13 Ways to Get Cheap or Free Books for Kids
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If your kids are anything like mine, they read lots of books! Luckily, there are plenty of ways to get free books for kids and even cheap books for kids.
I totally get it. You want the kids to read because reading allows kids to work on their comprehension and reading skills while letting them use their imaginations and enjoy adventures all from the comfort of their own home. Who wouldn’t want to encourage that? The struggle comes in when the kids read through books at seemingly lightning speed and then want/need more to read. If you’re buying new books all the time, that can get costly pretty fast.
Now, I’ll be the first to say that I enjoy afternoons days spent perusing bookstore shelves and grabbing a few new books to bring home to read, but that experience is a “sometimes” experience in our home because I am all about finding ways to get free books for kids. When we can’t get them free, I’m even happy to settle for cheap books for kids because, in the end, it’s still a savings, right?!
Ok, let’s get on with the list, shall we? Read on for 13 ways to get free or cheap books for kids!
7 Ways to Get Free Books for Kids
- Your local Buy Nothing Group
- Not only can you get free books for kids in your local Buy Nothing Group, but you’ll be able to clean out clutter and unused items from your own home. My neighbors list free books for kids all the time in my local Buy Nothing Group and, when my kids are done with their books, I give them away again. If you haven’t already joined your local Buy Nothing Group, definitely look into it!
- Little Free Library
- There are over 100,000 Little Free Libraries in over 100 countries so, chances are, there’s at least one Little Free Library in your area! Take a book, leave a book…Little Free Libraries are a fabulous way to get free books for kids and while getting to know and grow your community.
- Book Swap
- Do a quick search for local book swaps and participate! If there aren’t any happening, you might even think of hosting one yourself. They can be as big or as little as you’d like and are a great way to get some new-to-you free books for kids!
- Gifts
- This option may not work for everyone, but if you have family and friends asking for gift ideas for the kids, you could suggest the gift of reading. It’s super easy to create a wishlist on Amazon that family and friends can access online.
- Earn them!
- Especially in the summer, kids can participate in summer reading programs. For example, participating in the Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program will earn kids one free book! Check your local libraries and book stores to see if they have any opportunities to earn free books for kids, too!
- Also worth mentioning, free pizza is just as nice as free books, right?
- Amazon Prime Membership
- If you have an Amazon Prime Membership, you probably already know about the perks regarding shipping and savings on subscriptions, but, did you know that you can download free books to your Kindle app?! Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download their free app and download free Kindle books for you and the kids to enjoy.
- Library
- Yes, this option is a bit of an obvious one, but it’s a way to borrow free books for kids, so we had to include it! In addition to getting borrowing privileges, many libraries will host free family-friendly events as well, so definitely consider joining your local library if you haven’t already. Some libraries even provide access to digital book collections!
- Online
- There are a number of websites that provide digital versions of books for kids to enjoy. Please note that some of these bokos are considered “classics,” so you might want to look through the subject matter first. Some websites that provide free books for kids in a digital format are:
5 Ways to Get Cheap Books for Kids
- Wholesale Clubs
- Having a membership to a wholesale club can result in some pretty sweet opportunities when it comes to getting cheap books for kids. I often find deals on boxed sets of chapter books, workbooks, and even activity books! If you don’t already have a membership, many wholesale clubs will offer trial memberships or you could ask your friends and family members if you could trail along on their next shopping trip.
- Shop Sales
- Online and brick-and-mortar stores will have sales from time to time, so keep an eye out! Sign up for their email newsletter and I’m sure you’ll hear all about upcoming sales and opportunities to score cheap books for kids!
- Yard Sales
- Whether you call them “yard sales,” “garage sales,” or “tag sales” (are there other names for them?), we have scored plenty of cheap books for kids at them! People are looking to clean out their homes quick and are often asking pennies on the dollar for books and other items for the home. You could even make a day out of it and have the kids do a scavenger hunt while visiting multiple yard sales.
- Discount Stores
- We have a store near our home that sells super cheap books for kids and the entire family. Every book is $5 or less and we have gotten some STEALS from them. It’s not listed online and people really only find out about it through word-of-mouth or if they happen to drive by the location. It’s totally worth a shot to ask around for any hidden gems for scoring cheap books for kids in your neighborhood!
- Epic!
- If you’re interested in having access to over 40,000 digital kids books, definitely check out the Epic! app. They have monthly and yearly payments available and do run specials from time to time for new accounts. This is one way to get a great deal on cheap books for kids!
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to find both free books for kids and cheap books for kids! Whether you use these books for curriculum purposes, for earning even more free books or free pizza, or “just” for recreational reading, you and your kids now have access to potentially hundreds of thousands of books. Just think of all the adventures that will be had!
If you think your friends would love to know where to find free books for kids, please share this article with them!
Until next time, stay safe and enjoy quality time with your family,
Elizabeth Dukart is a proud Georgia-based born and raised Jersey Girl, wife, and mom of 2 human boys & 1 canine boy.
Created in 2021, Elizabeth owns and publishes That Homeschool Family: a free resource for homeschooling parents and beyond! A seasoned blogger, Elizabeth previously published a popular location-specific family resource blog, but decided to “Pivot!” her blogging focus after she started homeschooling her two boys in 2020. In addition to this blog, you can follow Elizabeth’s homeschooling and family adventures on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.
When she’s not busy taking over the world or homeschooling, Elizabeth can be found listening to music (especially The Beatles & Harry Styles!), being silly with her boys, watching movies with family, shopping, or traveling!
Have a question or want to work with Elizabeth? Send her an email!
