Free book websites

AFthful, you will want to check out booksshouldbefree.com and/or librivox.org….   What you will find on these sites is audio books – the book is read aloud via your computer speakers by a pre-recorded voice (volunteer reader).  In some cases you can download the text as well.  If not, just sign the book out of the library and then sign on each day to librivox or booksshouldbefree and have the book “read” to your child while he/she follows along.  THIS IS AN AMAZING THING for helping with reading and (importantly) exposure to excellent literature before the child is “really” at the “excellent literature” level.  My kids did Charlotte’s Web, Pollyanna, Black Beauty, Hans Brinker, Burgess Animal Book, Burgess Bird Book and countless others this way…I assigned them a chapter a day and then had them narrate afterwards.  Many of the Aesop’s Fables are there as well.  It’s probably the most brilliant decision I’ve ever made for our homeschool!

You are most welcome, marmiemama, as I said, it has been a life-saver and now a major part of homeschooling for us at this time (with kids aged 5, 7, 9 and almost 11).  I am at the point where I choose and schedule books based on whether they are on librivox.  i.e. I chose to read aloud Eight Cousins and assign (for reading and narration) Railway Children via Librivox simply because Railway was available as audio read.   I still have them narrate everything, and I do assign additional books as independent/silent reading, but again, the audio books have been wonderful for us.  It is often the thing that gets me the 20 minutes, uninterrupted, to work with my 5 and 7 year olds…

Just be careful that in the case of books that are translated, you are working with a consistent treatment.  i.e. there are many, many different versions/translations of Heidi…so if you did this one on Librivox you would want to be sure that the hard copy your child was following actually “matched” that which the Librivox reader was following.  (for the record, Heidi is one I plan to read aloud personally…but I’m sure you understand where I’m going on this…)