The 7 Best Books for Learning Spanish as a Total Beginner
In this post, you’ll discover the best books for learning Spanish as an absolute beginner--even if you’re just starting out, there’s a book here for you.
Most beginners I talk to think about enrolling in a Spanish class, finding an exchange partner, or maybe grabbing a great textbook to get started with Spanish.
But it’s easy to forget how important it is to add reading stories and books to your Spanish routine when you’re just starting out.
Reading in Spanish as a beginner can help you see progress more quickly while immersing yourself in the language. But beyond that, finishing your first book can also be incredibly motivating.
And while reading alone won’t be enough to help you master spoken Spanish, you’ll never forget the way it feels to read a book in Spanish and actually understand it. Don’t even get me started about how it feels when you realize that a few of those words you picked up in your book just rolled off your tongue in a Spanish conversation.
There’s just one problem. If you choose the wrong first book in Spanish as a beginner, you may never want to pick up another one.
What most people don’t realize is that reading anxiety for language learners is real. Luckily, there is also plenty of research on ways to bring down your reading anxiety, such as choosing the right kind of reading--the kind you can understand.
That’s why I want to help you find the perfect book to learn Spanish at your level.
Read on to discover beginner books I personally know and love.
As a Spanish teacher who has helped over 100 adults learn to speak Spanish, I know you need simply structured, reassuring Spanish language books. In this post, you’ll find the exact books I recommend in my Spanish course for beginners.
Here are a few great books for absolute beginners:
When you first start reading in Spanish, you want the experience to be positive. Here are some fun and reassuring stories to boost your confidence as a beginner. Many come with supplemental activities and audio versions, too.
1. El sombrero by Estefanía Quevedo
Excerpt: “Un sombrero viaja. El sombrero va por México, Cuzco, Bogotá y Madrid…”
Yes, you read that correctly: a hat is traveling to Spanish-speaking cities--and changing the lives of those who wear it. El sombrero is part of the Short Stories in Spanish series, whose mission is to “jumpstart your reading in Spanish with fun, up-to-date, multicultural graded readers.” And, yes, you can truly enjoy it and get something out of this story as a beginner. You’ll also get an introduction that explains how to get the most from the book as a beginner, a playlist with songs inspired by the story curated for A1 Spanish learners, and activities to complete as you read.
2. ¡Hola, Lola! by Juan Fernandez
Excerpt: “Me llamo William. Soy inglés. Soy de Inglaterra. Soy de Newcastle.”
When you read those first lines, you know something: you’ve got this. Follow William's life in Madrid for a bit of Spanish cultural immersion while you master Spanish naturally--through the power of repetition. The first story in the "Spanish for Beginners" series, helps you build your comprehension and confidence with familiar vocabulary and simple grammar, reinforced through a variety of practical, everyday situations. To get the most from your reading experience, be sure to try the comprehension questions at the end of each chapter.
3. Beginner's Bundle by Paco Ardit
Have you ever tried one of those dual-language books as a beginner? It can be a frustrating experience to read, understand nada en español, and then turn to the English page--and end up reading that. If you want to read a series of short novels without feeling lost--or relying on English translations, check out the Beginner's Bundle box set by Paco Ardit.
You’ll enhance your vocabulary, master everyday dialogues, and grasp simple grammar through engaging short novels like Tango Milonga and Muerte en Buenos Aires.
Discover what to learn, how to learn it, and in what order with this FREE Spanish starter kit for beginners.
4. Spanish Graded Reader Collection by Ana Martín
"Sitting down with a Spanish novel and a dictionary is a thing of the past,” according to author and teacher Ana Martín. Martín knows exactly what beginning Spanish learners used to have to suffer through to finally reap the benefits of reading in Spanish. And she’s written a Spanish collection that just might be a game-changer for you. Dive into tales written with your level in mind. They feature vocabulary you’ll understand, short sentences, and easy-to-follow dialogues.
Reading in Spanish becomes simple, fun, and entirely achievable. The exciting part about having a collection of stories at your fingertips is that you can finally add reading to your Spanish habit and start to see your progress. The collection includes simple and engaging stories like, ¿Dónde está Maurice?, La Otra Mujer, and ¿Quién es mi padre?
5. Spanish Novel for Beginners: Una aventura de WhatsApp by María Danader
Do you know what I love the most about this series? Each chapter comes with an audio recording to reinforce your understanding, train your ear, and even help you lay the foundation for better pronunciation later on. There are so many ways that listening to the audio can help you improve your comprehension and reinforce what you’ve learned. Listen before you read to see if you can grasp the gist of the chapter beforehand--or read and listen at the same time.
This method promises a fun, effective addition to your Spanish practice including chapter summaries, vocabulary translations, and downloadable audio links. Oh, and did I mention that many readers find Una aventura de WhatsApp to be a surprising and slightly creepy story?
6. Viaje a Madrid by Cristina López
Marta and her hopeless boyfriend accept an invitation to celebrate her birthday in Madrid. But trouble on the train changes her plans, upends her life, and leaves Marta grappling with a lot of questions in this fun and sometimes humorous story. Viaje a Madrid is the first book in the Los Viajes de Marta series, written just for beginners heading toward an A2 level. As a beginner, you’ll find practical resources to help you get the most from this book, such as keywords in bold and vocabulary sections, comprehension questions in English, and a translation for each chapter so you never feel stuck.
7. Spanish: Short Stories for Beginners by My Daily Spanish Volume 1 & 2.
Ready to seriously ramp up your Spanish skills? Then these two thick tomes of Spanish stories are for you.
Reading short stories keeps you motivated as a beginner, and having a stack of them at your fingertips can help you pick up the pace of your language learning.
If you’re doing a Spanish immersion program in a Latin American country, diving into a story in Spanish can be a way to reinforce your knowledge--especially if you’re an introvert suffering from conversation overload.
And these short stories can also be a veritable trove of inspiration if you’re working with a Spanish tutor.
Takeaways:
Now that you’ve had a peak at the rich world of books for beginning Spanish learners, It's time to crack one open and start a reading habit that will change your Spanish. I hope this blog post helps you find the perfect story to start with.
Still, wondering how you’ll know that book when you see it?
It’s the one where you read a few lines and think, ”I can do this!”
As a beginner, don’t be afraid to experiment. Pick up a book, read a few lines, and see if it speaks to you.
Remember, it’s okay to swap books and find a better fit if the first one you picked seems too difficult.
And there’s no need to push yourself to read something beyond your current level. If you see a title you want to read but aren’t ‘quite there yet,’ all you have to do is keep reading books that are in your comfort zone.
Make a habit of reading in Spanish, and you’ll find yourself reading more complex and exciting books in no time.