Reading tips to learn German: Youth & children’s books
Literature tips to learn German: Youth & children’s books
As the golden season is upon us, most of us might want to enjoy a nice cup of tea and a good read on the couch.
This time we chose mostly German classics of youth and children’s literature from different decades. From exciting crime or fantasy stories to German story telling over decades, you have the chance to get to know some famous and beloved German authors. And as these books are mainly for children and young adults, they are a little bit easier to understand and fun to read – even if you just started learning German. 😉
So here we go!
1. Die unendliche Geschichte (1979)
This novel by Michael Ende is a classic of German children’s and youth literature. Ende tells the story of the bookworm Bastian, who’s finding a book which will change his life. While reading, he realizes that the characters of the story are waiting for someone to rescue them. It soon becomes clear that Bastian himself is the desired saviour so he decides to enter the world of „Phantásien“, determined to do what he’s destined to do. Soon he finds himself living many exciting adventures and forgetting more and more of his own past in the real world.
The book doesn’t only tell the exciting story of a boy. It’s also about the power of imagination and the impact it has on each person, especially how it changes a person to good or even bad.
The novel was adapted for movies as well. You can easily find trailers and more details on the net.
2. Momo (1973)
Another novel for younger readers written by the German best seller author Michael Ende: The main character is Momo, a little girl who has the gift to give people more lifetime. One day a group of grey men intending to steal precious lifetime from others occupy the city. Now it’s up to Momo to safe them all from the thiefs of time. This famous novel is a perfect read for anyone at an A2 to B1 level.
This classic was adapted for a movie in the eighties as well.
3. Crime stories
For all of our „Tatort“ fans we are now introducing to you: Three famous crime stories that most probably every (German) child or teenager has heard of before they were old enough to watch „Tatort“. 😉
Emil und die Detektive (1929) by Erich Kästner is interesting for children as well as for adults. Emil actually wanted to visit his grandma but on his way, someone stole all of his money which he thought he kept save in his jacket. He immediately decides to find the thief and jumps out of the train. From that moment on, the reader follows Emil on his adventure through Berlin, where he meets new friends who decide to help him to find the thief and get the money back. The novel also offers interesting impressions of Berlin in the late 20s. The book is also available in an easier version for A2-B1 level.
TKKG – In each book, the four Teenagers Tim or Tarzan, Karl, Klößchen and Gaby have to solve a new crime case. And of course, with a little assistance of Gaby’s dog Oskar and her father, a detective, no case remains unsolved. The stories were especially popular in the 80ties and 90ties and even nowadays have an nostalgic vibe and might bring back some good memories.
Die drei ??? – in English better known as The Three Investigators, three boys are solving crimes all around their hometown Rockey Beach in California. A few of the stories were written by German authors.
Good news: You can find a lot of TKKG and Die drei ??? episodes on Spotify. So you have the choice between reading and listening! 😉 Whatever way you choose, in the end it will help you improve your German skills in a fun and nostalgic way.
Hit us up if you’d like more reading tip for the autumn season!
ENJOY!
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