These English A1 graded readers are designed for Beginner learners who are just starting to learn and can understand basic words and simple phrases. The stories use carefully calibrated vocabulary for the A1 CEFR level so you can enjoy reading while naturally expanding your English. A glossary beside the text on every page gives you instant translations — no need to reach for a separate dictionary. Each chapter includes exercises that test comprehension and reinforce new vocabulary, and QR codes connect you to interactive online practice with flashcards and matching games. Available as ebook and paperback.
About English
Where English is spoken
English is spoken as a first language by hundreds of millions of people and is an official language in countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It also serves as an official or widely used second language across the European Union, India, parts of Africa and Southeast Asia, and in global business, science, and aviation.
How many people speak it
Roughly 1.1–1.5 billion people use English at a meaningful level worldwide, including about 370 million native speakers; totals depend on how second-language use and dialects are counted.
Grammar and structure
Modern English grammar is relatively analytic: meaning often comes from word order (typically subject–verb–object) rather than inflection. Nouns have only a productive plural (-s) and a possessive form; there is no grammatical gender on nouns as in many European languages. Verbs express tense mainly through auxiliaries (e.g. will, have) and a modest set of endings (-ed, -ing). Articles (a, the) and phrasal verbs are distinctive areas for learners.
Best-rated English A1 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.
Wyobraź sobie świat, gdzie zwierzęta zrzucają jarzmo ludzi i budują własną utopię. Czy jednak wolność jest dla wszystkich? Zanurz się w tę ponadczasową opowieść i bez wysiłku wchłaniaj angielski, budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą na długo. Słowniczek na marginesie pozwoli Ci śledzić akcję bez przerywania lektury.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Uwięziony na bezludnej wyspie, musisz zbudować cywilizację od zera, podczas gdy tajemnicze siły i piraci czyhają w cieniu. Pochłaniaj angielski naturalnie, budując słownictwo, które zostaje w pamięci, bez wysiłku. Słowniczek na marginesie sprawi, że nigdy nie przerwiesz czytania.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Na bezkresnej Saharze, gdzie piasek szepcze tajemnice, rozbitek spotyka chłopca z gwiazd. Zanurz się w tej ponadczasowej opowieści i bez wysiłku wchłaniaj angielski, budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą na zawsze. Słowniczek na marginesie sprawi, że nigdy nie stracisz wątku, ciesząc się płynną lekturą.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Jego duma raniła ją do żywego, a jej uprzedzenia zaślepiały ją na prawdę. Czy miłość ma szansę, gdy pierwsze wrażenie jest katastrofą? Pochłaniaj angielski naturalnie, śledząc losy Elizabeth i Darcy'ego, budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą na zawsze. Słowniczek na marginesie sprawi, że nigdy nie przerwiesz lektury.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Uwięziony na pokładzie tajemniczego Nautilusa, zmuszony do podróży przez podwodne światy. Pochłaniaj angielski naturalnie, odkrywając cuda i grozę głębin z Kapitanem Nemo. Słowniczek na marginesie pozwoli Ci płynąć bez zatrzymywania.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Wyobraź sobie świat, gdzie herbatki trwają wiecznie, a Królowa wydaje wyroki śmierci za byle co. Zanurz się w tej klasycznej opowieści i bez wysiłku wchłaniaj angielski A1, budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą na zawsze. Słowniczek na marginesie pozwoli Ci płynąć przez tekst bez przerywania lektury.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
„W 80 dni dookoła świata” to adaptacja powieści Jules Verne – graded reader do nauki angielskiego na poziomie A1 (początkujący). Czytasz bez przerywania dzięki słownikowi na marginesie. Ćwiczenia, aplikacja z grami i fiszki sprawiają, że nowe słowa zostają w głowie na stałe.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Wielki Brat patrzy. Czy odważysz się szepnąć o wolności, gdy nawet myśli są zakazane? Pochłaniaj angielski naturalnie, śledząc losy Winstona i budując słownictwo, które naprawdę zapamiętasz. Słowniczek na marginesie sprawi, że nigdy nie przerwiesz lektury, by sprawdzić słowo.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Wiktoriański Londyn skrywa mroczne sekrety, a zbrodnia czai się za każdym rogiem. Zanurz się w świat Holmesa i bez wysiłku wchłaniaj angielski, budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą na zawsze. Słowniczek na marginesie pozwoli Ci śledzić akcję bez przerywania lektury.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Co się stanie, gdy zamiast chłopca do pomocy, na Zielone Wzgórze przybędzie rudowłosa dziewczynka z głową pełną marzeń? Zanurz się w jej świecie i bez wysiłku wchłaniaj angielski, budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą na zawsze. Słowniczek na marginesie sprawi, że nigdy nie przerwiesz czytania.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Riuscirà un eccentrico gentiluomo inglese a fare il giro del mondo in soli 80 giorni, con un detective alle calcagna? Impara l'inglese A1 senza accorgertene, mentre vivi un'avventura mozzafiato che ti farà dimenticare di studiare. Con il vocabolario a margine, non perderai mai il filo della storia.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Die Tiere der Farm träumen von Freiheit, doch ihre Revolution führt in eine dunkle Diktatur. Verliere dich in dieser zeitlosen Geschichte und baue ganz nebenbei einen soliden englischen Wortschatz auf, der wirklich hängen bleibt. Ein integriertes Wörterbuch am Seitenrand sorgt dafür, dass du nie den Lesefluss verlierst.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Formats: e-book, paperback and super audiobook
Our graded readers come in several formats. The text, the CEFR level and the glossary are the same in each — only the way you read changes. Pick whatever suits your day: the e-book on your phone on the way to work, paper and pencil at your desk, or the super audiobook when you want to read and listen at the same time.
E-book (EPUB and PDF). You can download both files right after purchase and read on an e-reader, phone, tablet or computer. Difficult words have their translation in a pop-up note: one tap and you are back in the story, no dictionary needed. Each chapter ends with vocabulary exercises, and a link takes you to free online practice with the same words.
Paperback. A classic softcover book, printed to order and sent by post. The glossary sits in the margin, right next to the word it explains, so you never have to flip pages. Chapters end with crosswords and vocabulary exercises, and QR codes take you to online practice on your phone. A good choice if you like writing in your books or want a break from screens.
Formats on this list (13 books): E-Book: 13 · Paperback: 12 · Super audiobook: 5.
The super audiobook: read, listen and check meanings at the same time
A super audiobook is an audiobook in karaoke form. A narrator reads the book aloud while the same text is in front of you, with a marker moving along it word by word. You always know which word you are hearing, so you never lose your place — even when the narrator speaks faster than you read. Your ears tell your eyes how a written word sounds, your eyes tell your ears how to spell what you hear, and both routes reinforce the same words at once.
The real difference shows when you meet a word you don't know. In an ordinary audiobook it is gone in a second; in a super audiobook it stays within reach: glossary words are marked in colour, and pressing and holding one shows its translation in your language. You check the meaning, keep listening and never lose the thread. A slider sets the narrator's speed from 0.5× to 1.5× — slow down at first to catch every syllable, then speed up towards natural speech. The words you meet while reading come back later in short exercises in the app, such as a mini crossword or building a word from its letters.
Reading while listening is well supported by research. In a Canadian programme described by Lightbown and colleagues (2002), children who for three years learned English only this way — reading books while listening to their recordings — understood the language as well as or better than peers taught in regular classes. Waring and Takaki (2003) showed that you need to meet a word at least eight times to have even a 50% chance of recognising it three months later. Listening to a chapter again gives you exactly those extra encounters with the same words — without needing a new text.
At A1 and A2 the super audiobook helps you connect spelling with pronunciation — especially valuable in languages that are not read the way they are written, or that use a different alphabet. At B1 and B2 it carries you along at the pace of real speech, so you get used to fluent listening and stop pausing at every sentence. Advanced readers often don't need a narrator at all — which is why you decide when to switch it on and when to read silently.
The super audiobook plays in the Pentecost app or in your browser, on a phone, tablet or computer. You can add it to an e-book: on the book page, tick “Add the audiobook” in the e-book box; if you already own the e-book, you can buy the recording on its own. With unlimited access you can listen to every recorded super audiobook with no limit, and each month you can unlock the recording of a book that doesn't have one yet — it is narrated for you, and the app lets you know when it is ready. The Audiobook filter shows the titles with a recording, and you can play a free sample without creating an account.
What Our Readers Say
Our readers love these books — and it shows! 45 people have rated our English A1 graded readers an average of 4.91 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 English A1 graded readers collection includes titles such as Pride and Prejudice, The Mysterious Island, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Animal Farm, Around the World in Eighty Day, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Le Petit Prince, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Anne of Green Gables, Around the World in 80 Days and Little Women. Every book comes with a dictionary beside the text (in the margin in print, a pop-up in EPUB), chapter exercises, and interactive online games.
Find the Right Level
Not sure if A1 is the right level for you? Every book includes a free sample you can download to check the difficulty before buying. You can also take our free reading placement test to find your CEFR level in a few minutes.
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.
English
Glossary: Polish
