During the summer months, when my children were young, we spent plenty of time at our public library. Any program that would encourage them to continue reading and keep them engaged and motivated was one in which we participated. Our public libraries are currently closed and visiting the library is not an option as we move into summer. Library lovers will be happy to know that the Delaware County Libraries are making plans to reopen offering modified services when they get the approval from the state. Once Delaware County moves from a red zone to a yellow zone there will be updated information on the Delaware County Libraries website as to how the libraries will proceed and what services will be offered. Fortunately, in the meantime, the Delaware County Library System has a wealth of resources available online and is continuing to run virtual story times and other online programs. These resources can be accessed using your Delaware County library card. If you do not currently have a library card, information on how to obtain one can be found here. Residents of Philadelphia can access their public library through The Free Library of Philadelphia.
In addition to resources offered by our public libraries, there are plenty of apps and websites that give kids access to free ebooks. Your children (and you) can continue reading throughout the summer months with many choices available.. Listed below you will find several options for you to consider when you are looking for new reading material. Most of these resources are free. There are a few subscription options that charge a monthly fee and I have included any cost associated with these services.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful and that you and your children are able to find some great books to read this summer.
Read Aloud Picture Books for Young Children
Storyline Online has been created and is supported by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. Well known actors narrator popular children’s picture books.
Tumblebooks is available in the e-resources section of the Delaware County Library System. To quote the library website description “ Animation, sound, music and narration are added to existing picture books in order to produce an electronic picture book for children to read or to read to children.” You will need to enter your library barcode number to gain access.
Free Ebook Apps and Websites
Overdrive is available through the Delaware County Library System and offers thousands of free ebooks for children and adults. You will need your Delaware County library card to check out these materials.
Barnes and Noble offers hundreds of free ebooks for children and adults through their Nook app. It is a free app that can be downloaded to just about any device. Open the app and search “free ebooks for kids” in the Bookstore.
Amazon offers some free ebooks through their Kindle app.The Kindle app is free and can be downloaded to just about any device. Once you have downloaded the Kindle app, go to Amazon and search “free ebooks for kids”. When reviewing items be sure it says Kindle $0.00 and not Kindle Unlimited. Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service which I will introduce under subscription services.
The International Children's Digital Library has over 4000 ebook titles on a variety of reading levels available in 59 languages.
FreeKidsBooks.org and Magic Keys offer ebook selections appropriate for toddlers to young adults.
Oxford Owl offers ebooks for children ages 3 to 11 years old.
Manybooks.net has an ebook collection focused mainly on classics with some more contemporary titles. It’s collection is appropriate for middle school students and above.
Subscription Services
Epic! Is a children’s e-library that many of our HCA teachers use in the classroom. It is appropriate for children in Pre-K through Gr. 5. It can be accessed through the Epic! website and app. If your child currently has access with their classroom code, they can continue accessing the program that way until June 30, 2020. For parents, it is a subscription service with a monthly charge of $7.99. Your first month is free.
Amazon offers a couple of different subscription services that include ebooks. Kindle Unlimited offers ebooks for children and adults and is accessed through the free Kindle app with selections chosen through the Amazon website. (Go to the Kindle Store on the Amazon site and select Kindle Unlimited to view selections) The first two months are free. After that there is a monthly charge of $9.99. Amazon Freetime Unlimited is a subscription service designed just for children ages 3-12 years. You will need to download the Amazon Free time Unlimited free app. In addition to ebooks, it includes children’s programming. For Prime members the monthly cost per child is $2.99 or $6.99 for the family. If you are not a Prime member the cost per child is $4.99 or $9.99 monthly for the family. The first month is free. It features good parental controls on the app.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Tell us what you think! We would love to have your feedback!