I don't really like learning material. It's too boring. I was always looking for books in Chinese that are easy to read. Coz I believe reading is very best way to learn a language. "Easy" means not so many different characters.

Last time in the WFJ foreign book shop the sales lady pointed me to: "Chinese Breeze", this are newly published graded readers. Grade I is having 300 different "words". Not sure if they mean "words" or "characters". Anyway, it's even for a beginner quite easy to read.

Each book is one short story. There is no Pinyin, but a few words are explained. As an early beginner you need a dictionary. But the text repeats itself a lot and you will use it less and less.

They are rmb 15.00 per book and come with a MP3 CD with tells the story in 2 speeds. Six grade I titles are out yet and I guess you get them in any better bookshop in China, or online.

http://www.hanyufeng.com

I would say one of the best books I have seen so far, and I saw a lot.