17 New Titles to Help English Learners Improve Their Reading Skills (A sponsored post)

A Note from Karen: The following post is a sponsored post and it is the first time a post of this nature has appeared here at Teen Librarian Toolbox. As the mother of a kid with dyslexia, I believe in the importance of large print as an accessibility tool. The larger font and increased white space helps a lot of kids/adults read with more ease. If you would like to read more about our journey with dyslexia, you can find those posts here. I’m always here to support tools that help readers struggling in any way to have access to the tools they need to become better readers.

By: Sabine McAlpine, director, Thorndike Press 

¿Hablas español? Read or share this blog in Spanish >

The latest United States Census data reveals that nearly 68 million people speak a language other than English at home. Spanish leads as the most common language aside from English, spoken 12 times as often as the next four most used languages.¹

As the U.S. becomes more culturally diverse, librarians and educators understand the urgency to make learning accessible for everyone.

English learners (ELs) face particular challenges when it comes to developing literacy skills. Not only are they expected to learn to speak a new language, but they’re also expected to read it! For emerging bilingual non-readers, this presents another obstacle to developing key reading skills like decoding, fluency, and comprehension.

How can you help Spanish-speaking students improve their reading skills and develop a love of reading? Connect them to more accessible books in their native language with Thorndike Press Spanish Youth Large Print.

Simplify Reading with Youth Large Print

With 16-point font and fewer words per page, youth large print is an easy-to-implement literacy solution proven to help young learners strengthen their reading skills and become more confident readers.

In a nationwide study conducted by Project Tomorrow^Ⓡ, teachers noticed significant improvements in both literacy skills and student mindsets when introducing ELs to large print. While 50% of teachers reported increased reading comprehension and enhanced overall reading fluency, 47% also said EL students had greater confidence in their reading abilities when reading large print.²

Connect ELs to Spanish Youth Large Print

The proven benefits of large print have led to the format finding younger audiences in both public and school libraries. Once librarians and teachers started experiencing large print’s impact on young readers, the next big question was, “Do you have books in Spanish?”

To help provide greater support for Spanish-speaking students, Thorndike Press is publishing its first collection of Spanish youth large print titles in February 2024. Explore 17 Spanish-language titles for middle graders and young adults available for pre-order now. All Spanish titles are also available in English to help you provide a well-rounded reading experience for emerging bilinguals of all ages with YA crossovers for adults.

Middle Grade Spanish Youth Large Print Titles from Thorndike Press:

• Lupe Wong no baila (Lupe Wong Won’t Dance) by Donna Barba Higuera Spanish ISBN: 9798885795036 | English ISBN: 9781432899752
• La última cuentista (The Last Cuentista) by Donna Barba Higuera

Spanish ISBN: 9798885795029 | English ISBN: 9781432899714

• Efrén dividido (Efrén Divided) by Ernesto Cisneros

Spanish ISBN: 9798885795012 | English ISBN: 9781432888947

• Estrella de mar (Starfish) by Lisa Fipps

Spanish ISBN:9798885795005 | English ISBN: 9781432890964

• Escuela de espías (Spy School, Spy School Series, Book 1) by Stuart Gibbs

Spanish ISBN: 9798885793803 | English ISBN: 9798885796743

• Campamento de espías (Spy Camp, Spy School Series, Book 2) by Stuart Gibbs

Spanish ISBN: 9798885793810 | English ISBN: 9798885796750 

• Merci Suárez se pone las pilas (Merci Suárez Changes Gears) by Meg Medina

Spanish ISBN: 9798885792448 | English ISBN: 9781432860363                   

• Merci Suárez no sabe bailar (Merci Suárez Can’t Dance) by Meg Medina

Spanish ISBN: 9798885792455 | English ISBN: 9781432886905

• Tumbos (Tumble) by Celia C. Pérez

Spanish ISBN: 9798885794992 | English ISBN: 9798885782685

• Fantasma (Ghost, Track Series, Book 1) by Jason Reynolds

Spanish ISBN: 9798885795050 | English ISBN: 9781432860868 

• Patina (Track Series, Book 2) by Jason Reynolds

Spanish ISBN: 9798885795067 | English ISBN: 9781432865795

YA Spanish Youth Large Print Titles from Thorndike Press:

• Antes de ser libres (Before We Were Free) by Julia Alvarez

Spanish ISBN: 9798885795074 | English ISBN: 9798885795135

• Alas salvajes (Wings in the Wild) by Margarita Engle

Spanish ISBN: 9798885795043 | English ISBN: 9798885795142

• Yaqui Delgado quiere darte una paliza (Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass) by Meg Medina

Spanish ISBN: 9798885792431 | English ISBN: 9781432874216

• Las fuentes del silencio (The Fountains of Silence) by Ruta Sepetys

Spanish ISBN: 9798885795517 | English ISBN: 9781432870331

• Y si lo logramos: una historia nuyorican (When We Make It: A Nuyorican Novel) by Elizabet Velasquez

Spanish ISBN: 9798885794985 | English ISBN: 9798885797375

• Yo no soy tu perfecta hija Mexicana (I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter) by Erika L. Sánchez

Spanish ISBN: 9798885795524 | English ISBN: 9781432874407

See the Large Print Difference

As the leading large print publisher, Thorndike Press publishes large print books to support readers of all ages. Large text, expanded line spacing, high-opacity paper, and more accessible features help readers turn pages faster and feel more accomplished.

Plus, young readers get to enjoy the full experience of reading popular youth titles without anyone realizing they’re reading large print. Thorndike Press youth large print books are unabridged, have the same cover art as the standard print editions, are similar in size and weight to the standard editions, and don’t have the words “large print” on the outside of the books.

In addition to increased accessibility, Thorndike Press books are developed with high-quality materials and come with a 100% guarantee on binding to ensure they withstand the test of time—and young readers!

Save 10% on Spanish through February 2024

Bring ELs a more inclusive and accessible reading format proven to help kids improve their reading skills and enjoy reading more. Order Thorndike Spanish youth large print titles for your students today and enjoy a limited-time discount. Until February 29, 2024, you can save 10% on all Thorndike Press Spanish youth large print books by using promo code ELREAD10 at checkout.

Since 2019, Thorndike Press has grown our youth large print collection from 250 titles to over 1,100. We’re committed to bringing librarians and educators highly acclaimed middle-grade titles, complete series, and books with diverse, relatable protagonists. Keep up with the latest large print reads in both English and Spanish by following Thorndike Press on social @ThorndikePress.

Footnotes:

1. Dietrich, Sandy and Erik Hernandez, “Nearly 68 Million People Spoke a Language Other Than English at Home in 2019,” United States Census Bureau, Dec. 2022.
2. “Advancing Literacy with Large Print,” Project Tomorrow and Thorndike Press, March 2020.

Author Bio:

Sabine McAlpine is a national sales director who partners with librarians and teachers to help students become stronger and more confident readers. Even before joining Thorndike Press twenty years ago, Sabine was passionate about sharing the love of reading and meeting young readers where they are. She’s volunteered in public libraries and schools to run story time, serve as a reading coach, and help children of all ages find joy in reading.

Filed under: Large Print