Monday, October 2, 2017

The Top 10 Digital & Audio Book Sites for Kids

Books are expensive and I've found that while many of my students don't have access to a large book collection at home, they have access to technology. 

There are so many online digital libraries out there that share a wealth of children's books right at your fingertips. But the truth is, many of them are pricey, very nonuser-friendly, and don't provide a very good book selection.

I've done some research and piloted numerous online digital libraries in my classroom the last couple of years and today I share "The Top 10 Digital & Audio Book Sites for Kids." All sites are user-friendly, teacher-tested, and hassle-free!!

This site features tons of award-winning titles you'll recognize.
  • Free
  • User-friendly
  • Audio Books
  • App Available
  • Books read by famous actors

Features books on just about every imaginable topic you could think of.
  • Free
  • User-friendly
  • No audio
  • Reliable search engine

  • Free
  • User-friendly
  • No audio
  • Search by age, topic, time, or conversation


I LOVE Epic! It's my definite fave and my students too! Choose from many eye-catching titles, customize your library, and create your own avatar.
  • Free for teachers
  • User-friendly
  • Audio Books
  • App Available

Did you ever think to look on You Tube for read alouds? It is often my go-to for read-alouds. Just search your book and choose a video.
  • Free
  • User-friendly
  • Audio Books
  • App Available
  • Friendly search engine

You can also find read-alouds on School Tube.
  • Free
  • User-friendly
  • Audio Books
  • Friendly search engine

I love Education.com for lessons, activities, interactive games, and songs...but did you also know they have over 70 audio books on their site? Education.com limits the number of downloads with the free membership, but downloads are unlimited with the premium membership.
  • 3 free downloads per month
  • User-friendly
  • Audio Books
  • Common Titles

The premium membership is well worth the investment. You can read all about the perks of education.com in a blog post I wrote here...AND membership is 50% off right now!

Farfaria is another one of my favorites! While it is not free, subscriptions are as low as $4.99/month and as low as $20/year for teachers. That's not very much at all, when you consider 1-2 books can easily cost a whopping $20. 
  • $$
  • User-friendly
  • Audio Books
  • App Available
  • Thousands of stories


Another phenomenal audio book site! Although, not free, worth every penny when you take into consideration the price of books. 
  • $$
  • User-friendly
  • Audio Books
  • App Available
  • Thousands of award-winning titles
  • "I can read it" mode for struggling readers
  • Word lists and vocabulary components

Another fabulous audio book site! This subscription is only $4.99 a month, which again is much cheaper than purchasing hardcover books. You can also try it free for 30 days.
  • Free 30-day trial
  • User-friendly
  • Audio Books
  • App Available
  • Award-winning titles
  • Customize your library
When you look at the price of books these days, you can't beat these prices for providing good quality books to your children. Or try out the sites that are free! Audio books are engaging to children, and the other great thing about audio books is that children are exposed to modeled reading. 

No more excuses that they didn't have a book to read at home!

No more spending exhausting hours and valuable time searching for good digital/audio book sites! I've done the work for you and I know you and your children will find all of these sites very enjoyable.


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