readers_catalogue2017

2017 

CATALOGUE 

Good readers make good learners!

BRINGING READING TO YOU! 

big books 

Helbling Young Readers Big Books, 

the ideal way to share your favourite 

story in class. 

www.helblingyoungreaders.com 

READERS BLOG 

Our READERS BLOG, a one stop reading 

forum with a Book Club Starter Kit, lesson 

plans and lots of ideas for sharing. 

blog.helblingreaders.com 

EZONE 

A free dedicated interactive readers 

platform with interactive exercises and 

teacher tools for creating cyber homework. 

www.helbling-ezone.com 

HELBLING community 

BLOG 

BLOG 


BLOG

Antoinette Moses 

Jake hasn’t seen his archaelogist father for five years but now he is going to spend 

his summer holiday with him in Greece. Jake arrives in Athens airport but his 

father is nowhere to be seen. When the local police show little interest in the case 

Jake decides to investigate his father’s disappearance himself. 

Recording in British English 

HELBLING 

READERS 

A great series 

of graded reading 

material. 

Choose from 

well-loved classics 

and high-quality 

original fiction. 

RED 

SERIES 

BLUE 

SERIES 

Richard MacAndrew 


Dan and Sue are on holiday in Hong Kong, visiting Sue’s grandparents. 

While they are sightseeing they notice an ivory shop and Dan 


goes in to ask some questions. 


Later they see some men going into the same shop 


with a bag. 


What’s in the bag? And who are the men? 

with a bag. 

Dan wants to find out but soon he and Sue 


are caught up in a dangerous adventure and their 


lives are at risk! 




HELBLING 

READERS 



material. 

Choose from 




RED 

SERIES 

BLUE 

SERIES 

LEVEL CEF Cambridge Trinity 

1 A1 Breakthrough KET 1, 2 

2 A1 Breakthrough / A2 Waystage KET 2, 3 

3 A2 Waystage KET 3, 4 

4 A2 Waystage / B1 Threshold PET 4, 5 

5 B1 Threshold PET 5, 6 


HELBLING 

READERS 



of graded reading RED 

1 A1 Breakthrough SERIES 

material. KET 1, 2 

2 A1 Breakthrough / A2 Waystage 

Choose 

KET 

from 

2, 3 


3 A2 Waystage 

BLUE 


KET 3, 4 

SERIES 

4 A2 Waystage / B1 Threshold 

original 

PET 

fiction. 

4, 5 








Copertina-DANandtheStolenBike2.indd 1 01/12/16 15:12 

NEW 

2017 

CONTENTS 

The Thinking Train 4 

Helbling Young Readers 8 

Classics 8 

Fiction 11 

Free online resources 16 

Big Books 17 

Helbling Red Series 18 

Classics 20 

Fiction - Original Stories 27 

Dan and the Hong Kong Mystery 


DAN AND THE HONG KONG MYSTERY 

ISBN 978-3-99045-396-4 

Level 1 

Dan and the Hong Kong Mystery Richard MacAndrew 

Dan and Sue 

in London 


Level 1 


Dan and the 

Stolen Bikes 



ISBN 978-3- 9045-396-4 

Fiction - Graphic Stories 30 

Fiction - Short Reads 34 

Danger in the Sun 

Level 5 

Helbling Blue Series 36 

Danger in the Sun Antoinette Moses 

A Single Shot 

Scott Lauder & Walter McGregor 

Classics 38 

Fiction 43 

Interviews 46 

Reading Matters 

Make the most of your Helbling Readers! 

Make the most of your Helbling Readers thanks to Reading Matters, a guide to using 

graded readers in your classroom, written by Alan Pulverness, whose research includes 

using literature and reading in the EFL class. 

Reading Matters includes: 

• An overview of the structures used in each level 

• An analysis of extensive and intensive reading 

• Ideas for developing the students’ reading skills 

• A wide range of classroom activities 

• Photocopiable worksheets 

• Advice on setting up a class library 

• Pointers for group and individual projects 

• Suggestions for dramatising the readers 

The Helbling Guide to Using 

Graded Readers 978-3-85272-012-8 

Downloads 

(pdf, word or audio files) 

Free play online 

Disc 

(Audio CD, CD-ROM, DVD, 

DVD-ROM or hybrid) 

Common European 

Framework of 

Reference 

Exam preparation 

Newly 

published titles 

Big book 

British English 

American English 

READERS CATALOGUE 2017 - 1

THE THINKING TRAIN 


NEW 

NEW 

NEW 

NEW 

NEW 

THE IMPORTANCE 

OF THINKING SKILLS 

As they progress through school, 

children will need to develop a range 

of thinking skills to enable them to solve 

problems and make intelligent decisions, 

and to enable them to face new and 

unpredicted problems and find the best 

ways of tackling them. 

When children are involved in 

thinking and also in talking about 

their thinking with others, they reach 

higher levels of achievement in the 

future as well as developing superior 

thinking skills. 

The following thinking skills are activated 

throughout the series: assessing, cause 

and effect, choosing, comparing and 

contrasting, creating associations, 

creative thinking, drawing conclusions, 

finding evidence, following instructions, 

grouping round a theme, matching, 

making connections, making decisions, 

making judgements, noticing similarities 

and differences, planning, predicting, 

problem solving, sequencing, sorting 

and categorising, spatial awareness, 

understanding social needs and people’s 

feelings and using mindmaps. 

2 - READERS CATALOGUE 2017

Helbling Young Readers 

CLASSICS 

Young Readers 

FICTION 

NEW 



THE THINKING 

TRAIN 

Herbert Puchta and Günter Gerngross 

See interview with 

the authors on page 46-47 

prize 

Nominated 

Series 

Welcome to The Thinking 

Train, a unique brand-new 

series of picture books 

which focus on the 

development of children’s 

thinking skills through the 

use of stories. 

When children are involved 

in thinking and also in talking 

about their thinking with 

others, they reach higher 

levels of achievement in the 

future as well as developing 

superior thinking skills. 

The Thinking Train stories 

will encourage a love of 

reading and promote 

thoughtful interaction with 

books while developing 

children’s thinking skills. 

The activities, in carefully 

graded English, will 

automatically develop and 

practise their language 

skills, too. 

The Thinking Train 

series is written by 

world-renowned author 

team Herbert Puchta 

and Günter Gerngross, 

with activities devised 

by Marion Williams. 

TEACHER’S GUIDE 

Written by Marion Williams 

A practical free resource packed 

with information on individual 

thinking skills, plus a selection of 

expansion activities and games 

in order to make the most 

of each title with the class. 

The guide also includes photocopiable 

worksheets and a handy checklist for the teacher to 

help with tracking students’ progress. 

Available both in print and as a downloadable pdf 

on Helbling e-zone 

LANGUAGE & EXAMS 

EXAM 

A B C D E 

Level Level Level 

Level 

Level 

Cambridge Young 

Learners English: Starters 






Learners English: Movers 



Trinity: 1 

Trinity: 1 

Trinity: 1 

Trinity: 2 

Trinity: 2/3 

Alphabet; Colours; 

Countries; Faces; 

Greetings; Numbers 

1-10; Pets; School things; 

Snacks; Toys; 

Wild animals (zoo and 

jungle) 

Clothes; Farm animals; 

Festivals; Games; 

Houses and rooms; 

Numbers after 10; Parties; 

School subjects; Seasons; 

Weather 

Ecology 1; Garden and 

nature; Helping at home; 

Jobs; Places; 

Pocket money; Sports; 

Town 1 

Bodies; Directions; 

Emotions 1; Family; Health; 

Months; Town 2; Transport 

Dreams; Ecology 2; 

Emotions 2; Fashion; 

Holidays; Music; TV 


NEW 

NEW 

AT THE ZOO 

Herbert Puchta 

and Günter Gerngross 

When Lizzie and her mum go to the zoo, 

they see lots of different animals. Lizzie 

loves looking at the animals as they show 

her what they can do. That night when 

Lizzie goes to bed, she thinks about her 

day. And she realises she can do lots of 

special things, too! 

The Bully 



Charlie isn’t very nice to the other 

children. They’re scared of him. Then 

it’s his birthday. Charlie invites all the 

children to his party. But no one comes. 

Charlie is sad, and is sorry. He begins to 

be nice to the other children. And they 

start to like him. 

Let’s Play! 



James has got lots of toys and games. 

His dad buys him lots of presents and 

he plays lots of games with him, too. 

But James is always bored. Then one 

day Dad gives James’ toys and games 

to the children next door. They are very 

happy – and they invite James to play 

with them. 

What are you doing, 

Daniel? 


Mum, Dad and Rosie want Daniel to help, 

but he’s always busy. He’s busy playing 

games on his computer. One evening 

Rosie has an idea. Now when Daniel 

wants some help, they say that they are 

all busy. What happens? And can Daniel 

change and become more helpful? 

Level A 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-302-5 

Level A 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-404-6 

Level B 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-405-3 

Level B 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-303-2 

On-page activities get the children to relate what is happening in 

the story to their own experience and encourage them to solve 

problems along with the characters. 



NEW 

NEW 

the thinking train 

Roberto’s backpack 



When Roberto is ten years old he begins 

to help his dad. After school he goes to 

the field and takes Dad’s goats home. 

Roberto likes his new job, but he likes 

doing other things, too. Soon Roberto’s 

dad is unhappy with him. Then his sister 

Andrea has an idea. 

The three seeds 



Lara, Colin and Dylan live with their 

parents on a farm in Ireland. One day the 

children ask for a pony. Their dad gives 

them three seeds and asks them to grow 

a flower. The child with the most beautiful 

flower gets the pony. What happens when 

Lara’s seed doesn’t grow? 

A problem 

for Prince Percy 


Prince Percy is handsome and clever 

and kind, but he is also poor. One day 

he finds out about a very special contest. 

The winner can marry beautiful Princess 

Isabel. When Prince Percy wins, the king 

isn’t very happy. What happens when the 

king sets Prince Percy another problem? 

A year without Mum 



When Oliver’s mum goes away for a 

year, he is sad. He starts making things 

for his mum, so she can be with him 

in a new way. When Mum comes back 

home, Oliver has got a wonderful surprise 

for her. 

Level C 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-304-9 

Level C 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-406-0 

Level D 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-305-6 

Level D 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-407-7 

AFTER READING 

6 Animals help us a lot. Which animals give us these things? 

Draw lines. 

E 

A 

feathers 

eggs 

cream 

milk 

cheese 

B 

wool 

C 

D 

28 

9783990453049_book.indd 28 05/10/15 09:41 

The activity pages develop the theme of the stories and promote 

specific thinking skills. 

9783990453049_book.indd 29 05/10/15 09:41 

29 


NEW 

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DANIEL? 

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DANIEL? 

Reading & Writing 

Photocopiable Worksheet 

S This worksheet includes activities to practise 

Cambridge YLE: Starters 

Reading & Writing 

S 1 Look and read. Write yes or no. 

for Cambridge Young Learners English: 

Reading & Writing. 

B 

Listening & Speaking Photocopiable Worksheet 

1 Listen and match. Draw lines. 

A 

1 

B 

2 

C 

3 

D 

I’m doing some work. 

They’re playing football. 

She’s working in the garden. 

B 

4 

She’s doing her homework. 

E 

5 

F 

They’re laying the table. 

Ruby runs the race 



Ruby hates PE. Her teacher always tells 

her to run faster and try harder. But Ruby 

can’t. The other girls are not happy when 

Ruby is in their team. They want to win, 

and winning is impossible with Ruby in 

the team. Then, one day there is a crosscountry 

race, and Ruby shows that she 

is a winner, too. 

Level E 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-408-4 

The jaguar 

and the cow 


A jaguar kills a cow in a village near a reserve 

in Brazil. The family who own the cow think 

that men from other villages are setting traps 

for deer. Is this why the jaguar is looking for 

food in the village? Paulo and Catrina, 

together with their two friends, decide to 

do something about the problem. 

Level E 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-306-3 

A Daniel and his mum are in the kitchen. ....................................... 

B The laptop is on the table. ....................................... 

C The sofa and armchair are blue. ....................................... 

D The rug is under the bag. ....................................... 

E Daniel’s mum is working on the laptop. ....................................... 

F The cat is sleeping. ....................................... 

G Daniel’s football boots are in his hands. ....................................... 

THE THINKING TRAIN © Helbling Languages - Worksheet by Frances Mariani 

DANIEL_Reading and writing.indd 1 18/12/15 10:22 

2 Look at Exercise 1 and mime. Ask a friend. 

What am I doing? 

What am I doing? 

THE THINKING TRAIN © Helbling Languages - Worksheet by Frances Mariani 

6 

He’s cooking in the kitchen. 

You’re working 

in the garden. 

You’re doing your 

homework. 

DANIEL_Listening and speaking.indd 1 18/12/15 10:23 

Free Online 

worksheets 

1 

• Free online worksheets provide 

language evaluation and consolidation 

as well as practice for Cambridge 

YLE Starters and Movers and Trinity 

levels 1-3 exams. 

1 

Free Online 

GAMES 

ONLINE 

GAMES 

• Play individual games or motivating 

classroom team challenges. 

• Listen to the stories with MP3 audios. 

ONLINE 

GAMES 

www.helbling-ezone.com 


Young Readers 

Helbling 

Young Readers 

CLASSICS See interview 

with the author on page 48 

A series of best-loved 

classic fairytales, myths 

and legends from all over 

the world retold with all the 

magic of the original for 

young learners of English. 

Engaging stories 

with beautiful full-colour 

illustrations, specially written 

to appeal to young learners 

of English, introduce highfrequency 

words in order to 

promote fluency from 

an early age. 

Each story is carefully 

graded and language is 

presented both as lexical 

groups and language 

functions. 

Accompanying interactive 

whiteboard-compatible 

CD-ROM/Audio CDs include 

a complete reading of the 

story, chants, games and a 

link to the Young Readers 

website. 

All materials use an opentype 

font which has been 

devised to help children 

with reading difficulties. 

CD-ROM/Audio CD 

for each title 

The Hare 

and the Tortoise 

Retold by Richard Northcott 

The hare can do lots of things. He can 

jump and run. He’s fast. The tortoise can’t 

run. He’s slow. One day the fast hare 

and the slow tortoise have a race. The 

hare runs fast, he can’t see the tortoise. 

And he’s tired... surely there is time for 

the hare to have a rest. What happens 

when the hare falls asleep? And can the 

tortoise be the winner? 

More for Students 

• Beautifully illustrated stories 

• Activities with a TPR dynamic learning approach 

• Open-out vocabulary flaps on each book 

• Open-type font to make reading accessible to students with 

reading difficulties 

• CD-ROM with interactive learning games, karaoke chant 

and audio dictionary 

• Fun online project pages 

More for Teachers 

• Language highlighted at a glance for easy preparation 

• Visual CLIL pointers 

• Big Books for shared reading 

• Free downloadable worksheets with Cambridge Young 

Learners English practice 

• Downloadable Flashcards and Guide to using Flashcards 

Building 

Young 

Learners’ 

cognitive 

tools 

Level A CLIL Civics | Reading 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-778-3 

LANGUAGE & EXAMS 

EXAM 

Level a Level b Level c 

Level d 



Trinity: 1 

Alphabet; Colours; 

Countries; Faces; 

Greetings; Numbers 

1-10; Pets; School things; 

Snacks; Toys; 

Wild animals (zoo and 

jungle) 



Trinity: 1 

Clothes; Farm animals; 

Festivals; Games; 

Houses and rooms; 

Numbers after 10; Parties; 

School subjects; Seasons; 

Weather 



Trinity: 1 

Ecology 1; Garden and 

nature; Helping at home; 

Jobs; Places; 

Pocket money; Sports; 

Town 1 



Trinity: 2 

Bodies; Directions; 

Emotions 1; Family; Health; 

Months; Town 2; Transport 

Level e 



Trinity: 2/3 

Dreams; Ecology 2; 

Emotions 2; Fashion; 

Holidays; Music; TV 


The three goats 


Big Goat, Middle Goat and Little Goat are 

hungry. And there’s lots of grass on the 

hill on the other side of the bridge. But 

there’s a mean and nasty troll under the 

bridge. How can the three goats cross 

the bridge and eat the grass? Find out 

in this classic story. 

Little red riding hood 


Today Little Red Riding Hood is visiting 

her grandmother in the forest. In the 

forest there is a woodcutter and… there’s 

a big, bad wolf. Be careful, Little Red 

Riding Hood! What happens when she 

arrives at Grandmother’s house? And can 

the woodcutter arrive in time to save the 

little girl and her grandmother? 

The Leopard 

and the Monkey 


It’s morning in the jungle and Leopard 

is hungry and his favourite breakfast is 

monkeys. But Leopard falls into a well 

and only Baby Monkey can help him. 

Can Baby Monkey pull Leopard out of 

the well? And is Leopard really monkey’s 

friend? Find out in this classic African folk 

tale of how a clever little animal can trick 

a big fierce one. 

Peach boy 


Long ago in Japan, an old man and 

woman find a baby boy in a peach. They 

call the baby Momotaro, which means 

‘peach boy’ in Japanese. The years pass 

and Momotaro grows up. One day he 

takes his sword and goes off to fight 

the ogres who are taking the people’s 

treasure. Who can help Momotaro find 

the ogres’ island? And what happens 

when he arrives there? Find out in one 

of the most famous Japanese folktales. 

Level A CLIL Reading | Civics 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-261-5 

Level B CLIL Reading | Drama 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-262-2 

Level B CLIL Geography | Science 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-781-3 

Level C CLIL History | Geography 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-263-9 

Let's read CLASSICS 

Classic tales for children are a fundamental part of our 

history. They have evolved over the years from oral tales 

told by the fireside to carefully illustrated stories with 

printed words, becoming works of art for children to share 

with others or to savour on their own. 

Helbling Young Readers Classics embody and promote 

universal moral values – values that are timeless and 

increasingly more important in our rapidly changing world. 

By reading Helbling Young Readers Classics children 

will be captivated and fascinated by stories they may 

know in their own language. This will further facilitate 

comprehension and understanding, turning the chosen 

title into an important tool for language learning. 


Young Readers 

HELBLING YOUNG READERS - CLASSICS 

The Fisherman 

and his Wife 


One day the fisherman catches a magic 

fish. When he tells his wife, she asks 

the fish for a nice house. Then she 

wants a castle. And then she wants to 

become queen. What happens when 

the fisherman’s wife keeps asking for 

more things? Does the fish listen to the 

fisherman’s wife? 

the selfish giant 

Oscar Wilde 

When the Selfish Giant sees the children 

in his garden, he is angry and he builds a 

high wall. Now the children have nowhere 

to play. Spring comes, but in the Giant’s 

garden it is still winter. One morning the 

Giant wakes up and he has a wonderful 

surprise. What does the Giant see in his 

garden that morning? And how does it 

change him forever? 

Theseus 

and the Minotaur 


Bad King Minos of Crete has a terrible 

monster, called the Minotaur. When the 

Minotaur is hungry King Minos asks King 

Aegeus to send him seven young men 

and seven young women for his monster 

to eat. Then, one day, King Aegeus’ son 

Theseus decides to go to Crete and 

kill the Minotaur. What happens when 

Theseus arrives in Crete? And can he 

kill the terrible monster? 

Beauty 

and the Beast 


When Beauty’s father picks a 

rose for his daughter the owner 

of the rosebush, a terrible beast, is very 

angry. In payment for the rose, Beauty 

must leave her family and go to live in 

the beast’s castle. 

In time Beauty and the beast become 

friends. Then one day Beauty’s father 

falls ill and she returns home to look 

after him. Does she return to the beast? 

Level C CLIL Geography | Reading 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-783-7 

Level D CLIL Reading | Civics 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-265-3 

Level D CLIL Geography | History 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-776-9 

Level E 

CLIL Art | Reading 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-785-1 

Put your head 

on the ground. 

What can you hear? 

lusmore 

and the fairies 


Lusmore lives in a small village in Ireland. 

He has a big hump on his back and people 

laugh at him and say bad things. Lusmore 

is sad. One evening Lusmore is coming 

home from the market when he hears 

the fairies singing. What happens when 

Lusmore joins them? And how do the 

fairies change Lusmore’s life forever? 

10 

Lusmore yawned. He put his head 

on his hands and closed his eyes. 

Then he heard something. He sat up 

and listened. People were singing! 

‘Who’s there?’ said Lusmore. 

9783990452646_book_lusmore.indd 10 24/07/15 14:04 

Lusmore looked at the road. Nobody 

was there. Then Lusmore put 

his head on the ground and listened. 

‘There are people singing inside 

the hill,’ said Lusmore. 

On-page Activities 

Fun on-page activities stimulate communication and get the readers to 

relate the stories to their own experiences. 

9783990452646_book_lusmore.indd 11 24/07/15 14:04 

11 

Level E CLIL Reading | Music 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-264-6 


FICTION See interview 

with the author on page 48 

An exciting series of original 

graded readers for Primary 

Schools in 5 levels. 

Engaging stories with 

beautiful full-colour 

illustrations, specially written 

to appeal to young learners 

of English, introduce highfrequency 

words in order 

to promote fluency from an 

early age. 

Each story is carefully 

graded and language 

is presented both 

as lexical groups and 

language functions. 

Accompanying interactive 

whiteboard-compatible 

CD-ROMs include a 

complete reading of the 

story, chants, games and a 

link to the Young Readers 

website. 

All materials use an opentype 

font which has been 

devised to help children 

with reading difficulties. 



Can I Play? 

Rick Sampedro 

It is Billy’s first day at school. 

He is happy and he wants to play with 

the other children. But when Billy asks 

if he can play, each child answers him 

in a different language. Billy is sad, he 

can’t play with anyone. 

Then, Lorenzo becomes Billy’s friend 

and soon everyone is playing together. 

The Beach 

Rick Sampedro 

Anna is very happy. It is a beautiful day. 

A perfect day for the beach. 

But Nina is not happy. She is on a boat, 

far from the beach. 

This is the story of two little girls, and 

how a place can mean very different 

things to different people. 


are also available as Big Books: 

ideal for shared reading. 

Level A CLIL Civics | Reading 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-243-6 

Level A CLIL Geography | Civics 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-523-9 

ISBN 978-3-85272-722-6 

7 benefits of early reading 

+ Greatly helps to expand vocabulary 

+ Fosters deep and natural interest 

and love for language 

+ Increases attention span 

+ Enhances memory and levels 

of retention 

+ Develops the imagination 

and creative thinking 

+ Creates a stimulating learning 

environment 

+ Anchors new words and structures 

in a meaningful way 

Picture Dictionary 

Open-out flaps with picture dictionary, structures, 

lexis, a letter to the reader and CLIL links. 


Young Readers 

HELBLING YOUNG READERS - Fiction 

The Big Fire 

Rick Sampedro 

It is a lovely day in the jungle. The grass 

is green and the sky is blue. The animals 

are all happy together. 

But... what is that? Now the sky is orange 

and there is smoke. Oh, no! There is a 

terrible fire. 

Can the little birds stop the fire? And who 

can help them? 

The Big Wave 

Stefanella Ebhardt 

Pat’s best friend is a little goldfish called 

Ermy. One day they go to the beach. They 

are happy, they like the sea. 

Then a big wave comes and takes Ermy 

away. Away from the beach, and away 

from her best friend Pat. 

What happens next? Can Pat and Ermy 

find each other once more? 

A Christmas Present 

for Barney Bunny 

Maria Cleary 

It’s Christmas Eve and Mother Bunny 

is busy getting everything ready for 

Christmas. The bunnies aren’t helping 

so she sends them out to play. 

Barney, the baby bunny, can’t play any of 

the games. But on Christmas Day Mother 

Bunny has a special present for him and 

all her other children. 

Dad for sale 

Andrés Pi Andreu 

‘Dad, I don’t love you anymore.’ 

‘You don’t love me?’ asks Dad. 

‘You don’t let me put jam in the fish tank. 

And you don’t let me sleep in the dog bed.’ 

Poor Dad. No one loves him anymore. 

Does he have to go to the Dad shop? 

Find out in this charming story about love. 

Level A CLIL Geography | Science 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-311-2 

Level A CLIL Maths | Science 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-953-4 

Level B 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-244-3 

CLIL Reading 

Level B CLIL Civics | Reading 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-954-1 

ISBN 978-3-85272-721-9 

ISBN 978-3-85272-724-0 

Structures 

All language practised in each book is highlighted as either new or recycled from 

a lower level. There is always a perfect balance of new and revised structures 

in order to enhance and reinforce learning. 

CLIL 

Helbling Young Readers draw links with other classroom topics, 

developing cross-curricular skills and making the most of real 

classroom learning and time. For example, if you are reading Sam 

and the Sunflower Seeds with your pupils you can immediately see 

you can also use it in Science and Reading class. 


NEW 

The Dark in the Box 

Rick Sampedro 

Andy loves the summer, the days are 

long and he can play in the sun with his 

friends. Andy likes the winter too. But 

in the winter the days are short and the 

nights are long. Andy doesn’t like nights. 

He doesn’t like the dark. 

Then one day Andy has an idea. What’s 

Andy’s idea and how can it help him to 

sleep at night? 

The Kite 

Rick Sampedro 

Ehud and Elisa like flying kites. One windy 

day Ehud’s kite goes up and he can’t see 

it. Ehud is sad. Then it comes down in 

Elisa’s garden. 

Elisa gives Ehud his kite and he is happy. 

But then Ehud and Elisa look at their 

fathers. Their fathers aren’t friends. 

They are sad. Can the children think of a 

way to make everyone happy? 

Freddy 

the Frog Prince 

Maria Cleary 

Freddy the frog is very happy. He likes his 

life and the pond and he likes Francesca, 

the prettiest frog in the woods. 

One Friday evening Freddy is waiting 

for Francesca when he hears a strange 

sound. It’s Princess Priscilla and she is 

not very happy. But then Princess Priscilla 

has an idea and Freddy’s life changes 

forever... or does it? 

Sam and the 

Sunflower Seeds 

Maria Cleary 

Sam loves visiting his grandad in the 

country and playing in the sunflower 

fields. One day, Sam’s grandad gives 

Sam some sunflower seeds. Sam plants 

his seeds and he waters them carefully. 

But the seeds do not grow. Can Grandad 

help his seeds to grow? 

Level B CLIL Geography | Reading 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-509-8 

Level B CLIL Art | Geography 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-312-9 

Level C CLIL Science | Civics 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-955-8 

Level C CLIL Reading | Science 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-313-6 

ISBN 978-3-85272-723-3 

ISBN 978-3-85272-725-7 

MULTIMEDIA 


A dedicated website packed with additional resources: 

• Browsable samples • Downloadable activities 

• Worksheets 

• Answer Keys 

• Project pages 


An IWB-compatible student’s CD-ROM with: 

• Interactive language games 

• Karaoke chants 

• Story-sequencing activities 

• Dictations 

• Dictionary with interactive listening activities 

• Full recording of the story plus activities 


Young Readers 

HELBLING YOUNG READERS - Fiction 

The Sun is Broken 

Andrés Pi Andreu 

Today is the little girl’s birthday. 

She closes her eyes and blows out the 

candles on her birthday cake and makes 

a wish. Suddenly lots of strange things 

start happening but Mum and Dad can’t 

see them. 

Can the little girl convince her parents 

that she is not silly? And what happens 

when the sun goes down? 

The Thirsty Tree 

Adrián N. Bravi 

It is summer and it is very hot. The tree 

on top of the hill is very thirsty. Its leaves 

are brown and there is no water to drink. 

Then the tree sees Cloudbreak, a little 

bird. 

Can Cloudbreak help the tree to find 

some water? 

Fat Cat’s Busy Day 

Maria Cleary 

Mum, Dad, Emily and Baby are all out 

and Fat Cat is sleeping in peace. Bang! 

Suddenly there is a noise in the kitchen. 

There is a thief in the house and Fat Cat 

is the only one who can stop him! 

What is Fat Cat’s plan? And can he save 

Mum’s jewellery? 

Henry Harris 

Hates Haitches 

Maria Cleary 

Henry Harris can’t say the letter ‘H’. 

He hates haitches more than he hates 

homework or horrible Hannah Hunter 

who laughs at him. 

Then one day something happens to 

Henry’s best friend, Harry. What happens 

when Henry helps Harry? 

Level C 

CLIL Art | Reading 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-525-3 

Level C CLIL Geography | Science 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-245-0 

Level D CLIL Civics | Reading 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-314-3 


32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-246-7 

ISBN 978-3-85272-726-4 

ISBN 978-3-85272-728-8 ISBN 978-3-85272-727-1 

Skater Boy 

Maria Cleary 

All the mothers are afraid of Skater Boy. 

He’s the fastest kid in town. But all the 

children love Skater Boy because he’s 

the fastest kid in town. 

One day, while the mothers are planning 

to catch Skater Boy something terrible 

happens. Baby climbs and climbs to the 

top of the climbing frame. And Skater 

Boy is the only one who can save him. 

22 

Find a rubber. 

Throw it up into the air. 

Can you catch it? 

Can you now hand it to a friend? 

“What’s that?” say the mothers. 

“Look out!” shouts Skater Boy as he races 

under the climbing frame. 

He catches Baby just before he falls. 

“Just in time,” says Skater Boy and he 

hands Baby to his mother. 

23 


32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-526-0 

A fun TPR approach to guarantee optimal learning. 


Moony Goes on Holiday 

Dilys Ross 

Moony lives on the moon. Every day is the 

same: he cleans his home, he waters his 

garden, then he goes for a walk. 

Moony is bored. He wants to hear noise 

and see people. He wants to go to Earth. 

One day, Alex the astronaut arrives and 

agrees to take Moony home with him. 

What happens when Moony arrives on 

Earth? What surprises does he find? And 

what does Moony decide to do: stay on 

Earth or go back to the moon? 

Food for the Winter 

Rick Sampedro 

It is a cold hard winter and there are not 

enough nuts and seeds for the animals 

in the forest. 

They are all weak and hungry... all except 

Chippy and his family. They have got lots 

of food for the winter. 

But something terrible happens and 

Chippy soon learns that sharing is best. 

Lola in the 

Land of Fire 

Rick Sampedro 

A long time ago there was a girl called 

Lola. Lola lived with her family in the 

Selk’nam tribe, in a beautiful land near 

the end of the world. 

One day when Lola is with the Yamana 

tribe in the south of the land, a big ship 

arrives. 

Who is on the ship? And how will they 

change Lola’s land forever? 

Upside Down 

Rick Sampedro 

It’s a lovely sunny day in Loony Town. 

The sky is blue and Kate and Charlie 

are playing in the park. But when Kate 

looks up she sees a fish flying in the sky. 

Then the mice start chasing the cats and 

the cats start chasing the dogs. 

The world is upside down! Now Kate and 

Charlie must put everything back in its 

place again. 

Level D CLIL Science | Geography 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-956-5 

Level E CLIL Geography | Science 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-331-0 

Level E CLIL Geography | History 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-957-2 

Level E CLIL Civics | Science 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-527-7 

ISBN 978-3-85272-730-1 

Lost on the Coast 

Rick & Steve Sampedro 

A baby whale is stranded on a beach 

after an oil spill. It is hot and the whale 

can’t breathe. Lots of people come to 

look but no-one knows what to do until 

Rawiri arrives. Rawiri has got a plan. 

Is his plan good enough to save the 

whale? 

Language 

Language is presented both as lexical groups and language functions. On-page activities 

often link in with other curricular subjects and allow the readers to interact with the story. 

Before and after reading activities pre-teach and practise words and structures and provide 

skills and pronunciation practice. 

Level E CLIL Geography | Science 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-247-4 

ISBN 978-3-85272-729-5 


Young Readers 

Free Online 

Resources 

Full online offer 

to maximise 

classroom use 

HELBLING YOUNG READERS GUIDES 

How to use 

Big Books 

Frances Mariani 


Helbling Young Readers Guides 



How to help your child 

read in English 







Frances Mariani and Louise Potter 




for TEACHERS 

Join us online for a wide 

choice of free resources to 

maximise both your teaching 

and your students’ learning. 


Beauty and the Beast 

Characters 

Storyteller 1 

Storyteller 2 

Beauty’s father 

Beauty 

Beauty’s older sister 

Beauty’s oldest sister 

The beast 

The postman 

Stagehands 

Scene 1 

The two storytellers enter and stand on either side of the stage. 

Storyteller 1 Hello, ladies and gentleman. This is the story of Beauty and the beast. 

Beauty’s father enters, then Beauty and her two sisters. 

Storyteller 2 A man lived in a big house. He had three daughters. 

Storyteller 1 The two older daughters were beautiful. But they weren’t kind. 

Older sister I’m beautiful. Very beautiful. I’m more beautiful than you. 

Oldest sister No, you aren’t. I’m more beautiful than you. 

Storyteller 2 The youngest daughter was beautiful and kind. Her name was Beauty. 

Beauty touches her father’s arm and smiles at him. 

Beauty I love you, father 

Father I love you, too, Beauty. 

Scene 2 

A PLAY 

Props 

A letter in an envelope 

A small suitcase or bag 

Coconut shells to make the sound of horse’s hooves 

Long dresses 

A model castle or a big picture of a castle 

A mask for the beast 

A hand mirror 

Cymbals 

Confetti 

Storyteller 1 One day, there was a knock on the door. 

Sound effect: knocking 

The postman enters with a letter. 

Storyteller 1 It was the postman. 

Postman This is for Beauty’s father. It’s very important. 

The postman gives the letter to Beauty’s father, then goes off. 

Beauty’s father opens the letter and reads it. 

Father I’ve got to go to the city. Would you like some presents? 

Older sister I want a new dress. 

e 

Drama 

Perform the play of Beauty and the Beast. 

You need: 

The playscript from the internet 

Costumes 

A mask for the beast 

Table and chairs 

Some roses 

A mirror 

BEAUTY 

AND THE 

BEAST 

Performed 

by Class 5 

Friday 

at 3 o’clock 

Project 


Play Station Project 

1 Download the playscript of Beauty 

and the Beast from the internet. 

Read it aloud in class. 

2 Decide who is going to play each part. 

Help each other to learn your lines. 

3 Find costumes. Make a mask for the beast. 

Collect furniture and props. 

4 Practise each scene many times. 

5 Decide when you are going to perform the play. Make 

tickets, posters and programmes. Invite your friends 

and family to the play. 

6 Perform the play. 

Go to www.helblingyoungreaders.com to download this page. 

© Helbling Languages 2014 


Colour the mask then cut it out. 

e 

HOW TO USE BIG BOOKS 1 

HL_How to use Big Books_210x297-online.indd 1 11/02/15 13:50 

Helbling Young Readers Guides: 

• How to use your Flashcards 

• How to use your Big Books 

• How to help your child read in English 

Project 

Project pages with extras needed 

to complete all tasks. 

Video overview of the main features 

and how to use them with your students. 

Can I Play? 

Rick Sampedro 

Photocopiable 

Worksheet 

aa 

Can I Play? 

Rick Sampedro 

Cambridge YLE: Starters Reading and Writing 

1 A 8, B 4, C 4, D 4, E 8, F 4, G 8, H 8 

Photocopiable Worksheet 

Worksheet Answer Key 

a a 

Cambridge YLE: Starters Reading and Writing 

1 Read. Put a tick (4) or a cross (8). 

A This is a 

schoolbag. 

C This is a ball. 

E This is a key. 

G This is a crayon. 

A This is 

2 Read. Put a tick (4) or a cross (8). 

a blue kite. 

purple key. 

C This is a 

B This is a kite. 

D This is a koala. 

F This is a flag. 

H This is Billy. 

B This is a red kite. 

D This is a yellow 

schoolbag. 

2 A 4, B 8, C 8, D 4, E 8, F 8, G 8, H 4 

3 A pink, B orange, C purple, D brown, E green, F blue, G yellow, 

H white, I red 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

o 

p b r 

u 

a 

g r e e n 

p 

g 

l y e 

e 

G 

p 

i 

o w n 

k 

l 

F 

b 

l 

u 

e 

I 

o 

r 

H 

w 

h 

i 

t 

e 

d 

E This is an 

orange ball. 

F This is a 

pink crayon. 

G This is an 

orange koala. 

H This is a 

green crayon. 



Photocopiable worksheets and teaching notes 

with Cambridge ESOL YLE Exam Practice. 

Helbling Young Readers Guides (free downloads) 

How to use your Helbling Young Readers Flashcards 978-3-85272-736-3 

How to use your Big Books 978-3-85272-394-5 

How to help your child read in English 978-3-99045-093-2 

Go to the Young Readers category on our blog 

for all the latest theory, plus lesson plans and 

interviews with the authors and illustrators. 



ig books 

Specially 

devised for 

shared reading 


Big Books make reading 

a fun experience while 

being a powerful tool 

for language learning. 

Maxi-format illustrations 

will captivate any class 

or group and enlarged text 

will allow children to see 

and follow words as they are 

pointed to and read by the 

teacher. 


Big Books will bring 

reading to life for all 

children in your classes. 

They are an ideal way to 

make reading a shared 

experience and fun group 

situations will then help 

develop confident and 

motivated individual readers. 

for 

confident 

motivated 

readers 

for TEACHERS 

Why shared reading 

and interactive 

reading aloud 

makes a difference 

• Children love a good story and the attention 

of being read to personally. 

• Children feel involved in the action and they even 

forget that it is a formal teaching situation. 

• Comprehension is almost immediate, with instant 

clarification and support from the teacher. 

• As children observe and listen they develop 

strategies for listening and speaking situations. 

• Helps in teaching frequently used vocabulary. 

• Encourages initiative in the form of making 

predictions and connections, observing, 

clarifying, asking questions, making comments, 

entering a story world and using their own 

imagination. 

• Encourages and breaks down barriers for children 

struggling to read. 


• Size: 35x47 cm 

• Pages: 24 (story only) 

• Picture dictionary 

• Quick guide in book 

• Story available as MP3 download 

• Downloadable Guide to using Big Books 


Red Series 

Helbling Red Series 

CLASSICS 

NEW 

NEW 

NEW 

HELBLING 

READERS 

Go online for all the latest 

news on our Readers and 

up-to-the-minute information 

on all our publications. 

www.helblingreaders.com 










HELBLING 

READERS 



material. 

Choose from 




RED 

SERIES 

BLUE 

SERIES 














with a bag. 





NEW 

Level 1 

FICTION Original Stories 


Dan and the 

Stolen Bikes 



ISBN 978-3- 9045-396-4 

Hong Kong Mystery 

NEW 

Level 1 

in Hong Kong, visiting Sue’s grandparents. 

they notice an ivory shop and Dan 

ons. 

oing into the same shop 

o are the men? 

oon he and Sue 

us adventure and their 


Dan and Sue 

in London 


FICTION Graphic Stories 

FICTION Short Reads 


Red Series 

Helbling 

Red Series 

CLASSICS 

NEW 

A series of well-known 

classic stories by 

world-famous authors 

that have been chosen 

and adapted to appeal 

to young teenagers. 

Careful selection of stories 

with suitable content 

and language level has 

allowed the flavour of the 

originals to remain. 

Reflection Boxes 

throughout the stories help 

understanding, and draw 

links with the students’ 

own lives, while detailed 

Before and After Reading 

activities help and check 

understanding. 

A clear introduction gives 

information about the 

author. 

Audio CD 


Written by Alan Pulverness, 

the well-known specialist 

and enthusiast in literature 

in ELT. 

New Reading Matters with lots 

of great new innovative ideas 

for using graded readers both 

in class and as part of an 

extensive reading programme. 

Includes a Book Club Starter 

Kit to make reading an 

integral part of your students’ 

learning. 

King Arthur 

Howard Pyle 

Adapted by Scott Lauder & Walter McGregor 


Britain is a sad and dangerous place. The 

kingdom needs a true and good king. One 

day Arthur comes to the cathedral and 

pulls the sword from the stone. Only the 

true King of England can do this. From that 

day Arthur becomes King Arthur. Follow 

the adventures of King Arthur, Merlin, 

the Knights of the Round Table, Lady 

Guinevere and Sir Lancelot and decide 

for yourselves if you think the legend is 

real or not. 

Level 1 - A1 Adventure | Traditional 

76 pages 

978-3-99045-410-7 

Peter Pan 

J. M. Barrie 

Adapted by Geraldine Sweeney 


Peter Pan visits the nursery of the Darling 

children, Wendy, John and Michael, every 

night when they are sleeping. One night 

they wake up and Peter teaches them to fly. 

Together they fly off to Never-Never Land 

where they find the Lost Boys, mermaids, 

Indians and pirates. However, the leader 

of the pirates, the terrible Captain Hook, 

wants to kill Peter and capture the children. 

Can they defeat him and return home to 

their parents in London? 

Level 1 - A1 Adventure | Fantasy 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-299-3 

ISBN 978-3-85272-012-8 

CEFR, STRUCTURES & EXAMS 

CEFR 

Level 1 - A1 Level 2 - A1/A2 Level 3 - A2 

EXAM 

Cambridge English: Key (KET) for Schools 

Trinity GESE Grades 1-2 

a, an; adjectives; adverbs of frequency; 

can; countable and uncountable nouns; 

demonstrative adjectives and pronouns; 

have got; How much/many?; imperatives; 

like/love/hate/don’t like doing; 

subject and object pronouns; plural nouns; 

possessive’s; possessive adjectives; 

present continuous; present simple; 

question words; short answers; some/any; 

the; there is/are 


Trinity ISE Foundation and GESE Grades 2-3 

a lot of, not much, not many; 

adverbs of manner; and, so, but, because; 

be going to; comparative; have to/must; 

mustn’t; past continuous; past simple; 

past simple v. past continuous; 

possessive pronouns; superlative; 

to for purpose 


Trinity ISE Foundation and GESE Grades 3-4 

cardinal/ordinal numbers; ever/never; 

must/should need to/have to; one/ones; 

prepositions of time, place and movement; 

present perfect; present perfect v. past simple; 

present continuous for future; question tags; 

reflexive pronouns; relative pronouns who, 

which, that; so do I/neither do I; 

too plus adjective; indefinite pronouns; will; 

would like 


The Fisherman 

and his Soul 

Oscar Wilde 

Adapted by Frances Mariani 


When the Fisherman catches a beautiful 

mermaid in his nets he falls in love with 

her. He wants to marry her but first he 

must send away his Soul. 

How can he send away his Soul? And can 

his body and Soul live apart? Find out 

in this beautiful story about the nature 

of love. 

The Happy Prince 

and The Nightingale 

and the Rose 

Oscar Wilde 

Adapted by Maria Cleary 


In The Happy Prince a little swallow stops 

on its journey towards the sun and helps 

a big-hearted Prince to bring happiness 

to his people. 

In The Nightingale and the Rose a 

songbird understands more about love 

than a man does. 

The Hound 

of the Baskervilles 

Arthur Conan Doyle 



Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead with 

the footprints of a huge dog beside his 

body. Everyone thinks that the hound of 

the Baskervilles, the terrible dog that 

has cursed the Baskerville family for 

centuries, is to blame. Sherlock Holmes 

and Doctor Watson go to investigate the 

murder. Will they find the murderer before 

the last surviving member of the family 

is killed? 

The Prince 

and the Pauper 

Mark Twain 

Adapted by Alex McLeod 


A prince and a poor boy meet. They look 

very similar and become friends. 

They want to understand each other’s 

lives so they exchange clothes. But the 

boys’ game soon becomes a reality. No 

one knows who is the prince and who 

is the pauper. 

Can Prince Edward and Tom Canty ever 

go back to their normal lives? 

Level 1 - A1 Human interest | Love 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-558-1 

Level 1 - A1 Friendship | Human interest 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-000-5 

Level 1 - A1 Horror | Mystery 

84 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-156-9 


76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-761-5 

2 

2 

Before Reading 

1 Listen and match the names to the pictures. 

a Arthur b Nymue the Lady of the Lake c Lady Guinevere 

d Sir Lancelot e Morgana Le Fay f Merlin 

1 

2 3 

4 5 6 

A wide range of Before Reading activities introduces new 

words and puts the four language skills into practice. 

2 Listen again. Read the questions and write the correct names. 

a) Who has very long, dark hair? ……………. 

b) Who has a star on his arm? ……………. 

c) Who helps Arthur to get Excalibur? ……………. 

d) Who wants to kill Arthur? ……………. 

e) Who marries Arthur? ……………. 

f) Who pulls the sword from the stone? ……………. 

3 Complete the text with the words below. 

letters table words chairs gold 

Lady Guinevere’s father gives 

Arthur a present – a Round 

a) ……………. . There are fifty 

empty b) ……………. around 

the table, and a c) ……………. 

cup at each place. 

Merlin smiles and takes Arthur 

to one of the chairs. ‘This is 

the King’s Seat,’ he says to 

Arthur. ‘It is yours.’ Suddenly, 

there are some d) ……………. 

on the back of the chair. The 

e) ……………. say: ‘KING 

ARTHUR’. 


4 Look at the titles of the chapters on page 3. Answer the questions 

below. Write the number of the chapter in the box. 

In which chapter does Arthur: 

a) £ find Excalibur? 

b) £ go to Avalon? 

c) £ meet at the Round Table? 

d) £ fight the Black Knight? 

The Railway Children 

Edith Nesbit 

Adapted by Jennifer Gascoigne 


Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis live happily in 

London with their parents. One day their 

father is taken to prison and the children 

move to the countryside with their mother 

to make a new life. There isn’t much money 

and the children are worried about their 

father. They spend a lot of time by the 

railway watching and waving at the trains 

that go to London. A nice old gentleman 

waves back and Bobbie has an idea. Find 

out in this fun story full of love and hope. 

10 

11 

Level 1 - A1 Adventure | Family 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-278-3 


Red Series 

HELBLING READERS RED SERIES - CLASSICS 

The Wind 

in the Willows 

Kenneth Graham 



When Mole wakes up after winter he 

meets friendly Rat and wise Badger. 

Together the three friends start on a 

series of adventures as they try to keep 

the not-so-clever Toad out of trouble. 

Can Toad’s friends help him? Find out 

in this classic story of adventure and 

friendship. 

The Wonderful 

Wizard of Oz 

L. Frank Baum 



Dorothy thinks she is lost when a terrible 

cyclone carries her and her dog Toto to 

the magical Land of Oz. So she decides 

to go to the Emerald City and ask the 

Wizard of Oz to help her go home again. 

On the way she meets the Scarecrow, the 

Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion who 

all have a special wish to ask the Wizard. 

Will the Wizard make their wishes come 

true? And will Dorothy find her way home? 

Alice’s Adventures 

in Wonderland 

Lewis Carroll 



It is a hot afternoon and Alice is bored. 

She follows a White Rabbit down a rabbit 

hole and arrives in a strange place called 

Wonderland. Here nothing is as it seems: 

animals can talk, cakes and drinks can 

make you bigger and smaller and the 

Queen of Hearts can cut off your head. 

Can Alice find her way home again? 

Anne of Green Gables 

Anne Arrives 

Lucy Maud Montgomery 

Adapted by Nicole Harrick 

Recording in American English 

When Matthew and Marilla decide to 

adopt a child to help them at their farm, 

Green Gables, they specifically ask for 

a boy. But when Matthew goes to Bright 

River Station to collect the child, he gets 

a shock. 

What do Matthew and Marilla decide to 

do? Do they keep the child? This child 

is certainly very different. 

Level 1 - A1 Adventure | Friendship 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-943-5 

Level 1 - A1 Fantasy | Friendship 

92 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-289-4 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Fantasy | Human interest 

88 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-232-0 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Family | Friendship 

88 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-762-2 

After Reading activities develop understanding 

of the plot, theme and characters in the story. 

Reflection Boxes throughout the text allow the readers to 

stop and think about the story and draw links between 

the themes explored and their own lives and experiences. 


NEW 

Black Beauty 

Anna Sewell 



The much-loved children’s story of a 

horse, Black Beauty. Black Beauty begins 

his life in a loving home. 

But when his owners have to sell him, 

his fortune changes. As Black Beauty 

moves from home to home and job to 

job, he often suffers bad treatment and 

living conditions. 

But Black Beauty still dreams of the happy 

life he had as a young foal. 

Little Women 

Louisa May Alcott 



This is the much-loved story of the four 

March sisters. Meg is the eldest and is 

about to fall in love. Then there’s tomboy 

Jo, who wants to be a writer. Kind Beth, 

who always puts other people before 

herself, and finally there’s Amy, the 

youngest and most precocious. 

Although times are difficult and their 

father is away at war, they never forget 

their sense of fun. Growing up is not 

always easy, but it is very rewarding. 

Mowgli’s Brothers 

Rudyard Kipling 



When Mother Wolf finds a baby outside 

her cave, she decides to keep him and 

raise him with her own cubs. But not 

everyone in the jungle wants Mowgli and 

soon he has to learn to defend himself 

against the cruel tiger Shere Khan and 

his followers. 

Robinson Crusoe 

Daniel Defoe 



Robinson Crusoe looked for adventure 

from an early age. He preferred life at 

sea and travelling to new places to an 

easy life at home. Then on one journey he 

was shipwrecked and forced to make his 

home on a desert island, alone. Robinson 

has a choice. He can give up all hope or 

fight to survive. What will Robinson decide 

and will he ever be able to escape from 

the island and return home to England? 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Human interest | Nature 

80 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-155-2 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Family | Friendship 

84 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-515-4 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Adventure | Friendship 

84 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-051-7 

Level 2 - A1/A2 

76 pages 

978-3-99045-412-1 

Adventure | Travel 

Students listen to the story on 

the Audio CD and do the activities. 

Robin Hood 

Howard Pyle 

Adapted by Scott Lauder & Walter McGregor 


The Sheriff of Nottingham is Robin Hood’s 

greatest enemy. He hates Robin because 

Robin is an outlaw. But most of all, the 

sheriff hates Robin because everyone 

else loves him. 

Does the Sheriff of Nottingham catch 

Robin Hood and his Merry Men? Do they 

remain outlaws forever? Or does the good 

King Richard save them? 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Adventure | Traditional 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-945-9 


Red Series 


The Boscombe Valley 

Mystery 




Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are in the 

Boscombe Valley to investigate a murder. 

James McCarthy’s father is found dead 

by the Boscombe Valley Pool and many 

people think that that James McCarthy 

is the murderer. But there is one person 

who believes that James McCarthy is 

innocent. 

Can Sherlock Holmes help solve another 

mystery? Can he find the real murderer? 

The Red-headed League 




When legendary detective Sherlock 

Holmes and his trusted friend, Dr Watson, 

are asked to investigate a mysterious 

organisation, the Red-headed League, 

they find that there is more to the 

organisation than meets the eye. 

The Secret Garden 

Frances Hodgson Burnett 



When Mary Lennox’s parents die in 

India, she moves to England to live in 

her uncle’s enormous manor. Mary is sad 

and lonely but one day she finds an old 

key to a secret garden that no one goes 

into and a whole new world of magic and 

enchantment opens up to her. Before long 

Mary learns to make friends for the first 

time. Can the garden bring back the love 

that is missing from her life? 

A Christmas Carol 

Charles Dickens 

Adapted by Elspeth Rawstron 


Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean and 

miserable man with no friends. 

One cold Christmas Eve three ghosts visit 

him and take him on a frightening journey 

to show him what is wrong with his life. 

Can Scrooge change and learn to become 

a better person? 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Detective | Mystery 

72 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-280-6 


64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-001-2 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Friendship | Human interest 

72 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-300-6 

Level 3 - A2 Human interest | Mystery 

84 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-052-4 

The Boscombe Valley Mystery 

‘I see. But why did he talk about a rat, then?’ I asked. 

Sherlock Holmes took a piece of paper from his pocket and 

put it on the table. 

‘This is a map of Australia,’ he said. He put his hand over part 

of the map. ‘Now, Watson, what can you read there?’ he asked me. 

‘ARAT,’ I read. 

‘And now?’ Holmes moved his hand. 

‘BALLARAT,’ I read. 

‘Yes. That was the word the man said. It is a place called Ballarat. 

His son only heard the ‘rat’ part of the word. Old Mr McCarthy was 

trying to say where his murderer was from, the town of Ballarat.’ 

‘That’s wonderful, Holmes!’ I exclaimed•. 

BALLARAT 

Do some research on the Internet in small groups. 

What type of town is Ballarat today? 

Look for information and photos. 

Glossary 

exclaimed: said with excitement 

50 

Lots of ideas for classroom discussion. 

51 


Anne OF GREEN GABLES 

ANNE Grows Up 

Lucy Maud Montgomery 

Adapted by Nicole Harrick 


As Anne grows up, Matthew and Marilla 

become even more glad that Anne 

came to Green Gables. Of course Anne 

still makes mistakes and has a vivid 

imagination, but she learns from her 

mistakes and uses her imagination to 

help her in life and in her studies. Follow 

Anne as she grows up into a fun-loving, 

clever, young woman. 

Gulliver’s Travels 

Jonathan Swift 

Adapted by Beverley Young 


Lemuel Gulliver travels the world as 

a ship’s doctor. Each of his journeys 

brings Gulliver to strange lands with 

even stranger inhabitants. People smaller 

than his thumb and giants that can crush 

him as they walk. Islands floating in the 

sky and places where horses are more 

civilized than humans. Gulliver soon 

learns that there are many different ways 

of living, and that what we accept to be 

good is not always the only alternative. 

Oliver Twist 


Adapted by Janet Olearski 


Born in a workhouse, the little orphan 

Oliver Twist survives with little food or 

love. He runs away to London and finds a 

place to stay with Fagin and his ‘family’. 

But Oliver soon realizes that Fagin wants 

him to become a thief and he tries to 

run away. 

Can Oliver escape a life of crime? 

Who is the mysterious Monks? And what 

is his connection with Oliver? 

The Adventures 

of Huckleberry Finn 

Mark Twain 



Huckleberry Finn has a hard life with 

his father until an adventure with Tom 

Sawyer changes everything. But when 

Huck’s dad returns and kidnaps him, he 

decides to escape with runaway slave 

Jim. Life on the run is not easy and Huck 

and Jim get into lots of trouble. Will Tom 

arrive in time to help Huck save Jim from 

slavery? And what will happen to Huck 

when his father finds him? 

Level 3 - A2 Family | Friendship 

72 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-282-0 

Level 3 - A2 Human interest | Travel 

72 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-947-3 

Level 3 - A2 Adventure | Human interest 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-763-9 

Level 3 - A2 Friendship | Humour 

84 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-231-3 

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NEW 

The Adventures 

of Tom Sawyer 

Mark Twain 

Adapted by David A. Hill 


The best-loved story of Tom Sawyer and 

his friends Huck Finn and Joe Harper, 

as they grow up along the banks of the 

Mississippi river. They run away to be 

pirates and come back in time for their 

own funerals, they witness a murder and 

they find treasure. 

Join them for fun and adventure and some 

difficult lessons in growing up. 

The Stolen 

White Elephant 

Mark Twain 



A white elephant travelling from Asia to 

Britain as a present for the Queen goes 

missing in New York. Chief Inspector 

Blunt of the New York Police Department 

puts all of his men on the case and 

promises to find the thieves. 

Are the city’s best policemen and a 

reward of $100,000 enough to get the 

elephant back? 

Treasure Island 

Robert Louis Stevenson 



When the terrible pirate Bill Bones dies, 

young Jim Hawkins is left with the key to 

a fortune: the long-lost map of Treasure 

Island. Jim sets off on an incredible 

adventure with his trusted friends to find 

the hidden treasure. They do not realize 

that their crew is made up of pirates and 

their leader is the most infamous and 

cruel pirate of them all... Long John Silver. 

Will Jim and his friends outwit the pirates 

and get the treasure? 

What Katy Did 

Susan Coolidge 



Katy Carr likes running around. She wants 

to set a good example to her five brothers 

and sisters but she is always untidy and 

forgetful. She also dreams of being grown 

up and famous. Then, one terrible day all 

her dreams seem to come to an end. Katy 

feels very sorry for herself until Cousin 

Helen comes to stay and she teaches Katy 

an invaluable lesson. Will Katy be able to 

learn from her situation and become the 

Katy everyone knows and loves again? 

Level 3 - A2 Friendship | Humour 

100 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-154-5 

Level 3 - A2 Detective | Humour 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-002-9 

Level 3 - A2 Adventure | Travel 

84 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-516-1 

Level 3 - A2 Family | Human interest 

76 pages 

978-3-99045-414-5 

White Fang 

Jack London 



White Fang is born part-dog, part-wolf, in 

the cold and snowy Northland of Alaska. 

He soon learns the laws of nature and 

before long he and his mother, Kiche, 

are fighting for survival. One day a native 

American, Gray Beaver, recognises Kiche 

and soon the mother and cub become his 

property. White Fang learns that men 

have laws, too, that can be both fair and 

cruel. But will White Fang ever learn to 

trust or love men? 

Level 3 - A2 Adventure | Nature 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-301-3 


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A New Home for Socks 



When Penny moves from her home in the 

village to a new house in the city she has 

to leave her friends and pet dog behind. 

One day, after school, Penny finds a little 

puppy in the park. He is small and dirty 

and very frightened. Penny calls him 

Socks. But Penny’s new house is small 

and Socks can’t stay with her. 

Can Penny find a new home for Socks? 

NEW 

Level 1 


Dan and the 

Stolen Bikes 


Dan 

and the Stolen Bikes 



When Sue’s bike is stolen one evening 

in Oxford, Dan decides to do something. 

He starts Oxford Bike Finders and soon 

lots of people are contacting Dan on the 

Internet with information. 

Then one day, one of Dan’s followers 

sees a bike being stolen and Dan and 

Sue decide to follow the thieves. 

What happens when they find the thieves, 

and can they get Sue’s bike back? 

Dan 

and the Village Fête 



It’s the day of the Steeple Compton village 

fête and everyone is happy. Everyone 

except Sue Barrington, the new girl in 

town. Sue’s friend Dan is worried. 

Dan finds out that someone called 

Nemesis is bullying Sue and he decides 

to help. 

Who can Nemesis be? And why does he 

or she want to hurt Sue? 

Only Dan the detective and his dog Dylan 

can find out. 


72 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-291-7 

Level 1 - A1 Detective | Technology 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-397-1 

Level 1 - A1 Detective | Mystery 

72 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-787-5 

Guess! Who does Dan help? 

What type of person is Ronnie? 


Dan the Detective 

A great series of stories at 3 levels 

(1, 2 and 3), following the adventures 

of British teenager Dan Parks and 

his friend Sue Barrington as they 

solve a number of mysteries... all 

with the help of their beloved dogs, 

Dylan and Charlie. 

These fun, stimulating and studentfriendly 

stories by award-winning 

ELT author Richard MacAndrew 

are made even more engaging by 

the introductory poster pages and 

decision boxes throughout the text. 

6 

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Dan and Sue 

in London 



ISBN 978-3-99045-396-4 

Next Door 

Robert Campbell 


When a new family with a twin brother 

and sister move next door to Eoin, strange 

things start to happen. The kids at school 

make fun of the twins and say that they 

are from another planet. But Eoin decides 

to find out where they really come from. 

Dan 

and Sue in London 



Dan and Sue are in London with their 

parents when they see two men acting 

in a very strange way outside their hotel. 

They decide to follow them and find out 

that the men are stealing handbags. 

What happens when the men discover 

that Dan and Sue know their secret? 

And what can their parents do to help? 

Join Dan and Sue in London and find out. 

Dan 

and the Missing Dogs 



When Mrs Jackson’s pet dog Basil goes 

missing, Dan Parks realizes immediately 

that something strange is going on. 

Then when he sees thieves taking his best 

friend Sue’s dog, Charlie, he knows that 

there is definitely a mystery to be solved. 

Who is taking the dogs and can Dan and 

Dylan save them before it is too late? 

Princess on the Run 

Paul Davenport 


King Alexander wants his daughter, 

Princess Priscilla, to marry his best friend, 

Lord Huntingdon. But the princess has 

other plans. She is in love with Toby, a 

young and handsome servant at the Royal 

Palace. Priscilla and Toby decide to run 

away together, but life on the run is not 

what the princess expected. 

Level 1 - A1 Friendship | Mystery 

84 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-161-3 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Detective | Travel 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-510-4 


76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-766-0 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Friendship | Love 

96 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-160-6 

Meet the Author 

Hello, Janet, can you tell us a little about 

yourself? 

I was born in London and grew up there. I studied 

languages at the University of Edinburgh in 

Scotland. I trained as• an English teacher and 

I taught English in Italy and a number of other 

countries. A few years ago I got a job in Abu 

Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, and that’s 

where I am now. 

The Time Capsule 



Jan makes a time capsule for her History 

project and buries it beside the apple 

tree in her garden. Then one night during 

a terrible storm something strange 

happens. Jan travels through time. 

Is she in the future? Or is she in the past? 

And how can she get back to the present? 

Where do you get the ideas for your stories? 

I have always loved writing and I am constantly looking for interesting 

news items• that I can use in my stories. I keep cuttings• from newspapers 

and I carry a notebook with me at all times so that I can immediately 

write down any stories that come into my head or that people tell me. 

How did you think of this story? 

In my school and university holidays, I had a lot of part-time• jobs, 

including one – which was not so pleasant – in a fish and chip shop. 

As for football… well, I don’t play it myself, but I love to watch a good 

game. I’ve found that wherever you go in the world, you will always find 

someone who loves football as much as my hero Gary does. 

Why did you write this story? 

I wanted to show that sometimes we have to work hard to get the things 

we want in life. The rewards• are great when we make the effort. 

Glossary 

• cuttings: stories you cut from a 

newspaper 

• items: (here) stories 

• part-time: not a full day or week 

• rewards: prizes etc., for doing 

something well 

• trained as: learned to be 

6 

Mr Football 2014.indd 6 03/07/14 09:14 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Friendship | Mystery 

96 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-283-2 

Meet the authors, discover what inspires them 

and read their advice on writing your own story. 


The Anti-bully Squad 

Rick Sampedro 


When a pair of bullies hurt Arjun, the 

youngest boy in class, Tom, Ziggy 

and Tara decide that it is time to do 

something. They set up the Anti-bully 

Squad, but they soon discover that the 

bullies are prepared to do anything to 

get their own way. 

Can they find a way to stop the bullies 

before it is too late? 

Dan and the 

HONG KONG MYSTERY 



Dan and Sue are on holiday in Hong Kong, 

visiting Sue’s grandparents. While they 

are sightseeing they notice an ivory shop 

and Dan goes in to ask some questions. 

Later they see some men going into the 

same shop with a bag. What’s in the 

bag? Why are they going in and out of 

the shop with bags? 

Dan and the 

ISLAND MYSTERY 



Dan and Sue are on holiday in Bute, 

a quiet island off the west coast of 

Scotland. One evening, when they are out 

walking with their dogs, they notice some 

men putting boxes on a boat. What’s in 

the boxes? Why are they putting them in 

the boat? And where’s the boat going? 

Mr Football 

Janet Olearski 


Gary is fifteen and he wants to become a 

professional footballer, just like his dad. 

When three students from Gary’s school 

get the opportunity to win a place in 

Crossbridge Football Academy, Gary 

automatically thinks he will be one of 

them. But things aren’t always as simple 

as they seem... 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Friendship | Sport 

72 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-469-0 


76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-396-4 


76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-257-8 

Level 3 - A2 Friendship | Sport 

96 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-159-0 

Pair work provides real language work 

while developing core speaking skills. 

HELPING PEOPLE 

Have you ever helped someone? 

What did you do and why did you do it? 

In pairs or groups write the dialogue of the situation then 

act it out. 

How are Matt, Joe and Karen going to help Gary? 

How do you think Gary feels about their plan to help him? 

When is it not a good idea to help someone? 

Give an example. 

Stubs Grows Up 

Paul Davenport 


Fifteen-year-old Jay Stone is goodlooking, 

athletic and he has got lots of 

friends. There’s just one problem. 

Jay’s legs are short, so short that the 

other kids call him ‘Stubs’. When Jay 

gets a surprise place on the school’s 

American Football team, some of the 

older members decide to teach him a 

lesson. Can Jay ignore their comments 

about his legs and keep the place on 

the team? 

Twins 

Janet Olearski 


Tim is determined to win the Arkwright 

Student of the Year award and take his 

mother on the first prize trip to Disneyland 

Paris. He starts a Keep Arkwright Tidy 

campaign and everything is looking good. 

However, one day Tim and his friend 

William get into trouble in the park. How 

can Tim win the prize now? Maybe he 

can blame his mystery twin brother... 

Mr Football 2014.indd 45 03/07/14 09:16 

45 


92 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-328-0 


88 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-293-1 


Red Series 

HELBLING READERS RED SERIES - FictioN Graphic Stories 

FICTION 

Graphic Stories 

A lively series of fully 

illustrated stories centred 

around a group of friends, 

allowing young readers 

to identify with both the 

characters and the stories. 

Exciting double-page 

cartoon spreads feature 

real dialogue for a 

communicative approach. 

Stimulating Before 

and After Reading 

pages help and check 

understanding with 

Cambridge English: 

Key (KET) and Trinity Levels 

1 to 4 style activities 

and an Exit Test. 

Audio CD 


David 

and the Great Detective 

Martyn Hobbs 


David dreams of becoming a great 

detective like David Delgado, the hero 

of his stories. 

When thieves take Jack’s bike, David 

decides to help him find it. Can David 

find it and be a great detective like David 

Delgado? 

Holly’s New Friend 

Martyn Hobbs 


Holly’s mum and dad spend all their 

time working and her sister is always 

in her room. 

Holly is sad and lonely. Then she has 

a great idea: she can get a new friend. 

Can Holly and her friends convince her 

mum, dad and sister to let her get a dog? 

Level 1 - A1 Detective | Friendship 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-016-6 


64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-334-1 

Cambridge English: Key (KET) and Trinity GESE 

Levels 1-4 type activites. 


Jack’s Endless Summer 

Martyn Hobbs 


It’s summer and it’s too hot to do 

anything. Jack doesn’t know what to 

do. He goes to the park, he goes to the 

pool, he meets his friends. This summer 

is really boring. 

Then one evening some boys hurt a hawk. 

Jack is the only person who can help. 

Suddenly Jack’s summer isn’t boring 

any more. 

Zadie’s Big Day 

Martyn Hobbs 


Zadie is the best footballer on the school 

team. She is also the best skater in the 

park. 

When a new boy at school challenges 

her to a skating competition on the same 

day as an important football final, Zadie 

accepts. 

Can Zadie be both Queen of the Skate 

Park and Champion on the Pitch? 

Grace, Romeo, 

Juliet and Fred 

Martyn Hobbs 


Grace is always good at everything. 

She is good at the piano. She is good 

at the violin. She is good at most of her 

subjects at school. And she is a great 

actor and dancer, too. 

But at the moment, Grace can’t do 

anything well. Why can’t she do her 

homework and learn the lines for the 

play? Is she in love? Only David can 

help her. 

Holly the Eco Warrior 

Martyn Hobbs 


Holly’s favourite place is the tree house 

in the old oak tree in her garden. 

When her father decides to cut down 

the tree to build an office, she starts an 

unusual protest and moves out of her 

home and into the tree house. 

Who will win the battle of the tree? 

Level 1 - A1 Ecology | Human interest 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-572-7 


64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-118-7 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Friendship | Love 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-574-1 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Ecology | Friendship 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-902504-41-8 

The Graphic Stories feature lively cartoon spreads 

for a contemporary communicative approach. 

A wide choice of illustrated activities helps and 

checks understanding. 


Red Series 

HELBLING READERS RED SERIES - FictioN Graphic Stories 

Jack and the 

Westbourne Fair 

Martyn Hobbs 


The Westbourne Fair is coming to town 

and it is Jack’s favourite moment of the 

year. But when he gets into trouble at 

school his parents say that he can’t go 

to the Fair. 

Jack decides to go to the Fair anyway and 

he learns that there are more important 

things in life than having fun. 

Ricky’s Big Idea 

Martyn Hobbs 


Ricky has a big idea: he wants to make 

his own reality TV programme. He buys 

a series of small video cameras and he 

secretly films his family and friends. 

But when he looks at the footage it is all 

very boring. So Ricky decides to make 

his video more interesting. Soon strange 

things are happening both at Ricky’s 

home and school. 

But Ricky’s friends aren’t very happy. 

Can Ricky be a good friend and become 

a filmmaker, too? 

David 

and the Black Corsair 

Martyn Hobbs 


It’s not a good day for David. It’s his 

mum’s birthday, but she rushes out 

without seeing his presents. It’s raining 

and he falls and hurts himself on his 

way into school. The lessons are either 

impossible or boring and he left his lunch 

at home. He feels very sorry for himself. 

Daniel the Black Corsair is feeling sorry 

for himself, too. He’s lost and lonely and 

far from home. Can David and Daniel feel 

happy again? 

Grace 

and the Double Life 

Martyn Hobbs 


Grace’s mum wants her daughter to study 

hard for her piano exam. But Grace wants 

to spend all her free time practising with 

her band – the Garage Girls. 

How long can she keep her secret from 

her mum? And what will her mum do if 

she finds out? 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Friendship | School 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-119-4 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Friendship | Human interest 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-335-8 

Level 3 - A2 Adventure | Fantasy 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-336-5 

Level 3 - A2 Friendship | Music 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-120-0 

Jack and the Westbourne Fair 

Jack had to get away from the 

headmaster. He was pushing his way 

through a group of adults when he saw 

a notice on the wall. There were people 

standing in front of it. Jack couldn’t see 

it clearly, but it wasn’t a normal poster 

for a concert or a disco. It said: 

POLICE NOTICE 

Then he read the word: 

MISSING• 

And under that he saw a part 

of a photo. It was a boy with 

dark hair. And then he saw the 

name, or at least the first name. 

The rest of it was blocked• by 

a child. It said: 

It was him! 

The poster said that he was missing. And the police were looking 

for him! 

Suddenly the world started spinning• very quickly and Jack heard a 

loud sound in his ears like a powerful wind. He put his hand on the 

wall to keep his balance. 

He was a wanted criminal•! 

Then he looked around him. Families and friends were looking at the 

notice or just walking past, excited by the fair, and thinking about 

which ride to go on next. They weren’t looking at him. 

This was his chance. 

He had to move quickly. 

He had to escape! 

Real characters the readers 

can identify and grow with. 

JACK 

And he froze•. 

36 

37 

Jack and the Westbourne 2013.indd 36 08/03/13 22:28 

Jack and the Westbourne 2013.indd 37 08/03/13 22:28 


Ricky 

and the American Girl 

Martyn Hobbs 


Ricky is a bit of a genius at school. 

He never thinks of anything except maths 

and computers. That is, until he meets 

Alexis, a beautiful American girl visiting 

his town. Is Ricky a genius in love, too? 

Zadie’s Last Race 

Martyn Hobbs 


Zadie lives for sport. From football to 

running, it’s the biggest thing in her life. 

Zadie is preparing for a big race – a race 

she really wants to win. But one evening, 

while she is out training, she is involved 

in an accident – and she finds herself in 

a race of life and death. 

Will she win the biggest race of her life? 

Reading about a 

group of young 

people in a series 

allows readers to identify with 

the characters and relate the 

issues in the stories to their 

own lives, helping them make 

connections and solve problems. 

Each episode contributes to a 

larger story or theme, allowing 

the reader to see him/herself 

within a wider, more holistic 

context. 

Level 3 - A2 Friendship | Love 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-902504-20-3 


64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-584-0 

The spreads are fully dramatised on the Audio CD. 


Red Series 

HELBLING READERS RED SERIES - FictioN Short Reads 

FICTION 

Short Reads 

Beautifully illustrated short 

books that even the most 

reluctant student will easily 

read in one sitting. 

They offer a wide variety of 

Before and After Reading 

activities, with interesting 

and fun Fact Files 

exploring the issues raised, 

contemporary culture, 

internet projects 

and extra listening activities. 

The manageable length 

(32 pages) means that even 

less able students 

get a real sense of progress 

and achievement. 

Audio CD 


Fireball’s Heart 



Chief Wise Owl’s people always tell the 

truth. But Chief Strong Buffalo doesn’t 

believe him. He thinks of a plan to get 

Dark Eyes, the Indian who looks after all 

of the tribe’s horses, to tell a lie. 

Can Dark Eyes win the test or is Chief 

Strong Buffalo right? 

The Clever Woman 



Sean Murphy is looking forward to coming 

home after work. He’s tired and wants 

to relax with a good book. But when he 

gets home there is so much noise that 

he can’t relax. So Sean decides to ask 

Linda McCormack to help him. 

Level 1 - A1 Myth | Traditional 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-003-6 

Level 1 - A1 Human interest | Humour 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-027-2 

Cross-curricular Fact Files develop themes 

from the book and give cultural information. 

Lots of ideas for individual projects. 


The African Mask 

Günter Gerngross 


Janet gets a letter out of the blue from her 

old boyfriend Donald McKinnon. 

He invites her to visit him in Scotland, 

but when she gets there strange things 

start to happen. 

Why do people rush off when they hear 

Donald’s name? Why is Donald so sad? 

And what has Donald’s African mask got 

to do with all this? 

The Surprise 

Günter Gerngross 


When Aunt Elizabeth comes back from 

Greenland, she has a very strange present 

for Roger and Helen: a big egg. 

One day when they are eating dinner the 

egg starts to crack open. 

What’s inside? 

The Lost Smile 

Christian Holzmann 


One night Sarah and Ben have the same 

dream: the Lord of Tears is going to take 

over the world and make everyone sad. 

But Sarah and Ben know how to stop him. 

Together they set off on a journey to find 

the Lord of Tears and bring happiness 

back to the world. 

The Spring Cup 

Christian Holzmann 


If Caroline doesn’t win the Spring Cup, 

her father will sell her beloved horse, 

Applewind. But how can she win when 

she has to compete against Sophie and 

her horse Blossom? They always come 

first! 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Mystery | Travel 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-028-9 

Level 2 - A1/A2 Humour | Mystery 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-004-3 

Level 3 - A2 Fantasy | Mystery 

32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-029-6 


32 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-005-0 

Students can check new words and phrases in the glossary on each page. 


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Judge a book by its cover 

Levels 4-5 

1 Look at the book covers below. Which one do you like the most? 

2 Can you predict what the stories are going to be about from the covers? 

Give your reasons. 

human interest mystery love thriller adventure nature 

3 Can you put the phrases together and come up with a title? 

a) The Boy Who 

Room 

b) The Coconut 

in the Sun 

c) The Garden 

Could Fly 

d) The Great 

of the Snow Leopard 

e) The Green 

Ghost 

f) The Kingdom 

Party and Sixpence 

g) The Canterville 

Gatsby 

h) Danger 

Seller 

4 Which book titles from the list above go with these covers? There are two 

titles you do not need to use. Which book would you like to read first? 

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Student: ................................................................. 

Level: ...................................................................... 

Books/texts read Difficulty 

(pages or chapters) (E, R, D)* 

Comments 

Helbling book club 

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Levels 4-5 

Your tasks: 

IDIoMs 

Find new words 

1 Find idioms in the text. 

Find idioms and phrasal verbs 

Find examples of interesting language 

idioM 

I’m on top of the world. 

NEW WorDs 

1 Find ten new words in the text and write sentences with them. 

Word Meaning Sentence 

Helbling book club 

tEN IMPortaNt WorDs IN tHE storY 

1 Find ten words in the story which are important or related to it. You can use 

these words to retell the story. 

__________________ __________________ 

Book Title: .............................................................. 

__________________ __________________ 

__________________ __________________ 

Student: ................................................................. 

__________________ __________________ 

Date: ....................................................................... 

__________________ __________________ 

PHrasaL VErBs 

1 Find phrasal verbs in the text. 

PHraSal verb 

He soon turned to petty crime. 

Meaning 

I’m happy. 

Meaning 

started doing 

8 

9 

10 

*E= easy, R= right, D=difficult 

©Helbling Languages 2013 

aDJECtIVEs 

1 Find new adjectives in the text and decide if they have a positive , negative or 

neutral meaning. 

__________________ __________________ 

__________________ __________________ 

__________________ __________________ 

__________________ __________________ 

__________________ __________________ 

2 Write sentences with five adjectives. 

1 ____________________________________________________ 

2 ____________________________________________________ ©Helbling Languages 2013 

3 ____________________________________________________ 

4 ____________________________________________________ 

5 ____________________________________________________ 

©Helbling Languages - Helbling Readers - Blue Series 

©Helbling Languages 2013 

Helbling Readers Book Club 

is also available for levels 1-3 



Blue Series 

Helbling 

Blue Series 

CLASSICS 

A series of well-known 

classic stories by worldfamous 

authors that have 

been chosen and adapted 

to appeal to teenage and 

young adult readers. 

Careful selection of stories 

with suitable content and 

language level has allowed 

the flavour of the originals to 

remain. 


throughout the stories draw 

links between the themes 

explored and the students’ 

own experience. 

Audio CD 


Written by Alan Pulverness, 

the well-known specialist 

and enthusiast in literature 

in ELT. 

New Reading Matters with lots 

of great new innovative ideas 

for using graded readers both 

in class and as part of an 

extensive reading programme. 

Includes a Book Club Starter 

Kit to make reading an 

integral part of your students’ 

learning. 

Dracula 

Bram Stoker 



Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania 

to see a local nobleman, Count Dracula. 

Jonathan realises that things are not 

what they seem at Castle Dracula and, 

before he knows it, his nightmare begins. 

Soon Jonathan and his friends and family 

are battling for their lives against the 

terrible Count in a race of good against 

evil that will bring them from Transylvania 

to London and across Europe once more 

to the Black Sea. Can Jonathan and his 

friends destroy Dracula? 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Horror | Mystery 

96 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-302-0 

ISBN 978-3-85272-012-8 

CEFR, STRUCTURES & EXAMS 

CEFR 

Level 4 - A2/B1 

EXAM 

CEFR 

EXAM 

Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET) for Schools 

Trinity ISE FOundation/ISE I and GESE Grades 4-5 

causative have; could/was able to/managed to; 

first conditional; futures together; had to/didn’t have to; 

how long…?; make and let; may/can/could for permission; 

might for future possibility; present and past passive; 

present perfect plus yet, already, just; shall/could for 

offers; want/ask/tell someone to do something 

Level 5 - B1 

Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET) for Schools 

Trinity ISE I and GESE 5-6 

defining relative clauses; future continuous; modal verb 

would; non-defining relative clauses; past perfect; present 

perfect continuous; present perfect future; reported 

speech/verbs/questions; second conditional (wish); 

used to/used to doing; used to/would; second conditional 

Emma 

Jane Austen 



Emma is beautiful, clever, rich, happy and 

never wants to get married. She enjoys 

match-making her friends in the village 

of Highbury, but slowly seems to lose 

her touch as complications begin with 

Frank, Harriet, Jane and Mr Knightley. 

No one seems to love the person Emma 

thinks they should. Will Emma continue 

her game of match-making? And will 

herself ever fall in love? 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Human interest | Love 

84 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-949-7 


GREAT EXPECTATIONS 




When poor orphan Pip falls in love with 

the rich and beautiful Estella, he never 

imagines that he, too, one day will have 

money. After Mr Jaggers tells Pip he 

has great expectations and a secret rich 

benefactor, Pip moves to London and 

starts a new life as a gentleman. He 

hopes to win Estella’s heart, but soon 

learns that money is not the only answer. 

Why does Estella always make Pip suffer? 

Who is Pip’s secret benefactor? 

Jane Eyre 

Charlotte Brontë 

Adapted by Frances Mariani 


Poor orphan Jane Eyre lives an unhappy 

childhood. Hated by her guardian aunt 

and cousins, she is sent to the strict and 

loveless Lowood School. 

But life at school improves, though Jane 

still longs for friendship and love. 

Jane becomes governess at Thornfield 

Hall, where she meets the charismatic 

Mr Rochester. 

Has she found the love she has been 

waiting for? 

The Call of the Wild 

Jack London 



Buck leads a good life in California, but 

one day he is stolen and taken to the 

harsh and freezing Yukon to work as a 

sledge dog. Here Buck must learn to fight 

for his survival. 

Can he rise above his enemies and 

become the master of his world once 

again? 

The Garden Party 

and Sixpence 

Katherine Mansfield 



In The Garden Party, Laura is excited 

about her mother’s annual garden party 

until she discovers that a man has died 

close to the family’s home. 

In Sixpence, Dicky, an active, exuberant 

boy, accidentally breaks a plate. What 

will his mother do? Will he be punished? 


96 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-284-4 

Family | Love 


100 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-576-5 

Family | Love 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Adventure | Nature 

104 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-153-8 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Human interest | Stories 

72 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-011-1 

HELBLING READERS on E-ZONE 

The educational platform 

Free dedicated interactive platform 

• Includes Teacher tools for creating cyber 

homework and class tasks, plus Student tools 

for interactive self-study 

• Feedback reports to check students’ progress 

• Timesaving self-correcting interactive exercises 

• Downloadable worksheets and tests 

www. 

helbling-ezone.com 


Blue Series 

HELBLING READERS BLUE SERIES - CLASSICS 

NEW 

The Last 

of the Mohicans 

James Fenimore Cooper 



In America, during the French and 

Indian wars, two young women, Cora 

and Alice, set off on a dangerous journey 

to be reunited with their father Colonel 

Munro. They are aided by Hawkeye, a 

brave frontier scout, and Chingackgook 

and Uncas, his Mohican companions. 

On their way they must escape from the 

cruel Huron Magua and the French army. 

Will they get to Fort Edward and safety? 

The Legend 

of Sleepy Hollow 

Washington Irving 



This is the story of Ichabod Crane, a 

superstitious schoolmaster who arrives 

in Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod falls in love with 

Katrina van Tassel, a wealthy farmer’s 

daughter, but he must compete with 

the strong, handsome Brom Bones for 

her hand. When Ichabod is invited to a 

party at Katrina’s house, will he convince 

the young girl to marry him? And how 

does the terrifying ‘Headless Horseman’ 

change his life forever? 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Horror | Humour 

68 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-230-6 

The Picture 

of Dorian Gray 

Oscar Wilde 



Artist Basil Hallward sees Dorian Gray at 

a party and suddenly feels that something 

bad is going to happen. But then the 

young and handsome Dorian becomes 

his friend and Basil paints the most 

wonderful picture of him. What does 

Dorian wish for when he sees his picture? 

And why does Dorian then hide his picture 

for no-one to see? 

The Turn of the Screw 

Henry James 



When Miss Jessel accepts a position as 

governess to look after Flora and Miles, 

little does she know that her job will be 

so difficult. Both children seem perfect 

and charming, but after a few weeks 

at the grand house of Bly two strange 

figures appear. 

Are these figures real people or ghosts? 

And what influence do they have on the 

children? Can Miss Jessel protect Flora 

and Miles? 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Adventure | Nature 

120 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-053-1 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Human interest | Mystery 

88 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-764-6 


80 pages 

978-3-99045-416-9 

Horror | Mystery 

Students think about the story and 

make connections with real life. 

Wuthering Heights 

Wuthering Heights 

Emily Brontë 



Heathcliff, an orphan, is raised by Mr 

Earnshaw with his own children, Hindley 

and Catherine. Hindley hates him, but his 

passionate sister Catherine becomes his 

close friend, and they fall deeply in love. 

When Catherine decides to marry Edgar 

Linton instead of Heathcliff, Heathcliff’s 

terrible revenge destroys everyone’s lives. 

Will Heathcliff and Catherine ever find 

peace in this masterpiece of love and 

hatred? 


100 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-517-8 

Family | Love 

‘But you are taller, stronger and braver than 

him, Heathcliff,’ I replied. ‘He’s weak and 

afraid of everything. Look at yourself 

in the mirror! Don’t you think you 

are handsome? Maybe your father 

was an emperor of China and your 

mother an Indian queen! Perhaps 

they had enough money to buy both 

Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross 

Grange! Maybe you were kidnapped• 

by sailors and brought to England. 

If you believe something like that, 

you’ll feel better about yourself and 

Hindley’s insults will be easier to 

bear•.’ 

YOU AND OTHERS 

Write some sentences. 

Compare yourself with other people 

you know. 

e.g. 

I’m taller than my brother. 

I’m better at maths than my friend Tom. 

My eyes are more beautiful than my 

cousin Maria’s. 

• bear: accept an unpleasant situation 

• kidnapped: taken away by force 

39 

Internet-based projects. 


Daisy Miller 

Henry James 



When beautiful young American Daisy 

Miller travels to Europe with her wealthy 

but unaristocratic mother, her innocent 

and friendly manner makes her more 

enemies than friends. 

FRANKENSTEIN 

Mary Shelley 



A young scientist, Victor Frankenstein, 

becomes obsessed with creating life. 

He works feverishly in isolation for 

months until the fatal evening arrives 

and he finally meets his own creation. 

Victor, however, is disgusted by the 

monster he has created and rejects it 

immediately. The monster, rejected by his 

own creator and then all of humankind, 

goes from sadness to anger and then 

wants revenge. 

Heart of Darkness 

Joseph Conrad 



When Marlow, an experienced sailor, goes 

to Africa as the captain of a steamboat 

on the Congo River, the journey has a 

profound effect on him. As Marlow sails 

further down the river and into the heart 

of the African continent to bring back 

ivory and a brilliant but mysterious agent 

called Mr Kurtz, he feels he is travelling 

further and further into the heart of 

darkness. What is this darkness? What 

powers of darkness take Mr Kurtz? 

Tales of Mystery 

Edgar Allan Poe 

Adapted by Janet Olearski | Recording in 

British English 

The Fall of the House of Usher describes 

the final days of a tormented and tragic 

family. 

In The Oval Portrait a brilliant but 

obsessed artist sacrifices love for art. 

In The Masque of the Red Death Prince 

Prospero tries to escape with his friends 

from a terrible disease that is killing 

everyone in their land. 

Level 5 - B1 Human interest | Love 

80 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-010-4 

Level 5 - B1 Adventure | Horror 

80 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-286-8 

Level 5 - B1 Adventure | Horror 

72 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-765-3 

Level 5 - B1 Horror | Mystery 

108 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-054-8 

Chapter 1 

NEW 

2 

Students can listen to the story on 

Everybody knows, the Audio CD that and a do single the activities. man with a large fortune•, must want 

a wife. 

When he first comes to a neighbourhood, this truth is fixed• in the 

minds of all the neighbouring Chapter families. 1 He will one day belong to one 

2 Everybody knows, that a single man with a large fortune•, must want 

of their daughters. 

a wife. 

When he first comes to a neighbourhood, this truth is fixed• in the 

‘My dear Mr Bennet,’ minds of all the neighbouring his families. wife He will said one day belong one to one morning, ‘have you heard 

of their daughters. 

‘My dear Mr Bennet,’ his wife said one morning, ‘have you heard 

that Netherfield 

that 

Park 

Netherfield 

has 

Park has 

been 

been rented• rented• 

at last?’ 

at last?’ 

‘No,’ replied Mr ‘No,’ replied Mr ‘Do you Bennet. 

not want to know who’s renting it?’ cried his wife. 

‘No, but you want to tell me,’ replied Mr Bennet. 

Jane Austen 

‘A rich young man has rented Netherfield.’ 

‘Do you not want ‘What’s his to name?’ know who’s renting it?’ cried his wife. 

‘Mr Bingley.’ 

‘Is he married or single?’ 

‘No, but you want to tell me,’ replied Mr Bennet. 

‘Single, of course! A single man with a large fortune, an income• 

of four or five thousand pounds a year. Isn’t that wonderful for our 

‘A rich young girls?’ man has rented Netherfield.’ 

‘How can it affect• them?’ 

‘How can you be so annoying?’ replied his wife. ‘You must know 

‘What’s his name?’ 

that I’m thinking of him marrying one of them.’ 

‘Is that the reason he’s coming here?’ 

‘Mr Bingley.’ 

‘Of course not. But he might fall in love with one of them, and that 

is why you must visit him.’ 

‘I see no reason to do that.’ 

‘Is he married or ‘But, my single?’ 

dear, think of your daughters,’ said Mrs Bennet. 

‘Single, of course! A single man with a large fortune, an income• 

• affect: change things for; be of 

• fortune: very large sum of money 

of four or five thousand 

consequence to 

pounds 

• income: 

a 

money 

year. 

you earn each year 

Isn’t that wonderful for our 

• fixed: (here) set; there forever 

• rented: paid somebody to live in the 

house 

girls?’ 

‘How can it affect• them?’ 

Level 5 - B1 

‘How can you be so annoying?’ replied his wife. ‘You 88 must pages know 

978-3-99045-418-3 

that I’m thinking of him marrying one of them.’ 

‘Is that the reason he’s coming here?’ 

‘Of course not. But he might fall in love with one of them, and that 

Glossary 

12 13 

Pride and Prejudice 



Mrs Bennet’s main purpose is to see her 

five daughters married. She is very happy 

when a handsome rich gentleman, Mr 

Bingley, arrives in the neighbourhood, and 

falls in love with Jane. When her sister, 

the clever and witty Elizabeth, meets his 

handsome friend, Mr Darcy, she hates him. 

Little do Elizabeth and Mr Darcy know that 

this is the beginning of a wonderful love 

story. Will they be able to overcome his 

pride and her prejudice? 

Human interest | Love 


Blue Series 

HELBLING READERS BLUE SERIES - CLASSICS 

The Canterville Ghost 

Oscar Wilde 



When an American family buy an old 

English mansion, they also inherit its 

terrible ghost. 

The ghost sets about frightening the new 

owners, but the Americans don’t frighten 

easily and the ghost gets more than he 

had bargained for. 

The Great Gatsby 

F. Scott Fitzgerald 



Jay Gatsby is the man who has everything: 

money, influential friends and fabulous 

parties. Day and night his Long Island 

mansion is full of beautiful people 

laughing and dancing and talking about 

their mysterious host. But the rich and 

handsome Gatsby always seems to be 

alone in the crowd and there always seems 

to be something missing from his life. What 

is the secret from Gatsby’s past? And 

what does he silently hope will fill his life? 

The Strange Case 

of Doctor Jekyll 

& Mr Hyde 

Robert Louis Stevenson 

Adapted by Les Kirkham e Sandra Oddy 


When respectable Dr Jekyll starts 

associating with the mysterious Mr Hyde, 

his friends become increasingly worried. 

Who is Hyde and why do all the people he 

meets dislike him? Stevenson’s classic 

tale of the human capacity for evil is retold 

with all the tension and Gothic drama of 

the original story. 

Twelve Years a Slave 

Solomon Northup 



Solomon Northup was kidnapped as a free 

man and sold into slavery. This is his story 

of his twelve years as a slave. Solomon 

paints a clear picture of the life of a slave, 

the endless work and the cruel treatment, 

where people are treated without any 

humanity. Find out how Solomon was 

kidnapped, about his terrible journey 

South and his three very different masters. 

How did Solomon survive? And how did 

Solomon become a free man once more? 


64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-009-8 

Level 5 - B1 Human interest | Mystery 

98 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-295-5 


102 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-152-1 

Level 5 - B1 Biography | Society 

80 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-951-0 

A detailed introduction gives background information 

on both the author and the social and literary context 

in which the story is set. 

About the Author 

To the Lighthouse 

Virginia Woolf 



Mrs Ramsey has gathered her friends and 

family around her in the family’s summer 

house on the Isle of Skye. As the children 

play and the adults paint, talk and think, 

the relationships between them develop 

and change. 

Can true happiness ever be achieved or 

is it destined to exist only as a poignant 

memory? 

Level 5 - B1 Art | Human interest 

88 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-304-4 

Virginia Woolf was born on 25th January 

1882 in London. Her parents were wealthy 

and their home was comfortable. Virginia 

grew up surrounded by books and intelligent 

conversation. 

Virginia Woolf had a tragic life. Many of the 

people closest to her died prematurely• and 

she suffered a number of nervous breakdowns• throughout her life. 

After her father’s death in 1904, Virginia moved to the Bloomsbury 

area of London. Here, with her brother and friends, she helped form 

the Bloomsbury Group. The group was an intellectual circle of writers 

and artists who greatly influenced cultural attitudes in Britain in the 

early 20th century. 

In 1912, Virginia married Leonard Woolf. He was the stable• presence 

that Virginia needed. Virginia Woolf is acknowledged as one of the 

greatest innovators in the English language and is a leading writer of 

the Modernist movement. She used a literary device called ‘stream of 

consciousness’• to give voice to her characters’ thoughts. 

She wrote nine novels, two biographies, a volume of short stories, five 

volumes of collected essays and reviews, and a volume of selections 

from her diary. Her most famous novels are: Mrs. Dalloway, To the 

Lighthouse and A Room of One’s Own. 

In March 1941, Virginia drowned herself• in a river near her East 

Sussex home. In a letter to her husband she said that she felt she was 

going insane• and she did not want to spoil his life, too. 

6 

Glossary 

• drowned herself: killed herself by 

going underwater 

• insane: mad 

• nervous breakdowns: periods of 

depression and mental illness 

• prematurely: early; before the usual 

time 

• stable: calm and unchanging 

• stream of consciousness: a style of 

writing that describes the continuous 

flow of thoughts of a person 

To the Lighthouse (blue) NEW.indd 6 06/10/11 11:44 


FICTION 

Original Stories 

A series of beautifully 

illustrated original fiction 

by top international EFL 

authors. 

Specially commissioned 

books by award-winning 

authors for a choice of 

compelling teen-relevant 

stories with a controlled 

level of language, content 

and narrative devices 

in order to ensure the reader 

enjoys every moment 

of the read. 


throughout the stories draw 

links with the students’ own 

lives. 

Audio CD 


Operation Osprey 

David A. Hill 


Don and Mike are best friends. They 

live in the sleepy town of Saltley and 

they both love birdwatching. Their lives 

suddenly become exciting when Mike 

spots a pair of osprey at a nearby lake. 

The boys decide to protect the birds so 

that they can make a nest. 

But when Mr Roberts takes an interest 

in the birds the boys become suspicious. 

The Boy 

Who Could Fly 

David A. Hill 


No one knows where Michael comes 

from or who his parents are. 

One day he starts to grow wings and 

his life changes forever. Michael moves 

from hospitals to research clinics to life 

in isolation on a remote island. 

Will he ever manage to have a normal life? 

JAM 

Frank Brennan 


Anne Banks struggles to make ends meet. 

There is never quite enough money to buy 

everything she needs for her two teenage 

children. Gus keeps growing and wants a 

football kit and Ellie keeps changing the 

colour of her hair and wants to buy more 

make-up. One day their luck changes 

when Rose Stanway, their neighbour, 

offers to teach Gus how to make her 

extra special jam. How can it make a 

difference to the Banks’ lives and maybe 

solve their problems? 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Nature | Thriller 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-007-4 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Human interest | Thriller 

92 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-158-3 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Family | Human interest 

68 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-255-4 

Links to other curricular subjects (CLIL) in the 

activity pages. 

The Green Room 



Laura’s dream is to become a famous 

actress. When she auditions for The 

Green Room summer school she meets 

Nathan, who shares her dream. 

But Laura and Nathan both have secrets. 

That summer at The Green Room Laura 

and Nathan grow up and learn that that 

it is better to tell the truth and keep their 

acting for the stage. 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Human interest | Love 

84 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-327-3 


RED 

SERIES 

BLUE 

SERIES 







Blue Series 

HELBLING READERS BLUE SERIES - FictioN 



NEW 

Level 5 






HELBLING 

READERS 



material. 

Choose from 





A Single Shot 


The Kingdom 

of the Snow Leopard 

Elspeth Rawstron 


This year Tom is really excited about 

Christmas. He is going to spend the 

holidays with his friend Mahir in the 

Kingdom of the Snow Leopard. 

He even has a special invitation from 

Mahir’s father, the King. But someone 

is following the boys on their journey 

and Tom is worried that he wants to 

hurt them. 

What happens when they get there? 

A Single Shot 



When Lewis Morrow escapes from his 

captors and a sure death he makes a 

new life for himself as a taxi driver in 

Paris. He thinks he has left everything 

behind until one day he sees three 

young people he once helped in 

London. When Josh, Trish and Suzi get 

into trouble, Morrow needs to decide if 

he will help them or let the past stay in 

the past. Find out what he decides in 

this exciting sequel to The Right Thing. 




Jake hasn’t seen his archaeologist father 

for five years, but now he is going to 

spend his summer holiday with him in 

Greece. Jake arrives in Athens airport, 

but his father is nowhere to be seen. 

When the local police show little interest 

in the case Jake decides to investigate his 

father’s disappearance himself. 

father and son 

Frank Brennan 


Have you ever wondered what a rock 

star’s life can be like? When Nic Wild 

from the Wild Kats asks his son Andy to 

perform with him at a concert in Paris, 

little does he know that terrible things are 

about to happen to him. Where is Alan 

Carver, Nic’s manager, when he needs 

him most? How does Andy save the day 

with his accountancy skills? 

Level 4 - A2/B1 Thriller | Travel 

80 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-006-7 

Level 5 - B1 Detective | Thriller 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-511-1 

Level 5 - B1 Adventure | Thriller 

84 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-157-6 

Level 5 - A2/B1 Adventure | Thriller 

64 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-399-5 

Mystery at the Mill 



When Caterina finds her great-great 

grandmother’s diary in the attic, she 

reads about her difficult life as a child 

worker in the local mill. Caterina starts 

thinking and soon she starts a campaign 

against a local boutique that sells cheap 

fashionable clothes. 

However the shop belongs to Jake’s Uncle 

Sanjit. Can Caterina convince Sanjit to sell 

ethically made clothes? And are Sanjit’s 

suppliers what they seem? 

Reflection Boxes throughout the text 

allow the students to stop and think 

about the story and draw links between 

the themes explored and their own lives 

and experiences. 

Level 5 - B1 Human interest | Mystery 

80 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-470-6 


Red Water 



When teen hackers Tricia and Daniel 

discover that a local company could be 

involved in a sinister plot to trade carbon, 

they suddenly find that their lives are 

in danger. 

How is Tricia’s father involved? Can Tricia 

protect her family and Daniel? 

The Albatross 

Scott Lauder & Walter MacGregor 


Levy, an old Greek sailor, takes on his 

last job and discovers that the cargo on 

board is not what he expected. 

Molly, an American teenager, finds a body 

on the beach when she’s walking her dog. 

What happens when Levy tells the 

captain? Why does the body disappear? 

And how are Levy and Molly connected? 

The mystery 

of the three domes 



Architecture student Sibel Karaman 

receives a letter from Great-Uncle Ismail 

on the day of his death. He leaves her a 

mystery to solve which takes her and 

Aunt Sofia on a wonderful adventure to 

three beautiful cities: London, Venice and 

Istanbul. Can Sibel solve the mystery of the 

three domes and find the very special place 

that Uncle Ismail had in mind for her? Join 

her, Aunt Sibel and her four friends Holly, 

Anna, Hermione and Jake on their journey. 

The Right Thing 



When Josh meets Trish and Suzi at their 

first day of college in London, little do 

they know that they will soon be swept 

up into a mystery involving the British 

and Yolandan governments. Luckily for 

them, Morrow, a British Security Service 

agent, takes them under his wing. But by 

doing so he has to decide what is the right 

thing to do. What will Morrow’s decision 

mean for him? Only Control can decide. 

Level 5 - B1 Ecology | Thriller 

76 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-008-1 

Level 5 - B1 Adventure | Thriller 

80 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-789-9 

Level 5 - B1 Thriller | Travel 

84 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-398-8 

Level 5 - B1 Mistery | Thriller 

80 pages 

ISBN 978-3-99045-256-1 

An interview with the author adds interesting 

information on how the story was written. 

38 

Appealing illustrations and thought-provoking 

activities promote a humanistic and affective 

approach to reading. 

The Coconut Seller.indd 38 04/02/11 10:21 

Meet the Author 

Dear Jack, tell us a little about yourself. 

I was born in the North of England and studied 

German and Russian at Liverpool University. After 

graduation • I spent several years travelling around 

the world, teaching English to finance • the trips. 

I then went back to England to do a postgraduate • 

course at London University. I came to Brazil in 

1976 and have lived and worked here, teaching and writing, ever since. 

When did you start writing stories? 

My first story was published in 1999. This is now my tenth book. 

How do you think of your stories? 

Stories are around us all the time, often begging • to be written, but we 

rarely take much notice of them. Stories seem to find me, rather than me 

consciously looking for one. My inspiration often comes from a real event. 

What is the message in this story? 

There are several messages in the story, but I think the most powerful one 

can be summed up • in the words of the English teacher in the film Dead 

Poets Society - “Seize • the day! Make your lives extraordinary!” We can 

change things. We can live the life we want and realize our full potential. 

Have you any other stories planned for the future? 

Yes, I have a file full of ideas for stories. 

Glossary 

• begging: (here) asking 

• postgraduate: detailed studies after a 

• finance: get money for 

degree 

• graduation: when you get a degree at • seize: take with force 

a university 

• summed up: said in few words 

6 

The Coconut Seller.indd 6 04/02/11 10:21 

The Coconut Seller 

Jack Scholes 


Bruno, a poor coconut seller from the 

favela, meets Clara, a beautiful rich girl 

from Rio de Janeiro’s wealthy Ipanema 

area, and they fall in love. But Clara’s 

father doesn’t approve and stops the 

relationship. 

Then Zeca, a criminal from Bruno’s past, 

tries to blackmail Bruno into helping him 

make some easy money. Can Bruno stop 

Zeca, save Clara and convince Clara’s 

father that he is right for his daughter? 

Level 5 - B1 Human interest | Love 

68 pages 

ISBN 978-3-85272-303-7 


INTERVIEWS 

ELgazette 

The newspaper for English language and international education 

Teaching tots 

‘tools for the mind’ 

Melanie Butler asks 

author Herbert Puchta 

about the benefits 

to preschoolers of 

being taught a foreign 

language 

You’ve never been one to fear controversy, 

and here you are launching a new series 

Hooray! Let’s Play! for preschool kids 

when some people in northern Europe are 

questioning the advisability of getting this 

age group to learn a foreign language at all. 

When I look at the majority of concepts and 

materials for teaching English at kindergarten 

level, I’m not surprised that some people are 

sceptical. I’m referring here to behaviouristic 

learning models galore, stories that are 

nothing else but vehicles for getting language 

across to the child (and hence don’t deserve 

to be called stories) and not infrequently 

classroom situations where four- and fiveyear-olds 

are tormented with tracing and 

copying English words – although they haven’t 

reached literacy in their mother tongue yet! 

What do you think preschool kids can get 

from learning a second language? 

It all depends on the teaching approach. If the 

goal of teaching very young learners is selfdirected 

learning rather than trying to entertain 

them through an attention-grabbing approach, 

then children will learn a great deal of language 

and at the same time learn about the world – 

by learning to understand meaningful stories, 

to give one example. To name another, their 

pronunciation will get very close to the models 

they enjoy imitating. And there is a lot more: 

learning a second language can contribute 

significantly to the development of children’s 

cognitive tools. In the same way as physical 

tools extend what we can do with our hands, 

tools for the mind extend children’s cognitive 

capabilities. Without them, children will not be 

able to pay attention, will have poor memory 

skills, and will not be able to engage in abstract 

thinking. All that can be developed at the same 

time as children’s foreign language skills. 

The series is co-authored with Günter 

Gerngross – someone you have co-written 

with for years. What do you think is the 

secret of a great authoring partnership? 

For me the secret is not a secret really – it’s all 

about synergy, and I’ve been fortunate enough 

to work with excellent co-authors on all my 

projects. Günter and I go back many years – we 

started out more than thirty years ago doing 

various classroom research projects together. 

I remember opportunities galore for watching 

each other teach, and then discussing for 

two or three hours a single lesson one of us 

had given. That, and the regular in-depth 

interviews we carried out with the students 

of those classes, have helped us to get a 

rather profound understanding of how 

young learners and teenagers tick. Another 

area of strength is our expertise in creating 

imaginative stories together. Very young 

learners need stories that fulfil certain criteria, 

as Kieran Egan so convincingly shows in 

Teaching as Story Telling. The child’s brain is 

‘wired for story’, and stories are another key 

source for cognitive development. 

One of the methodologies you use is 

Total Physical Response (TPR). Why did 

you choose it and how easy is it to fit in 

with more conventional approaches for 

teaching this age group? 

For me, TPR is not an unconventional method 

when it comes to teaching the very young. In 

fact I believe it gets very close to how they 

learn language in the first place. However, 

TPR is often understood – wrongly – as a 

method where learners simply imitate the 

teacher’s actions and instructions. In other 

words, the teacher gives instructions and 

models sentences such as Stand up; Walk 

forward; Jump; Touch the door; etc. 

INTERVIEWS 

And many teachers believe the objective 

of TPR is for students to be able to finally 

carry out those instructions on their own, 

without the teacher giving them a model of 

the actions. 

Well it is, of course – but that’s only part of the 

learning. What seems to have been forgotten 

is that when James Asher developed the 

method he stressed the importance of 

what he called ‘novel’ instructions, in other 

words instructions students have never heard 

before, such as in the case of the sentences 

above, a new instruction like Jump to the door. 

Remember that the students have learnt Jump 

and Touch the door, but never a combination 

of the two. Watching a four-year-old decoding 

the meaning of that sentence and seeing them 

understand the new instruction and carrying 

it out is one of the most rewarding teaching 

experiences I have come across. And, taking 

seriously what neuro-biologists tell us, this is 

how the brain’s own reward system kicks into 

action. And if that is not a clear and positive 

answer to whether it makes sense to teach 

English to very young learners, I don’t know 

what would be! 

I am fascinated by the approaches you 

use to vocabulary teaching. Educational 

psychologists say that vocabulary is the 

single hardest thing to overtly teach to this 

age group, even in their mother tongue. 

What do you think is the key thing about 

teaching new words to very young kids? 

It’s fascinating that people learn finger rhymes 

as three-year-olds that they still remember 

when they are 103, without practising them 

at all for the greater part of their lives! That 

is because nursery rhymes are learnt in an 

atmosphere of love, and in a multi-sensory 

way, and hence get remembered because 

strong neural networks get formed. It was 

more than twenty years ago when Günter 

Gerngross and I started experimenting 

with multi-sensory vocabulary teaching 

techniques. The approach we have developed 

consists of a well-balanced mix of mime, 

the use of auditory sub-modalities [volume, 

tempo, pitch, etc.], visualisation techniques 

and lip-reading, among other things. This 

may sound very complex, but as everyone 

can see on the Hooray! Let’s Play! Teacher 

Training Video clips (that can also be found on 

YouTube) the techniques we recommend are 

fun for the children and at the same time 

lead to an amazing long-term memory 

retention of lexis. 


ELgazette 


INTERVIEWS 

The thinking 

revolution 

Melanie Butler 

asks author Marion 

Williams about the 

psychology 

of learning and how 

it can be applied to 

teaching a foreign 

language 

You’re most known in EFL for championing 

the role of psychology in the language 

classroom and have recently won the Ben 

Warren Prize for a book you co-authored 

on the subject, Exploring Psychology in 

Language Learning and Teaching (OUP, 

2015). How did you first become interested 

in the psychology of learning in general 

and language learning, and what is the 

most important thing it has taught you? 

These are huge questions, Melanie, and 

involve the last 45 years of my professional 

career. In 1988 I took up a position at Exeter 

University running the MEd and doctoral 

programmes in Tesol. As a qualified primary 

teacher and teacher trainer, I had become 

increasingly concerned that, while the Tesol 

field had a vibrant literature on methodology, 

it did not draw sufficiently on insights from 

psychology. I became particularly curious 

about what educational psychology might 

have to offer language teachers. Surely, if we 

knew something about how learners learn, 

we would be in a better position to figure 

out how to help them to learn a language. 

So one day I went to talk to an educational 

psychologist working in the department about 

these concerns, which actually proved to be a 

momentous day in my life as Bob Burden was 

really interested in this question. The upshot 

was that we decided to develop and teach a 

psychology course for the MEd Tesol students 

and tease out the implications for language 

teaching. As we worked, we began to take a 

social constructivist approach to psychology, 

one that sees learners taking control of their 

learning, which was quite a departure from 

many of the prevailing approaches 

in university psychology 

courses. Over the next ten 

years or so we developed 

our ideas and models 

about various aspects of 

psychology from a social 

constructivist stance 

until they culminated in 

the book Psychology 

for Language Teachers 

in 1997 with CUP. I was 

encouraged by the positive 

response to this to delve further 

into psychology, and became 

particularly interested in the teaching 

of thinking, among other things. In 1998 Bob 

Burden and I published our book Thinking 

through the Curriculum with Routledge, which 

argued that thinking should be taught through 

all subjects in the curriculum, including 

foreign languages. Recently I had the great 

experience of working with Sarah Mercer 

and Stephen Ryan to write Psychology for 

Language Learning for Palgrave Macmillan, 

and with Sarah on Multiple Perspectives on 

the Self with Multilingual Matters. One day 

when I was staying with Sarah in her lovely 

house in the Austrian hills I told her that I had 

a dream of writing a sequel to Psychology for 

Language Teachers before I finally retired. As 

always, Sarah responded enthusiastically. 

Encouraged by this, I asked Stephen if he 

might consider joining us, and received the 

quickest ever response from him saying 

yes. We had the perfect team in place and 

couldn’t wait to get started. Together we wrote 

Exploring Psychology in Language Learning 

and Teaching for OUP, which was published 

in 2015. We wanted to bring psychology to 

teachers in a clear, straightforward way to help 

them in their busy lives and to generate some 

excitement about the topic. And needless to 

say, we were overjoyed to receive the Ben 

Warren Prize for this book. 

How has psychology informed the work 

you have done on Helbling’s new series 

of readers designed to develop thinking 

in young learners, the Thinking Train, in 

which you worked with the author team 

Herbert Puchta and Günter Gerngross? 

What is the methodological principle 

behind this approach? 

I have been looking at the teaching of 

thinking for twenty years or so and I believe 

passionately that children need to develop 

a range of problem-solving and decisionmaking 

skills in order to face an unknown 

future and navigate their way through life. 

When Herbert invited me to write a book 

with him the obvious topic was thinking, 

and this led to the book Teaching Young 

Learners to Think with Helbling. I was 

then very taken by Helbling’s 

Thinking Train stories written 

by Herbert and Günter as 

they were interesting 

stories with a playful 

element, with plenty 

of food for thought, 

that would engage 

young readers. Story 

is a powerful vehicle 

for developing thinking 

and lends itself to 

activities that encourage 

children to think between 

the lines and beyond the lines, 

important skills that they will need 

in the future, and also develop different 

thinking skills. When Helbling invited me 

to write the activities I was delighted as I 

could now apply my convictions to something 

that would be of practical use to teachers. 

Basically the approach integrates the teaching 

of language and thinking. This means the 

children are engaged in using language for a 

real purpose, to solve problems, to compare 

and contrast things, to make decisions and 

so on, which is entirely in keeping with 

communicative approaches to teaching. 

They are also encouraged to think together, 

thereby creating a community of enquiry in the 

classroom. And, importantly, the children are 

cognitively engaged in the activities. Children 

are capable of high levels of thinking. There 

is a danger in foreign language classrooms 

of simplifying language so much that any 

cognitive challenge is removed leading 

to disengagement and boredom. And the 

activities are fun. 

You are best known as an academic and 

a trainer – not as a textbook writer. How 

did you become involved in what we might 

call the thinking revolution on introducing 

critical thinking in language learning in 

early years? 

I’m a primary teacher and I enjoy working 

with children. In the 1970s and ’80s I wrote 

two series of coursebooks for children – one 

was a task-based listening course for OUP 

and the other a course based on story for 

Longman. So you might say I’ve gone full 

circle. And as a teacher I love applying my 

theoretical understandings to the classroom. 

And am I going to finally hang my boots up? 

I don’t think so. 


INTERVIEWS 

ELgazette 


It all started 

with a story... 

Melanie Butler 

and Maria Cleary, 

author and series 

editor of Helbling 

Young Readers, 

discuss stories, 

pictures, sounds and 

the importance of 

Henry Harris and his 

Haitches 

‘When I moved into writing and publishing 

and we had a chance to develop a series 

of stories for young learners, I leapt at it. It 

was something I had been doing in practice 

for years.’ 

The series is designed to start with very young 

children, normally when they have mastered 

reading in their first language at around five or 

six. So how did she come up with a syllabus? 

‘The way I went about it was to ask, what 

would interest children at different ages? I 

started with vocabulary. I asked what lexical 

groups are relevant and the type of language 

that we used was built on that, a sort of lexical 

approach. We wanted language that kids 

could take ownership of, that was significant 

for the age group, and that they could use 

quite naturally.’ 

INTERVIEWS 

The focus on listening also features in the 

writing and editing. 

‘It’s part of the process – the story must work 

when it’s read aloud. You need to hear the 

rhythm, the words that fall in together, the 

stress. I read aloud everything I get sent. 

‘I do read to groups in school – we have a 

reading club where we’re based – and I can 

see when something works, the little bright 

eyes listening to key words.’ 

As one of the authors in her own series, she 

sends her own stories out to be read aloud, 

‘to friends, people I trust.’ 

We’ve talked about stories, and pictures 

and rhythm and rhyme. But what about 

characters? 

For Maria Cleary everything 

starts with the story. I tell 

Of the characters in her own stories, for 

her the tale of how, 

Preparing for the project, she began example, which one does she like best: Fat 

when I came to 

looking at reading research, Cat, Henry Harris or Barney Bunny? ‘Oh 

prepare for this 

influenced by approaches such Henry, I love Henry – he was my first. I was 

interview, I found 

as Kieran Egan’s Imaginative planning the reader series when an illustrator 

her readers had 

Education, and became friend, Lorenzo Sabbattini, decided to enter 

disappeared 

convinced that ‘there are a a competition and asked me to give him a 

from my desk 

lot of things in the research story – as sort of an excuse as an illustration. 

and, despite 

which make sense in ELT’. We were very self-indulgent. The original 

turning the 

Getting children to use Henry was much too difficult for readers of 

office upside 

the pictures to help them the Helbling Young Readers series – there 

down, we could 

decode the meaning, for were too many pages and too many horrible 

not find them. 

example, and getting them things happening. But Henry is the one I love 

Then over the 

to use actions – the books most – especially the uncensored Henry! 

weekend a Gazette 

begin ELpeople 

and end with sections of 

staffer found them in his 

games and activities, and the stories 

small daughter’s bedroom – 

themselves are sprinkled with quick 

she had 

It 

come into 

all 

the office and, 

started 

activities and personalised questions: ‘listen 

with a sto 

finding the pretty books, taken them home. and point’, ‘are you afraid of the dark?’ 

aria Cleary everystarts 

with the story. 

‘How lovely,’ says Maria in her soft Irish lilt. I tell her I am fascinated by the importance of 

‘Can we mention that in the interview? It is sound in the series. There is a CD-Rom her the tale of how, 

such a good story.’ 

each book, lots of chants and songs in the 

to prepare for this 

activity sections, while the stories themselves 

found her readers 

The editor Melanie of the Helbling Butler Young Readers and Maria are stuffed Cleary, full of rhyme, author assonance and series editor of Helbling You 

ared from my desk 

series insists, ‘If you want capture children’s alliteration. Even the book titles play with 

turning the office discuss stories, pictures, sounds and the importance of Henry Harris and 

attention, tell them a story. Storytelling is sound: Sam and the Sunflower Seeds, for 

, we could not find 

an excellent first way of negotiating a example, or, my personal favourite, Henry 

over the weekend a 

foreign language: it’s a format they already Harris Hates Haitches. 

er found them in his publishing and we had a chance 

recognise, it uses natural language. Repetition 

ter’s bedroom – she to develop a series of stories for ‘Part of this is conscious,’ Maria tells me, ‘and 

is a natural part of children’s stories, using 

nto the office and, young learners, I leapt at it. It part of it is unconscious. Rhyme, rhythm and 

language they have already come across and 

pretty books, taken was something I had been doing alliteration play a huge part in the success of 

using something a little bit new – just perfect 

‘How lovely,’ says in practice for years.’ 

all children’s stories – we remember words 

when you are teaching a language.’ 

soft Irish lilt. ‘Can The series is designed to start that rhyme better than words that don’t.’ 

that in the interch 

a good story.’ language mally was when with they small have children mastered when she helping non-native teachers who aren’t 

Maria’s with very very first young experience children, of nor- 

teaching The CDs are designed to reinforce that – 

r of the Helbling worked reading as a nanny in their in first Italy language while at college. at confident in reading, and allowing children 

ers series insists, When ‘If around she came five back or six. to the So country, how did where to hear the stories again at home. 

capture children’s she still she lives, come as up an with EFL a teacher syllabus? she found 

‘If children like a story, they’ll listen to it again 

them a story. Storyxcellent 

first way she of says, to ask, but what she would gravitated interest back chil- 

towards 

herself teaching ‘The way adults. I went ‘I about enjoyed it was it a lot,’ 

and again.’ It also helps in getting children 

decode a non-phonemic language such as 

a foreign language: younger dren learners. at different ‘I’ve always ages? loved I started the buzz 

English to hear it as they read. 

and the feedback and the physical way they 

t they already reces 

natural language. react,’ 

with vocabulary. I asked what 

lexical 

she laughs. 

groups are relevant and 

a natural part of the type of language that we 

ries, using language used was built on that, a sort 

HAITCH FOR HELP Maria Cleary (left) reveals how Henry helped her Helbling Young Readers series 

lready come across of lexical approach. We wanted 

mething a little bit language that kids could take 

erfect when you are ownership of, that was significant 

nguage.’ for CATALOGUE the age group, 2017 and that 

48 - READERS 

ery first experience they could use quite naturally.’ 

Courtesy Maria Cleary 

Courtesy Helbling Languages 

HAITCH FOR HELP Maria Cleary (left) reveals how Henry helped her Helbling Young Readers series 

alo 

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ow 

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ow 

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