German authors for beginners/intermediates

I'd appreciate any recommendations (from native speakers or learners) regarding German-language authors good for people learning German: Straightforward style, not too complex. (Preferably with lots of dialogue.)

The only author I've read so far is Karl Friedrich May (an abridged "Winnetou"), and I've heard that the children's books by Erich Kästner might be good, but I'm sure that there are many other good authors (for children and adults) that would be appropriate for learners. They can be writers of novels, shorts stories, or plays.

Thanks!

What about audiobooks for children? Are you also interested in them?

This one for example (RealPlayer required):
http://www.kinderbuch.net/audio/desoto.html

I very much recommend Heinrich Böll.

Guest,

Thanks for the children's audiobook link. Any other audiobook links would also be most useful. (Especially if they have transcripts.)

Collette,

I'll take a look at Böll.

Anyone else?

How is Süskind for intermediates? I've read him in French, but not in German.

Abenteuer eines Brotbeutels by Böll (with other stories) may be available in a thin volume ( In German, but with vocabulary at the end of the book in English)...

Brennus meant that any off-topic messages IN THIS THREAD will be deleted. He obviously didn't mean that any THREADS unrelated to "German authors for beginners/intermediates" will be deleted.

As far as the subject goes, I can recommend simplified German readers by "Felix and Theo", published by Langenscheidt. They wrote a series of short mystery stories about a Berlin detective named Helmut Mueller and his secretary. These books, while not so cheap, are the best thing I've found for someone who wants to learn German grammar and vocabulary in a fun way.

I'd have to say Kafka...

Try reading Sonnenallee... That was relatively simple to read....