Discover the Penguin books that shaped us

Penguin Readers

166 books in this series
Book cover of Penguin Readers Level 1: A Festival in Summer (ELT Graded Reader) by Anna Trewin

Penguin Readers Level 1: A Festival in Summer (ELT Graded Reader)

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction.

A Festival in Summer, a Level 1 Reader, is A1 in the CEFR framework. Short sentences contain a maximum of two clauses, introducing the past simple tense and some simple modals, adverbs and gerunds. Illustrations support the text throughout, and many titles at this level are graphic novels.

Katy and Charlie are very excited. Mum has tickets for the Glastonbury Music Festival and their favourite singer, Adriana Perez, is headlining on Saturday night!

Book cover of Penguin Readers Level 2: A Solstice at Stone Henge (ELT Graded Reader) by Anna Trewin

Penguin Readers Level 2: A Solstice at Stone Henge (ELT Graded Reader)

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction.

A Solstice at Stone Henge, a Level 2 Reader, is A1+ in the CEFR framework. Sentences contain a maximum of two clauses, introducing the future tenses will and going to, present continuous for future meaning, and comparatives and superlatives. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear on most pages.

Isabel is not happy. She does not like her new home in Wiltshire and she misses her friends in Birmingham. Her school grades are also bad. But then her history teacher, Miss Novak, takes Isabel and her class to Stonehenge, and everything changes.
Book cover of Penguin Readers Level 3: Liar's Beach (ELT Graded Reader) by Katie Cotugno

Penguin Readers Level 3: Liar's Beach (ELT Graded Reader)

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction.

Liar's Beach, a Level 3 Reader, is A2 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, introducing first conditional, past continuous and present perfect simple for general experience. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear on most pages.

Lindon visits his friend Jasper at his parent’s huge beach house in Martha’s Vineyard. Jasper’s family are rich but Linden’s family is working class and he wants to keep this a secret. Liar’s Beach is a story about friends, money, secrets, love, and lies.
Book cover of Penguin Readers Level 3: Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles (ELT Graded Reader) by Arthur Conan Doyle

Penguin Readers Level 3: Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles (ELT Graded Reader)

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction.

Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles, a Level 3 Reader, is A2 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, introducing first conditional, past continuous and present perfect simple for general experience. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear on most pages.

After Sir Charles Baskerville dies on the moor near his house, his friend Doctor Mortimer visits Sherlock Holmes in London. “Sir Charles’ pipe was on the ground near the gate, and between Sir Charles and the gate, I saw footprints,” Doctor Mortimer tells the famous detective. “They were the footprints of an enormous hound!”

Book cover of Penguin Readers Level 4: What You Are Looking for is in the Library (ELT Graded Reader) by Michiko Aoyama

Penguin Readers Level 4: What You Are Looking for is in the Library (ELT Graded Reader)

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction.

What You Are Looking For is in the Library, a Level 4 Reader, is A2+ in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, introducing more complex uses of present perfect simple, passives, phrasal verbs and simple relative clauses. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear regularly.

Sayuri Komachi is a librarian who recommends books and gives gifts to people. She helps them find what they are really looking for in life. The books and gifts are special for each person. They show them that life might not always be easy, but it can still be wonderful.
Book cover of Penguin Readers Level 5: Fool Me Once (ELT Graded Reader) by Harlan Coben

Penguin Readers Level 5: Fool Me Once (ELT Graded Reader)

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction.

Fool Me Once, a Level 5 Reader, is B1 in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing present perfect continuous, past perfect, reported speech and second conditional. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear regularly.

Maya’s rich husband Joe was murdered in New York. One day, Maya sees something on her nanny camera which makes her question everything that she knows about Joe’s murder. As she searches for answers, Maya gets pulled deeper and deeper into a world of lies and secrets.