Graded readers / Imagin8 Press

Imagin8 Press

An imprint of retold Chinese stories (Journey to the West, dynasty histories, folk heroes) written with a controlled word count, most titles built on the HSK 3 vocabulary. Sold per title in paperback and ebook, with free audiobooks.

Publisher: Imagin8 Press Formats: Print, E-book, Audio Vocabulary: 69 to 2,238 words

The levels

Each level below lists the vocabulary size it is built around and the approximate HSK fit on both schemes. Vocabulary sizes are the publisher's figures; the HSK bands are a computed line-up against the HSK word and character lists, given as ranges and approximate. The two schemes count different lists, so the same book can sit a level or two apart on each: HSK 2.0 is the closer fit for this word-graded series.

• Shortest early readers: The catalogue starts as low as 69 words for the simplest picture-style books.
• Core novels (HSK 3 based): Flagship novels such as The Rise of the Monkey King use about 512 words, most within the HSK 3 vocabulary.
• Longest single volumes: The largest single Chinese volume in the catalogue uses about 2,238 words.

Check it against your own level

The label on a series is a starting guess, not a promise. The reliable way to place any book is to grab a sample chapter, paste it into the coverage analyzer, and see whether you clear roughly 95 percent word coverage. If you do, the reading will feel smooth; if you are well below, drop a level. Teachers can use the difficulty grader the same way to place a class text.

Other series to compare

• Du Chinese App and web graded reader with a large library of original stories and adapted classics across six levels, each defined by a stated character vocabulary, with built-in audio, pinyin toggle and tap-to-look-up. Free lessons plus a premium subscription for the full library.
• Chinese Breeze A long-running print novella series (mysteries, romances, everyday-life stories) graded by a base-word budget across four levels, with an audio recording of each book. Published by Peking University Press.
• Sinolingua Graded Chinese Reader (word-count series) A print anthology series of short stories and abridged fiction whose volumes are banded by an explicit base-word budget (named in each title, from around a thousand words upward). Published by Sinolingua and sold per volume.

Back to all graded-reader series

Source and neutrality: figures are Imagin8 Press's own published grading, last checked 2026-07-24 against Imagin8 Press (catalogue and per-book word-count list); the HSK bands are HanziCoverage's own approximate line-up, not a publisher claim. HanziCoverage has no affiliate relationship with Imagin8 Press and earns nothing if you buy it. The only app we publish and disclose is on the recommended page.