French graded reader · A1 · Beginner
A French A1 reader: Arsène Lupin
Learn French with Arsène Lupin · A1 is a graded reader and course book for complete beginners in French. It retells Maurice Leblanc’s first Lupin story, L’Arrestation d’Arsène Lupin (1905), in 20 lessons and 4 reviews written at level A1, with the grammar of each chapter explained in English, extra exercises, a full answer key and a final test. PDF and EPUB, €4.99.
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What does A1 French read like?
Short sentences in the present tense, with the words a beginner meets first. This is how the book, and the free course, begin:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je m’appelle Bernard d’Andrézy. Je suis français, de Paris. | My name is Bernard d’Andrézy. I am French, from Paris. |
| Je suis sur un bateau. Le bateau s’appelle la Provence. | I am on a ship. The ship is called the Provence. |
| La Provence est un grand bateau. Elle est rapide et confortable. | The Provence is a big ship. She is fast and comfortable. |
| Le voyage est long : la Provence va du Havre à New York. | The voyage is long: the Provence goes from Le Havre to New York. |
| Le commandant est un homme aimable. Il est grand et très calme. | The captain is a kind man. He is tall and very calm. |
By the end of the level the sentences are longer, the narrator asks questions, makes plans and tells lies, and you can read a line of Leblanc’s original with a little help.
What is in the book?
- The 20 lessons of the A1 course: the story, the vocabulary, the grammar explained in English, and the line of Leblanc’s original.
- 4 review units, one every five lessons (units 2 to 4 are only in the book).
- Extra exercises that are not on the website, with a full answer key.
- A final test of the whole level.
- A free bonus page for buyers, where the audio of the stories will be added.
Formats: PDF (any computer, tablet or phone, and printable) and EPUB (Kindle via Send to Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books and other e-readers). Price: €4.99, with a 30-day refund guarantee.
What do the 20 lessons teach?
- Lesson 1: A big ship Un grand bateau · grammar: Être and the articles un, une, le, la
- Lesson 2: The passengers Les passagers · grammar: Adjective agreement, les and des
- Lesson 3: A message from the sky Un message dans le ciel · grammar: Avoir and il y a
- Lesson 4: The telegram Le télégramme · grammar: Where adjectives go: colours and the body
- Lesson 5: Who is Arsène Lupin? Qui est Arsène Lupin ? · grammar: Regular -er verbs in the present tense
- Review 1: lessons 1 to 5 Révision 1 : leçons 1 à 5
- Lesson 6: Miss Nelly Miss Nelly · grammar: À, en, au, aux with cities and countries
- Lesson 7: On deck Sur le pont · grammar: Negation: ne… pas, ne… rien, ne… jamais
- Lesson 8: The investigation L’enquête · grammar: Asking questions: est-ce que, inversion, quel
- Lesson 9: Thirteen Mr Rs Treize messieurs R · grammar: Numbers 0 to 69
- Lesson 10: Monsieur Rozaine Monsieur Rozaine · grammar: Possessives: mon, ma, mes, son, sa, ses
- Review 2: lessons 6 to 10 Révision 2 : leçons 6 à 10
- Lesson 11: The left arm Le bras gauche · grammar: Ce, cet, cette, ces (this, that). Left and right
- Lesson 12: Lady Jerland’s jewels Les bijoux de lady Jerland · grammar: The partitive: du, de la, des and pas de
- Lesson 13: Rozaine is free Rozaine est libre · grammar: Aller and the near future
- Lesson 14: Ten thousand francs Dix mille francs · grammar: Big numbers. Faire and prendre
- Lesson 15: My camera Mon kodak · grammar: Pouvoir, vouloir, devoir + infinitive
- Review 3: lessons 11 to 15 Révision 3 : leçons 11 à 15
- Lesson 16: The captain’s watch La montre du commandant · grammar: De and à + the article: du, des, au, aux
- Lesson 17: A night on deck Une nuit sur le pont · grammar: Reflexive verbs: se lever, s’appeler
- Lesson 18: Everybody is scared Tout le monde a peur · grammar: Expressions with avoir. Tout, toute, tous, toutes
- Lesson 19: New York! New York ! · grammar: Venir, venir de, and adjectives before the noun
- Lesson 20: Arsène Lupin, I presume? Arsène Lupin, n’est-ce pas ? · grammar: Stressed pronouns: moi, toi, lui. C’est moi
- Review 4: lessons 16 to 20 Révision 4 : leçons 16 à 20
Can I use it without buying anything?
Yes. All 20 lessons and the first review are free on this website, with interactive exercises. The book is for those who prefer to read away from the screen, want the extra practice and answers, or simply want to support the project.
Questions about the book
What is in the A1 book?
The 20 lessons and 4 review units of the A1 course (reviews 2 to 4 are only in the book; the website shows a preview), extra exercises that are not on the website, a full answer key and a final test. It comes as a PDF and an EPUB, for €4.99.
Can I read the book on a Kindle?
Yes. The EPUB file can be sent to a Kindle with Amazon’s Send to Kindle, and it also opens on Kobo, Apple Books and most other e-readers. The PDF opens on any computer, tablet or phone.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. If a book you bought on this site is not what you expected, write within 30 days and you get your money back, with no questions asked.
Higher levels: see French books by level.