Extensive reading is one of the most effective ways to build vocabulary and improve fluency. Our French 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 French book is available as an ebook or paperback — choose the format that fits your learning style.
About French
Where French is spoken
French is an official language in France and is widely used in Canada (especially Québec), Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and many countries in West and Central Africa and the Caribbean through the Francophonie.
How many people speak it
French has about 80 million native speakers and roughly 250–300 million total users including widespread second-language use in Africa and elsewhere.
Grammar and structure
French nouns and adjectives agree in gender and number; articles and partitive constructions are central. Verbs are conjugated for person, tense, and mood; compound past tenses (passé composé, imparfait) and the subjunctive are important milestones. Liaison and elision affect pronunciation and spelling awareness.
Best-rated French 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.
She thought him arrogant, he found her impertinent. Can love truly bloom from such fierce disdain? Absorb hundreds of real-world French words and phrases effortlessly as you get lost in their timeless romance. Margin definitions keep you immersed, never breaking your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
She swore she'd never marry him, but a shocking secret reveals his true heart. Absorb hundreds of A2 French words and phrases effortlessly, building vocabulary that sticks as you get lost in their timeless romance. Contextual definitions on every page keep you immersed, never breaking your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
The clock is ticking. Your fortune, and freedom, depend on a daring dash across the globe, pursued by a relentless detective. Master complex French structures and expand your vocabulary naturally, swept away by Fogg's epic journey. Contextual notes clarify tricky idioms, keeping you immersed.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Your fortune on the line, a world to conquer in 80 days, and a detective convinced you're a thief. Master essential French vocabulary and grammar effortlessly, swept away by this thrilling global adventure. Integrated vocabulary support means you never break your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
One moment you're normal, the next you're tiny or towering, facing a queen who screams "Off with their heads!" Dive into this whimsical chaos and effortlessly absorb hundreds of real-world French words and phrases, building vocabulary that truly sticks.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Can you really circle the globe in just 80 days, with a fortune on the line and danger at every turn? Master beginner French vocabulary and grammar without even realizing it, swept away by a global race against the clock. Integrated glossaries mean you never break your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
He's arrogant, she's prejudiced. Can love bloom amidst scandal and societal pressure? Absorb hundreds of essential French words and phrases naturally, building your A1 vocabulary effortlessly as you get lost in their story. A built-in margin dictionary keeps you immersed, never breaking your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
The gaslight flickers, a cryptic note arrives, and a baffling case unfolds in foggy Victorian London. Can you deduce the truth? Master intermediate French vocabulary and grammar, absorbing it naturally as you solve crimes alongside the master detective. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Shrink, grow, and navigate a world where "off with their heads!" is a common greeting. Absorb complex French structures and vocabulary naturally, building confidence with every madcap encounter. Contextual notes clarify tricky idioms and cultural nuances.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Her sharp wit clashed with his arrogant pride, but what if their first impressions were a dangerous deception? Absorb hundreds of real-world French words and complex grammar naturally as you get lost in this timeless tale of love and misunderstanding. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
The clock is ticking. Can you outrun a detective, navigate perilous lands, and circumnavigate the globe in just 80 days? Absorb hundreds of real-world French words and phrases naturally, building B1 vocabulary that sticks effortlessly. Integrated glossaries ensure you never lose your place or your confidence.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
What if your next French lesson plunged you into a world of mad tea parties, grinning cats, and a queen who screams 'Off with their heads!'? Absorb hundreds of B1 French words and phrases effortlessly as you follow Alice's bizarre journey, building vocabulary that truly sticks.
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 (29 books): E-Book: 29 · Paperback: 29 · Super audiobook: 9.
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 French graded readers consistently receive outstanding reviews — 605 people have rated them 5.00 out of 5 on average. Readers highlight the dictionary beside the text, end-of-chapter exercises, and online vocabulary games as features that set our books apart from any other graded reader series.
Our French graded readers collection includes titles such as Alice au pays des merveilles, Le Tour du monde en 80 jours, Orgueil et Préjugés, Les Aventures de Sherlock Holmes and Le Petit Prince. 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.
★★★★★
"At B1 I can follow longer texts without translating every sentence. Glossary and exercises stay on the same level."
★★★★★
"French moved slowly for years - here it is concrete without filler. The glossary helps with trickier vocabulary."
★★★★★
"At B2 the texts feel demanding but still clear. Glossary and exercises stay on the same level - no sudden jumps."
★★★★★
"First French ebook that actually felt like my level. The glossary at the end of each chapter is a lifesaver."
★★★★★
"First French ebook that actually felt like my level. The glossary at the end of each chapter is a lifesaver."
★★★★★
"Exercises make me rephrase ideas, not just pick vocabulary from a list. That is what I needed at this stage."
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.
French
Glossary: Polish
