The Apple Books (formerly iBooks) app for iPhone and iPad has many free ebooks for children and teens. After installing the app from the App Store, follow these steps to find the free ebooks.
- Tap Categories
- Select one of the student-friendly categories such as Kids, Young Adult, Reference, or Textbooks
- Under the Free section, tap Select All
- Pick a book. Simple as that!
Here are a few of my kids’ favorite Apple Books
Simmie…with Secrets | Arlene L. Williams – for grades 4-6. A historical mystery about Clare, a poor alley girl in Chicago in 1894, who must solve the puzzle of who she really is and where her mother has gone. Includes a video and background historical material.
Pookie and Tushka Find a Little Piano | Jorge – for grades PreK-2. In this “Best New Children’s Book of the Year,” read aloud, Pookie the penguin and Tushka the polar bear learn what friendship is all about. Beautifully illustrated with instrumental background music.
Garbage! Monster! Burb! | Tom Watson – for K-2. In this popular, kids solve their town’s environmental crisis and the dilemma posed by a monster trying to consume the town’s garbage. Clever illustrations, and a real hit with young boys especially.
Biology Interactive iBook | cK-12 – for grades 9-12. This interactive etextbook guides students through cell biology, genetics, evolution, ecology, microorganisms, fungi, plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, and physiology.
The Steadfast Tin Soldier | Hans Christian Andersen – for grades 1-3. This picture book puts modern illustrations to the classic story of a one-legged tin soldier who falls in love with a paper ballerina.
The Middle Passage | Julia Golding – Historic fiction for kids age 9 and above. Cat Royal, an 18th century teenager, travels from the Caribbean to London and solves a mystery along the way.
Beautiful Earth | Julie Aigner Clark – for grades 1-3. This illustrates non-fiction ebook includes audio narration and animal videos for a broad variety of biomes. Each biome has pictures of plants and animals typically found in it.
