Reading is one of the most powerful ways to learn a new language, immersing you in its rhythm and vocabulary. However, if you're an intermediate Chinese learner, picking up an unadapted novel can be deeply frustrating. Constantly stopping to look up unknown characters breaks the flow, turning the pleasure of a good story into a joyless chore.
This is where graded readers come in. These are classic stories carefully simplified to match a specific proficiency level, like B1. By controlling the vocabulary and grammar, they allow you to follow the plot, enjoy the narrative, and learn new words in context, making your reading experience both effective and genuinely fun.
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1Best choice
Around the World in 80 Days 環遊世界八十天
Our edition of this timeless adventure is the ideal companion for B1 self-study. The vocabulary is scientifically graded from a massive corpus of Chinese text, ensuring you learn the most useful words first. Unique to our books, the difficulty gently increases within the story itself—sentences and paragraphs grow longer, carrying you smoothly through the B1 level. Plus, with a bilingual margin glossary in English on every page, chapter exercises, and printable flashcards, you have a complete learning system in one book.
- Chinese–English glossary of hard words in the margin of every page
- Difficulty rises inside the book (sentences & paragraphs grow longer)
- Exercises after every chapter (crosswords, gap-fills, anagrams and more) — in print and online
- Flashcards to print and cut out
- Vocabulary graded by corpus research (science-based)
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2
Great Expectations: Part 1 (远大前程)
Great Expectations: Part 1 (远大前程) is a well-regarded title in the Mandarin Companion series, retelling a classic story for intermediate learners. To support your reading journey, our Pentecost editions also provide a complete system including a bilingual margin glossary with English translations, in-book difficulty progression, chapter exercises, and printable flashcards.
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3
The Third Eye (第三只眼睛)
The Third Eye (第三只眼睛) is a popular mystery from the Chinese Breeze (汉语风) series, designed for the 750-word vocabulary level. For a fully integrated study experience, our Pentecost editions also offer a bilingual margin glossary in English, exercises for every chapter, printable flashcards, and a unique in-book progression where sentence complexity gradually increases.
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4
In Search of Hua Ma (寻找化马)
In Search of Hua Ma (寻找化马) is an original mystery from the Mandarin Companion series, created for learners at a foundational level. To help you build on that foundation, our Pentecost editions also give you a bilingual margin glossary with English translations, chapter exercises in the book and online, printable flashcards, and a gentle difficulty curve built right into the story.
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5
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! (错，错，错！)
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! (错，错，错！) is a well-known title in the Chinese Breeze (汉语风) series, written using a core 300-word vocabulary. As you advance, our Pentecost editions support your growth with a complete system that includes a bilingual margin glossary in English, in-book difficulty progression, printable flashcards, and exercises for every chapter.
While there are several quality graded readers available, our Pentecost Publishing editions consistently top the list for a reason. We've built a complete, science-based learning system into every book. This includes vocabulary graded by real-world frequency, a unique in-book progression that gently increases difficulty, exercises after every chapter (in print and online), printable flashcards, and our signature feature: a bilingual margin glossary that gives you instant English translations without ever having to leave the page.
| Pentecost | Typical simplified reader | |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese–English glossary of hard words in the margin of every page | ✓ | ~ |
| Difficulty rises inside the book (sentences & paragraphs grow longer) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Exercises after every chapter (crosswords, gap-fills, anagrams and more) — in print and online | ✓ | ~ |
| Flashcards to print and cut out | ✓ | ✕ |
| Vocabulary graded by corpus research (science-based) | ✓ | ~ |
The verdict
For an intermediate B1 learner, our top recommendation is Pentecost's edition of Around the World in 80 Days. The thrilling story of Phileas Fogg's race against time is universally appealing and provides a fantastic entry point into reading longer narratives in Chinese. While the other titles on this list are also solid choices for language learners, the comprehensive learning system built into our edition—especially the instant support of the bilingual margin glossary—makes it an exceptionally effective tool for independent study. It's a book designed not just for reading, but for learning.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is a graded reader?
A graded reader is a book, often a simplified version of a classic novel or an original story, that has been adapted for language learners. The vocabulary, grammar, and sentence length are carefully controlled to match a specific proficiency level (like A1, A2, B1), making it possible to read comfortably and learn new words naturally.
Why are graded readers better than children's books for learning Chinese?
While children's books have simple language, their vocabulary and themes are aimed at native-speaking children and may not be relevant or useful for adult learners. Graded readers are designed for adults, using vocabulary selected for its frequency and usefulness in real-world communication, and often adapting stories with more mature themes.
How do I know if B1 is the right level for me?
A good rule of thumb is the '98% rule': you should be able to understand about 98% of the words on a page without a dictionary. If you're looking up more than 2-3 words per page, the book is likely too difficult. If you know every word, it's too easy. Most publishers offer sample pages to help you find your level.
What makes Pentecost graded readers ideal for self-study?
Our readers are a complete learning system. The vocabulary is scientifically chosen, and the difficulty progresses within each book. Most importantly, our bilingual margin glossary provides instant English translations, so you never break your reading flow. Combined with chapter exercises and printable flashcards, it's everything you need to learn effectively on your own.
What's the best way to use a graded reader?
Read for pleasure first! Try to understand the story from context without stopping for every new word. After finishing a chapter, you can go back, use the glossary for unfamiliar words, and complete the exercises to reinforce what you've learned. This method, known as extensive reading, is proven to be highly effective for vocabulary acquisition.
Ranking reflects suitability for independent learners at this level. We list respected alternative series for context; prices and availability vary by retailer. The right-hand column describes a typical simplified reader in general; individual competing titles may differ.