I'm teaching ESL in Beijing, China. I have a 12 year old student who is quite well versed in English but whose conversational level is not very high. I want to work, using as a vehicle for reading and discussion, INTERESTING OR EXCITING books that appeal to the younger teen age kids. I love the old classics, e.g. Tom Sawyer, but the language is generally too difficult and too antiquated for ESL learners.
CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND titles of some great popular interest books that meet this need. Thanks, TZ

There are lots of graded readers out there. OUP has a good collection and they offer information on how to use them effectively. This allows you to teach the classics and other important literary works while still working at their English level.

comic books or graphic novels might be good.