Curated Elementary French Book List
Reading opens the door to rich vocabulary and deepens our understanding of language in any language.
Here is my curated list of French books for you. I listed the easy-to-find books, but to be honest, finding French books here in the States is a very hard task. My favorites just are not available on major U.S. retailers. My very favorites are out-of-print treasures that can be difficult to track down. We are blessed that my parents buy us books in Québec, and the bookstores there often have to order my specific requests from France.
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1. Translations of English favorites
- Bonsoir, lune
- Ours Brun, dis-moi
- La chenille qui fait des trous
- Les aventures complètes de Pierre Lapin (Béatrix Potter)
- Madeleine
- Les trois brigands
I also like this French series called Petite Taupe.
2. Early readers
The Je rentre en CP series, especially their fairytales, are great books for a beginner. CP is the equivalent of first grade and these are meant as early readers, which makes them perfect for a person with limited French vocabulary. However, you will often need to order these from France.
3. Comprehensible readers
These are written specifically for French learners and use cognates. They are not as living as literature written for native children, but some are not bad. Here are my favorites for elementary ages.
