There are times when I wish I could learn a new language by reading my favorite books. Believe it or not, reading is one of the best ways to learn a new language. It's also one of the most undervalued.

It's easy to be tempted by the chance to learn how to speak German or to spend hours trying to understand German TV shows or movies. It's not going to be as good for your German skills as reading.

Learning a new language is a huge mistake if you don't spend enough time reading. Besides, I don't want you to read textbooks here. I want you to read real language material that shows you how written language is used in real life, not just textbooks.

The grammar and vocabulary you won't be able to understand at first may be the reason you don't want to go. But, you shouldn't be afraid.

Reading short, captivating stories or interesting articles about topics you like will help you improve your language skills a lot and give you a better understanding of German vocabulary and grammar.

Here, I'll give you some advice on how to start reading in German without getting stuck on words you don't know or complicated grammar rules. So let's start with the book recommendations right away.

Books for Beginners and Intermediate Learners of German: 7 Great Books

Great German Books For Beginner And Intermediate Learners

Instead, read short stories and other books that are simple. They should still be hard, but not so hard that you don't understand anything.

Stories should also be interesting to read and have good plots. In the story, the more you become immersed in it, the more you pay attention to what the story is about, not how it looks or how many words it has.

That's why I've put together a list of some of the best German storybooks for people who want to read something interesting. There are a lot of books on this list that will make you feel like you did well as you read stories for beginners and intermediate students.

“German Short Stories for Beginners”

As someone who thinks stories can help people learn, I decided to write my own short story books. This book has 280 pages of unconventional German short stories that are great for people who are between A1 and B1.

Each of the stories in the book is made to be fun and interesting with just the right amount of new words. I've also added comprehension questions and summaries to help you as you go.

The language is conversational and natural, and the chapters are short and easy to read. A gentle introduction to new grammar will help you enjoy reading in German from the start.

I went even further with this story idea when I made my German Uncovered course. It's better to learn German through books and grammar rules, but you go from beginner to intermediate by immersing yourself in an interesting story.

I've learned this more natural way to learn a new language through a lot of study and experimentation. German Uncovered is a book that I've put all of my knowledge into. You can learn through the story as well. It's here.

“Emil und die Detektive”

This is a good book for people who want to learn German at a beginner or intermediate level.

This well-known German children's book is about a young boy who leaves his small town to go to Berlin. It was written in 1929.

The story has real people and descriptions of the world of crime, art, and cabaret in the Weimar Republic. People who want to learn German should read this.

“Die unendliche Geschichte”

In English, this book by Michael Ende is called "The Never-Ending Story." It tells a fantasy story that many of us already know.

In German, reading books with stories you know can be a great way to improve your language skills.

If you're into fantasy literature, this book is a great way to learn some of the language used in the genre.

 “Momo”

It's a new book by the author Michael Ende. It was interesting. He was one of the most popular German writers of the 20th century, and he was best known for writing young adult books.

This book was originally written for teenagers, but it's just as exciting for adults.

German language students should read this strange story about time-thieves and the child who brought back time that had been stolen. It's a good book to read.

“Die Verwandlung”

In this book, Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis" also appears. It is a well-known literary work.

He uses simple grammar and short sentences in this book, which makes it great for people who are learning German.

The plot is also a little weird. It tells the story of a salesman who wakes up one day to find that he has been turned into an insect.

You should read this book because it's a great piece of fiction that all German language students should read. It has simple words that you can understand and a simple story that you can follow.

“Homo Faber”

It was written by a Swiss author, Max Frisch. This is a modern German classic.

Its interesting story and simple grammar and vocabulary make this book great for people who are just starting to learn.

The story is about an engineer who thinks rationally and does things that make sense. Because of this, he changes his mind about life.

If you're learning a new language, you'll find this story interesting and not too difficult to understand.

“Der Richter und Sein Henker”

"The Judge and his Hangman" is the name of a well-known detective story.

It was written by Friedrich Dürrenmatt in 1950, and it's a great book for intermediate German students to read.

The story is easy to understand and has simple grammar. This book is great for people who want to learn new words by using them in a real-world setting.

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