Italian books for beginners (level A1)
If you have just started learning Italian, these are the books to begin with. Every title on this page is rewritten for CEFR level A1: short coordinated sentences, the present tense and the passato prossimo, and high-frequency vocabulary you will use in your first conversations. Footnotes explain the difficult words, a glossary closes the book, and every chapter ends with comprehension questions: so you can read a real Italian story, on your own, from day one.
On this page: Cuore: a school year told in short diary entries; Eva: a linear love story among painters and dancers; Giacinta: an adult, psychological story with no fairy tales; Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca: pure comedy in diary form; Le terre del Sacramento: peasants and hope in 1920s Molise.
The level A1 books
What you can do at each level
| Level | What you can do in Italian | Books |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Introduce yourself, ask simple questions, follow short sentences spoken slowly. | 4 in paperback |
| A2 | Talk about your day and your past, get by in shops and on a trip. | 5 in paperback |
| B1 | Tell a story, give your opinion, follow the main points of a conversation. | 5 in paperback |
| B2 | Discuss abstract topics, follow most films and the news, write a clear argument. | 5 in paperback |
| C1 | Read long literary texts, notice tone and register, speak fluently at work. | 2 in paperback |
| C2 | Understand almost everything, catch fine nuances, read any original. | The originals |
Is A1 your level?
Take the free level test: grammar, reading and vocabulary, no sign-up. Then read the free Amazon sample of one of the A1 books: if you understand about 90% without a dictionary, you are in the right place.
Questions about the A1 books
How long are the A1 books?
59 to 70 pages in the 6×9 paperback, in 10 chapters, each followed by comprehension questions.
Which A1 book should I read first?
Cuore, if you like short scenes: a school year in Turin told by a boy, one episode at a time. If you would rather laugh, take Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca, the diary of a boy who gets into trouble on every page.
Paperback or Kindle?
Both, on Amazon. The paperback is $9.99 on Amazon.com; prices vary by country. The links on this page open the paperback, and the Kindle edition is on the same Amazon page.
