The Best Books to Read to Learn Spanish as a Beginner
In this post: Discover the best books for learning Spanish as a 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.
At the beginning of this list, you’ll find the most simply structured and reassuring titles, with a few sample sentences to ensure you never get stuck or uncomfortable. Further down, you’ll find more complex stories you can explore as your level increases.
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.
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.
¡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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
Ready for a challenge? Try one of these titles for advanced beginners.
If you've been practicing your Spanish for a while and have a little experience reading, these books will be perfect for you. You'll still find simple, straightforward, everyday language, but the plots and stories become a little more exciting.
Los diamantes de Esmeralda Part 1 & 2 by Joel Zarate
What would you do if you found a bag of diamonds? After their extraordinary discovery, 10-year-old Esmeralda and her family find their lives taking an unexpected u-turn. To discover how their story ends, be sure to read part 2, La búsqueda. You may recognize the author, Joel Zarate, a renowned Spanish teacher and well-known producer of one of the best Spanish podcasts I recommend for high-beginners. If you’re looking for an engaging mini-novel that is high on interest and written in everyday language by someone who knows how to tell a story, this is for you.
La chica del bar by Estefanía Quevedo
Excerpt: “Felipe es un tipo normal con un trabajo normal. Él va todos los días al bar ‘El unicornio azul’. …Un día ve una chica hermosa sentada en la barra del bar. Ella no habla mucho, no bebe alcohol y no usa teléfono móvil…”
Who is the girl at the bar? What is she looking for? Part of the Short Stories in Spanish series, this book is designed to help you push your Spanish towards intermediate--while giving you a great story to read. Additional resources that will help you make this book a fun and effective part of your Spanish practice include illustrations created by a professional artist, a playlist of songs inspired by the story and adapted to your level, and instructions on how to get the most from the book as a Spanish-learner.
The self-paced course series for adults looking for a refresher of foundational Spanish to feel confident communicating in everyday situations.
La profe de español by Juan Fernández
Strange business is afoot at the language school where María, the Spanish teacher, works. When she doesn't turn up for work on Monday morning, her students suspect foul play. Join the Spanish students on their search to find María, enjoy the story, and get a boost for your Spanish. No more learning isolated grammar and memorizing meaningless vocabulary lists—get ready for immersion and contextual learning that will help you memorize more expressions in Spanish. Pre-intermediate (A2) Spanish learners will get the most from this book.
Un hombre fascinante by Juan Fernández
A shy, young Englishman travels to Madrid and tries to learn Spanish. Follow him on his misadventures in Spain’s capital. You’ll get a closer look at the city and a taste of the culture--all while improving your Spanish. Here’s another excellent book in the Spanish for Beginners series by Juan Fernández. These books teach you Spanish naturally by weaving repetition of the structures and phrases you need to learn into an enticing story specifically designed for A2 learners.
Año nuevo, vida nueva by Juan Fernández
Another incredibly designed book by author/teacher Juan Fernández Año nuevo, vida nueva takes place in London, where the author lived and taught for 20 years. Follow Brian, a young man who has made some resolutions for the New Year in hopes of turning his life around: lose weight, give up smoking, learn Spanish, find a new job, and, most importantly, forget his Spanish ex-girlfriend forever. This book is for you if you’re approaching a lower-intermediate level. You’ll read a story you don’t want to put down and consolidate your foundation as you push yourself with a slightly more challenging read.
Pre Intermediate's Bundle A2 by Paco Ardit
This is the follow-up series to the Beginner Bundle by the same author. As you reach a high beginner or pre-intermediate level of Spanish, you can reach for these accessible and engaging Spanish novels. What impresses me most about this series is how Ardit finds a way to help you learn the structures and expressions you need to push yourself toward an intermediate level of Spanish through stories.
In this bundle, you’ll find titles such as, Laura no está, Porteño Stand-up, Un Yankee en Buenos Aires, Pasaje de ida, and El Hacker.
Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners by Olly Richards
By Olly Richards, language-learning legend and creator of the creator of the StoryLearning® method, these eight engaging stories in a range of genres from crime to science fiction to historical fiction will be an exciting addition to your Spanish learner’s bookshelf. As you read, you’ll be immersed in the language and find yourself reinforcing your knowledge of the 1000 most frequent words in Spanish. You’ll also discover conversational expressions through authentic dialogues and learn conversational expressions so you can improve your spoken Spanish even without having a conversation. These stories are interesting, exciting, and fun and will help you with your Spanish. Still, students at the pre-intermediate or early intermediate levels will get more from these stories than beginners. That’s why I’m including Short Stories in Spanish closer to the end of this list.
Spanish Novel for Upper-Beginners: Enigma en La Playa byMaría Danader
Here’s another book for Spanish learners by María Danader, complete with a free audio download, vocabulary index, and bilingual summaries that we’ve come to know and love her for. As you unfold the “mystery on the beach” in this novel, you’ll also be learning specific vocabulary and structures you’ll need to push yourself toward intermediate --or to get ready for your upcoming trip to a Spanish-speaking country. This particular book is perfect for upper beginners as it is packed with common verbs like preferir, gustar, querer and simple idiomatic expressions like ir a + infinitive, ser, and estar. It’s the perfect companion to my ALAS Basic Course Series because it helps you take all those structures and grammar you need to push your Spanish toward intermediate and revisit them while you immerse yourself in an engaging story.
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.