A class set of novels costs $150–300. Many schools don't have that in their English budget. But you can teach literature richly without 30 identical copies.
The Cost Problem
Strategy 1: Read-Aloud
Read the novel aloud to the class. You need one copy. Students follow along or listen. You set the pace, model fluency, and pause to check understanding. Whole class has the same experience.
Best for: Year 3-5, engaging stories with good narrative drive.
Strategy 2: Library Borrowing
Many public libraries can reserve multiple copies of a book. Borrow 8-10 copies, partner or group students, and rotate who reads when. One student reads aloud to a group, then they swap, then the next group reads.
Timeline: Takes longer but costs nothing.
Strategy 3: Mix Print and Digital
Use a few print copies + free digital versions. Some books are on Google Books or Project Gutenberg. Some publishers release free digital editions for schools. Students can read on tablets while you have print copies for shared reading.
Strategy 4: Chapter Packets
Photocopy chapters in small packets (2-3 chapters per packet). Give one packet to pairs/small groups. They read together. Next week, they pass the packet on and get the next chapters. By term's end, the whole class has read the whole book.
Check copyright: Photocopying for educational purposes is allowed under fair dealing, but check your school's policy.
Strategy 5: Book Clubs Within a Novel
Teach one novel to the whole class (via read-aloud or shared copies). Then pair students. Each pair reads a different book by the same author or in the same genre. They discuss with a partner, then report back to the class.
Key Activities (Any Strategy)
Regardless of how students access the text, build in rich activities:
- Character journals: Write from a character's perspective
- Plot mapping: Create a timeline or storyboard
- Prediction: "What happens next?"
- Debate: "Was the character right to...?"
- Artwork: Illustrate a scene
- Rewrite: Change the ending or retell from another viewpoint
Novel Recommendations (Australian)
Possum Magic (F-2), The Terrible Plop (Yr 2-3), Charlotte's Web (Yr 4-5), Blubber or Thora (Yr 5-6), Brotherband Chronicles (Yr 5-7)
Many are widely available or free digitally.
