Reading is an important part of every child's life for many reasons, and it's important for kids to be exposed to books from a young age, and not just to teach them to be better readers. Books spark children's imaginations and teach them about an infinite number of subjects.
Like everything else though, book prices have risen, making reading for pleasure an unaffordable pastime for many young children. There is an alternative, however. A library of literally thousands of books for young readers can be found online and read for free.
A variety of quality, age-appropriate books for preschoolers to pre-teens and even teenagers and young adults can be accessed online.
Children's Storybooks Online
Beautifully illustrated children's stories for kids of all ages can be found online at magickeys.com. Some of the books even include audio versions for non- or beginning readers. Young children will enjoy the book Buzzy Bee and Friends, while older children will love to read Little Miss Mary and the Big Monster Makeover. And young adults can get their reading fix, choosing from such titles as A Tale of Friendship and The Master Artist.
International Children's Digital Library
The ICDL is the world's largest collection of free digital children's books with 4,431 books in 54 different languages. Books for children of all ages can be found here, including popular titles like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Cinderella, Heidi, Humpty Dumpty and Mother Goose. Dinosaurs I Have Known, Grandma's Trunk and Insect Soup are just a few of the other engaging children's books that can be read here.
eBooks by Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg houses one of the largest collections of free eBooks, boasting more than 33,000 ebooks that can be read on users' PC, iPad, Kindle, iPhone or other portable device. Literary classics like Anne of Green Gables, Oliver Twist, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz are just a few of the titles that can be found here.
FunBrain
At FunBrain.com, kids have access to a variety of popular web books and comics, including the Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Amelia Writes Again.
Ramona and Beezus by Beverly Cleary
Authoring classic children's literature since the 1970s, award winning author Beverly Cleary's books are just as beloved by young readers today as they were back then. For a limited time reading enthusiasts can read the full text of Ramona and Beezus online in honor of the new movie based on the book starring Demi Lovato. Just visit BeverlyCleary.com for a link to the text.
With thousands of digital versions of quality children's books available online for free, reading can be enjoyed by all kids, of all ages no matter their socio-economic status.
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