Japanese graded readers are da bomb

Now that I have them -- cool.  I am actually reading Japanese, and it's fun, and it's something I actually want to do!

Pics here, so you know what you're getting into.  Stories from level 0:  the Kimura family's morning (with Dad carrying out garbage and briefcase and throwing the wrong one in the dumpster); things you make with soybeans; Ryo-san the cop chasing a thieving Santa; the northward path of cherry blossoms in Japan each spring.  Level 2's cranked up in difficulty, and features:  Russian folk tales; some New York stories; the Japanese bath; Mt. Fuji.  A lot of variety and a lot of culture.  Some of the stories are sad and some quirky-funny and some don't quite excite, but there's still much to like.

They are pricey!  $20-$30 (~2000-3000円) for a pack of 5-6 booklets.  The cheapest is at CD Japan, currently around $21.

I've never been able to find them in electronic format, at least, not at the lower levels.  (I can't find again one I had at a higher level.)

So I've shifted away from kanji, despite only having some 40 left to go.  I'll now be posting vocabulary from the readers.  My lists aren't exhaustive:  I'm omitting things I already know or that are understandable from context.  And if you really need them, or need more, maybe you're reading at too high a level.. 見ましょう！