In honor of Read Across America Day–March 2nd 2018, also Dr. Seuss’ birthday–I’m sharing fourteen websites where you can find a wide variety of free digital books. For us addicted readers, we know that the cost of the ereaders that curate our ebooks is minor compared to the cost of what we are reading. The books of many best-selling authors cost just as much if you purchase them digitally as print though there is no cost of paper, machinery, distribution, shelf space–all that. Still, I am getting used to digital books and like them better for a lot of reasons–I can write on the pages without getting arrested, I can bring ten books in case I don’t like the first five, they are light-weight, the font can be enlarged (that’s a new appreciation as I get older).
But, it’s increasingly difficult to find affordable ebooks. Thankfully, the library now offers Kindles (or similar) with the digital book on it at no cost. I know over time, they’ll get a bigger selection but right now, they’re just getting into it. Here’s a list of free book sources I like:
Bookopolis
Bookopolis is a large collection of fiction and nonfiction books for ages 7-12. Here, students can read, get ideas for new books, comment on books, and earn badges and points to reflect their love of reading. Educators sign up with a Teacher account and then set up classes and accounts for students. Students can practice persuasive writing, comprehension, and typing skills by completing reviews, reports, and reading logs online. Parents can sign up home accounts to help students keep track of favorite books. Available books include Newbery Award Winners as well as many other reader collections. Kids can even watch book trailers before making a selection.
Books can be read online or on most mobile devices.
Class Literature
A free collection of the most popular public domain pieces in classic literature (Shakespeare, Jane Austen and more)
Great Books Online
By Bartleby. An extensive collection by the preeminent internet publisher of literature, reference and verse providing students, researchers and the intellectually curious with unlimited access to books and information on the web, free of charge.
Gutenberg Project
This site provides thousands of digitized books, audio recordings, DVDs/CDs from the public domain (or out-of-copyright). This includes Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Sherlock Holmes, A Tale of Two Cities, Heart of Darkness, and more. These are great for all ages to not only read but research topics that might have been well-covered years ago but not so much now (like primitive tribes).
You can read them online, on a mobile device, or download them.
International Children’s Digital Library
The ICDL offers over 4,600 digital children’s books in over 59 languages that exhibit tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages, and ideas. Books are made available from a variety of sources including the Library of Congress. Readers search by title, author, country, or category (or several other options such as ISBN). By setting up an account, readers can add tags to books and organize them according to their preference. Many ICDL books are classified as “activities” meaning they are perfect for digital story times, scavenger hunts, and creative writing exercises.
Most books are only available through the website or a link to the website.
Internet Archive
Internet Archive offers over 12,000,000 freely downloadable books and texts. There is also a collection of 550,000 modern eBooks that may be borrowed by anyone with a free archive.org account.
Librivox
Free public domain audio books that can be listened to on computers, iPods or other mobile devices, even burned onto a CD.
Loyal Books
Free public domain audiobooks and ebooks in many genres, for all ages
Many Books
Over 33,000 ebooks that can be browsed by language, author, title.
My Books
My Books is an app that includes over 51,305 free books of various genres, even nonfiction. You canread online or download and read offline. There are also 5,199 audiobooks.
Online Books Page
Listing over 2 million free books on the Web that can be searched by author, title, series, and keyword. They also offer news and other special features.
Open Library
Open Library is a curated list of over 20 million books (and growing) that are available worldwide to all age groups whether from the public domain or under copyright protections. Once you find a book, you access a scanned version (if available, say from Project Gutenberg) or purchase it at a linked bookstore.
Access this catalog via the website.
Read Any Book
A wide collection of genres included, for all ages.
World Cat
World Cat is a comprehensive curation of books, CDs, articles, videos, and more available at all libraries in a geographic area or around the world, for all age groups. This includes not only public libraries but colleges and universities. Once you’ve located a resource, you check it out from that local library. You can get help from a librarian, leave comments and reviews, even factual notes (much like Wikipedia).
World Cat only includes libraries that have joined the World Cat group.
–published first on Today’s Author
More on reading:
Forget Summer Reading. The Classics are Timeless
Unconventional Research Sites for Writers
My Research at the Library of Congress
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the upcoming Born in a Treacherous Time. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her books at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.
Pingback: 10 Hits and Misses for 2018 | WordDreams...
Pingback: What Authors Should Know About MS Sway | WordDreams...
Pingback: What Authors Should Know About MS Sway? – Today's Author
Now, this is a post for me! I love reading, but reading free books? That’s a true WIN! Can’t wait to start scouring these websites for more awesome reading material. Thanks for the list!
LikeLike
Pingback: 14 Websites to Read Free Digital Books — WordDreams… – newgencontent.hub
Pingback: 14 Websites to Read Free Digital Books — WordDreams… – BinhTrinh
Great post, good topic 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great list of sites, Jacqui. Thank you. I have also become used to reading on my ipad and it is cheaper for me because the cost of shipping books to South Africa is absorbent.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That it is. IPads can read pretty much any type of digital book, too. Very useful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You can never have enough free books!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Isn’t that the truth!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My contact:+233576520255,abassu16@gmail.com, thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
Hi,I really appreciate, done great job,I’m working on my 2 small’s books, VCD, CD, about education for KG student, in French and English, thanks, I’m also a fashion designer from Ghana, thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are busy! Good luck!
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing this great list of resources Jacqui. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m a fan of the library but just getting in the car and driving there can be annoying at times. This though–what a find!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing these fantastic reader resources, Jacqui! 🙂 I’m sharing them too… xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you like them. As Sally says, I love free!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is a terrific list to have access to, though you know I don’t have an e-reader (yet)
Still, I think children should be reading books, with pages to linger over and turn. It’s a different experience than a digital format. The format and structure of a book is different than a homogenized e-reader. Books engage the senses of young children in a way that e-readers can’t.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re right–about print. Still, this is options, so everyone can have a bit of what they like.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jacqui, this is an incredible list of free reading resources and I’d only heard of a couple of this. Thank you so much for the research and sharing – I’m bookmarking this! Hope you’re having a great weekend! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure. I’m amazed how much is out there. I could read for free forever!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know the feeling! When I used to proofread more for Gutenberg I often read a lot of their books – my first Kindle book was from there and it was the classic (as I later realised) of Wilkie Collins ‘Moonstone’!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That proofing for Gutenberg is a lot of work! I’m impressed you took it on. Once I read the guidelines, I had to back out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I actually loved the work but it became tricky as the work is so labour intensive for the eyes and as I have a disease of the corneas I couldn’t decipher all the small old print! They were one of the first to have this wonderful concept for free books!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s too bad. Have you considered by a librarian for Goodreads? It’s not as much detail reading as managing their many books. I also did that for a long time but have slacked off!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jacqui, I’ve never heard of this before but will definitely explore this possibility!! Thank you for letting me know about it. Ha! You slacken off … more a matter of putting your endless reserves of energy in other directions! xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow. This post is a handy resource!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Several of these do have books for youngers. I also have this long list that might suit your children (https://askatechteacher.com/great-kids-websites/reading/libraries/)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Thank you. My kids pretty much destroy the library every single Saturday. We have a big ol’ bag and they load up for the week. I love it. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
FABULOUS – I’m passing this post on to others. The internet has a lot of flaws but universal education ain’t one of them.
Thanks Jacqui!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s hard to find these with the millions of billions of hits. Glad you like them!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Free is my favorite price! Thanks for the sites to check out 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I always start with free. Goes downhill from there!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I feel like I’ve won the lottery! Thanks so much and my sister will be pleased – she’s just bought a Kindle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kindles are great not just for mobis and that sort but PDFs. Enjoy these!
LikeLike
Thank you for this list. Still recovering from my eye surgeries, but it is almost time for me to begin reading again. I will save this post. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooh, that is one surgery I wouldn’t want. I hope it came out well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not really, but that is life.
I had 20/20 when others couldn’t see. So, I am grateful for the vision I do have. God works in mysterious ways.
Thanks for the list.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OK, we’ll see what His plan is. Sigh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a treasure trove, Jacqui. I should suggest the childrens’ ones to my grandkids.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have more children’s libraries here (https://askatechteacher.com/great-kids-websites/reading/libraries/) if they’re interested.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Nice resource, Jacqui. As a former poor kid who got most of her books from the library, I feel that free books serve a real purpose. Making sure that folks can access reading materials no matter their economic circumstances is one of the things that gives me hope for a civilized society. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do to. For me, as a teacher, it’s an equity issue. I don’t like asking families to spend more than I need to. This helps make that easier to be true to.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jacqui for this informative post, I had no idea about free digital books.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure, Balroop. I didn’t either originally. I’m impressed with groups who take the time to put all of these out there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree! Bless their souls.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The Gutenberg project is my current favorite for classic books.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Me too, as well as books that are older. Reading about primitive tribes, Indians–there’s no better source than Gutenberg.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Thanks so much for this fabulous share, Jacqui! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure. Just what writers need–more books to read!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jacqui – I must look into some of these … especially the audio one – cheers Hilary
LikeLiked by 1 person
That should read audio ones … lots of them … H
LikeLiked by 1 person
They’re fun to browse. I often check them first before the library and well before buying. Saves a bit of money.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I only knew the Gutenberg project and open library so far – thanks for pointing out more sources to us, Jacqui! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gutenberg is one of my favorites. Almost volunteered for them–and then realized what a huge commitment it was!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just had a closer look at them all and the offered range is really amazing! Especially like the Children’s book library, Librivox (I love listening to audio books when I’m painting!) and also the possibilities of reading different languages (I’m currently learning French). So thanks again Jacqui – you’ve made my day! 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
when I created this list, I like you was amazed at how much you can find online. It is so helpful to lots of different adults and kids.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow. This is great. I had no idea there were so many resources. My mom is blind (and a cheapskate haha), so I’m going to share the audiobook site with her. Thanks, Jacqui!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I liked that one too. It’s the only one I’ve found like that, short of going to a physical library.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jacqui, with this article you have provided an excellent public service!
Enjoy the weekend —
Neil S.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks! I realized lots of my readers may not be aware of all the online libraries. It is amazing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow, great list. Did not know there were so many.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to research for an article I was writing and was amazed. Who knew?
LikeLike
This is a great list, thank you. I thought I recently read something about the Open Library and copyright infringement. Apparently it has some ebooks on there that weren’t in the public domain or authorized by the author/publisher? I’m not sure if that was just an isolated case or not. Maybe it was a different site than the one you listed. I’ll have to relook into it when I get a chance.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s interesting. I hadn’t heard that. There are a lot of complications to a simple understanding of copyright so I’m not surprised. It’s one of the bits I remind my college students–public domain isn’t always true. You could still get in trouble. And ignorance of the law is no excuse.
On the other hand, we do need to trust at some point don’t we?
LikeLike
We do indeed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great information for Dead Across America and beyond.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Ronnie.
LikeLike
Hey Jacqui you have an amazing blog .
Do follow https://saishabloomdotcom.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/learn-from-the-mistakes/
She writes beautiful blogs . Do support her by following .🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for visiting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had no idea there were so many, Jacqui. Thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve used some of these for much research. Because often you have to wait for 70 years past the creator’s death, that makes the information excellent history. Nice innit.
LikeLike
Pingback: 14 Websites to Read Free Digital Books | WordDreams… – Site Title: News feed, sports, betting tips,Business, Education, politics, Local news, Dating, football predictions, tennis tips and 📝 more.