Really weird question but I’m looking to see if anyone can tell me where I might find a list of these books (so I can look up the names or the isbn for this type instead of the non furigana ones) or if there is anything I can search for in particular to make them come up on Amazon? (It’s my go to for buying books because it’s easiest and cheapest for me currently).
I’ve managed to find a few by pure fluke but I’d like to get more for reading to help with my recollection of readings without looking things up if I can help it. I found this helped when reading the ミラーさん novels and the Read Real Japanese books but most of my other books do not have this. I am starting to slowly recognize readings for furigana less kanji but I’d like to try to speed this up if possible so I can work on meanings in context instead of trying to focus on the readings to sound things out.
If you are looking for books with furigana, there are other imprints as well, such as 青い鳥文庫, みらい文庫, 小学館ジュニア文庫 and ポケット文庫 [which seems to have been changed into キミノベル]. Others probably also exist.
They’re all pretty similar being simplified versions of regular books with furigana and stuff for younger kids. The difference seems to be the publishing company.
At least some of them (most of them?) are original books aimed at the younger age group, rather than being simplified versions of books for older readers, I think.
Within the imprints you have different levels - but I find them more difficult to figure out online. On the printed books, it’s easy to locate them on the back.
Yes, but what I meant was, when I see one of those books on amazon, I don’t have any idea what level it’s supposed to be, unless I read the sample. On the physical books, it’s clearly visible and it immediately tells you, what size the font will be in, whether to expect more or less kanji, how simple/complex the story will be, … I find that really valuable information.
Yes and no. Easier for a native speaker. Lower levels use fewer kanji in larger font and with a less complex story (as afar as I have found). However, for a learner, fewer kanji can actually be trickier and less complex stories can be boring. Personally, I’d recommend skipping the lowest level.
(Sidenote: Tsubasa uses feathers, but also usually they have 小学初級(1-2)/中級(3-4)/上級(5-6)から written which all the other imprints seem to use as well.)
The grade levels are listed on the back of the book to the right of the feathers; in slidevore’s post above you’ll see it circled.
As for those letters and numbers at the top of the spine, I’ve always assumed those were for shelf sorting purposes – would love for someone to confirm because I’ve wondered about it for a long time.
