Spanish textbook recommendation

Open Forum in English
1

I’m learning French and Spanish. I found a great French textbook in the local library:

Reprise (The Allyn and Bacon French program) (Hardcover)
by John G Boucher
(more details at www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0006C9X46/)

It has these features:

  • Short funny stories and famous people’s anecdotes
  • Stories mostly written by well-known French writers in history
  • Grammar explained in French
  • English words are used when French explanations would be too hard to follow
  • Not too many pictures taking space (as in middle school Spanish textbooks)

I want a Spanish textbook that has these features. At least 8 out 10 stories must be interesting, humorous. That’s the most important to me. Could anyone recommend such a textbook? Thanks a lot.

2

I don’t have a humorous textbook in my collection, but I do have a modern one, aimed at A-level students, very informative, written in Spanish, with occasional grammar notes in English within the text and as a full grammar appendix. It’s ¡Ponte al día!, published in Britain by Hodder Education, written by Mike Thacker / Monica Morcillo Laiz.

3

Thank you. I’ll go to a local bookstore to see if they have it. Local libraries here don’t have it.

Actually, my first point “short funny stories” is important to me. I really want to read something interesting in the context of a textbook, meaning difficult words and sentences are explained, interlaced with grammar notes.

4

Assimil’s Spanish with Ease course probably fits those criteria. I used it myself to get started. It has short dialogues and stories, with grammar notes explaining specific points. The audio is entirely in Spanish.

5

Thanks, Chris. I found it on Amazon:

It’s strange that used books are more expensive. I’ll go to the bookstore and take a look. Local libraries don’t have it either.

6