The first of these books came out in 1991 and our class enjoyed it enormously. We were pleased when Amazing 2! appeared in 1997. As we read 12 real newspaper stories from many places in Canada, we learned about the province or territory, sorted out cities, population numbers and climates. Students report that they like to learn about Canada and that stories about people from different places make the learning more meaningful.

Each story is rewritten in simpler English; the actual newspaper account is in the teacher’s guide. The stories include a man who caught a nine and a half kilogram lobster and the first Canadian woman to climb Mt. Everest (Amazing 1!); a man who invented an edible cup and a woman who fought a cougar to save the children in her pre-school (Amazing 2!). The later stories in each book are harder than the earlier ones. The story shown here is as hard as they get.

The books are written for ESL classes so occasionally there was a page that simply didn’t interest us. On the other hand, we made good use of exercises such as looking at the pictures and foretelling the story, sequencing the story, choosing a headline, answering comprehension questions, role playing newspaper reporter and interviewee, and locating places on maps. For exercises such as “Marriage and Wedding Customs” we compared notes on what was common among our students - all born in Canada, but of different ages and different ethnic backgrounds. We found we had many different opinions about what was proper!

In Amazing 2! there are more exercises that are grammar practice aimed at ESL students, but even they can often be turned into reading and speaking practice for native speakers. We had a good time asking, “Who has a bigger nose, you or your partner?” which was supposed to have us learn the comparative. We turned it into a discussion of what personal questions are acceptable. In Amazing 2! the stories are written at two levels in the student’s text which gives you more options for comparing and rereading.

At the back of each book is an answer key and an appendix which outlines the reading level, grammar, Canadiana, writing and discussion points for each chapter.

Our class enjoyed owning their own books and writing in them, but most of the work could be done on separate paper. The layout is pleasing in its use of headlines, white space and drawings.

Two comments often made in my class were, “I think the stories are interesting.” and “It’s a good book to do in a group.”