Silent reading sessions are an essential part of your child’s school day, where they are encouraged to bring their own books and read independently. If you’re having trouble finding a book that’s both engaging and appropriate for their reading level, or if you simply want to nurture their love for Mandarin, this curated list of recommended Chinese storybooks includes fun, relatable, and easy-to-read options.
1) Epigram Book
The Ellie Belly series has now been translated into Chinese. Hanyu Pinyin is also included to help children who find reading Chinese books challenging. The Chinese version keeps all the humor and fun of the original English book, including grammar tips and hilarious diary stories.
Suitable for Middle and Upper Primary Students
2) Maha Yu Yi
The Xiang Du Bao graded readers series brings everyday experiences to life with stories that feel familiar and relatable to children. As they read, they’ll feel immersed in the scenes, making it easier and more engaging to learn Chinese characters and language naturally. With six progressive levels, this series adapts to different learning stages, building confidence and fluency step by step while keeping reading fun and meaningful.
Suitable for Lower and Upper Primary Students
3) Owl Readers Club
This is a set of 10 Chinese (Hanyu Pinyin supported) award-winning short stories that is fun and easy to read. Each short story features a captivating title and vibrant full-color illustrations, spanning no more than three pages. With 10 stories in each book, this collection offers a total of 100 engaging tales—mini fairy tales woven with poetry and imagination.
Suitable for Lower Primary Students
4) Childed
Xiang Du Bao Graded Readers Series is the first and only Chinese graded readers series supported by the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism. This series of graded readers are developed for children aged 5 to 10 by author and early childhood consultant Associate Professor Sin Joo Ee, Head of Master and Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Chinese) Programmes in Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). The 48 Xiang Du Bao readers are graded across six reading levels, with 8 readers in each level in a sturdy storage box.
Suitable for Lower to Middle Primary Students
5) My Story Treasury
- 闹闹新现代学生心态写真系列 Nao Nao New Portraits of the Modern Day Student Series
These 3 series sets are a continuation of the stories of Nao Nao, a character well-known to young readers. The original collection of the stories of Nao Nao was selected by the Ministry of Education, Singapore as one of the 20 suggested reading materials for Primary School pupils. It has won a Highly Commended Award at the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature and was also made into a children’s television drama series. Features include Hanyu Pinyin for difficult words to aid in reading the story, funny and interesting stories with messages on core values, and content based on real-life situations which pupils can easily relate to.
Suitable for Lower to Upper Primary Students
6) Lingzhi Online Bookstore
This Picture Book Series 2 consists of 12 picture books, a special collaboration between Catholic High School, St. Nicholas Girls’ School, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School, and Lingzi Media for children. The 12 books are divided into four themes: Courage, Gratitude, Honesty, and Perseverance, with three picture books for each theme. Together, they feature 12 engaging, heartwarming, and inspiring short stories, allowing young readers to strengthen their language skills and learn important values through lively illustrations and familiar, relatable content.
Suitable for Middle Primary Students
7) Openschoolbag
World Chinese Graded Readers is a 10-level series for learners of the Chinese language. Comprising hundreds of best-loved children’s readers, this series features fascinating content, beautiful illustrations, and authentic language usage. Graded with reference to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines for Reading, the books expose learners to a wide range of vocabulary and language forms to develop their reading skills at each level. Learners will engage with a variety of themes and acquire useful vocabulary and sentence structures for everyday communication, and life in a diverse world.
Suitable for Lower to Middle Primary Students
8) Epigram Book
The stories in the Unboxing the Treasured Memories Graded Picture Book Series are the winning entries of the “Creativity, No Boundaries!” National Children’s Story Writing Competition held in 2021. Specially commissioned for primary students in Singapore, the Series consists of 36 books, classified into 6 grades, 6 books for each grade. The stories in Grades One and Two are specially denoted with hanyu pinyin, making it easier for children to read.
Suitable for Lower to Upper Primary Students
9) Lingzhi Online Bookstore
This six-book series features relatable, everyday stories that celebrate family bonds, friendship, and school life. The author’s inspiration for this series comes from a desire to highlight the challenges children may face in their daily lives or studies. By presenting these experiences through engaging picture book stories, he hopes to spark conversations and encourage shared learning.
Suitable for Lower to Middle Primary Students
10) Maha Yu Yi
Adapted from past editions, the latest edition of CLIPS Supplementary Readers (3rd Edition) consists of a curated collection of 39 books handpicked to align to the latest Primary Chinese syllabus revisions. Adjustments were made to the vocabulary used in this graded series to better facilitate students with differing language proficiencies and learning needs.
Suitable for Lower to Middle Primary Students
11) Openschoolbag
This bundle of 4 books is a children’s growth story collection based on Singapore’s primary school life by Etutor Learning. These stories showcase the vibrant and dynamic experiences of school life, allowing young readers to see themselves in the characters. Through these relatable stories, children will feel inspired, encouraged, and find joy in their learning journey.
Suitable for Middle to Upper Primary Students
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