Les secrets de famille - Level 1 - French Acquisition™ Reader by Patricia Verano & Theresa Marrama

Very nice little reader perfect for Level 1 French students. Love that it has the downloadable audio included. My students really like being able to listen to and read the text.

I found this reader hard to follow. From the first chapter sentences and paragraphs felt strangely ordered. New information is introduced in ways that are confusing and sudden. The book is written with simple limited vocabulary and has a good glossary, images, etc. but unfortunately it is very awkward compared to other level 1 comprehensible readers I have in my library and had me constantly jumping back to reread sentences, clarify my understanding, check which characters were who, etc. There is a good premise to this book it just needs to be edited for ease of reading.

I really like the plot and setting of this story set in Bretagne, and I have been able to do some nice cultural tie-ins with the region. However, as the other reviewer mentioned, the sentences are really choppy and full of non-sequiturs. In an early chapter, Michel's dad is named Jacques, but in the later chapters, he is named Stephan. OK, he's a minor character and, yes, I'm being really nitpicky, but this book feels like it wasn't beta read. Having said that, it's not a total deal-breaker. I originally bought 25 copies and the students like the intrigue and characters, so I am actually buying a few more copies for a bigger class next year. I bought Les Secrets de Famille to replace Pauvre Anne, which needed updating, and I do think this is an improvement. Having the audio is good.