{"id":117307,"date":"2024-01-29T23:28:09","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T04:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/best-books-to-learn-french\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T09:54:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T13:54:04","slug":"best-books-to-learn-french","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/best-books-to-learn-french\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Best French Books for Beginners"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re just starting out learning French, reading a whole book might feel overwhelming.\u00a0Fortunately, there are many great French books for beginners that can ease you into reading.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These 12 beginner French books that can help you become more familiar with the language and introduce you to new topics.\u00a0Start with these easier options and then gradually work your way up to more difficult ones<\/a> to build your fluency.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"le-petit-prince-bookcover\"1. “Le Petit Prince” <\/em>by Antoine de Saint-Exup\u00e9ry\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Check availability on Amazon<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Le Petit Prince”<\/em> (The Little Prince) is a timeless French novella<\/strong> that delves into the imaginative journey of a young prince from a tiny asteroid.<\/p>\n

As he encounters various characters, including a wise fox and a rose, profound lessons about life, love and human nature unfold.<\/p>\n

The book is one of the best-selling books in history<\/strong> and is adored by both children and adults. It’s been published in over 500 different languages and dialects!<\/p>\n

The book has also been adapted into a movie which is perfect for beginner French learners. Here’s a little language lesson from our YouTube channel<\/a> to see the kind of language you’ll pick up:<\/p>\n

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2. “Les aventures de Tintin”<\/em> by Herg\u00e9\"Les<\/a><\/h2>\n

Check availability on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Les aventures de Tintin” <\/em>(The Adventures of Tintin)\u00a0is a wildly popular 20th-century comic about a Belgian reporter and his pet dog, Snowy.<\/p>\n

With writing that overlaps a variety of genres<\/strong>, it can be enjoyed by French readers of all ages.<\/p>\n

I recommend starting with “Tintin en Am\u00e9rique.”<\/a><\/em> In this comic, Tintin and Snowy are covering a story on organized crime in Chicago involving Al Capone and other gangsters.<\/p>\n

3. “Contes du jour et de la nuit”<\/em> by Guy de Maupassant\"Contes<\/a><\/h2>\n

Read for free<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Guy de Maupassant is one of the world’s best writers of short stories.<\/p>\n

“Contes du jour et de la nuit”<\/em> (Tales of Day and Night)\u00a0includes Maupassant’s most famous short story: “La parure”<\/em><\/a> (The Necklace).<\/p>\n

Each story has its own plot and set of characters, and they’re particularly enjoyable if you like plot twists<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

4. “Contes de ma m\u00e8re l’Oye”<\/em>\u00a0by Charles Perrault\"Contes<\/a><\/h2>\n

Read for free<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Charles Perrault is a French author who’s credited with laying the foundations for the fairy tale genre.<\/p>\n

“Contes de ma m\u00e8re l’Oye” <\/em>(Tales of Mother Goose) is a collection of his French fairy tales<\/strong> and includes stories you’re sure to be familiar with.<\/p>\n

You’ll find “La belle au bois dormant” <\/em>(The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood), “Le petit chaperon rouge”<\/em> (Little Red Riding Hood), “Le Maistre Chat, ou le Chat Bott\u00e9”<\/em> (The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots) and other classics.<\/p>\n

5. “Le scaphandre et le papillon”<\/em> by Jean-Dominique Bauby\"Le<\/a><\/h2>\n

Check availability on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jean-Dominique Bauby\u00a0wrote “Le scaphandre et le papillon”<\/em> (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)\u00a0after suffering a major stroke and developing\u00a0locked-in syndrome.<\/p>\n

Nearly his entire body was paralyzed, but he was able to dictate his work to his transcriber by blinking his left eye.<\/p>\n

Bauby’s memoir describes his life before and after his stroke<\/strong>, when he served as editor-in-chief of the French Elle<\/em>\u00a0magazine.<\/p>\n

6. \u00a0\u201cLe Petit Nicolas<\/em>\u201d<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>by Ren\u00e9 Goscinny\"Le<\/a><\/h2>\n

Check availability on Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Le Petit Nicolas”<\/em> (Little Nicholas) is an idealized and nostalgic memorial of what it was like to be a kid growing up in France in the 1950s.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although some aspects may be a bit outdated (it was published in 1959), the story of growing up is sure to be relatable for everyone.<\/p>\n

Nicolas and his many friends have numerous adventures that build storylines constructed for children, making them easy to follow.<\/p>\n

7.<\/b>\u00a0\u201cCalligrammes\u201d<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>by Apollinaire\"Calligrammes:<\/a><\/b><\/h2>\n

Check availability on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

For foreign learners of French, Apollinaire\u2019s poems offer hints of meaning in their very structure.<\/p>\n

His book is notable for its use of typeface and space on the page to evoke each poem’s meaning; the poem itself takes the shape of its subject.<\/strong><\/p>\n

These somewhat complex poems are among the earliest French surrealist<\/strong> works\u2014in fact, Apollinaire is credited with coining the term\u2014so they’re worth the effort it takes to understand them.<\/p>\n

8. “Am I small? Je suis petite, moi ?”<\/em> by Philipp Winterberg\"Am<\/a><\/a><\/h2>\n

Check availability on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

French learning resources developed for children can be engaging for adults, too! I love this imaginative picture book written for bilingual reading<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The story follows a young girl on a journey who asks various animals whether she\u2019s small.<\/p>\n

With 26 pages of colorful, vivid art, it’s also a helpful resource for learning size, shape and color adjectives<\/strong> as well as some fun animal vocabulary<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

9.<\/b>\u00a0\u201cContes de la B\u00e9casse\u201d<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>by Guy de Maupassant\"Contes<\/a><\/b><\/h2>\n

Check availability on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Maupassant became famous near the end of the 19th century as a realist novelist with a style bordering on naturalism.<\/p>\n

His \u201cContes de la B\u00e9casse” <\/i>(Tales of the Woodcock) is a collection of stories<\/strong> whose realism and short length make for an easy read.<\/p>\n

In the first, the baron of Ravots organizes a dinner and asks each guest to tell the group a story.<\/p>\n

10. \u201cShort Stories in French for Beginners\u201d<\/em> by Olly Richards and Richard Simcott\"Short<\/a><\/h2>\n

Check availability on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This helpful resource offers a five-step plan<\/strong>\u00a0that teaches readers the best way to effectively practice reading in French.<\/p>\n

The short stories are full of natural dialogue and realistic vocabulary<\/strong> to help you improve your conversational French.<\/p>\n

They cover a variety of genres, including science fiction, history and crime, so you can see how the language is actually spoken in all sorts of situations.<\/p>\n

\"French-Short-Stories-bookcover\"11. “<\/em>French Short Stories”<\/em> by Dylane Moreau<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Check availability on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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This book includes 30 short stories in French written by a French teacher for beginner and intermediate French learners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The stories are clear, concise and easy to read, <\/strong>touching on a variety of everyday topics such as travel, family and friendships.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Each story comes with an English version, a French-English glossary of key vocabulary and comprehension questions and answers. There’s also an audio recording<\/strong> of all the stories available for free.<\/p>\n

\"Asterix-comic-book\"12. The “Ast\u00e9rix”<\/span><\/em> Series <\/span>by\u00a0<\/span>Rene Goscinny\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

First published in 1959, “Ast\u00e9rix Le Gaulois” <\/em> remains a cultural icon in French literature.<\/span><\/p>\n

The comic book series<\/strong> follows the adventures of a small Gaulish warrior, Ast\u00e9rix, and his companion Ob\u00e9lix as they resist Roman occupation with the help of a magic potion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The series is full of action, humor and cultural references and includes <\/span>40 different comic books.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reading Tips for Beginners<\/h2>\n

Here are some ways you can make the most of your reading time without getting overwhelmed as a beginner French learner:\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Check availability on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n