20 Fascinating Spanish Books for Adult Beginners
You are never ready to read your first book in another language. Little details make Spanish books more challenging than reading in English. However, it’s one of those things that you just need to do.
Once you start, your previous knowledge and hours of study will kick in and your understanding of the story will surprise you. Yes, there will be words and phrases you won’t know, but you just need to keep reading and molding your brain to this new way of reading: in Spanish!
In this post, we’ll learn how beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels are defined; why you should read in Spanish; and how to choose the right book for you. Finally, you’ll get a free eBook and a list of the 20 best Spanish books available for adult beginners.
Who is an Adult Beginner, Anyway?
Have you ever wondered how the terms “beginner,” “intermediate,” and “advanced” are defined when talking about language levels? Well, you are not alone. These used to be a contentious issue, as every institution could produce its own level certification without existing any reference point between them.
There was a major need for an international standard, and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) answered the call. The CEFR defines six levels of foreign language proficiency: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. The As are for beginners, Bs for intermediate, and Cs for advanced learners.
The best part of all is that the CEFR is an internationally recognized standard. This means that if, for instance, you got your B2 Spanish certification in the U.S., it will be valid in Spain, Argentina, or anywhere else in the world.
Spanish Books for Adult Beginners
Just like watching TV and listening to podcasts, reading Spanish books is a great way to learn new vocabulary, get a feeling for the grammar, and help your mind start thinking in Spanish. Although reading a whole book may seem like a difficult task as a beginner, it doesn’t have to be that way.
The key is in choosing the right book for you and understanding that there might be words or full sentences that you won’t get at first, but you’ll still understand the overall meaning of the paragraph, page, or chapter. Besides, the exercise of reading in Spanish is what’s important, being exposed to the flow of the language and the way conversations are structured.
How to Choose the Right Spanish Book for You
The first thing to consider when choosing a book to read in any language is that it fits your interests. Reading should be fun. So, if you like space shifts and time travels, look for science fiction books. If you hate history, don’t get anywhere close to a history book just because you want to learn Spanish with it.
The second thing to keep in mind when choosing your Spanish books is that you are looking for easy-to-read texts. If you aim too high, the whole exercise can be counterproductive as you’ll get frustrated. You are a beginner, and that’s okay, no need to learn to run before learning to walk. This means that reading books written for kids or teenagers is acceptable too. Their language is easier and what you’re trying to achieve here is learning Spanish, not improving your personal library.
Try Reading These Spanish Stories for Beginners
Here at Homeschool Spanish Academy, we work on many different levels to bring you the best tools and techniques to improve your Spanish. One of them is the “Weird and Wacky Spanish Stories for Beginners” a free eBook designed for learners on an A2 level. It’s a good starting point to start reading Spanish books.
Get Your Free Copy of Weird & Wacky Spanish Stories for Beginners
Type in your name and email to get 6 weird, wacky, and super entertaining Spanish stories for you and your family! Enjoy a magazine-style eBook with pictures and English-Spanish parallel text. Start reading in Spanish today!
20 Spanish Books for Adult Beginners
1. Aura
By renowned Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes. Aura is a short novel of fantastic literature with deep psychological themes. In Mexico, it is studied by middle school students, which shows a level of complexity that might be manageable for a Spanish learner.
Genre: Fantastic Literature & Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Electronic versions: Kindle, PDF
2. Spanish Short Stories for Beginners + Audio Download
By Claudia Orea. It’s similar to the free eBook discussed before, although this book has the added feature of offering the audio version. This way, you can read short stories in Spanish and listen to them too.
Genre: Short Stories
Rating: 4/5
Electronic versions: Kindle
3. First Spanish Reader: A Beginner’s Dual-Language Book
By Angel Flores. This one is one of the best for adult beginners. It presents the reader with adaptations of classic Spanish stories, using simple vocabulary and featuring the English translation on the opposing pages.
Genre: Literature & Spanish Language Instruction
Rating: 5/5
Electronic versions: Kindle
4. Juan Salvador Gaviota
By Richard Bach. Okay, this is not a Spanish book, but the Spanish version of it is perfect for our purpose. Jonathan Livingston Seagull is an American classic in the tradition of The Little Prince, and it uses such simple language that it’s a great tool to read in Spanish.
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Electronic versions: Kindle, PDF
5. Doce Cuentos Peregrinos
By Gabriel García Márquez. Titled “Strange Pilgrims” in English, this book is the perfect way to introduce yourself into the fantastic worlds of this legendary author.
Genre: Literature & Short Stories
Rating: 5/5
Electronic versions: Kindle, PDF
6. Short Stories in Spanish: New Penguin Parallel Text
By John King. A classic of parallel books in English and Spanish by Penguin. It includes short stories by famous Latin American writers, and if you get lost in the text, you can always jump from the Spanish to the English version at any time.
Genre: Literature & Spanish Language Instruction
Rating: 5/5
Electronic versions: eBook
7. Spanish Novels: Muerte en Buenos Aires
By Paco Ardit. Part of a series of Spanish novels graded by level of proficiency in Spanish (A1, A2, etc). This one is written for an A1 level student, and that’s its main asset. It’s more a didactic tool than a literary gem.
Genre: Literature & Spanish Language Instruction
Rating: 4/5
Electronic versions: Kindle
8. Lonely Planet Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary
By Marta López & Cristina Hernández Montero. This one is an absolute beauty! No, it’s not a literature book, but it’s not a Spanish textbook either. You’ll still read a lot in Spanish, learn about new cultures, and get to travel to different countries (in your mind, at least!).
Genre: Travel & Spanish Language Instruction
Rating: 5/5
Electronic versions: PDF
9. El Principito
By Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, “The Little Prince.” Another non-Spanish book, and another classic too. The simple writing style of this classic work of world literature makes it an excellent choice to read in a new language.
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Electronic versions: Kindle, PDF
10. Easy Spanish Reader: A Three-Part Text for Beginning Students
By William T. Tardy. This is one of the most successful books in the genre of Spanish books for beginners. The premium edition linked below includes flashcards, a digital glossary, and audio recordings.
Genre: Literature & Spanish Language Instruction
Rating: 5/5
Electronic versions: Kindle
11. Life of Basil: La Vida de Albahaca
By Colin Hann & Pedro Páramo. This bilingual illustrated book tells an easy-to-read story suitable for children, but it can also be a good tool for adult beginners. Interesting fact: versions of this book exist in Italian and Portuguese, too.
Genre: Literature & Spanish Language Instruction
Rating: 5/5
Electronic versions: Scribd, Apple Books
12. 10 Años con Mafalda
By Quino. Mafalda is the most beloved comic in Latin America. Think of Calvin & Hobbes with a political side. Ten years of newspaper-sized comics that are smart, funny, and easy-to-read.
Genre: Comic
Rating: 5/5
Electronic versions: Kindle
13. Papelucho
By Marcela Paz. One of the classic Spanish books for children in Latin America. Papelucho has been called “the South American Dennis the Menace,” and his adventures are told in simple language with a limited vocabulary that makes it easy to read, either for kids or adult beginners.
Genre: Children Literature & Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Electronic versions: PDF
14. Spanish Short Stories for Beginners: 20 Captivating Short Stories to Learn Spanish & Grow Your Vocabulary the Fun Way!
By Lingo Mastery. A collection of short stories in Spanish about different topics somehow related to the Spanish language. Includes bilingual synopsis, vocabulary, and questions about the stories.
Genre: Literature & Spanish Language Instruction
Rating: 4/5
Electronic versions: Kindle
15. Manolito Gafotas
By Elvira Lindo. One more of the children’s Spanish books that is worth a reading in this stage of your Spanish learning progress. Just this time the kid is Spaniard, not South American.
Genre: Children Literature & Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Electronic versions: Kindle, eBook
16. 100 Spanish Short Stories for Beginners Learn Spanish with Stories Including Audio
By Christian Stahl. A selection of 100 written short stories and ten more recorded as an audiobook.
Genre: Literature & Spanish Language Instruction
Rating: 4/5
Electronic versions: Kindle
17. Cajas de Cartón: Relatos de la Vida Peregrina de un Niño Campesino
By Francisco Jiménez. Although the author is Mexican, the book was originally published in English as “The Circuit.” This novel tells the moving story of a Mexican family of farmers who migrate from farm to farm in the U,S., always looking for the next harvesting job. The story is told from the point of view of a young child, so the vocabulary is accessible for beginners.
Genre: Literature & Spanish Language Instruction
Rating: 4/5
Electronic versions: Kindle
18. Detective Malasuerte
By Hilario Peña. A Mexican novel of detectives filled with intrigue, adventure, and simple prose that proves easy to read.
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Electronic versions: Kindle
19. Un Pingüino en el Desierto
By Carlos Puerto, “A Penguin in the Desert.” The story of Jaima and her penguin, who embark on a journey together and learn about the big questions of life. Written for tweens, it’s an easy-to-tell story with a deep message.
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Electronic versions: Scribd
20. 20 Poemas de Amor y una Canción Desesperada
By Pablo Neruda, “Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair.” There is a great bilingual edition by Penguin that brings the most iconic poems from the Chilean Nobel Prize winner closer to the non-Spanish-speaking public. Yes, sometimes poems can be symbolic and confusing, but they are also short. With this edition, you can easily look for the meaning of words. The bad news? I couldn’t find an electronic version of it. The good news? Paperbacks are still available.
Genre: Poetry
Rating: 5/5
Print version: Paperback
Did I miss any of your favorite Spanish books? Let me know in the comments!
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