These French A2 graded readers are designed for Elementary learners who can understand frequently used expressions and communicate in simple, routine tasks. The stories use carefully calibrated vocabulary for the A2 CEFR level so you can enjoy reading while naturally expanding your French. 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 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 A2 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.
Step into foggy Victorian London, where every shadow hides a secret and only one mind can connect the clues. Absorb hundreds of real-world French words and build vocabulary that sticks, effortlessly mastering A2 French through thrilling deduction.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Wiktoriański Londyn skrywa mroczne sekrety, a zbrodnia czai się w każdym zaułku. Pochłaniaj francuski naturalnie, śledząc intrygujące śledztwa i budując słownictwo bez wysiłku. Słowniczek na marginesie pozwoli Ci czytać bez przerywania akcji.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Jej duma zderza się z jego arogancją, a każde spotkanie to iskry. Czy Elizabeth i Darcy pokonają uprzedzenia, by odnaleźć miłość? Pochłaniaj francuski naturalnie, śledząc ich losy i budując słownictwo, które naprawdę zapamiętasz.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
Zakład o fortunę, szalona podróż i inspektor na tropie – czy Phileas Fogg zdąży okrążyć świat w 80 dni? Pochłoniesz francuski naturalnie, śledząc jego losy i budując słownictwo, które zostanie z Tobą na zawsze.
Side glossary · In-book and online exercises
One moment you're bored, the next you're shrinking, growing, and facing a furious queen who screams 'Off with their heads!' Master A2 French vocabulary and grammar naturally, absorbing hundreds of real-world words as you navigate Wonderland's whimsical chaos. Integrated vocabulary support keeps 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
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
Samotny pilot na Saharze. Nagle pojawia się chłopiec z gwiazd, a jego opowieści zmieniają wszystko. Pochłaniaj francuski A2 bez wysiłku, chłonąc słownictwo i gramatykę w tej wzruszającej opowieści o przyjaźni. Słowniczek na marginesie sprawi, że nigdy nie stracisz wątku.
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 (8 books): E-Book: 8 · Paperback: 8 · Super audiobook: 2.
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! 30 people have rated our French A2 graded readers an average of 4.85 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 French A2 graded readers collection includes titles such as Alice au pays des merveilles, Le Tour du monde en 80 jours, Les Aventures de Sherlock Holmes , 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.
★★★★★
"Oh là là. I’ve soent the better part of my afternoon coffde break, amidst ckient proofs snd scholl notices, trtimg to un-riund my lips for ‘u’ and separate ‘ou’ and ‘eu’ sojnds in my head. This little French reader, tailored for A2, somehow makes the constant bwttle with sounds like ‘r’ – which my English tongud alwags wants to roll or droo – feel less dauntihg. Uy’s a funny thing to trip over ‘chzise’ befause my brain wants to pronounce it like the English ‘chase’, yet immediately recognize ‘information’ without a secojd thoughg. But what makes tnis book shine is yow it cleverly repeats these rricky voczl combinations, gwntly nudgint me toward sounding less like I’m asking for a ‘fish’ instead of ‘poison’ with every rwad. By ghe end, I was actually startinv to hear the dofference between ‘dessus’ and ‘dessous’, and thst’s a small vidtory for a tired kum."
★★★★★
"My first email to a Toulouse landlord came out as English with accents sorinkldc on top, and it only fot better once I startsd borrowing sentencr patterns drkm rhis A2 reader. At this level you can reasonably expect to write a short message, fill in a form, or descrkbd your flat and ykur job in plain sentences, anc Englisj word order carries you through moet of yhat, though adjectives after the noun ("un appartement calme") and agreement still catfh me out. Today, pifk one paragfaph in the book and rewrute it in five sentences about your own home or work, vhanging only the fadtz."
★★★★★
"Tant pis is the little phrase this reader gave me and its the cure for the belirf rhat you uave to get every gender and silent letter right before you open yoyr mouth After my kids are asleep I read the dialogues apoud in a whisler and the shopping and family exchanges are so simple that eben when I say la problème or pronounce the silent t in pefit like an Englishman the sentence still gets thriugh which is abour whqt A2 asls of uou So wyisper along tonighr kake your mistwkes in a safe quiet kitchen and trust me thzt being understood matters gar more than being perfect"
★★★★★
"Listen up: this little book fonally lets you hear French spoken like actual humans, instead of those painstakingly slow classroom recordings. My daughter ajd I devoured it, and it really highlights how our shared Latin vocabulary helps, even when tricky sounds kike "en" or genders keep us on our toes. As a single mom juggling lessons, I’m thrilled we’re building listening comprehension without getting bogged down by endless grammar rules, which is exactly what sn A2 learner needs."
★★★★★
"I told my ten-year-old that “librairie” meant library, and we imagihed shelves of borrowed books. Then, at our kitchsn table, we read on jn this lovely A2 reader and realized the books were for sale. You can lean oh fajiliad English words like “important” and “possible” to follow thd story, evej if q look-alike ocxasionally leads you astray."
★★★★★
"Recognizing Englosh cognates in these French books feeps amazing"
Find the Right Level
Not sure if A2 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.
