What's included here
German children's books can be a great bridge into native German reading, but they're not necessarily easy. This list includes 17 children's and young adult books for roughly A2 to B2+ learners, with suggested levels and notes on what makes each book useful (or challenging) to read in German.
Children's books can be a fantastic way to ease yourself into reading real German.
They're often shorter than adult novels, tend to have clear plots and may include illustrations that help you work out what's happening when the German gets a little difficult to follow. They're also a fun way to pick up new vocabulary, see familiar grammar in context and get used to reading longer texts in German.
There's plenty of variety, too. You can start with illustrated stories and familiar fairy tales, move on to children's classics, or challenge yourself with fantasy and young adult fiction.
Of course, a book written for children isn't necessarily a book written for German learners. A German-speaking eight-year-old may know words you've never encountered in a textbook, and some children's books contain wordplay, invented vocabulary, dialect or older language.
That's why we've included a suggested level for language learners with each recommendation below.
If you're looking for something easier, German graded readers are written or adapted specifically for learners. You can also explore German short stories or individual German fairy tales. And if you're around B1 and ready to explore more native fiction, have a look at our easy German books for beginners.
We'll start with children's books originally written in German, then look at popular books translated into German, before moving on to German young adult fiction.
Why Read German Children's Books?
Children's books give you the chance to encounter real German in context without immediately diving into a dense novel.
Depending on the book, they can help you:
- build vocabulary through repeated words and situations
- see familiar grammar used naturally
- practise following a longer story in German
- use illustrations and plot context to infer unfamiliar words
- become more comfortable reading without understanding every sentence perfectly
German Children's Books Originally Written in German
These books range from relatively approachable children's stories to books that are better suited to confident B1 or B2 learners, so pay attention to the suggested level rather than assuming they're all equally easy.
1. Emil & die Detektive
Emil und die Detektive
by Erich Kästner
A boy has his money stolen on the way to Berlin and recruits a group of children to help him track down the thief.
Twelve-year-old Emil is travelling alone from his hometown to Berlin when the money his mother has given him disappears on the train.
He suspects a mysterious man called Grundeis.
Rather than going to the police, Emil begins following him through Berlin and soon finds himself joined by a group of local children determined to help solve the case.
Why read it in German?
The detective plot gives learners a clear sequence of events to follow.
Even if you don't understand every sentence, you know the central question - who stole Emil's money, and will they catch him?
The book was first published in 1929, however, so expect some older vocabulary and expressions. We wouldn't consider the original text an A2 book.
If you enjoy it, try Kästner's Pünktchen und Anton, Das fliegende Klassenzimmer or Das doppelte Lottchen next.
2. Der Mäusesheriff
Der Mäusesheriff
by Janosch
A cowboy mouse arrives in town with impressive stories about his Wild West adventures - most of which he appears to have invented.
The Mäusesheriff, complete with cowboy hat and boots, turns up in the mouse town of Katzelbach and begins entertaining everyone with tales of his heroic adventures.
However, there's only one slight problem: he made them all of them up.
When Bimsel the cat appears looking for dinner, the self-appointed sheriff suddenly has an opportunity to demonstrate how brave he actually is!
Why read it in German?
Janosch is best known for illustrated children's books such as Oh, wie schön ist Panama, and his books can be a good stepping stone into native German reading.
Der Mäusesheriff gives you more continuous text than a very simple picture book while still offering a short, playful story with plenty of context.
If you're around A2 and want to experiment with your first native German children's books, Janosch is one of the more approachable authors on this list.
3. Eine Woche voller Samstage
Eine Woche voller Samstage
by Paul Maar
A timid man's predictable life is turned upside down when a strange, mischievous creature called the Sams suddenly appears.
Mr Taschenbier is a timid, painfully ordinary man. Then, one day, the Sams appears.
The Sams is a strange creature with red hair, blue spots and absolutely none of Mr Taschenbier's interest in living a quiet, predictable life.
At first, Mr Taschenbier would quite like to get rid of his unexpected new companion. Over the course of the week, however, the Sams begins to change his life - and Mr Taschenbier himself.
Why read it in German?
The story is lively, episodic and written for younger readers, making it a much friendlier introduction to native German than many adult novels.
There is one complication for learners: Paul Maar loves wordplay.
Names, rhymes and jokes are part of the fun of the Sams books, which means understanding the individual words doesn't always guarantee that you'll understand the joke.
Still, for learners around B1, that can be part of the appeal
Note
There's also a film adaptation if you'd like some extra context.
4. Momo
Momo
by Michael Ende
A mysterious group of Grey Men is stealing people's time, and one girl appears to be unusually good at resisting them.
Momo lives in the ruins of an old amphitheatre and has a special talent: she's exceptionally good at listening.
Then, one day, the Grey Men arrive.
They persuade people to save time by becoming increasingly efficient, hurried and productive. But the more time everyone supposedly saves, the less of it they seem to have.
As the Grey Men gradually take control of the city, Momo becomes one of the few people capable of challenging them.
Why read it in German?
Momo is written for younger readers and has a strong fantasy narrative.
It's long, and its ideas become increasingly abstract: time, productivity, consumerism and what it means to spend your life well.
With this in mind, we'd recommend the original to confident B1+ learners or those approaching B2.
If that sounds too difficult, look for an adapted learner edition instead. Simplified versions of Momo exist specifically for German learners.
Note
There's also a German audiobook if you'd rather combine reading and listening!
5. Grimms Märchen
Grimms Märchen
by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
A collection of famous German fairy tales filled with witches, wolves, enchanted forests, magic and some surprisingly gruesome endings.
The Brothers Grimm collected some of the world's best-known German fairy tales, including Rotkäppchen, Aschenputtel, Hänsel und Gretel and Schneewittchen.
For language learners, these stories have one enormous advantage: that you already know the storylines.
Why read them in German?
Familiar plots provide a framework for understanding unfamiliar German. If you already know that a wolf, a grandmother and a basket of treats are involved, you don't need to decode every sentence to follow the story.
The tales are also short enough to tackle individually.
However, the original Grimm texts aren't necessarily easy German. They can contain older vocabulary and literary constructions, so we'd put the originals around B1+ rather than A2.
If these tales sound interesting to you, why not explore our wider collection of simplified German fairy tales.
6. Krabat
This book follows the adventures of fourteen-year-old orphan, Krabat.
Krabat
by Otfried Preußler
A fourteen-year-old orphan becomes an apprentice at a mysterious mill, where he discovers that his master is practising dark magic and training the mill’s twelve apprentices in the same dangerous arts.
Krabat is drawn to the mill by a strange recurring dream.
There, alongside eleven other apprentices, he begins learning the miller's trade - and black magic.
At first, Krabat is fascinated by his new powers. Gradually, however, he discovers that the mill is bound by a deadly pact that requires one of the apprentices to die each year.
Why read it in German?
Krabat has an excellent advantage for learners: its dark fantasy plot gives the story momentum, and you constantly want to know what happens next.
But the historical setting, atmosphere and less everyday vocabulary make it more challenging than books such as Der Mäusesheriff or Eine Woche voller Samstage.
We'd recommend it to confident B1+ readers or learners approaching B2.
If you like the sound of Preußler but want something easier, start with _Die kleine Hexe, Das kleine Gespenst or Der Räuber Hotzenplotz.
German Children's Books Translated into German
Reading a translation can be an excellent language-learning strategy.
If you've already read the book or seen a film adaptation, you know the characters and plot before you begin. That gives you extra context when the German gets difficult.
The next four books weren't originally written in German, but their German translations are widely read.
7. Sofies Welt
(Originally published in Norwegian, translated by Gabriele Haefs)
Sofies Welt
by Jostein Gaarder
A teenage girl is drawn into the history of philosophy, before discovering that she and her world may exist only inside someone else’s book.
One day, fourteen-year-old Sofie receives a mysterious question in the post:
Wer bist du?
Then another:
Woher kommt die Welt?
The questions lead her into a mysterious correspondence course in philosophy, taking her through the ideas of major thinkers from ancient Greece onwards.
Eventually, Sofie and her teacher Alberto begin to suspect that there is something unusual about the world they live in, and start to investigate the strange events happening around them.
Why read it in German?
The plot gives the philosophical material a narrative structure, which can make difficult ideas easier to follow.
However, Philosophy brings with it abstract vocabulary and concepts, making this one of the more demanding books on the list. We'd recommend the German translation to B2+ learners.
8. Der kleine Prinz
(Originally published in French, translated by Hans Magnus Enzensberger)
This classic novella is a language learning staple, extremely popular in the language learning community!
Der kleine Prinz
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
A stranded pilot meets a mysterious little prince who tells him about his tiny planet, his beloved rose and the strange adults he has encountered on his travels.
A pilot stranded in the Sahara meets a mysterious little prince from a tiny asteroid.
The prince tells him about his home, his beloved rose and the strange adults he has encountered while travelling from planet to planet.
Der kleine Prinz explores love, friendship, loneliness, loss and the differences between how children and adults see the world.
Why read it in German?
Der kleine Prinz is short, illustrated and extremely familiar, which makes it popular with language learners.
However, story uses symbolism and philosophical language, and the German translation wasn't written with learners in mind, so we'd recommend it around B1+, particularly if you already know the story in your own language.
9. Harry Potter
(Originally published in English, translated by Klaus Fritz)
This celebrated children's book is a particular favourite amongst language learners, as many already know the storyline, having read the books series or watched the films as a child.
Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen
by J. K. Rowling
An eleven-year-old boy discovers that he's a wizard and enters a hidden world of magic, strange creatures and dangerous secrets.
Eleven-year-old Harry Potter discovers that he's a wizard and is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Why read it in German?
If you've already read the books or watched the films, you have a huge amount of contextual information before diving into the German version.
The difficulty is the amount of fantasy vocabulary, invented terminology and descriptive language, so we wouldn't call the unabridged German translation a straightforward B1 book.
For confident B1+ or B2 learners who already know the story, however, familiarity can make it quite manageable.
10. Pippi Langstrumpf
(Originally published in Swedish, translated by Cäcilie Heinig)
Pippi Langstrumpf is widely read (and watched) in Germany, and this first book about the title character, introduces Pippi as living in a small town with her monkey and pony.
Pippi Langstrumpf
by Astrid Lindgren
A strong and fiercely independent girl lives alone with a horse and a monkey, doing almost exactly as she pleases.
Pippi Longstocking lives in Villa Kunterbunt with a monkey, a horse and a suitcase full of gold coins.
She has no parents, and no bedtime, and no interest in doing what adults tell her.
Together with her friends Tommy and Annika, Pippi sets off on a series of adventures, generally using her enormous strength and even larger personality to deal with whatever happens next.
Why read it in German?
The episodic structure makes Pippi Langstrumpf useful for learners because you don't have to keep track of one complicated plot across an entire novel.
It's also full of dialogue and concrete action.
The playful language can occasionally be challenging, but we'd consider it a reasonable option around B1 - particularly if you're already familiar with Pippi.
10. German Young Adult Books
Ready for something more difficult?
The books in this section are written for older children and teenagers. They deal with more complex subjects and generally require a stronger vocabulary than the earlier recommendations.
Most are better suited to B1+ or B2 learners.
11. TKKG Series
TKKG Series
by Stefan Wolf and later authors
Four young friends investigate crimes and mysteries together, from theft and blackmail to bullying, drugs and violence.
TKKG follows four young friends - Tarzan/Tim, Karl, Klößchen and Gaby - as they investigate crimes and mysteries.
The series has been very popular in Germany, particularly through its audio dramas.
Cases range from theft and blackmail to stories involving drugs, violence and other problems affecting young people.
Why read it in German?
Crime stories provide clear goals, suspects and sequences of events, which can make comprehension easier.
The series also gives you plenty of dialogue and everyday vocabulary.
If you're particularly interested in mysteries, explore our German crime fiction books too.
And consider listening to the audio dramas! Listening to a story alongside or after reading it can be useful German listening practice.
12. Als ich mit Hitler Schnapskirschen aß
Als ich mit Hitler Schnapskirschen aß
by Manja Präkels
A teenage girl growing up around German reunification watches her childhood friend become increasingly involved in a violent far-right youth scene.
Mimi grows up in a small East German town during the final years of the GDR and the turbulent period after reunification.
As the world around her changes, her childhood friend Oliver becomes increasingly involved in a violent far-right youth scene.
Their friendship gradually gives way to fear, aggression and political extremism.
Why read it in German?
The novel offers an introduction to the social upheaval of post-reunification eastern Germany and the rise of far-right youth culture.
However, whilst Mimi's voice can be direct, the historical context, youth language, regional expressions and subject matter make the novel significantly more demanding than an A2 reader.
So, we'd recommend this one to B2+ learners.
13. Tintenherz
Tintenherz
by Cornelia Funke
A girl discovers that her father can read fictional characters out of books - a power that causes chaos when a dangerous villain is accidentally brought into the real world.
Meggie lives with her father Mo - a bookbinder with a mysterious special power.
When he reads aloud, characters and objects can emerge from the pages into the real world.
Unfortunately, not every fictional character is someone you'd particularly want turning up at your house, and when the villain Capricorn comes looking for Mo, Meggie discovers that her father once accidentally read him out of its pages.
Why read it in German?
It's adventurous, imaginative and strongly plot-driven - all useful and motivating qualities when you're reading in another language.
But it's also a long fantasy novel with descriptive prose and specialised vocabulary, so we'd recommend it to confident B1+ learners or B2 readers.
14. Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl
This novel is the first of a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels, by German-born british writer, Judith Kerr.
Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl
by Judith Kerr
A nine-year-old Jewish girl and her family flee Nazi Germany, leaving their home behind and beginning a new life as refugees.
Nine-year-old Anna lives in Berlin with her family, when Hitler comes to power.
Her Jewish family must suddenly leave Germany, abandoning their home and many of their possessions - including Anna's beloved pink rabbit.
They travel first to Switzerland, then France and eventually England, adapting to new countries and languages along the way.
Why read it in German?
Because the story is told from a child's perspective, complex historical events are experienced through concrete changes in Anna's everyday life: leaving home, changing schools, learning languages and adjusting to life as a refugee.
That makes the story relatively approachable compared with many novels about Nazi Germany.
We'd say the original German edition is best suited for B1+/B2 learners.
If it's too difficult for you, simplified learner editions are available at lower levels.
15. Blueprint – Blaupause
Blueprint – Blaupause
by Charlotte Kerner
A celebrated pianist decides to clone herself so her musical talent can live on, leaving her daughter to struggle with an identity chosen for her before birth.
Iris Sellin is a celebrated pianist who discovers that she has multiple sclerosis.
Faced with the possibility that her musical talent will die with her, she makes an extraordinary decision to clone herself.
Her daughter Siri grows up knowing that she is genetically identical to her mother and expected to continue the life and career Iris can no longer have.
Unsurprisingly, she has some thoughts of her own about this arrangement.
Why read it in German?
Blueprint – Blaupause gives advanced learners the chance to engage with German through an interesting ethical question that may spark your curiousity: What happens when a child is created to fulfil someone else's ambitions?
But discussions of cloning, identity, illness and ethics require more abstract vocabulary than a typical children's adventure story, so we'd recommend this one around B2+.
Two German Children's Classics That Are A Little Dark
Finally, we'd like to end with two honorary mentions.
Struwwelpeter and Max und Moritz occupy an important place in the history of German children's literature, but they aren't necessarily the books we'd hand to a learner looking for contemporary everyday German.
They're old and include some outdated words... but at the same time, they're culturally fascinating and famously brutal!
Which is why they're worth mentioning.
16. Struwwelpeter
Struwwelpeter
by Heinrich Hoffmann
A collection of illustrated stories about children whose bad behaviour leads to absurd and often brutal outcomes.
This book consists of short illustrated cautionary tales in which children refuse to eat, play with matches, suck their thumbs or otherwise fail to behave as nineteenth-century adults would like.
As a consequence, they face punishments that are often absurd, extreme and surprisingly gruesome.
Why read it in German?
The stories are short, heavily illustrated and culturally significant, which makes Struwwelpeter interesting for German learners.
However, the book is from the nineteenth century and uses rhyme, older vocabulary and constructions you aren't particularly likely to need while ordering a coffee in Berlin, so keep that in mind!
Read it for the cultural curiosity - not as a model of contemporary German language.
17. Max & Moritz
Max und Moritz
by Wilhelm Busch
Two mischievous boys terrorise their neighbours through a series of elaborate pranks until their luck finally runs out.
Max and Moritz are two boys with an impressive commitment to making everybody else's life hell.
Across several increasingly destructive pranks, they torment their neighbours, teacher, tailor and various other unfortunate adults.
Eventually, the adults have had enough, and things don't end well for Max and Moritz!
Why read it in German?
Like Struwwelpeter, this is interesting cultural material, but not especially useful as beginner German.
The illustrations help a lot, but Busch writes in rhyming nineteenth-century verse, so learners will encounter unusual word order and older vocabulary.
Which German Children's Books Are Easiest for Learners?
If you're around A2/A2+ and want to experiment with native children's books, we'd start with shorter, heavily contextualised books such as:
- Der Mäusesheriff
- other illustrated books by Janosch
At around B1, you have considerably more choice. Try:
- Eine Woche voller Samstage
- Pippi Langstrumpf
- Emil und die Detektive
At B1+, you can begin tackling longer or linguistically more demanding books such as:
- Grimms Märchen
- Krabat
- Momo
- Tintenherz
- Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen
And once you're around B2, books with more abstract ideas, historical context or complex language become much more realistic - including Sofies Welt, Blueprint – Blaupause and Als ich mit Hitler Schnapskirschen aß.
These levels are suggestions, not official CEFR classifications. How difficult you find a book will also depend on your vocabulary, whether you already know the story and how comfortable you are continuing when you don't understand everything.
How to Choose a German Children's Book at Your Level
Don't choose a children's book based purely on the age of its intended reader; choose it by looking at the actual text.
A good book for your current German level is one where you can follow the main story without constantly reaching for a dictionary.
Illustrations, short chapters, familiar plots and plenty of dialogue can all make a book easier to follow.
Should You Read German Translations?
Reading a German translation of a book you already know can be one of the easiest ways to make the jump into longer German texts.
If you've already read Harry Potter, The Little Prince or Pippi Longstocking, for example, you already know what happens, which makes the German much easier to follow.
The trade-off is that you're reading a German translation rather than a work originally written in German.
If your goal is also to explore German-language literature and culture, we'd suggest mixing translations with books by German-language authors such as Erich Kästner, Michael Ende, Otfried Preußler and Cornelia Funke.
What If These Books Are Too Difficult?
Being written for children doesn't make a book suitable for an A1 or A2 language learner.
If native children's books still feel overwhelming, German graded readers are deliberately written or adapted around a restricted range of vocabulary and grammar.
You can also try German short stories or individual German fairy tales before committing to a full novel.
And if you're already around B1 and looking specifically for your first piece of native fiction, have a look at our easy German books for beginners.