You might remember that we covered this set of graded readers when the first three volumes came out in 2017, and then when volumes four and five appeared later on. After a few recent releases, there are now an additional four volumes, completing the nine-volume set.
The series is based on The Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Course and is designed to be used alongside it, to help you practice the kanji in context. The graded readers themselves don't include information about how to learn the kanji, as this is covered in the Learner's Course. If you are already using this course to study, these readers would be a valuable addition to your studies, as they contain a wealth of reading material to consolidate what you've learned.
Each sentence is first written in Japanese only, followed by the same sentence with readings in hiragana, and then an English translation.
All of the volumes are set out in a similar way, making them easy to navigate. Unlike many graded readers, they do not follow a storyline, but instead provide sentences and paragraphs of increasing length and complexity, which illustrate various possible uses of each kanji. Each sentence is first written in Japanese only, followed by the same sentence with readings in hiragana, and then an English translation. If you read them in scrolling mode, you can start off by reading the Japanese version, before checking your knowledge using the kanji readings and the translation.
Previously available only as e-books, the first two volumes are now also available as paperbacks, with plans for the rest to follow suit. These are mostly intended for those who want to revisit the material during off-screen times. Not sure if this series is for you? You can download a free digital version of the first volume to see for yourself!