La prochaine chose que vous devriez lire
Lara (Y13) shares her favourite French books
With this week being world book week, I thought it apt to recommend some of my favourite francophone novels for a range of ages and language abilities.
- Beginner:
“Monsieur and Madame” books, by Roger Hargreaves
Although these books are aimed at young children, the language and plots are surprisingly advanced. There are often some uncommon and obscure words so don’t hesitate to have a dictionary or wordreference.com by your side. These books are also quite palatable as they are short and sweet so you can finish it in one sitting.
“Short Stories in French for beginners” by Olly Richards
This book has a wide selection of short stories aimed at French learners. It makes sure to include complex grammar structures and vocab whilst also providing translations and grammar help in English. There is also a brief summary in English at the end of each story meaning it is accessible and easy to stay engaged.
- Intermediate:
“14-14” par Silene Edgar et Paul Beorn
This book is a good one to start with if you are starting to explore reading more advanced novels in French. It is aimed at young adults and older children and has a fun plot which is easy to follow but still engaging. It tells the tale of two boys who live 100 years apart yet can write to each other using a mysterious post-box. It focuses on the build-up to World War One and how this affected teenagers at the time.
“Short Stories in French for intermediate learners” by Olly Richards
This is very similar to the “Short Stories in French for beginners” above, only with more complex plots, grammatical structures and vocab.
- A-level/ advanced intermediate:
“Frère d’Ame” by David Diop
This book is great as it is short but very interesting and rather complex. It is accessible for A-level students. It follows the story of a “tirailleur Sénégalais” during the World War One as he descends into madness. It is key to have a dictionary or wordreference.com to hand when reading this as there is lots of new vocab.
“Le petit Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
This book is world famous and a classic in French literature. After the bible, it is the most translated book ever written. It is aimed at children yet has a complicated plot to follow and lots of tricky vocab.
After reading one of these books, why don’t you try writing a book review in French, explaining the plot, characters and you favourite or least favourite parts. This will help you to enrich your language abilities as well as appreciate the literature. If you do give this a go, submit your review to the Lingusitica team to be published!
Bonne lecture!