Must-read books for your teens and toddlers

Find here some useful websites where you can access children’s books for free.

Reading is a great activity that instils and builds positive habits in kids, especially when done early on in their development. Reading books with your children can significantly impact their lifelong learning. There is a whole wide world of books for children of all ages. Books to read out to your little ones or books that older children can read independently are available online.

A few educational books, and some websites where you can access them for free, are mentioned below.

Websites for free books

Oxford Owl

This free ebook collection has been developed for children between the ages of 3 and 11. While the site requires you to register before giving you access to most books, no fee is charged. A few books in their collection can only be accessed if you pay for them, but the site offers over 250 ebooks for free.

Storyline Online

This site offers a host of famous actors reading stories in a ‘virtual story-time.’ The readings are quite excellent and are accompanied by animations and illustrations from the original books.

You can find free children’s books at ‘International Children’s Digital Library,’ ‘Tumble Book Library,’ ‘Hoopla,’ Cloud Library’ and Amazon. Books can also be downloaded from websites such as Overdrive, OpenLibrary, and Goodreads.

Must-read children’s books

Eric Carle Little Library and Board Book Set: This book set is meant for toddlers and carries Eric Carle’s signature of colours and patterns which all children love. The book set includes some of the most loved books for children in that age bracket. ‘The Hungry Caterpillar,’ ‘Hello Red Fox,’ ‘The Tiny Seed,’ ‘Pancakes Pancakes,’ ‘Walter the Baker,’ and ‘The Greedy Python’ are books that you toddler will really enjoy.

Julia Donaldson’s books: Stories in this book collection like ‘The Gruffalo,’ ‘The Gruffalo’s Child,’ ‘Cave Baby,’ ‘Room on a Broom,’ ‘The Paper Dolls,’ ‘The Smartest Giant in Town,’ and ‘A Squash and a Squeeze’ are ones which kids will love reading and collecting.

Billy B. Browns’ books: These are relatable for young readers as they are about situations many of us can relate to. The stories are short and humorous, and the books are illustrated with many pictures. School kids can read these books in their early years as the language is simple and the font is big and clear.

Another series of books that will hold the reader’s attention and keep them engaged and laughing throughout is ‘The Bad Guys’ by Aaron Blabey. This series of books is funny, cheeky, and an enjoyable read.

Jeff Kinney’s ‘Diary of Wimpy Kid’ series: This collection of books tells the tale of a middle school boy called Greg and how he awkwardly navigates the preteen phase of his life. The book’s format is unique as it is written in the form of diary entries and contains many doodles and illustrations in it.

Another set of books written and illustrated in the same way as the ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ is the ‘Dork Diaries.’ Its story revolves around 14-year-old Nikki Maxwell, her best friends Zoe and Chloe, and the adventures they embark on.

Some other books that are all-time favourites of older children are, of course, Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, and R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps.

In a nutshell, it doesn’t matter whether you are reading a physical copy of a book or an online version, it is essential to choose quality titles and topics for your child. Happy reading!