48 Best Books and Reading Idioms Every ESL Learner Needs

Are you looking for the best way to teach books and reading idioms in your ESL class? You’re in the right place! This post gives you 48 useful idioms that can make your lessons more fun, natural, and effective.

These books and reading idioms are perfect for real-life conversations, creating interesting discussion questions, and doing fun role-plays in class. Your students will learn how native speakers really talk about reading and knowledge.

You can also use these idioms to build vocabulary lessons, spark debates, or introduce common expressions in speaking practice. The clear meanings, simple examples, and practice questions for each idiom will save you prep time and help your students learn faster.

Whether you’re planning a themed lesson on books or just want to enrich your students’ language skills, this is the complete tool you need.

Let’s dive in and make books and reading come alive in your classroom!

Why Books and Reading Idioms Matter in ESL

Books and reading idioms are common in everyday English. Native speakers use them to talk about learning, emotions, behavior, and life experiences. If ESL students don’t understand these idioms, they may feel confused in conversations, movies, or books.

These idioms help students understand the culture behind the language. Idioms like “don’t judge a book by its cover” or “read between the lines” carry deeper meanings. Learning them helps students catch hidden messages and feel more confident using English.

Using idioms in class also makes learning more fun. Students enjoy guessing meanings, sharing opinions, and using idioms in real-life situations. These activities improve speaking, listening, and thinking in English.

Books and reading idioms are not just for advanced learners. Even intermediate learners can understand them when they are explained clearly. Step by step, they can use these idioms in their own speech.

For ESL teachers, these idioms offer many teaching ideas. From games to story writing, they open the door to more natural and creative language use. That’s why this topic is so useful in any ESL classroom.

1. A closed book

Meaning: Something that is hard to understand or not known at all.

Example Sentences:

1. Physics is a closed book to me.
2. His emotions are a closed book.
3. That topic is a closed book for most students.

Context Questions:

1. Is math a closed book for you?
2. Do you know someone who is like a closed book?
3. What subject feels like a closed book to you?

2. A page-turner

Meaning: A very interesting book that is hard to stop reading.

Example Sentences:

1. That novel was a real page-turner.
2. I finished the page-turner in one day.
3. Her story is such a page-turner!

Context Questions:

1. Have you read a book that was a page-turner?
2. What kind of stories are page-turners for you?
3. Do you enjoy page-turners or slow books?

3. An open book

Meaning: A person who shares feelings or thoughts easily.

Example Sentences:

1. She is like an open book.
2. I can read him easily—he’s an open book.
3. His life is an open book to everyone.

Context Questions:

1. Are you an open book or more private?
2. Do you like people who are open books?
3. Who in your life is like an open book?

4. Book smart

Meaning: Good at studying and reading but not always good with real-life situations.

Example Sentences:

1. He is book smart but not street smart.
2. My friend is very book smart.
3. She got good grades because she’s book smart.

Context Questions:

1. Do you think you are book smart?
2. Is it better to be book smart or street smart?
3. Do you know someone who is book smart?

5. By the book

Meaning: Doing things exactly as the rules say.

Example Sentences:

1. She always does her work by the book.
2. The police officer acted by the book.
3. He wants everyone to do it by the book.

Context Questions:

1. Do you like doing things by the book?
2. When is it important to do things by the book?
3. Have you ever had to follow rules by the book?

6. Can’t judge a book by its cover

Meaning: You can’t know someone or something just by how it looks.

Example Sentences:

1. That shy boy is very talented—you can’t judge a book by its cover.
2. The restaurant looks simple, but the food is great.
3. I thought the movie would be boring, but I was wrong.

Context Questions:

1. Have you judged a book by its cover before?
2. What surprised you after getting to know someone?
3. Can you think of a time this idiom was true for you?

7. Chapter and verse

Meaning: Full and exact details, often to prove something.

Example Sentences:

1. She gave chapter and verse to explain her plan.
2. The lawyer knew chapter and verse of the law.
3. He quoted chapter and verse from the book.

Context Questions:

1. Do you like knowing chapter and verse about a topic?
2. When did you give full details to explain something?
3. Can you explain your favorite topic with chapter and verse?

8. Cook the books

Meaning: To change financial records in a dishonest way.

Example Sentences:

1. The company was caught cooking the books.
2. He went to jail for cooking the books.
3. Cooking the books is a serious crime.

Context Questions:

1. Have you heard of companies that cook the books?
2. Why do some people cook the books?
3. Is it easy to catch someone cooking the books?

9. Crack a book

Meaning: To begin studying or reading.

Example Sentences:

1. He didn’t crack a book all weekend.
2. You need to crack a book before the exam.
3. I finally cracked a book after my long break.

Context Questions:

1. When do you usually crack a book to study?
2. Is it easy for you to crack a book every day?
3. What helps you start studying and crack a book?

10. Curl up with a book

Meaning: To sit or lie down comfortably and read.

Example Sentences:

1. I love to curl up with a book on rainy days.
2. She curled up with a book before bed.
3. He spent the evening curled up with a good book.

Context Questions:

1. Do you like to curl up with a book at night?
2. What kind of books do you curl up with?
3. Where is your favorite place to curl up with a book?

11. Do something by the book

Meaning: To do something exactly how the rules or instructions say.

Example Sentences:

1. He repaired the machine by the book.
2. We must cook this dish by the book.
3. The boss wants us to handle this by the book.

Context Questions:

1. Do you like doing things by the book?
2. When should people follow steps by the book?
3. Have you ever done a task strictly by the book?

12. Face like a book

Meaning: A person whose feelings are easy to see just by looking at their face.

Example Sentences:

1. I knew he was angry—he has a face like a book.
2. You can’t hide your joy; your face is like a book.
3. She always shows her feelings on her face.

Context Questions:

1. Do you have a face like a book?
2. Can you easily read people’s emotions?
3. Who in your family has a face like a book?

13. Fall between the cracks in the book

Meaning: To be forgotten or not noticed when others are being helped.

Example Sentences:

1. That student fell between the cracks in the book.
2. Sometimes quiet children fall through the cracks.
3. She didn’t get support because she fell between the cracks.

Context Questions:

1. Have you ever fallen between the cracks in school?
2. How can teachers help students not fall between the cracks?
3. What happens when someone is forgotten like that?

14. Flip through a book

Meaning: To look quickly through a book without reading carefully.

Example Sentences:

1. I flipped through the book before class.
2. She flipped through the pages looking for pictures.
3. He just flipped through it, not really reading.

Context Questions:

1. Do you flip through books before buying them?
2. When do you flip through books instead of reading?
3. What kind of books do you like to flip through?

15. Fresh off the press

Meaning: Just published or printed; very new.

Example Sentences:

1. This magazine is fresh off the press.
2. The news is fresh off the press today.
3. We got the book fresh off the press.

Context Questions:

1. Do you like to read books fresh off the press?
2. What was the last thing you read that was fresh off the press?
3. Do you wait for new books or buy older ones?

16. Go by the book

Meaning: To follow rules or instructions exactly.

Example Sentences:

1. She runs her class by the book.
2. The officer handled it by the book.
3. We must go by the book in this job.

Context Questions:

1. When is it important to go by the book?
2. Do you like people who go by the book?
3. Have you ever had to go by the book at work or school?

17. Hit the books

Meaning: To study hard, especially before exams.

Example Sentences:

1. I need to hit the books tonight.
2. He hit the books after failing the test.
3. Let’s hit the books this weekend.

Context Questions:

1. When do you usually hit the books?
2. What helps you focus when you hit the books?
3. Do you hit the books alone or with friends?

18. In my book

Meaning: In my opinion.

Example Sentences:

1. In my book, honesty matters most.
2. She’s a hero in my book.
3. That was wrong in my book.

Context Questions:

1. What is most important in your book?
2. Who is a good person in your book?
3. What is a bad habit in your book?

19. In someone’s good books

Meaning: In someone’s favor or liked by someone.

Example Sentences:

1. I’m in the teacher’s good books now.
2. Help her out and get in her good books.
3. He’s in his boss’s good books again.

Context Questions:

1. Are you in your teacher’s good books?
2. How can someone get in your good books?
3. What do you do to stay in someone’s good books?

20. In someone’s bad books

Meaning: Out of favor or disliked by someone.

Example Sentences:

1. He’s in his mom’s bad books for lying.
2. I got in her bad books by coming late.
3. Don’t get in the boss’s bad books.

Context Questions:

1. Have you ever been in someone’s bad books?
2. What puts you in someone’s bad books?
3. How do you get back in their good books?

21. Judge a book by its cover

Meaning: To make an opinion based on how something or someone looks.

Example Sentences:

1. Don’t judge a book by its cover—she’s smart!
2. That old house looks bad, but it’s beautiful inside.
3. He seems rude, but he’s really nice.

Context Questions:

1. Have you ever judged a book by its cover?
2. Did you change your mind after knowing someone better?
3. Why is it bad to judge by appearance?

22. Keep the books

Meaning: To take care of financial records for a person or business.

Example Sentences:

1. She keeps the books for a small company.
2. I learned how to keep the books in college.
3. His job is to keep the books at the office.

Context Questions:

1. Do you know how to keep the books?
2. Who keeps the books at your workplace?
3. Is keeping the books an easy job for you?

23. Know like a book

Meaning: To know something or someone very well.

Example Sentences:

1. I know this town like a book.
2. She knows her best friend like a book.
3. He knows the game like a book.

Context Questions:

1. What place do you know like a book?
2. Do you know anyone like a book?
3. Is there a subject you know like a book?

24. Leave someone an open book

Meaning: To be very honest and share everything openly.

Example Sentences:

1. I leave my life an open book.
2. She left her feelings an open book.
3. He is always an open book at work.

Context Questions:

1. Are you someone who is an open book?
2. Do you like people who are open books?
3. When do you leave yourself an open book?

25. Let me read you like a book

Meaning: To understand someone’s thoughts or feelings very easily.

Example Sentences:

1. Don’t lie—I can read you like a book.
2. She reads me like a book when I’m sad.
3. He read her like a book during the game.

Context Questions:

1. Who can read you like a book?
2. Can you read your friends like a book?
3. When did someone read you like a book?

26. Make the record books

Meaning: To do something amazing or unforgettable.

Example Sentences:

1. She made the record books with that speech.
2. His run made the record books!
3. The team hopes to make the record books this year.

Context Questions:

1. What would you like to do to make the record books?
2. Do you know someone who made the record books?
3. Is it important to make the record books?

27. Not in my book

Meaning: I don’t agree or I don’t accept that.

Example Sentences:

1. That’s not right in my book.
2. In my book, that’s cheating.
3. She says it’s okay, but not in my book.

Context Questions:

1. What’s wrong in your book?
2. What’s fair in your book?
3. When do you say “not in my book”?

28. Off the books

Meaning: Not officially written or reported; often secret or illegal.

Example Sentences:

1. He paid the worker off the books.
2. They had an off-the-books deal.
3. That job was completely off the books.

Context Questions:

1. Have you ever heard of off-the-books work?
2. Why do some people work off the books?
3. Is off-the-books work common in your country?

29. On the books

Meaning: Officially recorded or listed.

Example Sentences:

1. He’s on the books as a full-time worker.
2. The company has 50 people on the books.
3. That rule is still on the books.

Context Questions:

1. Are you on the books at your job?
2. Why is being on the books important?
3. What kind of jobs are not on the books?

30. Open the book on something

Meaning: To start an investigation or look into something.

Example Sentences:

1. The police opened the book on the case.
2. They opened the book on company spending.
3. We must open the book on what went wrong.

Context Questions:

1. When should people open the book on something?
2. Have you ever seen someone open the book on a problem?
3. What case should people open the book on today?

31. Out of the book

Meaning: Not usual or not following the usual rules.

Example Sentences:

1. His teaching style is out of the book.
2. She solved it in an out-of-the-book way.
3. I like trying out-of-the-book ideas.

Context Questions:

1. Do you like doing things out of the book?
2. Have you ever solved a problem out of the book?
3. Who in your life thinks out of the book?

32. Put pen to paper

Meaning: To start writing something.

Example Sentences:

1. I finally put pen to paper and began my story.
2. She put pen to paper for her college essay.
3. It’s time to put pen to paper and write that letter.

Context Questions:

1. When did you last put pen to paper?
2. What helps you put pen to paper?
3. Is it easy for you to put pen to paper when writing essays?

33. Read between the lines

Meaning: To find the hidden or true meaning behind words.

Example Sentences:

1. I read between the lines and knew he was upset.
2. She didn’t say it, but I read between the lines.
3. You need to read between the lines in this letter.

Context Questions:

1. Can you read between the lines easily?
2. When do you try to read between the lines?
3. Why is it important to read between the lines?

34. Read like a book

Meaning: To be very easy to understand or figure out.

Example Sentences:

1. I can read her like a book.
2. His face reads like a book—he’s worried.
3. She reads me like a book every time.

Context Questions:

1. Who in your life can read you like a book?
2. Do people say you read like a book?
3. Is it good or bad to read like a book?

35. Read someone the riot act

Meaning: To speak to someone angrily because they did something wrong.

Example Sentences:

1. My mom read me the riot act for being late.
2. The teacher read the class the riot act.
3. He got the riot act after missing work.

Context Questions:

1. Have you ever been read the riot act?
2. Why do people read the riot act to others?
3. Who usually reads the riot act in your family?

36. Read up on something

Meaning: To learn by reading a lot about a topic.

Example Sentences:

1. I need to read up on climate change.
2. She read up on health before the interview.
3. He’s reading up on ancient history.

Context Questions:

1. What topic have you read up on recently?
2. Do you like to read up on things before class?
3. When do you read up on something new?

37. Read someone’s mind

Meaning: To know what someone is thinking without them saying it.

Example Sentences:

1. You brought coffee? You read my mind!
2. She always reads his mind at meetings.
3. I can’t read his mind—he never talks!

Context Questions:

1. Can you read your best friend’s mind sometimes?
2. Who in your family can read your mind?
3. Has someone ever read your mind and surprised you?

38. Rewrite the book

Meaning: To do something in a new and different way.

Example Sentences:

1. This artist rewrote the book on painting.
2. He rewrote the book on online learning.
3. That invention rewrote the book on travel.

Context Questions:

1. Have you ever tried to rewrite the book on something?
2. What industry has rewritten the book in recent years?
3. Do you like people who rewrite the book with new ideas?

39. Shut the book on something

Meaning: To end something or stop thinking about it.

Example Sentences:

1. It’s time to shut the book on that project.
2. They shut the book on the old rules.
3. I’ve shut the book on that part of my life.

Context Questions:

1. What have you shut the book on recently?
2. Is it hard for you to shut the book on past events?
3. When do people need to shut the book on something?

40. Take a leaf out of someone’s book

Meaning: To copy someone’s good behavior or actions.

Example Sentences:

1. He took a leaf out of her book and started working hard.
2. You should take a leaf out of their book.
3. I’m taking a leaf out of my teacher’s book this year.

Context Questions:

1. Who do you want to take a leaf from?
2. What good habit did you copy from someone?
3. Why is it useful to take a leaf out of someone’s book?

41. That’s one for the books

Meaning: A surprising, strange, or amazing event.

Example Sentences:

1. Her performance was one for the books.
2. That party was one for the books!
3. It snowed in summer—that’s one for the books.

Context Questions:

1. Have you had a moment that was one for the books?
2. What kind of events are one for the books?
3. Can you remember a funny one-for-the-books story?

42. Throw the book at someone

Meaning: To punish someone very harshly.

Example Sentences:

1. The judge threw the book at him.
2. They threw the book at the student for cheating.
3. She warned they’d throw the book at repeat offenders.

Context Questions:

1. Do you think it’s fair to throw the book at people sometimes?
2. Has someone ever thrown the book at you?
3. What crime should get the book thrown at it?

43. Under one’s belt (book knowledge)

Meaning: To have experience or knowledge gained from learning or practice.

Example Sentences:

1. He has years of study under his belt.
2. I want more grammar practice under my belt.
3. She has a lot of book knowledge under her belt.

Context Questions:

1. What do you have under your belt already?
2. How much English practice is under your belt?
3. Why is it good to have knowledge under your belt?

44. Use every trick in the book

Meaning: To try every possible way or method to succeed.

Example Sentences:

1. I used every trick in the book to fix the problem.
2. She used every trick in the book to win.
3. He used every trick in the book to pass the exam.

Context Questions:

1. Have you used every trick in the book to solve a problem?
2. When do you need to use every trick in the book?
3. What tricks have you used to learn English faster?

45. Written all over one’s face

Meaning: Very easy to see what someone is feeling just by looking at them.

Example Sentences:

1. Her fear was written all over her face.
2. It was written all over his face that he was happy.
3. Guilt was written all over their faces.

Context Questions:

1. Do your feelings show on your face easily?
2. When was your emotion written all over your face?
3. Can you read emotions written on people’s faces?

46. You can write a book about it

Meaning: You know a lot about something from experience.

Example Sentences:

1. He’s so skilled, he could write a book about it.
2. I’ve had so many bad dates—I could write a book.
3. She could write a book about cooking.

Context Questions:

1. What could you write a book about?
2. Do you know someone who could write a book about teaching?
3. Is it easy to write a book about your experience?

47. Your story doesn’t add up

Meaning: Something you said sounds false or confusing.

Example Sentences:

1. Your story doesn’t add up—tell the truth.
2. His excuse doesn’t add up to me.
3. That story doesn’t add up with the facts.

Context Questions:

1. Have you ever heard a story that didn’t add up?
2. What do you do when someone’s story doesn’t add up?
3. Do people believe you when your story does add up?

48. Zip through a book

Meaning: To read something very fast.

Example Sentences:

1. I zipped through the book in one day.
2. She zips through books like a machine.
3. He zipped through the last chapter.

Context Questions:

1. Have you ever zipped through a book you loved?
2. What kind of books do you zip through?
3. Is it better to zip through or read slowly?

Conclusion

Books and reading idioms bring color and meaning to English. They help ESL learners sound more natural and understand deeper ideas in conversation. These idioms connect language to real life, which makes learning more fun and useful.

As a teacher, you can use them in many ways—from speaking tasks to listening games. When students learn idioms step by step with examples and questions, they remember them better. This list gives you everything you need to start right away.

FAQs About Using Books and Reading Idioms in ESL Class

How can I teach books and reading idioms to beginners?
Start with simple idioms and clear examples. Use pictures, gestures, and short stories to show the meaning.

Can I include idioms in grammar or reading lessons?
Yes, idioms work well in many lessons. You can add them to dialogues, texts, or writing tasks to build meaning.

How many idioms should I teach in one class?
Teach 5–7 idioms per lesson. It gives students time to understand and use them without feeling overwhelmed.

Are these idioms common in real life?
Yes, many native speakers use them in daily conversations, writing, and media.

How do idioms help in speaking practice?
Idioms make speech more natural. Students feel more confident using real English in conversations.

Can idioms improve listening skills too?
Definitely. Understanding idioms helps students follow movies, podcasts, and native speakers better.

What activities can I do with these idioms?
You can try role-plays, matching games, storytelling, or short debates using the idioms.

Should I explain the idioms in English or the students’ first language?
Try to explain in English using simple words, examples, and questions. It helps build thinking in English.

How can I check if students really understand the idioms?
Ask them to use the idioms in a sentence, role-play, or short story. You can also ask simple context questions.

Can idioms be part of a long-term vocabulary plan?
Yes. Introduce idioms regularly to build a strong, natural vocabulary over time.