Texts for the Course

This semester, we will read a famous novel that American students sometimes study in high school, Bless Me Ultima, by the New Mexico writer Rudolfo Anaya.

The book is a bit difficult for this Level 3 class, but we will work on it together little by little, and the teacher will provide many shorter readings to help you follow the main text, and also learn more about American history and geography.

You will also find it helpful to use Internet resources as we study this book: Follow the links that are posted at this site, on the right.

The textbooks for the course are:

(1) Bless Me, Ultima: This novel will be sold in the Laney bookstore, but there are many, many inexpensive ways to buy it, online or at local bookstores. Below are links to help you:

Online bookstore Barnes and Noble 

Online bookstore Amazon: At this site, it is also possible to buy and download an audio recording of the book.

Walmart

Target

Be sure that you buy the complete, unabridged novel, and not just a summary or study notes. Also, be sure that you buy the book in English and not in Spanish! The Spanish title is Bendiceme, Ultima, and is not the one you want.

(2) You will also need to follow the CliffsNotes study guide for Bless Me Ultima. This is available for free online (see the link on the right). If you want to buy the study guide in paper form, if will be for sale in the college bookstore, or you can buy it online.

(3) You must have a copy of Longmans Dictionary of American English. You can buy it online or at the Laney College bookstore. You must have your own paper copy of this dictionary to use in class and during quizzes and tests. Dictionary skills are one of the most important things you will be learning in Reading 3; please do not try to take the course without this book.

(4) We will study three issues of Easy English Times during the fall semester. The instructor will provide the three issues that we study in class, but if you wish, you can order a full year's subscription of your own from their website; follow the link on the right and click on "Subscribe."