Petit déjeuner à Paris: A Story in Easy French with Translation, Vol. 1

My French is not bad- I'm somewhere between a beginner and intermediate speaker. Yet, whenever I used to try to read books in French, I would almost cry from frustration. The past tense that French novels are written in is so hard for beginner/intermediate speakers to understand- it's a whole different world. So not only did I feel like, wait do I even speak French at all? But also it was SO frustrating to stop reading and look up every 5th word.Enter "Petit déjeuner à Paris". This book is very accessible. It's written in tenses that are very friendly for beginners. And the translation in the second half of the book is so great because you don't have to lose your flow to look things up- it's right there for you. In context.More than that, the story is fun and intriguing. So it's not like reading those bland "Jim went to the store. Jim bought apples" types books which would just feel like you know you're doing it "for class". This book's storyline makes me feel like I'm a sophisticated Frenchwoman just reading her French novel. I feel so empowered to be able to get through most of each page on my own thanks to a) the accessible tenses I mentioned, b) new words are often given great context so I figure it out as I go.Oh, and there are fun activities at the end of each chapter to bolster your language skills.Highly recommend!

This book series is awesome!I'm an intermediate French learner and I could understand about 90% of the material. It served as a wonderful confidence builder, a great review session, and a wonderful way to learn French idioms and cultural references. This would also be the perfect challenge for a beginner learner. It was nice to find a story that wasn't written only for little kids.The chapters are about 3 or 4 pages long (just enough so you don't get too tired) and there are fun little activities to do at the end of each one. The author has a lovely sense of humour as well. The cover pictures are very pretty too. I highly recommend for either yourself or it would also make a great gift for a friend or family member.I just finished the 2nd of the series "Déjeuner à Paris" and I'm shocked to see that the author just released the third story! I have it in my cart right now. Thank you so so much France Dubin! Your efforts are much appreciated :)

Continuing in the tradition of the other books in the series, this one is another very enjoyable short story for beginning or intermediate French speakers. While the language and grammar are appropriately tailored to the target audience, the book has a well-developed story line and a natural, easy-going flow. Colloquialisms and idioms pop up throughout the book, adding to the sense that, although intended as a learning tool, the book doesn't cheat the reader of the natural elements of the language. The chapters are short so the student can read the book in easily digestible chunks and study the language using the translation provided in the second section of the book. All in all, a very pleasant read and a great "teaser" for the pre-announced next book in the series!

Relatively simple French, but not a simplistic story. You don’t need to have a French/English dictionary at hand to read and enjoy it it – just go to a translation of the entire story in the back half of the book when you need help. Obviously intended for continued-learning people “of a certain age”, like me. Offers a whirlwind first visit to Paris with introductions to a real Paris neighborhood, department store, flea market, and fancy restaurant as well as to several forms of public transportation and a cruise on the Seine. Fun and a bit of romance thrown in! For learning purposes, there are some useful French idioms included and exercises at the end of each chapter (with answers also in the back half of the book -- some of the exercises are a bit challenging)! I'm eagerly awaiting the promised Volume 2.

I loved this book by France Dubin. I bought it to help improve my French (beginner/intermediate) but the story and characters are so compelling that it was a joy to read and I look forward to reading more about these people in other books in this series. I also felt great being able to read a French novel and understand the authentic dialogue—the translation in the back helped me learn a lot of French idioms and realistic ways of speaking. I highly recommend this book.