Rich in history, art and culture, Turkey is the place where Asia and Europe meet — all combining to make a fascinating holiday destination. But Turkey has a complex history, and if you really want to get under the skin of this intriguing country, then reading books set in Turkey is a great place to start. The novels below will help you to scratch beneath the surface of the tourist brochures and holiday posters, deepening your understanding of this beautiful and passionate country. Why not give them a go before setting off on your travels?

‘Birds without Wings’ by Louis de Bernières

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I remember that as a child my parents were constantly urging us to read. Read books, magazines, packaging, road signs, captions and cartoons, whatever. Anything with print was fair game. I was lucky because they were able to make reading a challenging game. Mom once said she would not be surprised if I read the inside of the toilet tissue roll. I replied, ‘but mom, there is nothing printed on the cardboard roll.’ She laughed, but you looked and would have. She was right. Now my job is to instill that reading curiosity into these kids.

As a teacher of, what our state calls, at risk teens, I face the problem of woefully unprepared students. Students to whom reading is a chore to be avoided at all costs. These students arrive in my eleventh grade classroom with only the basic reading skills of a fifth or sixth grader. Now I am faced with the same problem so many teachers encounter with the realization that their students simply cannot read and comprehend the materials that must be mastered. They simply don’t want to and will use any ploy to circumvent a teacher’s attempt at class oriented reading exercises. So,What can we do?

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