Spanish books for beginners

As a student of Spanish, comprehension and communication are two of the basic pillars to master the language. That is why reading is one of the easiest, simplest and most practical tools that will help you achieve this.

If you learned the basics in a Spanish course but want to continue improving your comprehension and expanding your vocabulary, donQuijote recommends these books to read in Spanish and master the language, whether you are starting from scratch or at a more advanced level.

Read this article in Spanish here.

Spanish novels for beginners

Let’s start with children's books and Spanish novels for beginners for all tastes that will help you improve your level and get you used to reading in Spanish.

Fray Perico y su borrico (Fray Perico and his donkey) by Juan Muñoz Martín

The funny and endearing adventures of Fray Perico and his donkey Calcetín in a convent are ideal to start reading in Spanish. The perfect book for children and beginners in Spanish that will make you laugh and learn a lot.

Papelucho by Marcela Paz

A children's book that follows the adventures of an eight-year-old boy named Papelucho who lives in Santiago, Chile. Papelucho is curious, witty and has an overflowing imagination, so he lives thousands of adventures and uses a simple and entertaining language for the reader, especially if you are just starting to read in Spanish.

Historias mínimas (Minimal stories) by Javier Tomeo

A collection of short stories, a total of 44 stories with short dialogues and simple plots involving animals, vagabonds, philosophers, poets, travelers, shadows or sailors.  A whole universe created by Tomeo to learn Spanish vocabulary, laugh at the absurd and turn the obvious on its head.

Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) by J.K. Rowling

One of the best-known books for young people that has been translated into several languages: the Harry Potter saga. It starts with the first novel in the series and follows the adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione at Hogwarts.

A great read in Spanish for young adults with an intermediate level. In addition, if you have already read the book in its original version in English or translated into your mother tongue, it will be easier to follow the thread of the story to understand everything that happens and the new vocabulary that you read.

Books to read in Spanish for advanced level

Here are some books to read in Spanish for those with a higher level of comprehension and vocabulary. These Spanish books are more complicated in terms of vocabulary and plot.

La vida imaginaria (The imaginary life) by Mara Torres

A Spanish novel that explores the process of overcoming a love breakup, specifically Nata's breakup with her partner. Throughout the book, themes such as resilience, self-discovery and the importance of imagination during hard times in life are discussed.

This book uses language that is not appropriate for children and young adults, and although it may fall into the beginner's section, it is intended for a more adult audience. Even so, you will learn colloquial Spanish expressions, words, and phrases in each chapter.

La casa de los espíritus (The house of the spirits) by Isabel Allende

If your Spanish has already gone to the next level and you like the fantasy and magical realism genre, Isabel Allende's La casa de los espíritus is for you. A story that closely follows the entire Trueba family and begins with Clara del Valle, who possesses psychic abilities and can talk to spirits. Her life changes when she meets Esteban Trueba, and they have three children.

The elements of magical realism and the family plot offer a rich and accessible narrative for advanced students of Spanish.

El túnel (The tunnel) by Ernesto Sabato

Another Spanish book perfect for advanced students is El túnel, a psychological thriller in Spanish. Although it is a short book, it is very intense and the story revolves around a painter obsessed with a woman, who narrates the events from his perspective. Improve your vocabulary and dive into an exciting book that will keep you on edge until the last page.

Bilingual Books

Finally, although they are not novels in Spanish, here you can find a selection of bilingual books. These stories are designed for beginners in the language as they are written in Spanish and English.

First Spanish reader: A beginner's dual-language book by Angel Flores

A collection of stories created and aimed at Spanish language beginners. This book is bilingual, allowing you to read the story in Spanish, but also have the English translation, which will make it easier for you to read and learn.

It contains simple, straightforward stories adapted from Spanish classics with English materials (translated on the opposite page) for a better understanding of the text.

Short and easy Spanish novels for beginners by Joe Arenas

Another bilingual book containing two horror genre stories is Short and easy Spanish novels for beginners. Espectro and La Casa are the two stories you can read in Spanish in this book, both full of simple grammatical constructions and vocabulary relevant to your learning. In addition, each story concludes with a little quiz to test your reading comprehension.

Madrigal's magic key to Spanish: A creative and proven approach by Margarita Madrigal

Madrigal's magic key to Spanish: A creative and proven approach is a creative method designed to help English speakers learn Spanish.

This book uses a methodology that facilitates memorization and practical use of Spanish with lessons that are easy to understand and apply. Learn vocabulary, grammar and do practical exercises to gradually improve your level of the language.

Spanish short stories for beginners by Olly Richards

This collection of short stories is especially designed for Spanish speaking students. These stories are designed to improve your reading comprehension and increase your vocabulary.

Eight short stories in clear, simple language with adventure, mystery, drama and comedy. In addition, each story has a summary, a glossary of words, questions to see if you have understood the text and the English version of some parts to help you understand the story better.

Did you already know any of these books in Spanish? Do you dare to read any of our recommendations? Because learning Spanish can be fun, and you can do it from anywhere with a simple book.