In this thread there are already quite a few interesting suggestions.
But I think most of them are too difficult for the target audience (1000-1400 and 1400-1800)
I suggest
Richard Reti: Die Meister des Schachbretts
This is an annotated game collection in chronological order.
But Reti's intention has been to write an educational book and
he thought a game collection in historical order is the best way to do so (for details look at Reti's preface).
There is a new English edition which looks very reasonable:
https://www.amazon.de/Masters-Chessboard-Richard-Reti/dp/1936490218?asin=B006ZQI...;
It is important for Reti to begin the annotations in the opening and to
teach the ideas of some chess-openings.
Since the book is very dated the use of a database as a supplement seems adviceable.
I think for instance the Master-Database of Lichess is enough at level 1000-1800.
But caveat: A working knowledge of elementary tactics is indispensable
before working through a game collection. This working knowledge you could get by working through the basic tactics at Lichess +
the dayli solution of tactical exercises at Lichess +
doing puzzle-streak regularly at Lichess.
Another possibility is to work through stapenmethod till step 2.
And there are of course many other possibilities to learn elementary tactics.