Reading Challenges
Back to the Roots: Learn Like the Great Minds of the Past
Forget reels, flashy apps, and AI tutors for a moment. Let’s go back to a time when language learning was slow, focused—and deeply rewarding.
Many great minds in history were true polyglots:
🧠 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe studied Latin, Greek, French, Italian, English, and even dabbled in Persian.
👑 Catherine the Great wrote in three languages and ruled a multilingual empire.
🎨 Leonardo da Vinci used Latin, Italian, and French in his notes.
They didn’t scroll. They read.
Today, most of us struggle to focus for more than a few minutes. We skim, click, and swipe—but deep reading? We’re forgetting how to do it. These reading challenges are a way to reclaim that focus.
With German with Stories, you’ll train your reading muscles while enjoying real, meaningful stories written for learners. Audio included. Vocabulary explained. Exercises available.
No boredom. Just language, stories, and attention—revived.
How the challenges work
Every reading challenge has a clear structure: we start together, we finish together. No more procrastination or half-finished books. You’re not doing this alone.
You’ll join a small, supportive group on Telegram or WhatsApp, where we keep each other motivated. You can share your thoughts, ask questions—and even practice speaking by reading short sections aloud, summarizing chapters, or answering comprehension questions out loud. No pressure, no extra homework—just deeper engagement with the book you’re already reading.
The challenge is completely free to join. The only thing you need is the book—one of my original graded readers, written specifically for German learners.
To make the experience even richer, you’ll also get optional behind-the-scenes content:
🔍 What inspired the story?
👤 Are the characters based on real people?
💭 What was I thinking when I wrote this scene?
These short articles are available in both English and German via Patreon or Substack, so you can read them quickly and without hassle.
Each challenge runs for 6 to 12 weeks—no stress, no overwhelm. Just consistent reading, a bit of accountability, and a fresh connection to the German language.
🗓 July 14 – August 31, 2025
Join the Next Challenge: Ein Sommer in Heidelberg
This summer, we’re reading Ein Sommer in Heidelberg—a light and engaging story perfect for A2–B1 learners.
The first chapter (Prologue) is available for free on Substack—so you can get a feel for the story before committing.
Once you’re in, we’ll read together over 7 weeks, with regular check-ins, prompts, and optional speaking practice in our groups:
👉 Join the Telegram group
👉 Join the WhatsApp group
You only need the book to participate. Everything else is free.
📥 PDF eBook: Buy in the Patreon Shop
📚 Kindle or Paperback: Order on Amazon
Ready to rediscover your love for reading—and for German? We start July 14. Let’s do this together.