Chinese Graded Readers

Read Chinese graded readers with a dictionary beside the text and vocabulary exercises. Available as ebook and paperback — from A1 beginner to C2.

5.00 from 40 reviews
4 books
I want to learn:
English48Spanish40French29German20Portuguese13Russian13Italian8Swedish8Chinese4Danish4
More languages
Czech1Dutch4Finnish1Hawaiian1Hebrew1Icelandic4Irish1Japanese4Lithuanian1Norwegian4Polish2
My level:
A1Beginner1A2Elementary1B1Intermediate1B2Upper Intermediate1
Format
E-BookPaperbackAudiobook

4 books

Cover of 環遊世界八十天 – Chinese B2 graded reader

環遊世界八十天 in Chinese at level B2 with dictionary

B2 Chinese Glossary: English

by Jules Verne

A fortune, a globe-trotting wager, and a relentless detective hot on your heels. Dive into this classic adventure and effortlessly build B2 Chinese vocabulary that truly sticks. A built-in margin dictionary ensures your reading flow is never broken....

★★★★★ 5.0 (10 reviews)
Buy E-Book $2.99

⚡ Instant e-book delivery
Cover of 環遊世界八十天 – Chinese B1 graded reader

環遊世界八十天 in Chinese at level B1 with dictionary

B1 Chinese Glossary: English

by Jules Verne

Your fortune is on the line, a detective is hot on your heels, and the world must be circumnavigated in just 80 days. Master B1 Chinese vocabulary and grammar naturally, immersed in Fogg's thrilling race against time. Contextual notes clarify tricky B1 grammar, making learning seamless....

★★★★★ 5.0 (10 reviews)
Buy E-Book $2.99

⚡ Instant e-book delivery
Cover of 環遊世界八十天 – Chinese A2 graded reader

環遊世界八十天 in Chinese at level A2 with dictionary

A2 Chinese Glossary: English

by Jules Verne

Imagine betting your entire fortune on a race against time, with a detective hot on your heels. Can you outrun the law and circle the globe in just 80 days? Immerse yourself in this classic adventure and effortlessly absorb A2 Chinese vocabulary and grammar, building fluency with every page. Integrated glossaries mean you'll never lose your place searching for words....

★★★★★ 5.0 (10 reviews)
Buy E-Book $2.99

⚡ Instant e-book delivery
Cover of 環遊世界八十天 – Chinese A1 graded reader

環遊世界八十天 in Chinese at level A1 with dictionary

A1 Chinese Glossary: English Audiobook

by Jules Verne

A daring wager, a relentless detective, and a race against time across the globe. Can you make it? Absorb essential Chinese vocabulary and grammar naturally, building confidence with every page. A built-in margin dictionary keeps you immersed, never breaking your reading flow....

★★★★★ 5.0 (10 reviews)
Buy E-Book $2.99

⚡ Instant e-book delivery

Learn Chinese Through Extensive Reading

Extensive reading is one of the most effective ways to build vocabulary and improve fluency. Our Chinese graded readers apply the comprehensible input principle: you read stories written just above your current CEFR level, picking up new words naturally from context. Every page features a glossary beside the text so you never break your reading flow to look up a word. After each chapter, comprehension and vocabulary exercises reinforce what you've read, and QR codes link directly to online flashcards and matching games for spaced repetition practice. From A1 beginner to C2 proficiency, every Chinese book is available as an ebook or paperback — choose the format that fits your learning style.

About Chinese

Where Chinese is spoken

Chinese (Mandarin, Putonghua) is the official language of mainland China and Taiwan and one of the official languages of Singapore. Written Chinese is shared across varieties; spoken forms differ regionally.

How many people speak it

Mandarin has well over 900 million native speakers; all Chinese varieties together reach roughly 1.2–1.3 billion first-language speakers.

Grammar and structure

Mandarin grammar is largely analytic: no inflection for tense or gender on verbs; aspect and time are expressed with particles and context. Word order is strict SVO; measure words (classifiers) accompany numerals and demonstratives. Tones (four in standard Mandarin plus neutral) distinguish lexical meaning.

Best-rated Chinese graded readers

Ranked by average customer rating and number of reviews on our site. Every title below is a Pentecost graded reader: a simplified story at CEFR level with learning supports built in.

  1. 1. Around the World in 80 Days (5.0 ★, 10)

    Browse also: Chinese A1 (Beginner) · Chinese A2 (Elementary) · Chinese B1 (Intermediate) · Chinese B2 (Upper Intermediate)

    A fortune, a globe-trotting wager, and a relentless detective hot on your heels. Dive into this classic adventure and effortlessly build B2 Chinese vocabulary that truly sticks. A built-in margin dictionary ensures your reading flow is never broken.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  2. 2. Around the World in 80 Days (5.0 ★, 10)

    Your fortune is on the line, a detective is hot on your heels, and the world must be circumnavigated in just 80 days. Master B1 Chinese vocabulary and grammar naturally, immersed in Fogg's thrilling race against time. Contextual notes clarify tricky B1 grammar, making learning seamless.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  3. 3. Around the World in 80 Days (5.0 ★, 10)

    Imagine betting your entire fortune on a race against time, with a detective hot on your heels. Can you outrun the law and circle the globe in just 80 days? Immerse yourself in this classic adventure and effortlessly absorb A2 Chinese vocabulary and grammar, building fluency with every page. Integrated glossaries mean you'll never lose your place searching for words.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  4. 4. Around the World in 80 Days (5.0 ★, 10)

    A daring wager, a relentless detective, and a race against time across the globe. Can you make it? Absorb essential Chinese vocabulary and grammar naturally, building confidence with every page. A built-in margin dictionary keeps you immersed, never breaking your reading flow.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

What Our Readers Say

Our readers love these books — and it shows! 40 people have rated our Chinese graded readers an average of 5.00 out of 5. With built-in dictionaries, chapter exercises, and interactive online practice, each book is a complete language-learning toolkit that readers keep coming back to.

Our collection features 環遊世界八十天 — the perfect starting point for learning through reading.

★★★★★
"I read a few evenings per week. Chapters fit my time."
★★★★★
"The exercises show if I understood. Simple and clear."
★★★★★
"The sentences are short. I do not stop every line."

Why Graded Readers Work

Research confirms that extensive reading is one of the most effective methods for building vocabulary, improving reading fluency, and developing overall language proficiency. Graded readers make this approach accessible by matching text difficulty to your CEFR level, so you stay in the optimal learning zone. Learn more about the science behind our approach on the Pentecost Method page.

About the writers and translators

Classic writers from this list come first; the Pentecost editors who adapted these readers follow in the next block.

  • Jules Verne: Jules Verne (1828–1905) was a French writer known as the father of science fiction and one of the most translated authors in the world. In his novels he foresaw submarines and space travel long before they existed.

Translators and editors

Pentecost editors adapt vocabulary and notes so the story stays clear at your level.

  • Pauline Bird: Pauline Bird adapts Chinese-language fiction for English readers in the graded-reader line. She helps decide when to gloss a measure word, a place name, or a four-character idiom, and when context can carry the load. She likes contemporary urban settings because they recycle high-frequency vocabulary in natural ways.

Every book is available as an e-book (EPUB and PDF) and as a paperback. Many titles also come as an audiobook: a narrator reads in the app while each word lights up, karaoke-style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start by identifying your CEFR level (A1–C2). You can take our free online placement test to determine your reading level in Chinese. Then use the filters on this page to browse books at your exact level. Each of our books is calibrated so that you understand about 95% of the vocabulary, which research shows is the sweet spot for natural language acquisition. If you are unsure, start one level below your estimate — you will build confidence and move up quickly.
The most effective way to learn to read in Chinese is simply by reading — a lot, and at the right level. Linguist Stephen Krashen's research on extensive reading shows that reading for pleasure at a comprehensible level is the single most powerful method for language acquisition. Graded readers like ours are designed for exactly this: they offer engaging stories calibrated to your level, with built-in glossaries so you never need to stop and look up words. The more you read, the more vocabulary and grammar you absorb naturally.
The quickest way is our free CEFR placement test, which estimates your reading level in just a few minutes. For an official certification, consider internationally recognized exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge English (FCE, CAE, CPE). These tests assess reading, writing, listening, and speaking and map to CEFR levels (A1–C2) that correspond directly to our book levels, so you will always know which books suit you.
Graded readers work because they apply the principles behind the Pentecost Method. The 95% Rule ensures you encounter roughly 5 new words per 100 — the optimal rate for acquisition according to Hu & Nation's research. The Retention Loop uses strategic vocabulary recycling and end-of-chapter exercises to beat the forgetting curve. And Motivation First means you read compelling stories instead of textbook drills, which keeps your brain's Affective Filter low and makes learning effortless.
Yes — many of our titles come with a karaoke-style audiobook. A narrator reads the book in the Pentecost app or in your browser while each word lights up as it is spoken, so you train listening and reading at the same time and never lose your place. You can add the audiobook to any e-book that has a recording; use the Format filter on this page to see the titles with audio.