E-Books Websites
E-books are electronic books. Some require that you download them and use a specialized reader. Others can be read online. Accessibility features such as text-to-speech or enlarged text vary depending on the reader or the website. (E-text moved to its own page).
- Public domain e-books
- Copyrighted e-books for eligible students
- Copyrighted e-books for purchase
- Web-books to read online
| Full text of public domain books | K-2 | 3-5 | MS | HS | SEARCHABLE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BooksShouldBeFree makes the world's public domain audio books available for browsing in a visual and entertaining way. |
x | x | x | x | x |
| ManyBooks 29,000 ebooks available in various formats including Kindle, Nook, iPad, RTF, and txt. |
x | x | x | ||
| Project Gutenberg Provides the full text of books that are in the public domain (not under copyright), such as books by Twain, Shakespeare, Poe, etc. |
x | x | x | ||
| The Literature Network Provides the full text of books that are in the public domain (not under copyright), such as books by Twain, Shakespeare, Poe, etc. |
x | x | x | ||
| LibriVox Provides free audiobooks from the public domain. There are several options for listening. The first step is to get the mp3 or ogg files into your own computer. new |
x | x | x | ||
| The Online Books Page Provides the full text of books that are in the public domain (not under copyright), such as books by Twain, Shakespeare, Poe, etc. |
x | x | x | ||
| Subscription services for copyrighted books for eligible students |
K-2 | 3-5 | MS | HS | SEARCHABLE |
| Accessible Book Collection Provides the full text of many books including graphics. Many of the books are suitable for young readers. You can search for books that are of interest to older readers who need easier text to read. Subscriptions are $49/year for a whole school. Readers need to qualify as having a disability. |
x | x | x | x by grade or interest level |
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| Bookshare.org Provides an extensive list of digital books in DAISY talking book format, which can be read by SOLO Read:OutLoud and Kurzweil. Subscriptions are free for schools and US students. Readers need to qualify as having a disability. Most books currently listed do not have graphics in them. |
x | x | x | x | x |
| Copy-protected e-books (text or audio) | K-2 | 3-5 | MS | HS | SEARCHABLE |
| Amazon.com Amazon sells e-books in Adobe and Microsoft Reader formats. You must read the book in the software program that it was designed for. Both Adobe and Microsoft provide the reader software for free on their websites and both readers support text-to-speech output. |
x | x | |||
| Audible.com Audible.com sells audiobooks that you can download to your computer and then to a portable device like an MP3 player. You can purchase books individually, or sign up as a member. Subscription required. MCPS does not hold a subscription. |
x | only after you join | |||
| Netlibrary You need a Montgomery County Public Library card to log in. Members can download e-books in text and audio formats for loan. When the loan period expires, the book will no longer work. FREE for residents of Montgomery County. |
x | x | x | x | |
| Web-books to read online | K-2 | 3-5 | MS | HS | SEARCHABLE |
| BookFlix For grades PreK-3. Scholastic BookFlix is a new online literacy resource that pairs classic video storybooks from Weston Woods with related nonfiction eBooks from Scholastic to build a love of reading and learning. Subscription required. MCPS does not hold a subscription but some individual schools do. Free Trial Available. |
x | x | |||
| Chinese Fables from Starfall - Read these stories from ancient China and learn a lesson at the end of each one. If you get stuck on a word, just click it to hear it read out loud. | x | ||||
| Fables from Aesop Four animated fables |
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| Hedgie Loves to Read by Jan Brett - You can listen online or download a PDF of the entire book. | x | ||||
| International Children's Digital Library These books are scanned versions of children's literature in many languages. They do not contain digital text, that is, the computer cannot read the text to you. This is a visual online library only. |
x | x | x | x | |
| Learning A-Z Learning A-Z offers online reading resources including Reading A-Z and Raz-Kids. Pre-K to sixth grade teachers and students have a large selection of leveled readers to choose from. Reading A to Z offers many books that are also formatted to be used with Kurzweil. Raz-Kids e-books provides text to speech, word by word highlighting and the option for readers to record themselves reading. Subscription required. MCPS does not hold a subscription. |
x | x | x | ||
| Lil Fingers There are only a few books here, but they are free and appropriate for both very young children as well as emergent readers. |
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| Lit2Go Free online collection of stories and poems in Mp3 format. Listen to them online or download them to an mp3 player to listen on the go. You can also view the full text of the books. | x | x | x | x | x |
| Literactive This website has many animated talking books that are free when you register on their website. Mouse skills are required to play the interactive activities. There is also an online phonics program. |
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| MagicKeys Books Page A collection of online books with animation, interactive features, and sometimes audio. There is no search feature, but the list of books is short and sorted by young, older, and young adult age groups. |
x | x | x | ||
| Ninja Animals Kidz Stories A collection of stories based on animal characteres. Stories can be read at 3 different reading levels. This website also has character profiles of all the characters in the series and printable puzzles related to the stories. |
x | x | |||
| One More Story One More Story provides beautifully presented trade picture books which are read aloud by real voices. Many familiar early childhood titles are included. Subscription required. MCPS does not hold a subscription. |
x | x | |||
| RIF Reading Planet Read Along Stories and Songs Animated stories with the text highlighted as it is read in a human voice. Free. Requires Flash. |
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| Starfall Starfall provides interactive books with sound. Some are free, and more content is available with a subscription. |
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| Storyline Online uses streaming video to provide childrens stories read aloud by members of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. Each book includes activities and lesson ideas. Click on the Help/FAQ and scroll to the bottom to see a list of the available stories. | x | x | |||
| Story Time for Me free interactive online story books for toddler through grade 2. |
x | x | |||
| Tarheel Reader E-books for beginning readers of all ages. You can also make your own book here. Perfect for young children and older individuals with disabilities. The books may be downloaded as slide shows in PowerPoint, Impress, or Flash format. Alternative access methods can be used with the books. |
x | x | x | x | x |
| Tumble books offers animated web-books as an online subscription. All MCPS elementary and Middle schools have a subscription to Tumblebooks. The books are appropriate for younger children as read-alouds. The sentences and word choice are typically appropriate for read-alouds rather than independent reading by emergent readers. Subscription Required | x | ||||
| UDL Book Builder by CAST Shared Library - These books are made by teachers and parents using accessible strategies. Explore model books and visit the shared library. FREE | x | x | x | x | x |
| UDL Editions by CAST UDL Editions take advantage of the flexibility of digital media to reach and engage all learners. Leveled supports and the Texthelp Toolbar balance challenge and support for each learner, ages 10 and up. | x | x | x |
Subscription Websites
Some of the websites listed require a paid subscription. These are noted with Subscription required. MCPS holds a subscription for all sites listed on this page, except where noted. If you are an MCPS teacher, you can obtain login and password information from your school media specialist. In some cases, you will not need to log in at all if you are using an MCPS computer. See other websites to which MCPS holds a subscription.
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If you have used links on this page, or have other links that you find particularly useful for implementing the concepts of universal design for learning in the area of reading, then please email the webmaster with your comments.
Disclaimer
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