Getting children excited about reading can be challenging for caregivers and educators, but low-cost and complimentary books can help make that task easier.
Maybe you have a child who lines up for the newest bestseller and devours it within hours of bringing it home. Your issue might not be encouraging reading so much as figuring out how to bankroll an expanding personal library.
Whether you’re nudging a hesitant reader or fueling an eager book lover’s appetite, you likely want to keep costs down. You want your children to enjoy the thrill of discovering a wide range of books, while also keeping an eye on the family budget.
Below is a collection of 18 ways to obtain free or low-cost children’s books to entice both voracious and reluctant young readers.
Affordable and Free Physical Books for Children
Some caregivers favor tangible books over digital versions. “My children are more engaged with physical books,” said Kylie Carter, a mother of three. “They discuss what they’re reading with us more often.”
If you want your child to unplug from screens, explore these sources for deals on printed books.
1. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
A top pick for free children’s books is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Register forDolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and the program will send an age-appropriate book to your child each month — at no cost.
The initiative began in Dolly Parton’s Tennessee home county in 1995 and has grown substantially, distributing more than 3 million free children’s books monthly across the United States, U.K., Ireland, Canada and Australia. It’s available to families with children from birth to age five who live in participating areas (check eligibilityhere), and books come in English and Spanish. Several states have recently expanded the program statewide.
2. Bookoutlet.com
Book Outlet is an online bookseller with thousands of inexpensive titles for all ages. They acquire overstocked books at reduced costs and pass the savings on to shoppers, so the books remain new but much cheaper.
There are more than 4,000 titles in the site’s “Under $5” section.
The website’s layout makes it simple to locate budget-friendly children’s books by sorting them by age group, reading level and topic. Puzzles, coloring books, toys and other children’s activities are also available.
Shipping is free for orders above $35. For orders under $35, there’s a flat shipping fee of $6.95.
3. Thriftbooks
While looking for your next read at Thriftbooks.com, browse the children’s section. It features both new and used titles for kids of every age.
If your teen follows trends on TikTok, Thriftbooks has a #BookTok favorites area.
Want to reward your kids for reading? You can also find children’s movies, music and video games. Purchases on Thriftbooks earn points in their rewards program — once you reach 500 points, you get a free book. (We won’t tell if you use it for yourself.)
Standard shipping costs $1.49 per item for orders under $15. Orders over $15 ship for free. Thriftbooks also offers a mobile app.
4. Your Neighborhood
If you like serendipity, browse library sales in your community for bargains. You can also watch local social media sale groups or post an “ISO” message. Maybe a neighbor’s child has outgrown their copy of “Dragons Love Tacos.”
Also look for “Little Free Libraries” around your area. These often contain a variety of donated and gently used children’s books as well as adult titles.
Cheap and Free Digital Books & Audiobooks for Kids
Printed books are wonderful — where else do you get that distinctive book smell? — but they aren’t always easy to access. Some children also respond better to digital formats.
If you’d like your child’s screen time to be productive, check out these sites that offer free digital and audio books for kids.
5. Epic
Another excellent resource for free children’s books isEpic. With internet access, kids under 12 can read books at no charge.
Titles are sorted by age and subject, so it’s simple to find content your child will enjoy. They can read independently or select the “Read to Me” feature, which highlights the words as they’re narrated so kids can follow along.
If they love a title, you can add it to a favorites list or check the reading log in their profile to locate it later. The log also shows how many books your child has read and how long each took. You can set up to four children’s profiles on one account.
The free tier provides access to one book per day, including Read-to-Me editions. If your child wants more, Epic Unlimited is $9.99 per month for access to the full library of 40,000 books, audiobooks and videos; there’s also an annual option for $79.99.
Epic also offers an app for phones and tablets.
6. Storyline Online
If your elementary-aged child prefers listening, try Storyline Online, a free offering from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.
The foundation recruits actors such as Jennifer Garner, James Earl Jones, Chris Pine and others to narrate children’s books with illustrated accompaniment. Videos are shared via YouTube and SchoolTube.
Each book listing includes details like runtime and suggested grade level to help you choose appropriate titles. An app is also available.
7. Project Gutenberg
Does your child enjoy classic literature? If they have an e-reader or web browser, they can download free ebooks from Project Gutenberg.
All titles in Project Gutenberg’s collection are in the public domain, which allows them to be offered cost-free.
The library includes material for all ages, from picture books like “The Three Little Pigs” and “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” for young readers to “The Call of the Wild” and “Pride and Prejudice” for teens.
8. International Children’s Digital Library
TheInternational Children’s Digital Libraryhosts over 4,600 books in 59 languages, including bilingual editions, aiming to provide families with books in their native tongue wherever they live.
All ICDL books are free to access. All you need is an internet connection and a web browser.
9. Amazon Free Kids Ebooks
If you hold an Amazon Prime membership, you can locate free Kindle versions of children’s books by searching for free kids ebooks on Amazon.
Kindle Unlimited subscribers also gain access to extra free children’s titles.
If you’d rather not give a Kindle to sticky hands, download the free Kindle app to a device so your kids can read there. Amazon provides children’s ebooks in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
10. Barnes & Noble Free Kids Ebooks
If you use a Barnes & Noble Nook, you can accessfree children’s ebooksthrough the bookseller’s site, with selections for ages from infancy through teen years.
Don’t have a Nook? Install the Nook app on your phone or tablet to read the free ebooks added to your account.
11. Funbrain
Kids from preschool through eighth grade can use Funbrain, an educational site that offers free ebooks and e-comics in addition to games and videos. You can search by grade so younger readers can find titles like “Captain Buckleswash and the Pirate Villain,” while older kids can access “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”
12. Oxford Owl
Oxford Owl is another excellent educational resource offering complimentary books for kids. After creating an account, children ages 3–11 can access theirdigital libraryof fiction and nonfiction ebooks.
Beyond ebooks, Oxford Owl provides math and English support plus activity ideas like cooking and creative writing projects.
13. Free Kids Books
The Free Kids Books collection includes titles for kindergarten through eighth grade. Each free book can be read online or downloaded as a PDF. Some listings also offer links to purchase physical copies.
Have a reluctant reader? Free Kids Books groups dozens of categories to pique interest, from dinosaurs and insects to fantasy and poetry. There are also books in dyslexia-friendly fonts.
14. Read.gov
If your child doesn’t mind using a browser to read, the Library of Congress offers a selection of classic children’s literature. Physical books in the Library’s collection are scanned and made available online — find titles like “The Secret Garden” or “Treasure Island” for free.
15. Free Children’s Stories
Free Children’s Stories is a site with original tales by Daniel Errico, a bestselling children’s author, all available at no cost. Books for ages 3–10 are narrated via YouTube videos, while middle-grade readers can access two novels on the site. Errico’s works are offered in multiple languages.
16. ManyBooks
ManyBooks is a free digital library with classic titles in 46 languages. You can download files to an e-reader or tablet or read online with ManyBooks’ browser interface.
ManyBooks also features adult titles, so feel free to search for something for yourself after downloading “Heidi” for your child.
17. BookBub
If you don’t mind waiting for promotions, sign up for BookBub, a free service that emails alerts when ebooks are discounted. You can also browse their site for current offers.
The platform highlights free and reduced-price ebooks across Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and Apple Books, so there’s something for every reader.
BookBub covers many genres, so you can find titles for any age or interest. Select the categories you want to follow, or even track favorite authors to get sale notifications.
18. Podcasts
Although not traditional “books,” many podcasts for children provide a variety of stories and educational material. These are free and available wherever you get podcasts (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, etc.).
If you’re teaching your child a second language, podcasts are a useful way for them to hear native speakers — even if it’s just during a short car ride. Below are some recommended story podcasts for children in English, French and Spanish:
English Podcasts for Kids:
- Story Pirates. A playful mix of original stories written by kids and performed by actors, musicians and comedians. Great for ages 6–12.
- Circle Round. Folktales from around the globe adapted for children ages 4–10.
- Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. Inspirational tales about extraordinary women, suitable for kids 7 and up.
- Storynory. Classic fairy tales, original stories and myths for children of all ages.
French Podcasts for Kids:
- Encore Une Histoire. Well-produced French stories for children ages 4–10, perfect for bedtime or travel.
- Bestioles. A French podcast by France Inter and the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle featuring short, engaging animal episodes for kids ages 5–7.
- Une histoire et… Oli. Classic and original tales with music and narration, ideal for ages 3–8.
- Les Odyssées. Adventure and exploration stories created for children 7–12, produced by Radio France.
Spanish Podcasts for Kids:
- Cuentos para Dormir. Gentle bedtime stories for kids ages 3–8 to help them unwind and fall asleep.
- Pequeño Amigo Podcast. Short tales, poems and songs for preschool and early elementary children.
- Cuentos de la Abuela. Traditional folktales and fairy tales for children ages 5–10.
- Storylandia. Inventive original stories for kids ages 6–12 that blend fun and learning.
Maria Bennett is a freelance writer and editor based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Contributor Jenna Limbach is located in Nevada. WriterLaura Bensonalso contributed to this piece.
