Adult Books
For Adult Literacy Learners
The Star: 11.19.2010 by Carol Goar
Grass Roots
Press
The
plot unfolds swiftly and ominously. The writing is deft. Most readers don’t
notice that the language and structure are suitable for someone with a Grade 5
education.
But
The Stalker is not meant for most readers. The slim paperback, written by
best-selling author Gail Anderson-Dargatz, is aimed at adult learners. One out
every four working-age Canadians struggles with low literacy.
In
the past they had to rely on children’s books. Now they can get a fast-paced,
well-written adult story.
The
Stalker is one of six “Good Reads” published this fall by Grass Roots Press and ABC Life Literacy Canada.
“For
some adult learners, it will be the first novel they’ve ever picked up,” said
Margaret Eaton, president of ABC Life Literacy. “It’s the kind of book that
makes them want to read more. It helps build their confidence and improve their
comprehension and speed.”
For
years, literacy advocates have known there was a void in the market for
mid-level adult learners. The vocabulary and sentence structure of a typical
mystery, thriller or literary classic were too difficult for them. But teen
fiction — tales of adolescent angst, vampires, aliens — didn’t interest them.
Many got stuck at the Grade 3-to-6 reading level. Everyone recognized the
problem, but no one had the money or influence to fix it.
In
2005, two women changed the conversation. Brenda Livingstone, buyer of adult
literacy material for the Toronto Public Library, and Pat Campbell, president
of Grass Roots Press, an educational publisher, asked a new question: Why could
Britain
[ Quick Reads ] produce high-quality
books for embryonic readers when Canada couldn’t?
They
went to ABC Life Literacy, a non-profit organization that promotes reading. It
applied to Human Resources Canada for funding and got a start-up grant of $500,000.
Five
years and many meetings, phone calls, focus groups and test runs later, they
were ready to go. On Sept. 28, the series was launched.
It
consisted of a mystery (The Hangman); a gritty urban novel (In From the Cold);
an immigrant story (The Picture of Nobody); a tale of historical fiction (The
Shipwreck); a thriller (The Stalker); and a self-help book (Easy Money).
The response came quickly. “I’ve already read four,” said adult learner Jeremy Wright of Toronto within weeks. READ MORE ➤➤
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