These English B1 graded readers are designed for Intermediate learners who can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar topics. The stories use carefully calibrated vocabulary for the B1 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 B1 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.
Scommetti la tua fortuna contro il tempo e un detective implacabile. Riuscirai a circumnavigare il globo in soli 80 giorni? Perditi in questa avventura mozzafiato e assorbi centinaia di parole inglesi reali, costruendo un vocabolario che resta, senza sforzo.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Jej duma zderza się z jego arogancją, a iskry lecą! Czy miłość ma szansę, gdy pierwsze wrażenie jest katastrofą? Pochłaniaj angielski naturalnie, śledząc losy Elizabeth i Darcy'ego, i buduj słownictwo, które naprawdę zapamiętasz. Słowniczek na marginesie sprawi, że nigdy nie przerwiesz lektury.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Zaginione klejnoty, tajemnicze morderstwa, intrygi w sercu Londynu – czy odważysz się podążyć śladem Sherlocka Holmesa? Zanurz się w klasyce kryminału i bez wysiłku wchłaniaj angielski, budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą na zawsze.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Wyobraź sobie życie czterech sióstr, które w obliczu wojny i ubóstwa, walczą o swoje marzenia, miłość i miejsce w świecie. Zanurz się w ich wzruszającą historię i bez wysiłku wchłaniaj setki angielskich słów, budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą na zawsze.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Rozbijasz się na bezludnej wyspie, zdany na własny spryt i tajemniczego opiekuna. Czy przetrwasz, gdy natura i piraci sprzysięgną się przeciwko Tobie? Zanurz się w tę epicką przygodę i bez wysiłku wchłaniaj angielski B1, budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą na zawsze.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Marzenie o wolności na Folwarku Zwierzęcym szybko zamienia się w koszmar władzy i zdrady, gdy świnie przejmują kontrolę. Zanurz się w tę ponadczasową opowieść i bez wysiłku przyswajaj setki angielskich słów, 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
W świecie, gdzie Wielki Brat patrzy, a miłość jest zakazana, Winston pragnie prawdy. Czy znajdziesz odwagę, by szukać wolności? Zanurz się w tej wstrząsającej historii i bez wysiłku wchłaniaj angielski, budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą. Słowniczek na marginesie sprawi, że nigdy nie przerwiesz lektury.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Zakład o fortunę, szalony pościg przez kontynenty i tylko 80 dni, by okrążyć świat – czy Phileas Fogg zdąży, ścigany przez detektywa? Pochłaniaj angielski naturalnie, budując słownictwo, które zostaje w pamięci, bez wysiłku, zanurzony w tej porywającej przygodzie.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Co byś zrobił, gdybyś na pustyni spotkał chłopca z innej planety, który uczy Cię, co w życiu jest naprawdę ważne? 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 przerwiesz magicznej podróży.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Rudowłosa Ania miała być chłopcem do pomocy, ale jej bujna wyobraźnia i serce pełne marzeń wywróciły świat Zielonego Wzgórza do góry nogami. Zanurz się w tej wzruszającej historii i bez wysiłku wchłaniaj angielski, budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą na zawsze.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Die Tiere auf der Farm träumen von Freiheit, doch ihre Revolution wird zum Albtraum. Tauche ein in Orwells Meisterwerk und erweitere spielend leicht deinen englischen Wortschatz, ohne ein Lehrbuch zu fühlen. Ein integriertes Glossar am Seitenrand sorgt dafür, dass du nie den Lesefluss verlierst.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Uwięziony pod wodą, z genialnym kapitanem jako jedynym towarzyszem. Czy uciekniesz z tej złotej klatki? Pochłaniaj angielski naturalnie, gubiąc się w tej porywającej historii o wolności i tajemnicach głębin. Słowniczek na marginesie sprawi, że nigdy nie przerwiesz lektury.
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: 13 · Super audiobook: 1.
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
Learners worldwide trust our English B1 graded readers for effective, enjoyable language practice. 45 people have rated them an impressive 4.76 out of 5. Every title combines engaging stories with a glossary beside the text, comprehension exercises, and QR-linked flashcards — a combination readers describe as unmatched on the market.
Our English B1 graded readers collection includes titles such as Around the World in 80 Days, Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, The Mysterious Island, Animal Farm, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Around the World in Eighty Day, Le Petit Prince, Anne of Green Gables, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Alice in Wonderland. 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 B1 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: Italian
