Learning Tips: Portuguese Book recommendations Beginners

Updated: Sep 23, 2023

Book recommendations

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I have noticed with my beginner students that they believe they can only start reading in the language they are learning when they are already intermediate, advanced or proficient speakers. Which is NOT true!

You can start learning after a few lessons. In fact, it is important to start reading as soon as possible because reading will allow you to write better and it is listening that you will speak better. How are you going to improve your vocabulary, if you are only reading those premade, basic dialogues your teacher prepared for you to help you be able to introduce yourself?

What is important to remember is that, although you may not have a vast vocabulary to start with, you should still read without stopping to check words you do not know. The idea is to try your best to understand what is going on in the story without the need to translate.

Understand by context! Just like you would do if you were in a group of friends who are talking in your target language. You would pay attention to non-verbal cues, body language, locations, environment, who is involved in that conversation. Then you would have a clue what they are talking about. Later, you will go back to the beginning of your text, and check the new terminology on the dictionary. But please, do not stop reading just to check these new words on the dictionary or translator.

It is important not to rush but to give you the chance to go beyond.

Let's have a look at a few reading options for beginners.

Short story books:

Short Stories in Brazilian Portuguese for Beginners by Olly Richards

This is a book that some of my students and I have. It is an excellent way to start. It is not hard it and it has a good glossary with the equivalent relevant terms in English.

You can also find here short stories from the same publisher in various languages. There are 16 books in these reader series.

Buy this book here

Portuguese Short Stories for Beginners by Lingo Mastery

This one I have used at the end of a couple of units with my students in class to help them develop their language understanding as well. They are easy and fun stories to read. In class, the teacher could you some of them to debate with students what happened, and what they think should happen next.

They also have other books in other languages, including an Easy Portuguese Phrase Book.

Buy this book here

Children's Books:

If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, you can find so many great children's book. A lot of beginners feel more confident to read these short and illustrated books.

Quando eu era criança by Ana Cristina Gluck

My first recommendation in this category is Quando eu era criança by Ana Cristina Gluck. It is such a cute book. It has a beautiful theme, and it should be a good way to practice talking about the past.

Buy this book here

Ana Cristina Gluck has another really cool book called Alecrim Dourado with stories and nursery rhymes you could read to your child. The cover page is so cute. I am not going to show this time, you have got to go there and check it out.

Buy this book here

Brasil com Nina: Um pouco da História

It is a cute little book for children you can read, practice Portuguese and learn more about the Brazilian history in simple words. The other good thing about it is that you can purchase it in paperback or ready it for free if you already subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.

Buy this book here

If you still do not subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, I suggest you do. I get to download books for me, for my classes, and for my daughter. You can have it on your Kindle device or on an app on your mobile device, pretty much any device really.

Subscribe to Kindle Unlimited here and find the Kindle app here.

Turma da Mônica Lendas Brasileiras

The best way to understand a language is to understand their culture, their habits, how they think, right? So why not practicing your target language with children's book about their country's folklore?

For those who are learning Portuguese, better saying, Brazilian Portuguese. I recommend this series by Mauricio de Souza. Our Brazilian children grow up reading his comic books, and they are amazing.

There are stories about: