Penguin Readers (Simplified-text)

Tom Sawyer loves adventures. He has them at home, at school, and with his friends —Huck Finn, Joe Harper, and Becky Thatcher. Tom has one adventure in a graveyard, one in an old house, one in a cave. Who does he see in those places—and why is he afraid?

One hot summer day, Alice sees a white rabbit and runs after it. She follows it down a rabbit-hole – and arrives in ‘Wonderland’. Here, caterpillars can talk and rabbits have watches. And the Queen wants to cut off everybody’s head!

Sherlock Holmes is a very clever man. When people have strange, difficult problems, they come to him. Where is Mr Hosmer Angel? Which student saw the exam paper before the exam? Why is somebody following Miss Smith? Can you find the answers before Sherlock Holmes does?

Everybody tells Forrest Gump that he’s an idiot. But he’s a great football player, and he plays the harmonica beautifully. He’s also a brave soldier. But can he ever marry the girl he loves? This story of his journey through life is sometimes sad and sometimes very funny.

Matilda is a clever and unusual little girl. But her parents aren’t interested in her, and the terrible head teacher at her school hates clever children. But Matilda finds a way to be strong, and the results are very funny.

Lord Cutler Beckett thinks that pirates are very bad for business. He wants to take command of the oceans. The Pirate Lords, of course, have other ideas. But can they fight him and win—together? They need the help of Captain Jack Sparrow, but he and his ship are at the...

Precious Ramotswe is a kind, warm-hearted and large African lady. She is also the only female private detective in Botswana. Her agency – the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – is the best in the country. With help of her secretary, Mma Makutsi, and her best friend, Mr JLB Matekoni, she...

Maximus is a general in the Roman army. After his last battle he wants to return to his family. But the new Emperor Commodus hates Maximus, and kills his family. Soon Maximus is a prisoner, then a slave, and finally a gladiator. When Emperor Commodus joins Maximus in the arena...

A train journey from Turkey to France is delayed by thick snow. So when a passenger on the train is found murdered in his bed, it is the perfect opportunity for Agatha Christie's famous detective, Hercule Poirot, to prove his ability and solve the crime using the power of his...

Contemporary / British English Mark Sway is eleven and he knows a terrible secret. He knows where a body is hidden. Some secrets are so dangerous that it's better not to tell. But it's just as dangerous if you don't. So Mark needs help fast... because there...

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is one of the great works of science fiction. It is the year After Ford 632 in the New World. People are born and live by scientific methods. There is worldwide happiness and order. Then John comes from the Savage Reservation to the New World...

Contemporary / American English All the computers in the world today make up a living being. They have a digital nervous system. Bill Gates, in this fascinating book, explains business in the twenty-first century. Information is the new business tool, and it can travel at...

Contemporary / American English Memoirs of a Geisha is one of the great stories of our time. We follow Sayuri’s life: her early years in a small fishing village and as a geisha in Gion. And throughout her struggle, we know of her secret love for the only man who...

Saving Private Ryan – one of the greatest war films ever made! Steven Spielberg – Academy Award® winner for Best Director! It’s June 9 1944, three days after D-Day. On the orders of the government, Captain John Miller and his men go to look for Private James Ryan. They must...

Contemporary / British English It is the summer of 1956, and the ageing butler of Darlington Hall takes a rare holiday. But it is a journey that will also take him deep into his past. The Remains of the Day is a remarkable story: a man's exploration...

Her movies are on TV. Her music is on the radio. Jennifer Lopez is a Hollywood star and a successful singer. She is a Latin performer. And “Latin” is about color, fun, and life! And who is the number one Latina? Jennifer, of course.

Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls’ number 23, is very famous. And he can fly! Maybe he is the best basketball player of all time. But where did he come from? How did he start in basketball? Read about his life and about his love of basketball.

Original / British English Mother Teresa was a small, quiet nun. She lived for God and helped poor people on the streets of India. She was very famous for her work. She died in 1997, but people remember her today. People in many countries love her. This...

Original / American English In 1974 two Black Americans fought in Zaire, in Africa. One was Muhammad Ali. After the fight, he was the boxing champion of the world - again. But why did a young boy from Kentucky start to box? Why did he...

Original / American English Pele is the number one player in the story of soccer. He won the World Cup three times with Brazil and the fans loved him. Today, Pele is famous in every country of the world. In 1950, he was a young boy with...

Most people around the world today know something about American life. The United States is a big country. Not all Americans are the same! In this book you will see the many faces of American life.

Original / American English Audrey Hepburn was a beautiful and great actress. When there were unhappy times for her, Audrey always showed a warm, friendly face to the world. The world loved her, and people love her now!

Scientist Harry Dalton knows about volcanoes. His boss, Paul Dreyfus, sends him to Dante’s Peak, a small town in the Cascade Mountains, because one of the mountains is moving. Can Harry help the town’s people before the volcano explodes? Why is Paul stopping him? How much time have they got?

Classic / British English When a fisherman opens an old jar, a giant comes out. When a donkey opens its mouth, gold falls out. There is magic in these five fairy tales. Good people are often very unhappy but in the end they have happy...

Classic / British English Heidi lives with her grandfather in his little wooden house, high up in the mountains of Switzerland. One day Heidi's aunt arrives and takes her to Clara's home in Frankfurt. Heidi likes her new friend, but she doesn't like living in a big house in the...

Amity is a quiet town near New York. One night a woman goes for a swim in the sea. The next morning somebody finds her body on the beach. Brody is the Amity policeman. He thinks there’s a killer shark out there. But the important people don’t listen to him.

Johnny English is a Secret Service agent. He often makes very bad mistakes. But now he’s got an important job: security for the Queen and her crown. There are problems – a lot of problems. But is Johnny English England’s only hope?

Be careful when you throw the Jumanji dice! What will happen? Nobody knows, but it will be dangerous. Two children find the game and start to play. Jungle animals and a man with a gun come out of the board. How can they stop them? They must finish the game.

Young Eric Kirby is in Jurassic Park with live, dangerous dinosaurs. His parents want to get him out—but how? Dr. Alan Grant knows about dinosaurs. He also knows that he doesn’t want to visit Jurassic Park again!

Classic / British English Only the next king can pull the sword out of the stone. Many people try, but they cannot move the sword. Then young Arthur tries, but it comes out easily. Now he will be king. But will he be a good king? And will his life...