If you’re looking for a grab-and-go unit plan, you can see my FREE The Alchemist Pacing Guide right here. Use it to get an idea of how one educator set up her The Alchemist Novel Study Unit.

And if you really want to save some time, you can grab all of my The Alchemist resources right here.

What Is The Alchemist?

This philosophical novel follows the story of Santiago. He’s a shepherd boy with a recurring dream about treasure near the Egyptian pyramids. Along the way, he encounters a gypsy woman, the king of Salem, a crystal merchant, and the alchemist’s apprentice. Each of these characters guides him toward his own personal legend. 

It’s a wonderful book to teach–and not just because there are so many literary terms to dive into! It’s also a perfect novel for struggling readers, ELLs, and other students who might have a hard time with grade-level reads. There is enough rigor to teach this book in high school. But the actual Lexile level is low enough that you could cover this book in middle school, too. 

If you’re not sure yet whether you should teach this book, I go into all the reasons you should over in this blog post. 

But how do you turn this best-selling book into an engaging novel study that fosters class discussion and personal growth?

The Alchemist Unit Plan: Creating a Strong Introduction

Setting the stage before diving into The Alchemist can help students connect with the novel from the start. 

Providing background information on Paulo Coelho and the novel’s themes can build anticipation. 

The Alchemist is probably a little different than what your students would normally pick up on their own. There will be ideas and places mentioned that your students have no familiarity with. 

Make sure you build up their background knowledge first.

I have a The Alchemist Introduction Lesson here that can help you do this. This lesson introduces ideas like The Hero’s Journey and allegories. It also covers the main settings and offers some background on the author.

I also recommend introducing important literary terms to students before starting the book.

Exploring the concept of the Hero’s Journey is a great way to introduce Santiago’s quest. It helps students see how his story fits into a larger narrative tradition.

If you need a fun lesson for introducing the Hero’s Journey, you can grab mine right here. 

Alternatively, you might want to use your The Alchemist unit plan to help students master the idea of an allegory. My Allegory Lesson can help you introduce this concept and break down the symbols in The Alchemist.

(You can learn more about teaching allegory in this post.)

A structured introduction lesson can ensure students have the necessary context while sparking curiosity about the journey ahead.

The Alchemist Unit Plan: Creating a Understanding

Luckily, The Alchemist is pretty easy to understand–at least at a surface level. This is one reason I recommend it for struggling readers, ELLs, or other reluctant students. 

However, that doesn’t mean your students won’t need a reading guide or comprehension tool at all. 

Close reading strategies are essential to keep students focused on the text. As students move through the novel, guiding them with thoughtful questions about key passages and character development will enhance their understanding of The Alchemist​. For basic comprehension, I’m a fan of reading questions (like these The Alchemist Reading Questions). 

If your students, like mine, need an external reason to do the reading and pay attention, you can also give some quick, surface-level quizzes (like these The Alchemist Quizzes) to motivate them to keep up with the reading.

Don’t forget to provide other basic scaffolds, like graphic organizers, when necessary. (I include graphic organizers in my Hero’s Journey and Allegory Lessons, for example.)

Once students understand the surface-level meaning of The Alchemist, you can challenge them more.

To get students to go deeper, you can have them complete a writing assignment (like responding to these The Alchemist Writing Prompts).

Small group discussions about the Hero’s Journey, the wisdom of the alchemist, and the role of fate versus free will can make abstract ideas more tangible. Mix up your daily lessons by having students sometimes work independently, sometimes in small groups, and even sometimes as a whole class.

The Alchemist Unit Plan: Creating a Connection

In my opinion, the best way to make Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist engaging is by helping students connect Santiago’s journey to their own.

Creating a thematic unit can work wonders—encouraging students to reflect on their dreams, life goals, and fears of failure. Assignments that allow for personal reflection, such as journaling or creative writing, can deepen their engagement.

Engaging activities, such as discussing personal legends or mapping their own life goals, can get students thinking about the novel’s themes before they even start reading.

I actually really like The Alchemist for 12th grade because students are thinking about their lives after high school.

You can use this to draw a parallel between Santiago’s journey and the journey your students are about to embark on–what comes next after they graduate? (This is really great if you struggle to keep your seniors engaged during the last quarter of the school year!)

Personal Legend Activities

To do this, I like to focus on having students identify their own Personal Legend (a prominent idea throughout The Alchemist) during the unit.

First, I have students map out the essential steps to achieving their Personal Legend on a life map or legend map. (You can get this Legend Map activity right here.)

Then, throughout the unit, I have students work on and complete a research essay.

For this research essay, students identify three key steps to achieving their Personal Legend and support these steps with evidence.

(For example, if a student wants to become a lawyer, they should have concrete evidence about the required LSAT score they’ll need or statistics about the law school they’ll need to attend. A student who wants to become a professional basketball player might have quotes from NBA players who “made it” or statistics on the hours of practice each NBA player does.) 

You can create this essay assignment yourself or you can get my Personal Legend Research Essay here.

​I have students work on their essays on the days that we don’t read. 

Creative Approaches to Teaching The Alchemist

To keep students engaged, consider incorporating visual and performing arts into your lesson plans. Storyboarding Santiago’s journey, analyzing symbolism through art projects, or even acting out pivotal moments can bring the novel to life.

Connecting the story to social studies by exploring the historical and cultural context of ancient Egypt or the desert landscapes can also add depth.

Writing assignments that mirror Santiago’s quest—such as a research essay where students explore their dream job—make the novel feel more relevant. Encouraging students to map out their own personal legends can be a powerful exercise in self-discovery.

Don’t forget the simple power of incorporating video, too.

One of the perks of teaching a more modern novel is that the author is still alive. This means that there is a wealth of content on YouTube you can use. Check out videos from Oprah Winfrey’s network in which Coelho discusses his best-selling books, ideas, philosophies, and personal background.

Structuring Your Unit for Success

A well-paced unit plan ensures that students stay engaged without feeling overwhelmed. Breaking the novel into manageable sections, using guided reading activities, and incorporating a mix of independent work and group discussions will create a balanced approach. A variety of assessment types—from short essay questions to creative projects—can accommodate different learning styles.

For those looking for extra support, having ready-to-go materials like reading guides, quizzes, and structured writing prompts can save valuable planning time. A strong foundation of resources can help facilitate deeper analysis without the stress of starting from scratch.

You can see my unit plan here for free if you want to see one educator’s ideas for getting through the text while keeping students working on their writing skills. I tend to alternate reading the text with working on their final essays. 

I also focus on teaching the Hero’s Journey throughout the unit, so there’s time built in for analyzing Santiago’s quest. Because The Alchemist is a shorter text, you have even more freedom to add in other literary lessons (like teaching allegory, perhaps?), add writing lessons, or even squeeze in two novel studies in a single quarter.

Conclusion

Teaching The Alchemist can be a transformative experience for students, helping them explore big ideas about destiny, perseverance, and personal growth.

Whether you use structured materials or create your own step-by-step lesson plans, the key is to foster meaningful connections between the novel and students’ lives.

With thoughtful discussion, engaging activities, and opportunities for self-reflection, your students will walk away from this unit with a deeper understanding of The Alchemist—and maybe even their own path forward.

If you want to save a ton of time, grab my The Alchemist Novel Study Unit. This bundle of resources contains step-by-step plans, fun activities, and lesson ideas you can use in the classroom or as homework assignments. 

The post The Alchemist Unit Plan: Teaching Coelho In High School appeared first on It's Lit Teaching.

No offense to Shakespeare (I love him, personally), but my school’s curriculum would never have worked for my students.

It took a ton of research and reading to find World Literature books that were actually accessible for struggling readers. But in this post, I hope to introduce some World Literature books that are not only accessible but bring new voices and perspectives to your classroom.

(If you want some more tips on structuring your World Literature curriculum, check out this post.)

Below, I’ve organized a list of titles by continent. Each listing highlights why that book is a great choice for students who need accessible and compelling reads. For some of the titles below, I’ve written reviews. If you can click on a title, you’ll learn more about that book.

If you’re here because you need to put together a World Literature curriculum for struggling readers QUICKLY, let me save you hours–if not days or weeks–with my complete World Literature class here. 

Introducing World Literature Books

First, before I offer any text suggestions, let’s address one issue with World Literature classes: they task you, the teacher, with covering the entire globe in far too little time. 

You cannot possibly cover the entire globe in a year, let alone a semester. This means that many voices and viewpoints will be left out of your curriculum entirely. 

This point is an important one to make to your students. Before diving into any text, make sure students understand that one novel is only one voice. A single novel cannot represent an entire country or continent.

I really recommend my lesson Why Study World Literature?: “The Danger of a Single Story” for introducing your World Literature class. 

World Literature Books By Continent

I broke down this list by continent because I know covering as much of the globe as possible is important to any World Literature teacher. Look over this post if you want some ideas for other ways to choose and organize your classroom texts. 

Africa

• Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani: Based on real-life accounts of girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, this book provides an accessible yet powerful narrative that captures resilience and hope.
• A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah: Beah’s memoir of being a child soldier in Sierra Leone is written in a straightforward style that connects deeply with readers.
• Born a Crime by Trevor Noah: This memoir blends humor with historical insight about apartheid South Africa, offering engaging and relatable storytelling. There is a young reader’s version of this book that might be better for some groups of struggling readers. Grab a done-for-you Born a Crime unit right here.

Asia

• I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai: This inspiring memoir of a young girl who fought for education in Pakistan is accessible and motivational. For struggling readers, I recommend using the abridged version.
• Sold by Patricia McCormick: This novel in verse tells the heartbreaking story of a young girl trafficked into slavery, written in a simple yet poetic style.
• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: A graphic novel about growing up during the Iranian Revolution. Its visual format supports comprehension while addressing complex themes. This is a great one for starting off your World Literature class. Grab my complete Persepolis unit here. 

Europe

• The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: This classic novella is short and accessible, with a surreal yet gripping narrative that lends itself well to struggling readers.

Holocaust Novels

Many World Literature curriculums require a holocaust novel. (You can get some ideas for how to introduce your holocaust unit here.) Here are some of the holocaust novels that I think are best for struggling readers. 

• The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman: A graphic novel that uses illustrations to convey the complexities of the Holocaust in a visually engaging format. Grab everything you need to teach The Complete Maus here. 
• Night by Elie Wiesel: A succinct and poignant memoir of surviving Auschwitz, written in plain yet powerful prose.
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Narrated by Death, this unique take on a Holocaust story is highly engaging and features an accessible style. Note that this book is long for a text you might be reading in class. It is, however, engaging, which is why I added it to this list.

North America

• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: A short and poignant story about friendship and dreams during the Great Depression, written in simple yet evocative language. (Personally, I cannot stand Steinbeck. But this is a title that would work for struggling readers, so, reluctantly, I leave it here for your consideration.)
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: This semi-autobiographical novel includes humor and illustrations to explore life on a Native American reservation. Definitely do your research before including this one. Sherman Alexie has proven a problematic author and has fallen out of favor with English teachers over the last decade. There are also parts of this novel that might have parents or admin raising their eyebrows. Still, many teachers have had good luck with this novel–especially with struggling students–so I left it on this list. 
• Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan: A story of resilience during the Great Depression, written at a level approachable for struggling readers. This novel is often recommended for middle school students. Double-check that this novel isn’t already something your students read in their earlier years, and read it yourself before assigning. Unless your students are really behind, this one is probably “too young” for high schoolers. 
• Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman: A series of interconnected stories about a diverse urban community coming together to build a garden.

Australia/Oceania

• The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan: A visually stunning picture book allegory of colonization that combines simple text with intricate illustrations.
• Deadly, Unna? by Phillip Gwynne: A coming-of-age story that deals with racism and friendship in rural Australia, written in an engaging and straightforward style.

South America

• Eva Luna by Isabel Allende: While slightly more advanced, the engaging storytelling and vivid characters can captivate readers willing to explore magical realism.
• The House of the Spirits (abridged versions available): Another title by Allende that intertwines history and magical realism, with family drama that keeps readers engaged.
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: A philosophical tale set in North Africa and the Middle East that uses simple, lyrical language to explore universal themes like destiny and perseverance. While the story takes place in Spain in Egypt, the author is Brazilian, so I categorized it under South America. Save yourself time with this The Alchemist unit. 

Conclusion: World Literature Books Open Doors to the Globe

World Literature has the power to captivate and inspire even the most reluctant readers. These stories provide a window into different cultures, histories, and perspectives, while also offering approachable formats and compelling narratives.

By introducing these books into your classroom, you can help struggling readers build confidence, discover new favorite authors, and gain a deeper appreciation for the global human experience.

Still overwhelmed trying to plan your World Literature class? Let me do it for you! You can grab my complete World Literature Class here and start teaching immediately!

The post World Literature Books for Struggling Readers: A Global Journey appeared first on It's Lit Teaching.

Want to save some major time? Grab this done-for-you The Alchemist Unit Bundle!

The Alchemist Book Activities #1: Teach The Hero’s Journey

Lay a foundation for your unit by covering The Hero’s Journey. Joseph Campbell’s concept of The Hero’s Journey parallels perfectly with The Alchemist. By teaching your students the classic steps of a monomyth, you’ll encourage deeper understanding and analysis of their reading. 

First, make sure students understand the steps of The Hero’s Journey. I have a Hero’s Journey Lesson here that includes a slideshow, students handout, graphic organizer, and more.

You can learn more about teaching The Hero’s Journey in this post.

Then, have students plot the events of The Alchemist along a chart or graphic organizer of The Hero’s Journey. You can have them work individually or in pairs. 

This activity enhances students’ analytical skills by helping them see Santiago’s personal growth in alignment with an archetypal structure, which they can also apply to other literary works.

(I have more tips on teaching the hero’s journey in this post!)

The Alchemist Book Activities #2: Create a Personal Legend Map

One of the best things you can do with students while reading The Alchemist is to help them identify their own Personal Legends. 

Part of this process should be creating a Personal Legend Map! Students draw (or fill out a blank) map. Then they chart a route.

The beginning of the route should be today. The last stop on the route should be their ultimate goal or Personal Legend. 

Then, students should try to determine their “stops” along the way–what steps will they take to get to their Personal Legends?

Students can present their maps to the class or display them on a classroom bulletin board to inspire others.  

This reflective exercise encourages students to connect Santiago’s journey with their own lives, fostering personal growth while deepening their understanding of the novel’s themes.  

This can be a really creative activity if you have students create their own map. If, however, you’re short on time (or your students don’t love crafty activities), you can grab a fill-in-the-blank Personal Legend Map here!

The Alchemist Book Activities #3: Teach Allusions

Coelho’s writing is rich with allusions, including references to alchemy, world religions, and myths. Teaching these allusions helps students unlock deeper meanings in the text.  

First, if your students are new to allusions as a literary term, teach it directly. I have a done-for-you lesson about allusions right here. Included are a slideshow, lesson plan, graphic organizer, reference handout, and more. 

(Learn more about teaching allusions in this blog post here.)

Then, have students hunt through The Alchemist for different allusions. You can turn this into a literal scavenger hunt or have students fill out a graphic organizer (like the one included in this lesson). 

You can divide students into small groups to make this collaborative. Give each group a section of the text or a theme to focus on. Then, give them references to research like The Philosopher’s Stone or different biblical allusions.

Each group can share out, explaining the allusions to the rest of the class. 

This activity strengthens students’ critical reading skills by challenging them to make connections between literature, history, and religion. It also helps them become more comfortable identifying and interpreting literary allusions in other works.  

The Alchemist Book Activities #4: Research Essay

An essay is, of course, the classic choice for post-novel assessment. But a research paper for The Alchemist might seem like a strange choice. 

However, if you have students research their own Personal Legends, it makes perfect sense. 

(If you’re new to teaching essays, or your students have never written one before, here are some tips!)

Students, having decided on their Personal Legends earlier in the unit, can use this essay as an opportunity to learn more about how to achieve this goal.

They can research what tests or certifications are required to achieve their goal. They can read interviews with others who have achieved similar “Personal Legends.”

Students will have to determine which kind of sources are best for their own goals. For example, a students wanting to become a military officer will need to use vastly different research sources than a student who wants to become a famous rapper or YouTube influencer. 

Then, students will use that research to determine three major steps they must take in order to achieve their own Legends.

You can grab this essay assignment right here, or you can assign your own research essay. 

Conclusion

These four activities—teaching the Hero’s Journey, creating Personal Legend Maps, exploring allusions, and writing research essays—will help your students connect deeply with The Alchemist. Not only will they understand the text on a literary level, but they’ll also reflect on the personal and philosophical themes that make this novel so enduring.

If you’re looking for even more ready-made resources and activities for The Alchemist, check out my complete unit on Teachers Pay Teachers! It’s filled with sequenced lessons that eliminate fluff, making it easy to keep students engaged and on track.

The post 4 The Alchemist Book Activities For High Schoolers appeared first on It's Lit Teaching.

The Hero’s Journey provides a digestible framework for students to use to break down story structures and begin to analyze how events and characters impact the overall tale. In this post, I’m going to break down how to teach the Hero’s Journey. 

Want to skip the prep? Grab my Hero’s Journey Introduction Lesson here!

Why Is the Hero’s Journey Important?

Understanding the Hero’s Journey offers students a roadmap for analyzing narratives. This can be especially helpful for students who struggle with abstract concepts. Giving them concrete “steps” to look for–or even visualize–can help them break down daunting texts into manageable pieces. 

It’s a structure found in many genres, making it relevant to both classic and modern texts. This means you can incorporate it into nearly any novel study from remedial to advanced.

By identifying stages like The Call to Adventure or The Return, students can better appreciate character development and thematic progression. For advanced readers, knowing the stages of the Hero’s Journey can also help them identify more quickly when authors are breaking convention. 

This framework also encourages personal reflection. As students connect the hero’s challenges to their own lives, they develop empathy and see universal human experiences in literature. It’s an excellent bridge between textual analysis and personal growth.

Teaching The Hero’s Journey in High School Step #1: Make Decisions

Before you create your lesson, decide which terms and definitions you’ll be using.

For example, do you primarily want students to know the framework as “the Hero’s Journey” or the “monomyth?” I think it’s best to introduce both terms but know which one you plan on using in future tests or assessments and primarily stick to that term. 

You’ll also need to know which version of the Hero’s Journey you want students to know. The Hero’s Journey has been reworked and revised over the years. Do you want one with seventeen steps or twelve?

As a fan of brevity and saving classroom time, I, personally, stick to twelve steps.

You might also want to consider if it’s important for your students to know the Hero’s Journey archetypal characters. You can skip these, or, if you think knowing them might help students’ analyses, you can cover them, too.

Decide what exactly you want students to know before you put together your lesson plan. (Alternatively, you can just grab my complete the Hero’s Journey Lesson.)

Teaching the Hero’s Journey in High School Step #2: Breakdown the Steps

The first step in any literary element is defining the topic for students. 

For the Hero’s Journey, you’ll want to give an overall explanation of the concepts and a breakdown of the steps. 

It’s helpful to have a visual of the complete journey and examples for each stage. 

In my Hero’s Journey Lesson, I use a lot of examples from Harry Potter, but almost any major work will do. Just try to find something that students will know.

Alternatively, if you have the time, you can watch a movie or read a text with students and stop to showcase each step along the way.

Teaching The Hero’s Journey in High School Step #3: Provide Learning Supports

As with any lesson, consider the resources you can use to support your learners. 

In my The Hero’s Journey Lesson, I include student handouts to help teens remember the different steps and archetypal characters. You can create your own visual, pull one from the internet, or have students create their own. 

You might also want to consider having students take notes or complete visual notes while you teach. 

Whatever scaffolding your students typically benefit from, consider adding it to your Hero’s Journey lesson.

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Teaching The Hero’s Journey in High School Step #4: Let Students Analyze A Story On Their Own

Once you’ve taught students all of the steps, stages, and, optionally, characters that make up the Hero’s Journey, it’s time to let them practice on their own.

You can give them a graphic organizer or other blank visual to fill out. You can also assign students to create their own visuals. 

My The Hero’s Journey Lesson includes a blank graphic organizer for this task.

Then, assign them a story or movie. Students should analyze their text, breaking it down into the steps of the Hero’s Journey.

In my lesson, I include fairy tales for students to analyze. These are great because they’re short and make for quick practice. The Alchemist is a great option for longer text to analyze.

If you have the time, watching The Lion King as a class could be another great example. 

For more advanced students, you can let them pick the text and work on it outside of class. For example, a Lord of the Rings fan could break down the movie into the steps of The Hero’s Journey, or students could analyze their independent reading novels. 

If you have less time, consider short stories. If you have time to fill (or students will have a sub for a few days), consider showing a film to the whole class.

Activities for Teaching The Hero’s Journey

You can end the lesson after letting students have some practice, or you can keep adding more and different Hero’s Journey activities to your unit. 

Here is a list of activities for teaching the Hero’s Journey:

1. Have students create posters to represent the Hero’s Journey individually, in pairs, or in groups
2. Jigsaw a story or movie. Each group of students has a different phase or set of stages in which to categorize their part of the movie.
3. Create journal entries. Assign (or let students pick) a stage of the Hero’s Journey to each student. They have to write a journal entry as a hero living through that stage of his or her journey.
4. Have students write their own stories following the framework of the Hero’s Journey. (Have them annotate each step in their stories before submitting their work to you.)
5. Challenge students to compare the journeys of two different heroes. This can be done on a graphic organizer, made into a presentation, or written as a compare and contrast essay.

Conclusion

Teaching the Hero’s Journey in high school helps students break down complex narratives, deepens their appreciation for literature, and strengthens their own storytelling abilities. When students have the vocabulary to describe the different parts of a story, their abilities to analyze plot will instinctively deepen.

By integrating this universal structure into lessons, teachers can provide a more engaging and relatable way for students to connect with texts. Whether through literary analysis, writing, or visual projects, the Hero’s Journey is a rich topic perfect for any lesson, from lecture to creative writing. 

You can take the idea of the Hero’s Journey and create a lesson that fits your classroom needs perfectly! If, however, your biggest need is more time, consider grabbing my done-for-you The Hero’s Journey Introduction Lesson.

The post Teaching the Hero’s Journey in High School appeared first on It's Lit Teaching.

Looking for more? This post covers some World Literature activities for any novel!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products that I personally use and love, or think my readers will find useful.

What Makes a Novel Great for Struggling Students?

When making this list, I had a few criteria in mind. 

First, the novel had to be appropriate for World Literature courses. I wanted books from non-American authors. 

The books also had to be relatively easy to read. This means the novels have lower Lexiles, added pictures, increased engagement, or some combination of the above. Students want to read these books, and they are easier to comprehend. 

All four of the novels featured in this post fit the bill! Of course, you’ll want to check with your school and district, but they should work for both your World Literature curriculum and your struggling students.

World Literature Novels for Struggling Readers #1: Persepolis

Persepolis by Margane Sartrapi is a graphic novel memoir about Sartrapi’s own experiences growing up during the Iranian Revolution. 

As a graphic novel, there are fewer words to trip up reluctant readers. Instead, they’ll have to “read” the images as much as the words. 

Sartrapi’s experiences are also relatable; she’s just an ordinary teenager living in difficult circumstances. Students will be interested in her story. 

To learn more about this awesome novel, you can check out my full blog post about Persepolis here.

World Literature Novels for Struggling Readers #2: Born a Crime

Born a Crime is Trevor Noah’s (comedian and previous host of The Daily Show) memoir about growing up in South Africa during apartheid. 

While this novel is certainly more challenging than a graphic novel, you can scaffold the read by grabbing the young readers’ edition instead of the unabridged version. This will give you a version of the text that is a bit shorter and free of swearing.

Packed with funny anecdotes and observations about the world, Noah’s account of his childhood will engage your students and have them begging to keep reading. 

Plus, there’s no shortage of deep themes to explore with your students. 

Find out more about why Born a Crime is a fantastic novel to teach in this blog post here.

World Literature Novels for Struggling Readers #3: Maus

Admittedly, I’m stretching my criteria a bit with this one. Maus by Art Spiegelman is a graphic novel recounting Spiegelman’s father’s story of survival during the holocaust. Technically, Spiegelman was born in America, but he is Polish by descent and most of Maus follows his Polish father. 

Still, depending on how strict your district’s definition of World Literature is, this one might not quite qualify. 

If, however, you can get this one on your syllabus, you won’t be disappointed! 

I prefer The Complete Maus to teaching just the first graphic novel. Because they are comics, reading both books will still go quickly in your class. 

Maus has all the advantages of teaching a graphic novel: easier Lexile, faster pacing, short read, etc. But it also has a highly engaging story. Your students will be at the edge of their seats as they follow Vladek’s survival during World War II. 

Find out more about how The Complete Maus is perfect for your classroom right here.

World Literature Novels for Struggling Readers #4: The Alchemist

Bestseller The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is an easy read about a boy pursuing his dream. It’s full of life lessons and easy-to-digest parable-like stories that are perfect for students who struggle to interpret metaphors and symbolism. 

Honestly, The Alchemist is the perfect training ground for practicing analysis, since so much of Coelho’s writing goes just slightly deeper than surface-level. 

Written at an easy reading level, you can read this novel with your class, explore its ideas, and still have time for an engaging project!

Conclusion

Teaching World Literature doesn’t mean you’re stuck teaching high-difficulty novels only. There are plenty of novels suitable for struggling readers, especially if you consider modern novels that haven’t found their way into the canon yet. 

If you’re looking for no-prep World Literature resources to help you map out your class, you can find all of my done-for-you World Literature lessons and activities here!

The post These World Literature Novels are Perfect for Struggling Readers appeared first on It's Lit Teaching.