Easy Italian Graded Readers
17 Easy Readers To Take Your Italian To The Next Level
Due Amiche e Un Album di Fotografie
for beginners to lower-intermediate Italian learners (A1-A2)
This is an easy-to-read Italian short story ebook, with each unit taking no more than 10–20 minutes to complete.
Le Avventure di Paul a Roma
for advanced beginners to intermediate Italian learners (A1-A2-B1)
Do you know that Rome is a jigsaw puzzle of different neighborhoods, each with its own identity and history? Follow Paul’s adventures in the numerous neighborhoods of Rome, learn more about the Eternal City, and improve your Italian understanding through simple Italian dialogues and stories.
This book is ideal for advanced beginners and intermediate Italian learners. Each chapter is short enough that you can read it in minutes and is followed by a bilingual word list (ENG-IT)
A free audio recording of the story is included with the book. Not sure Le Avventure di Paul is the right level for you? Download the PDF of chapter 1 for free here.
Amore e Cappuccino
for beginner Italian learners (A0-A1)
If you have learned Italian for a month or two, Amore and Cappuccino is the first short story you should read. This is an Italian short storybook for the A0-A1 level. If you are an advanced beginner, you will find this book way too easy, so scroll below for the other ones :). The language used is simple and tailored for a real beginner Italian learner. Each chapter consists of short dialogues between the two main characters: a German girl visiting Rome and her date, Claudio, a man who hides a few mysteries. The setting is the eternal city of Rome. The best thing about Amore and Cappuccino is that it takes place in Rome’s most iconic areas, and other than the language, it teaches you a few elements of Roman art and culture. This is an excellent introductory course to the eternal city if you are planning to visit Rome one day.
Incontri in Sicilia
for lower-intermediate to intermediate Italian learners (A2-B1)

Fiona, the first in her Italian-American family to learn her ancestors’ language. At university in the US, she earned a scholarship and moved to Rome to improve her Italian for a semester. But there’s more to the story. To complete an Italian citizenship application, she must obtain a copy of her great-grandfather’s birth certificate. This brings her to Sicily. In Sicily, she has several encounters that will forever alter her future.This short story is appropriate for all Italian learners who have at least a pre-intermediate level of proficiency in the language (A2). This book might be useful for advanced beginners as well. Not sure Incontri in Sicilia is the right level for you? Download the PDF of chapter 1 for free here.
Incontri in Sicilia – Chapter 1 [FREE download]
Le città impossibili
for beginners to lower-intermediate Italian learners (A1-A2)
This is a great short storybook for those who explore the major Italian cities through their cliches. The book contains 12 chapters: each chapter focuses on a different town, from Palermo to Turin. Every chapter isn’t longer than two pages and follows the steps of a first-time visitor to the cities. At the end of the book, you will find some useful vocabulary, exercises, and cultural insights about each town. This resource helps advanced beginners, and it focuses more on vocabulary (lots of adjectives, vocabulary related to cities) than grammar.
Il Gatto scomparso
for lower-intermediate to intermediate learners (A2-B1)
Although the editor claims Il Gatto Scomparso is an A1 book, I think is the best suited for A2-B1 Italian learners. The grammar is pretty simple (lower-intermediate level), but the vocabulary is varied and well beyong beginning level. requires more than a beginner knowledge. Having said that, this is a lighthearted tale about the cat “Gippi” being missing and the several amusing measures his family takes to track him out. The book is also available in a digital version where you may access the free audio, in addition to a paperback edition.
Storie per i giorni di festa
for beginners to lower-intermediate Italian learners (A1-A2)
Have you ever heard of Carnevale? Or Ferragosto? Or do you know how Italians love to spend their Saturday nights? This Italian short story book for advanced beginners is culture-based. Each chapter tells you a story related to a significant Italian holiday and the Italian habits that go with it. This is a brilliant book if you want to expand your Italian vocabulary and strengthen your beginner grammar. As usual for the Alma Italian Short Stories book, you will find grammar and vocabulary exercises and extra cultural insights.
Dolomiti
for beginners to lower-intermediate Italian learners (A1-A2)
I love this short story because it takes you to one of my favorite areas in Northern Italy—the Dolomites!
This storybook is written in the present tense. It revolves around Emanuela, a young woman who lives in Dobbiaco (a picturesque mountain village immersed in the Dolomites) and is still not very happy with her life… until she finds a way to change it.
The story uses a great deal of useful Italian vocabulary for work, transport, and the mountains. At the end of the book, you will find a cultural section where you can read in simple Italian all about the culture, the language, and the food of Aldo Adige (Sudtirol), the region where the Dolomites belong.
The book’s level is for Italian learners who have learned the language for 3–4 months and are familiar with the basic Italian grammar and most recurring Italian everyday vocabulary.
Come hai detto che ti chiami?
for beginners to lower-intermediate Italian learners (A1-A2)
Have you already laid the foundations for your basic Italian grammar and vocabulary? If you have learned the Italian present perfect (passato prossimo), the common irregular verbs, and the basic pronouns, this story is for you. The setting is the beautiful city of Como in Northern Italy. It’s a story about a young German woman learning Italian in Germany and an Italian young man learning German in Italy. They meet online for a language exchange; their friendship is based on a misunderstanding, though! This book is a fun story that won’t only reinforce your basic Italian grammar but also help you internalize a lot of relevant Italian vocabulary through the power of reading in context. And if you haven’t been to Como yet, you will learn a lot about the city too.
Pasta per due
for beginners to lower-intermediate Italian learners (A1-A2)
What happens when we are in a foreign country and we don’t understand the language well? Many misunderstandings, of course. Like those that occur to Minni, an Asian girl, when arriving in Italy for the first time to meet her Italian friend Libero in Rome. A fun story that not only reinforces your beginner grammar but also teaches you frequent Italian popular expressions, especially those involving the verb fare.
Modelle, pistole e mozzarelle
for lower-intermediate to intermediate Italian learners (A2-B1)
Le favole di Esopo
for advanced beginners to lower-intermediate Italian learners (A2)
This Italian short story book contains fourteen of Aesop’s fables translated and adapted for a beginner level: the first seven are in the present tense, the last seven in the past tense.Each chapter (fable) comes with a vocabulary list of the story’s essential words and some simple exercises. You will also have the option to listen to the audio tracks by downloading the audiobook for free by following the last page’s instructions. The fables are profound and straightforward, with a final moral to discover. This short story series in Italian is ideal for those learning Italian at A1 or A2 level.
Storie di italiani famosi
for lower-intermediate to intermediate Italian learners (A2-B1)
This is a delightful Italian short storybook for beginners about nine great Italian historical and cultural personalities: Leonardo da Vinci and Federico Fellini, Michelangelo, and Gianni Versace. All the stories recount a real or imaginary episode in the protagonists’ lives, while also highlighting their world and their time. As icing on the cake, every chapter comes with vocabulary and grammar activities and short texts about cultural aspects. In a nutshell, one of the best short story books available on the market is not just about Italian, but about Italian history and Italian culture.
La vicina di casa
for intermediate Italian learners (B1)
This is a short story aimed at intermediate students. The story takes place in Piedmont, a mountainous region of Italy bordering France and Switzerland. This ebook is available on Amazon and tells the story of a young Italian writer who relocates to a picturesque village in the heart of Piedmont for a change of scenery. There, she experiences a different pace of life, makes new friends, and learns about different cultures and traditions of the territory.
Mafia, amore e polizia
for lower-intermediate to intermediate Italian learners (A2-B1)
A short mystery novel that combines love and crime for lower-intermediate Italian students. An insight into the Italian mafia (written in simplified Italian) stands out, especially at the end of the book. This ebook, which includes audio, uses the present simple, imperfect, and past tense. This is a fantastic story for Italian students at the lower intermediate level.
In other words – Jhumpa Lahiri
for Intermediate Italian learners (B1)
In other words, this is an unusual book about the author’s fascination with the Italian language and the tenacity with which she pursued her goal for more than two decades, to the point where she wrote an Italian book about how and a little less about why she made this life choice. This version of the book is especially useful for English-native speakers because it includes a page-by-page English translation. The book is aimed at advanced or upper-intermediate Italian students.
Piccole storie d’amore
for intermediate Italian learners (B1)
This is a short story for intermediate Italian learners. The book is made up of nine different love stories. Each story is unique and contains new and exciting vocabulary. Several different verb tenses, pronouns, and prepositions are discussed in the book. It is necessary to have a solid grasp of intermediate grammar. The audiobook is included.
4 smart tips to learn Italian better with stories
- Writing is speaking in slow motion. Be proactive! don’t limit yourself to reading the stories. Use them with your Italian teacher or language exchange partner. A good exercises to summarize the chapters in a few written sentences. Writing will help you consolidate the new vocabulary and grammar patterns , while also improve your ability to construct Italian sentences.
- Talk about it: tired of talking about the weather or the latest news? Talk about the stories with your tutors, teachers or language partners. You won’t learn really something, unless you don’t use it. Using in conversation the vocabulary and grammar patterns will go a long way in helping expanding your vocabulary and cementing your grammar.
- Don’t underestimate reading at any level. Why? When you read, you naturally absorb things like the correct order of the different parts of speech, the correct conjugations, or the use of prepositions.
- Re-read your story, two or three times. When you are done with one of these short story books in Italian, don’t put them away for ever. Set them aside for a couple of months and go back to re-read them a second or third time; that’s how you will learn efficiently (retain) your vocabulary.
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