Kaepernick

by Stephanie Watson, 32 pgs

A famous football star, sports and politics, and a San Francisco story

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Downtown, John Adams and Rosenberg Libraries.

The Cay

by Theodore Taylor, adapted by Derek Strange, 46 pgs

Exciting story about a boy's adventure at sea during a war. Adapted for this level.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Downtown  Campus.

 American Life

by Vicky Shipton, 36 pgs

American History, American Life. Adapted for lower levels.

(Good book for citizenship students)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, and Downtown Campuses

Marley and Me

by John Grogan, 43 pgs

Heartwarming story of a dog. Adapted for lower levels.

(Great for dog lovers and don't miss the movie!)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the John Adams and Downtown Campuses

 A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens, adapted by Michael Dean, 38 pgs

Classic Christmas story from Victorian London. Adapted for lower levels.

Check if available at the CCSF  Rosenberg Library

Jurassic Park 

by David Maule, 46 pgs

Who doesn't like dinosaurs? Adapted for lower levels.

(the movie helps you understand the book)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Downtown Campus and John Adams Campus

Extreme Sports

by Michael Dean, 29 pgs

Real people doing crazy things. Adapted for lower levels.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown Campus and at the Rosenberg Library.

The Mummy

by Michael Dean, 48 pgs

Love, death, and a curse.  An ancient body is reborn, as a mummy. Adapted for lower levels.

(Watch the movie too.)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown Campus and the Chinatown Campus,  and the Rosenberg Library.

The Amazon Rain Forest

by Bernard Smith, 64 pgs

  Nonfiction about this wonderful rainforest, and its problems.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown Campus and at the Rosenberg Library

Gandhi 

by Jane Rollason, 29 pgs

Biography about the famous man who fought for independence for India by using nonviolence.

(Recommended by teachers)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown Campus and at the John Adams Campus and the Rosenberg Library.

Moby Dick 

by Herman Melville, Kathy Burke, (adapted) 43 pgs

Captain Ahab and whale try to kill each other.  An American classic, adapted for this level.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown Campus

The Last of the Mohicans 

by James Fenimore Cooper, Coleen Degnan-Veness (adapted) 48 pgs

Action and adventure about the Indians and British in pre-revolutionary America. Adapted for this level.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown Campus

White Fang

by Jack London, adapted by Brigit Viney. 42 pgs

The story of a wolf's hard life and the love for his master. Adapted for this level.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown and Downtown Campuses  and at John Adams Campus and  the Rosenberg Library

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 

by Diana Eastment, Irene Tremble 48 pgs

Captain Jack Sparrow and friends fight the pirates of the undead.

(Don't miss the movie!)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown and Downtown Campuses and with audio at the John Adam's Campus.

How I Learned English? The Story of a Brave Mexican Girl

by Paula Massadas Pereira 36 pgs

The story of an immigrant who journeys to the USA.

(Easy to understand this story!) (A great place to start, recommended by teachers)

Billy Elliot

by Melvin Burgess, 56 pgs

An 11-year-old boy discovers his gift for ballet dancing.

(Don't miss this heartwarming movie)

Check if available at the Chinatown, Downtown Campuses, and  John Adam's Campus

Martin Luther King

by Coleen Degnan-Veness, 56 pgs

He had a dream that blacks and whites can live in peace.

Check if available at the Chinatown and John Adams Campus

The Room in the Tower and Other Stories

by Rudyard Kipling, adapted by Carolyn Jones, 38 pgs

Three stories, three ghosts, dead bodies, and danger! Adapted for lower levels.

(Good for ghost lovers.  Good for Level 4 and 5 students)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown and Downtown Campuses

Robin Hood 

by Liz Austin, 40 pgs

  He robbed the rich and gave to the poor. Adapted for lower levels.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown Campus and the Civic Center.

Apollo's Gold

by Antoinette Moses, 48 pgs

A woman's vacation on a Greek island becomes a matter of life and death.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, and the audio is available at the Rosenberg libraries

Dead Cold

by Sue Leather, 48 pgs

 A young American writer is dead in a swimming pool and a detective has to find out why.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, and Rosenberg libraries, with audio.

A Picture to Remember

by Sarah Scott-Malden, 48 pgs

A girl in Buenos Aires is in a traffic accident and two men want to make sure that she never remembers what happened.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams and Rosenberg libraries, with audio

The Dark Side of the City

by Alan Battersby, 48 pgs

Set in New York City, a detective finds that a simple job isn't so simple. Some adult content.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, and Rosenberg libraries, with audio.

The Man from Nowhere

by Bernard Smith, 48 pgs

A plane crash in the desert of Oman leaves a pilot and a family trying to survive.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, and Rosenberg libraries, with audio.

Within High Fences

by Penny Hancock, 48 pgs

A woman working with asylum seekers falls in love with one of them.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, and Rosenberg libraries, with audio.

Jojo's Story

by Antoinette Moses, 48 pgs

A boy witnesses soldiers who kill his entire village and this leads him to self-discovery.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams and Rosenberg libraries, with audio.

Rainforests

by Rowena Akinyemi, 64 pgs

For nature lovers, full of environmental issues, historical facts, and culture

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  John Adams, and Mission libraries and at the Downtown Campus

Red Dog

by Jennifer Bassett, Louis de Bernières, 56 pgs

Adventure story about an Australian dog.
(Great for dog lovers!)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown and Downtown libraries

Seasons and Celebrations

by Jackie Maguire, 56 pgs

The history and culture of holidays in English-speaking countries.

(insightful)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, and  John Adams libraries

The Beautiful Game

by Steve Flinders, 64 pgs

Soccer and its history, issues and culture

(Good for sports lovers)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, Mission,  John Adams and the Rosenberg libraries

The Death of Karen Silkwood

by Joyce Hannam, 64 pgs

The true story of a mysterious death in Oklahoma, USA.  What was her secret?

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown and  John Adams libraries and with audio at the Rosenberg Library.

The Piano

by Rosemary Border, 56 pgs

A farmer boy finds an old piano and discovers an amazing gift.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  and at the Rosenberg  library

Forty Years of Pop

by Steve Flinders, 24 pgs

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown and Rosenberg Libraries,  and with audio at the Rosenberg  library

Strong Medicine

by Richard MacAndrew, 64 pgs

A doctor travels to California to learn about a new medicine, but finds a possible murder instead.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  Downtown,  and with audio at the Rosenberg Libraries. 

Tales of the Supernatural

by Frank Brennan, 64 pgs

Six award-winning stories about a world we cannot explain.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  Downtown,  John Adams, and with audio at the Rosenberg Libraries.

Eye of the Storm

by Mandy Loader, 64 pgs

A hurricane is hitting Florida and a daughter must find her father before it is too late.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  Downtown,  John Adams, and with audio at the Rosenberg Libraries.

No Place to Hide

by Alan Battersby, 64 pgs

A woman walks into a detective's New York office to get help finding her missing husband, and then they find his car with a dead body in it.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  Downtown and with audio at the Rosenberg Libraries. 

The Call of the Wild

by Jack London, adapted by Nick Bullard, 72 pgs

A classic, adapted from the original by Jack London, about the struggle to survive for a man and his dogs in the Canadian wilderness.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown and Mission Libraries. and at Downtown and Rosenberg Libraries, with audio.

The USA

by A. Baxter, 80 pgs

Issues, facts and culture about the United States of America.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown and John Adams Libraries.

Martin Luther King

by Alan C. McLean, 72 pgs

Learn the facts and mysteries about the man who had a dream for all Americans.  Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Civic Center, Downtown, John Adams, Mission and Rosenberg Libraries. 

 I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906

by Lauren Tarshis, 112 pgs

A boy that sells newspapers watches the city shake and burn.

(Great way to learn local history.)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams and Mission Campuses and at the Rosenberg Library.  

Check for audio at the Mission Campus.

Check if available as an ebook, book and downloadable audiobook at the San Francisco Public Library

Escape from Alcatraz: the Mystery of Three Men who Escaped from the Rock.

by Eric Braun, 112 pgs

The true story of the 1962 escape from Alcatraz prison.

(Learn all about a local landmark and history.)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams, and Mission Campuses, and at the Rosenberg Library.

Inside Out and Back Again

by Thanhha Lai, 262 pgs

A girl leaves Vietnam as Saigon falls and starts again in Alabama.  Poetry.

(Touching award-winning story. Recommended by teachers)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown and Mission Campuses.  

Check if available as an ebook, book, CD, and downloadable audiobook at the San Francisco Public Library

Just Good Friends

by Penny Hancock, 64 pgs

Romantic holiday in Italy gets interesting when a young couple meets another couple.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  John Adams  and with audio at the Rosenberg Libraries. 

Desert, Mountain, Sea

by Sue Leather, 88 pgs
Adventure.  Three stories of three women explorers in lonely dangerous places.

Check if Available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Civic Center, and Downtown Campuses. and at the John Adams Campus

The History of the English Language

by Brigit Viney, 88 pgs

History.  How did English begin?  How did it become such a common language?  What is its future?

 
Check if Available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, John Adams, and Rosenberg libraries.

Washington Square

by Henry James, adapted by Kieran McGovern

Romance.  Adapted from the original. A romance in New York's Washington square in the 1840's.

Check if Available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, John Adams, and Rosenberg libraries.  and at the Downtown Library.

L.A. Confidential

by James Ellroy, 112 pgs, adapted by Nancy Taylor 

Crime Story.  Adapted from the original for this level.  Three police officers work for the L.A.P.D. in the 1950's and fight crime and corruption.

(Don't miss the movie!)

Check if Available at the CCSF Library at the  John Adams, Downtown, and Mission libraries.  

The Brethren

by John Grisham, adapted by Nancy Taylor, 88 pgs

Mystery fiction adapted from the best-selling author. Three judges are in prison cheating people through the mail, until they run into trouble.

Check if Available at the CCSF Library at Downtown, and Mission libraries.  

The Firm

by John Grisham, adapted by Robin Waterfield, 76 pgs

Mystery fiction adapted from the best-selling author.  A young lawyer is thrilled with his new job until he becomes suspicious about what they are really doing.

(Don't miss the movie!)

Check if Available at the CCSF Library at the  Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams, Southeast, and Mission libraries.

The Partner

by John Grisham, adapted by Jaqueline Kehl, 87 pgs

Mystery fiction adapted from the best-selling author.  A lawyer fakes his own death steals millions, and disappears, until...

Check if Available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown, John Adams, and Mission libraries.

The Pelican Brief

by John Grisham, adapted by Robin Waterfield, 73 pgs

Mystery fiction adapted from the best-selling author. A young lawyer discovers who murdered two judges, but can she survive long enough to tell the truth?

(Don't miss the movie!)

Check if Available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, and Downtown libraries.

The War of the Worlds

by H.G. Wells, adapted by David Maule, 85 pgs

Science fiction adapted for this level.  Aliens drop from the sky and start killing people.

(Don't miss the movie!)

Check if Available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown, and Mission libraries.

In the House

by Margaret Johnson, 80 pgs

Drama? Humor?  Romance? A woman is in a reality TV show with four men.  There is a big prize for the winner, but what will it be?

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  Downtown and with audio at the Rosenberg Libraries.

Love in the Lakes

by Penny Hancock, 80 pgs

 Romance.  A young woman on vacation with her boyfriend meets a veterinarian and has to make a choice.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  Downtown and at the Rosenberg Libraries. 

Staying Together

by Judith Wilson, 80 pgs

  Romance.  A Japanese student goes abroad to study English but ends up falling in love and discovering herself.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  Downtown and John Adams Libraries. 

Nothing but the Truth

by George Kershaw, 79 pgs

Mystery.  A student at an international school in Bangkok, Thailand has a problem with a teacher and realizes the truth.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, and Rosenberg libraries, and the audio is available at the Rosenberg library.

The Lady in White

by Colin Campbell, 80 pgs

Thriller.  A ghost story. A man discovers a story about a ghostly hitchhiker that is similar to his own life.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  Mission and John Adams Libraries. 

High Life, Low Life

by Alan Battersby, 70 pgs

A detective meets a homeless woman who leads him on a journey to parts of New York City that he has never visited.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,  Downtown, John Adams,  and with audio at the Rosenberg Libraries. 

The Breadwinner

by Deborah Ellis, 171 pgs

Set in Kabul Afghanistan, this children's novel is based on true-life events in refugee camps.

Check if Available at the CCSF Rosenberg Library

Check if available as an downloadable audiobook, ebook, audio CD, or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

The Way it Works

by William Kowalski, 111 pgs

Drama.  A young man becomes homeless when his mother dies, and must struggle to overcome life's obstacles. 

(Recommended by librarians!)

Check if Available at the CCSF Library at the Civic Center, John Adams, Downtown, and Chinatown Campuses.

Check if available at the San Francisco Public Library

Wishtree

by Katherine Applegate, Charles Santoso, 224 pgs

A red oak tree and a crow help their human neighbors work out their problems.                 

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown Campus.

Check if available as a largeprint book, ebook, book, CD, and downloadable audiobook at the San Francisco Public Library

The Accidental Tourist

by Anne Tyler, adapted by Jennifer Bassett

Romance.  Travel.  Adapted from the original.  A travel writer is bored with his life until he meets a dog trainer, and then it gets complicated.

(Don't miss the movie!)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Mission, Downtown, and Chinatown Library.

Cry Freedom

by Rowena Akinyemi, adapted by John Briley, 120 pgs

Political Thriller. History.   Adapted from the original. True story set in South Africa. One man's fight with the government is the story of all people who prefer truth to lies.

(Don't miss the movie!)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, and Downtown Libraries.

The Bride Price

by Buchi Emecheta, adapted by Rosemary Border, 104 pgs

Romance. Adapted from the original. Set in Africa, a woman in a strange home finds love, but everyone tries to keep them apart.

Check if available at CCSF libraries, at the Chinatown campus, and at the Downtown campus.

The Joy Luck Club

by Amy Tan, adapted by Clare West, 120 pgs

Adapted from the original. Four Chinese-American mothers and their daughters find cultural truths in pre-revolutionary China and San Francisco.

(Don't miss the movie!)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams and Rosenberg Libraries.

The Rainmaker

by John Grisham, adapted by Cindy Leaney, 89 pgs

 Legal drama.  Legal story adapted from the best-selling author.  A new lawyer takes a case against a giant insurance corporation.

Check if Available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown,Downtown, and John Adams,  libraries.

Saving Private Ryan

by Max Allan Collins, adapted by Jacqueline Kehl, 108 pgs

War story. Set during World War II, follow a captain and his men from the beaches of Normandy on a special mission to save one man.

(Don't miss the movie!)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown, and Mission Libraries, and at the Chinatown and Downtown libraries

Emergency Murder

by Janet McGiffin, 95 pgs 

ISBN: 978-0-521-53662-2

Mystery.  When the wife of a successful doctor dies in the emergency room, another doctor wants to find out if it's murder.

(Fun way to learn the language of hospitals.)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams and, with audio, at the Rosenberg libraries

Murder by Art

by Janet McGiffin, 96 pgs

  Mystery.  On a hot summer night, a young artist and a gang leader are killed and a doctor wants to know if there is a connection. (This mysterious story about greedy people is an engaging mystery novel that will make you turn the pages.)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, John Adams, Downtown,  and at the Rosenberg libraries

Dolphin Music

by Antoinette Moses, 96 pgs

Science fiction about a world where it's too hot to go outside and everyone lives in a virtual world and listens to music made by dolphins.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, and at the Rosenberg libraries

Forget to Remember

by Alan Maley, 96 pgs

Drama. Two sisters struggle with the death of their mother.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams, and at the Rosenberg libraries

Jungle Love

by Margaret Johnson, 95 pgs

Romance.  On an adventure holiday in the Caribbean, two women fall in love with the same guy, but what about their boyfriends?  And his girlfriend?

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown and Downtown libraries

Better Late than Never

by J.M. Newsome, 96 pgs

Drama. Four teenage girls learn a lot about each other after they are in a terrible explosion.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, Mission and at the Rosenberg libraries

East 43rd Street

by Alan Battersby, 96 pgs

Detective story.  A New York detective finds more than jewelry in train station locker.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams, and, with audio, at the Rosenberg libraries

This Time it's Personal

by Alan Battersby, 110 pgs

 Detective story.  A New York detective is trying to prove the innocence of a man that he cannot find and also find the real criminals.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams, and, with audio, at the Rosenberg libraries

A Love for Life

by Penny Hancock, 112 pgs

 Romance. A mother struggles to raise her adopted daughter alone, and it gets more complicated when a man comes into her life.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, John Adams, and at the Rosenberg libraries

Deadly Harvest

by Carolyn Walker, 112 pgs

 A detective story.  A city detective moves to the country but doesn't find peace and quiet.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, and, with audio, at the Rosenberg libraries

Seeds of Hope

by Kristiana Gregory, 186 pgs

Set in California, this novel is told by a young woman moving to the West Coast, full of history, nature, hardship, and gold. Part of the Dear America series of books.

(Fun book to learn about the gold rush and California history)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown Campus

Check if available at the San Francisco Public Library

 The Pearl

by John Steinbeck, 96 pgs

Drama. A pearl brings big changes to a poor family

(Classic middle and high school literature.)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown and the John Adams Campus and at the Rosenberg Library

Check if available as an downloadable audiobook or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

Tuck Everlasting

by Natalie Babbitt, 139 pgs

Fantasy.  An American fairy tale about a girl who meets a family that will live forever.

(Short and sweet)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown Campus and the Rosenberg Library.

Check if available at the San Francisco Public Library

 The Alchemist

by Paulo Coelho, 197 pgs

A man searching for his dreams.  This shepherd looking for treasure could be anybody.

(A simple yet touching story)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Civic Center, and Mission Campuses and the Rosenberg Library.

Check if available as an downloadable audiobook, CD, ebook, largeprint book, or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

 The Black Pearl

by Scott O'Dell, 112 pgs

A sixteen-year-old boy discovers a black pearl and has to fight with the sea to keep it.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the John Adams Campus and with audio at the Civic Center Library.

Check if available as an ebook  or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

A Little Princess

by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 242 pgs

Children's literature.  A rich girl becomes poor, like Cinderella turned backwards.

(Classic. well-loved)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown Campus and, with audio, at the Rosenberg library.

Check if available as an downloadable audiobook, CD, ebook, or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

Holes 

by Louis Sachar, 227 pgs

A dark and funny story of crime and punishment.  These boys dig holes, but what are they digging for? Award winning.

(popular with young adult readers)  (Don't miss the movie) 

Check if available at the CCSF Library at Civic Center and John Adams Campuses. with audio at Rosenberg library.

Check if available as an downloadable audiobook, ebook, large print book, or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

The House on Mango Street

by Sandra Cisneros, 102 pgs

An immigrant learns to live in America while we learn about her family and culture that supports her.

(insightful novel of very short chapters)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Downtown, Mission Campuses and the Rosenberg Library.  and another edition at Downtown, John Adams, and Mission Center Libraries.  An audio recording is also available at the Civic Center library and at the Rosenberg Library.

Check if available as an audiobook CD, ebook, or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

 Parvana's Journey

by Deborah Ellis, 199 pgs

A journey across Afghanistan when the Taliban still control Kabul. Award winning book.

(teacher recommended)

Check if Available at the CCSF Rosenberg Library

Check if available as an downloadable audiobook, CD, ebook, or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

Americanized: Rebel without a Green Card

by Sara Saedi, 288 pgs

A thirteen-year old girl learns of her undocumented status and still has to survive high school!

(recommended by teachers and librarians) (Good if you like LA and want to learn slang. Some adult content)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the John Adams, Chinatown, Downtown, and Mission Campuses, and at the Rosenberg Library.

Check if available as an ebook, or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

 Other Words for Home

by Jasmine Warga, 352 pages

A young girl immigrates from Syria to Cincinnati and discovers herself in a new country and school. (Teacher recommended)

Check if available as an ebook, book, and downloadable audiobook at the San Francisco Public Library

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie, 224 pgs

Troubled Native American boy struggles to be free to live his life by going to a high school outside his Indian reservation.

(Very funny diary, with lots of pictures) 

(Some sexual themes and adult language)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Mission Campus,  and at the Downtown and John Adams Campuses, and at the Downtown Campus and the Rosenberg Library.

Check if available as an audiobook CD, downloadable audiobook, ebook, or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

The Giver

by Lois Lowry, 208 pgs

This is a dystopian novel- science fiction about a dark future where thought is controlled.

(a classic that is not hard to read)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Civic Center, Chinatown, and Rosenberg libraries  and at the Downtown, John Adams and Mission libraries, and the Rosenberg Library.  An audio recording is also available at the Civic Center library and at the Media Center.

Check if available as an audiobook CD, downloadable audiobook, ebook, large-print book, or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck, 103 pgs

Set in California.  Classic literature about friendship,  disability, sacrifice, and a dream to one day have some land to own.

(Very famous book that is not so long or difficult) (Watch the movies too!)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown, and John Adams Campuses, and the Chinatown Campus, and the John Adams and the Rosenberg Library. The CCSF library also provides this book online through EBSCOhost 

Check if available as an audiobook CD, downloadable audiobook, ebook, large-print book, or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

The Moon and Sixpence

by W. Somerset Maugham, 192 pgs

This is about the powerful forces behind creative genius.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the John Adams Campus.  CCSF library also provides this book online using EBSCOhost.

Check if available as an downloadable audiobook, ebook,  or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

Bone

by Fae Myenne Ng, 192 pgs

Set in San Francisco's Chinatown, this story of a family tragedy gives insight into the immigrant experience and Chinese culture.

(This made me feel like I lived in Chinatown.)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown and John Adams Campuses and the Rosenberg Library, and at the Rosenberg Library.

Check if available as an ebook  or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

A Single Shard

  Linda Sue Park, 192 pgs

A Korean novel about a thirteen-year old who learns the art of pottery.

Check if available at the CCSF Rosenberg Library , with audio.  

Check if available as an ebook, downloadable audiobook,  or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

 The Old Man and the Sea

by Ernest Hemingway, 132 pgs

A Cuban fisherman who is trying to catch a giant fish.  A simple and powerful novel, like a fable.

(a very famous American novel)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown campus, and at the Downtown and Mission Campuses, and at the Rosenberg Library. and at John Adams Campus

Check if available as an audiobook CD, downloadable audiobook, ebook,  or  book at the San Francisco Public Library.

  The Maltese Falcon

by Dashiell Hammett, 213 pgs

Sam Spade is a classic detective and this is one of the first noir - or dark- fiction novels.  Set in San Francisco.

(Classic thriller that will show you San Francisco's dark and mysterious past.) (Don't miss the movie!)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Downtown Campus

Check if available as an audiobook CD, downloadable audiobook, ebook,  or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

 The 57  Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and a Crime that Changed Their Lives.

by Dashka Slater

Two boys from the opposite sides of Oakland meet and their lives are changed forever. (Teacher Recommended.  Hard Hitting)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown Campus

Check if available as an audiobook CD, downloadable audiobook, ebook,  or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

Factory Girls

by Leslie T Chang, 412 pgs

China has more than 114 million migrant workers, which represents the largest migration in human history. This is their story.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown and John Adams Campuses and at the Rosenberg Library,  and at the Rosenberg Library.

Check if available as an audiobook CD, downloadable audiobook, ebook,  or book at the San Francisco Public Library.

 The Help

by Kathryn Stockett, 451 pgs

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared an d no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

The Hundred Secret Senses

by Amy Tan, 406 pgs

A novel about China and America, love and loyalty, who we are and who we will be.

(Very famous)  (But this book is long)

Wonder

by R.J. Palacio, 334 pgs

A boy with an extraordinary face goes to school and just wants to be treated like an ordinary kid.

(Award winning. Librarian recommended)

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Chinatown, Civic Center and John Adams Campuses and at the Rosenberg Library.   Check for audio at the Civic Center Campus.

Check if available as an ebook, book, and downloadable audiobook at the San Francisco Public Library

The One and Only Ivan

by Kristina Applegate, 305 pages

For animal lovers.  A gorilla lives in a cage at the mall has a special relationship with a baby elephant.  This book might make you cry.

(Teacher recommended)

Check if available as an ebook, book, and downloadable audiobook at the San Francisco Public Library

The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini, 371 pgs

Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

(Some adult content)

 Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen, 335 pgs

An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons. 

Refugee

by Alan Gratz, 352 pgs

Three stories of refugees--a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany; Isabel, a Cuban girl trying to escape the riots and unrest plaguing her country in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 whose homeland is torn apart by violence and destruction-- and what they all have in common.

Check if available at the CCSF Library at the Mission Campuses and at the Rosenberg Library.

Check if available as an ebook, book, CD, and downloadable audiobook at the San Francisco Public Library

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee, 352 pgs

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak, 552 pgs

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

The Illustrated Man

by Ray Bradbury, 192 pgs

The tattooed man moves, and in the arcane designs scrawled upon his skin swirl tales beyond imagining: tales of love and laughter darkness and death, of mankind’s glowing, golden past and its dim, haunted future. Here are eighteen incomparable stories that blend magic and truth in a kaleidoscope tapestry of wonder—woven by the matchless imagination of Ray Bradbury.

 Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austin, 279 pgs

Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." 

The Pursuit of Happyness

by Chris Gardner, 320 pgs

At the age of twenty, Milwaukee native Chris Gardner, just out of the Navy, arrived in San Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. Considered a prodigy in scientific research, he surprised everyone and himself by setting his sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner had he landed an entry-level position at a prestigious firm than Gardner found himself caught in a web of incredibly challenging circumstances that left him as part of the city's working homeless and with a toddler son...

(Set in SF) (Some adult content). (The last half of the book is an inspriational local story and has a good movie too.)

 Animal Farm

by George Orwell, 122 pgs

George Orwell's timeless and timely allegorical novel—a scathing satire on a downtrodden society’s blind march towards totalitarianism.