[dropcap]S[/dropcap]o…you want to know what I loaded on the Kindle for E-Age-Nine? I’m pretty excited about it. I tried to get a nice variety of books — all things I would consider buying, but wouldn’t have the ability to procure before he is too old for them. I’ll try and divide the list up a little so you can get an idea of what I was thinking when I was doing this for hours upon crazy hours.
This particular child of mine can easily read a book in a day while still doing his regular lessons, playing outside for hours, and doing his chores. I really thought he must be skipping words (or worse), but he can have elaborate conversations about what he has read, so apparently he is just fast. He has patiently read and re-read every age-appropriate book in our family library. I think he is ready to read broadly, and that is one my goals in allowing him to have a Kindle. (Many of you know I am not a gadget person and often doubt technology’s appropriateness.)
What else? Well, if you are going to look for free Kindle books, I’d suggest knowing what you are looking for. Having a booklist is helpful, to start. But knowing your favorite authors helps, too. You can search for a book you know and love, and see “what else” other customers bought, and sometimes that leads you on a fun little rabbit trail. I hesitate to use those rabbit trails for children, though, unless I’m prereading. This here is a collection of trusted authors, or titles I gleaned from trusted sources. I cannot claim that I will not have any regrets with these choices, but I think I’ve done as best I can considering the circumstances.
My only fear is that it is a little heavy on Victorian writers because that is what is readily available. Sigh.
I was hoping for a KJV Bible (he really wants one) and a full Vulgate, but I couldn’t find either for free. Also, Charlotte Mason mentions a living astronomy text that she uses with very young students — I think in volume 1. I wish I knew the title. If you already have a Kindle library for a boy around nine years of age, I’d love to know some of your favorite titles (or, even better, get a link to your titles). Even though this looks like a long list, I’m sure I’ll be back at the drawing board a year from now.
It should go without saying that, within each category, these books are in no particular order — books from a series are probably not in correct order. Also, because these are free, they are probably literally cheap — meaning the tables of contents may not be linked, they may be difficult to navigate, etc. Finally, if you are not into the Kindle thing, any book can be clicked, and then you can choose “other formats” to see hardback and paperback copies (if available, which they usually are). So have fun!
Historical Fiction
- The Treasure of the Incas by GA Henty
- A Final Reckoning: A Tale of Bush Life in Australia by GA Henty
- With Clive in India or, The Beginnings of an Empire by GA Henty
- A Knight of the White Cross: A Tale of the Siege of Rhodes by GA Henty
- For the Temple: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem by GA Henty
- In the Reign of Terror by GA Henty
- Gabriel and the Hour Book by Evaleen Stein
- The Holy Bible, English Standard Version
- The Book of Common Prayer and The Scottish Liturgy by The Episcopal Church in Scotland
- The Children of Odin: The Book of Northern Myths by Padraic Colum
- The Golden Fleece and the Heroes who Lived Before Achilles by Padraic Colum
- The Adventures of Ulysses by Charles Lamb
- The Story of Siegfried by James Baldwin
- King Arthur and His Knights by Maud Warren
- Old Greek Folk Stories Told Anew by Josephine Peabody
- Old Greek Stories by James Baldwin
- Stories from the Greek Tragedians by Rev. Alfred J. Church
- Heroes Every Child Should Know by Hamilton Wright Mabie
- The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald
- The Light Princess and Other Fairy Stories by George MacDonald
- The Magic City by E. Nesbit
- The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit
- The Magic World by E. Nesbit
- Harding’s Luck by E. Nesbit
- The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault by (surprise!) Charles Perrault
- The Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
- The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
- The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
- The Pink Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
- The Lilac Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
- The Olive Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
- The Crimson Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
- The Orange Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
- Grandfather’s Chair by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit by Joel Chandler Harris
- Nights with Uncle Remus: Myths and Legends of the Old Plantation by Joel Chandler Harris
- Raggedy Andy Stories by Johnny Gruelle
- Cautionary Tales for Children by Hilaire Belloc
- Lulu’s Library, Vol. 2 by Louisa May Alcott
- Five Little Peppers at School by Margaret Sidney
- The Adventures of Joel Pepper by Margaret Sidney
- Ben Pepper by Margaret Sidney
- Five Little Peppers Midway by Margaret Sidney
- Five Little Peppers Grown Up by Margaret Sidney
- Five Little Peppers Abroad by Margaret Sidney
- Five Little Peppers and Their Friends by Margaret Sidney
- Rollo at Work by Jacob Abbott
- Rollo at Play: Safe Amusements by Jacob Abbott
- Rollo on the Atlantic by Jacob Abbott
- In Story-Land by Elizabeth Harrison
- Just David by Eleanor Porter (link is still active, but not suggested for children of this age)
- Mother Carey’s Chickens by Kate Wiggin
- The Little Lame Prince by Dinah Craik
- Little Lord Fauntleroy by Francis Hodgson Burnett
- Howard Pyle’s Book of Pirates by Howard Pyle
- Among the Farmyard People by Clara Dillingham Pierson
- Among the Night People by Clara Dillingham Pierson
- Among the Meadow People by Clara Dillingham Pierson
- Among the Forest People by Clara Dillingham Pierson
- Among the Pond People by Clara Dillingham Pierson
- The Seven Little Sisters that Live on the Round Ball that Floats in the Air by Jane Andrews
- The Puritan Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins
- The Swiss Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins
- The Irish Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins
- The Scotch Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins
- The Eskimo Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins
- The French Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins
- The Belgian Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins
- The Japanese Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins
- The Dutch Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins
- The Italian Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins
- The Spartan Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins
- The Boy Mechanic, Vol 1 by Popular Mechanics
- How to Camp Out by John Gould
- McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader
- McGuffey’s Third Eclectic Reader
- McGuffey’s Fourth Eclectic Reader
- McGuffey’s Fifth Eclectic Reader
- Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston
- The Complete Poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (we own a hard copy of this, but it is such an old, fragile volume that I cannot coax him to read it on his own, even though he loves Longfellow)
- Songs of Childhood by Walter de la Mare
- Riley Child-Rhymes by James Whitcomb Riley
- Helen of Troy and Other Poems by Sara Teasdale
- Rivers to the Sea by Sara Teasdale
- Poems by a Little Girl by Hilda Conkling
- The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook
- Squirrels and Other Fur-Bearers by John Burroughs
- The Sandman: His Farm Stories by William Hopkins
- The Sandman: His Sea Stories by William Hopkins
- Makers of Many Things by Eva Tappan
- Diggers in the Earth by Eva Tappan
- Wilderness Ways by William Joseph Long
- Ways of Wood Folk by William Joseph Long
- A Book of Discovery: A History of the World’s Exploration from the Earliest Times to the Finding of the South Pole by MB Synge
- Alexander the Great (Makers of History series) by Jacob Abbott
- The Story of the Greeks by HA Guerber
- In the Days of Queen Victoria by Eva Tappan
- The Little Book of the Flag by Eva Tappan
- Peeps at Many Lands: Ancient Egypt by James Baikie
- Peeps at Many Lands: Japan by John Finnemore
- Peeps at Many Lands: Australia by Frank Fox
- Peeps at Many Lands: Belgium by George W. T. Omond
- Peeps at Many Lands: Norway by AF Mockler-Ferryman
- Peeps at Many Lands: Burma by Robert Talbot Kelly
- Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John Henry Haaren
- The Book of Missionary Heroes by Basil Mathews
- Home Geography for Primary Grades by CC Long
- Bradford’s History of ‘Plimouth Plantation’ by William Bradford
- Christmas in Legend and Story: A Book for Boys and Girls by Elva Smith
24 Comments
Thanks so much for this list I have just bought kindels for my daughetrs for christmas and this saves a lot of hunting. Merry Christmas!
Karen,
I *really* appreciate your warning, and I’ll be taking the book off of his Kindle. I actually was thinking later that I ought to have *asked* for any criticism of the list, because that is one of my biggest misgivings about not being able to pre-read all of this. I am using lists of books I’ve collected from my “trusted sources” but that doesn’t mean I would even agree with myself entirely! When we acquire a handful of books at a time, I can usually keep up. 🙂
So again: thank you for the warning!
This is really awesome–what a great list, and how nice to link to everything!
I hate to say anything negative about such terrific work, but I’d think twice and then three times before giving “Just David” to a kid–and then I still probably wouldn’t give it to anyone as young as your son. (It would be great for discussion about philosophy with an older child.) I would encourage you to read it yourself–and compare it to Rousseau’s philosophy of childhood perfection and innocence which is corrupted only by society, and not from within.
I know the book is recommended prominently in some circles, but after reading it, I’ve never understood why.
We have a Nook, so I don’t think my link would be helpful. 🙂
Kimbrah,
I have wondered about that! I would LOVE a link to your E. Nesbit collection. I own most of Pyle’s books already, but I only have two or three Nesbits. I do not mind paying a little if I know that it is a great product.
Brandy,
I wanted to say that you have to be careful with the free books. Sometimes the are digitally “read” and transcribed and the resulting product is filled with random gobbledygook. It is very frustrating to get into a book and realize half of it is unintelligible nonsense. Really frustrating. I have found that the cheaper paid editions are much better. I paid .99 or 1.99 each for a complete E. Nesbit collection and a complete Howard Pyle collection and other than not having pictures, they are without error. Just a heads up. 🙂
Brandy, this is the KJV I spent .99 for and love:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055ECOUA/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title
I’ve had three Bibles on my Kindle at one time (now down to two) and this one is by far the easiest to navigate in order to find a specific verse.
Also, a word of caution. Make sure to never, ever set anything on top of the Kindle. This is kind of a “duh” warning, but I’m here to tell you it happens. My son accidently leaned on my Kindle with his elbow when it was partially covered by a notebook on a table. I had been reading something,taking notes, AND checking my son’s school work, which was why it became partially covered with the notebook.
We heard a slight crunch and the screen was instantly ruined. It was under warranty, so it was replaced with no problems, but we’re at the end of our warranty so we are super-vigilant now!
In regard to downloading books without WiFi, it’s very easy to do with the Kindle’s USB cable. There are instructions at Amazon’s website, and YouTube has videos that demonstrate how to do it.
For books from the Project Gutenberg’s website, I save Kindle formatted books to my desktop, then transfer them with the cable by just “dropping” them into the appropriate file on my Kindle.
HTH!
Whoa, that’s a serious book list. I’d like to read those myself. 🙂
Sallie,
I hadn’t actually thought about that, but it came with a fancy case that has a stand. I find that boys often read upside down, though. 🙂 I am sure he will get a kick out of using it just because he likes little things like that, and has an “easel” in his room that he uses for picture study, etc.
Brnady – Did you buy him a stand for his Kindle that he can use at times? My PT said that he’s seen a huge uptick of teens and young adults the past couple of years because of video games, texting, ereaders, etc. All of these devices that people hold up and look down on put alot of stress on your neck and shoulders. I’m not trying to rain on your parade, but really encourage him to be careful with the posture and how long he uses it at a stretch.
WOW! How cool! Thank you! 🙂
Sara, I am sure that will happen with some of the books on my list, but I figure he can figure out his favorites and then we can discuss what to do next. I really see some of this as a pre-reading opportunity. He can tell me what is worth adding to the library and what isn’t. 🙂
Thanks again for the link. 🙂
I find navigating through every kindle bible annoying, so yeah, I prefer the print. I was specifically looking for an illustrated one. I’m pretty happy with the one I got, but I don’t know if it’s the same one I linked to – it’s hard to tell.
I don’t like some of the free books (not the one you listed) because sometimes the text is wonky. For example, in the free version of The Railway Children, the words the children wrote on the sheet were invisible on the kindle – so the story didn’t make sense. I wound up having to buy it. That kind of thing has happened more than once, but it’s usually not that bad.
Sorry so short – the kids are distracting.
Oh! I forgot to say: THANK YOU! 🙂 I appreciate the link.
Sara,
Are you happy with it? I do not mind paying a dollar if it is a good one–I just wasn’t sure how to wade through them because many turned up when I did a search for it.
I *do* still wonder if I should buy him a print version instead so that he knows where he is…most Kindle versions, in my very limited experience, do not have the book name at the top like a print version, and so you have to go back to the beginning if you don’t remember where you are…
I struggle with technology sometimes. 🙂
I could have sworn I got my KJV free, but maybe I paid .99. I hope this link works.
http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Bible-Authorized-ILLUSTRATED-ebook/dp/B004HD5Y3O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322665373&sr=1-1
Rahime: I know! This is so hard for me to wait for… 🙂
Ellen (not to be confused with the other Ellen…he he…): Yes, he has read Princess and the Goblin–it was assigned in Ambleside for Y3. I think he will really enjoy discovering that there is a sequel. 🙂 I’m glad to hear that it is just as likable…I might have to steal his Kindle while he sleeps at night, because I’ve never read it, either! 🙂
Fabulous list! I saw _The Princess and Curdie_ and wondered if he’s read _The Princess and the Goblin_, which is the first? My dc loved both of those. I’ll be using your list as a reference!
I can’t wait to hear how he likes it. I imagine he’ll be over the moon with excitement. 🙂
You are all very welcome!
If you look, you will see that I started a new “Kindle resources” label. Linking the list wasn’t very difficult, so I think whenever I add new titles, I’ll be sure to share them.
Ellen: This Kindle doesn’t have 3G either, and even if it did, our house is like a bomb shelter for some reason–not even much cell phone coverage! Do you go to Starbucks often? That is one option I’ll use–set everything up on Amazon, and then take it with me to Starbucks and turn it on and it’ll automatically update. I have a reading group that meets monthly at Starbucks, so that works for me. Also, my husband works for local government, so he has free WiFi there also–perhaps your husband has similar access at work? If so, if you set it up correctly before he leaves, all he’d have to do is turn it on and it’ll just do its thing! 🙂 There is so much free WiFi now, we even have coverage at most parks!
It probably can plug in and download also, but I am still totally ignorant in that department. 🙁
This looks awesome!!! Thanks for doing this. Also, I have a question… can you download books onto your Kindle easily from the computer? We don’t have WiFi, and the latest simple Kindle doesn’t come with 3G. I’m wondering if there’s some way to plug it in to download…
Thank you so much for posting these. I bought a Kindle months ago, and have just gotten around to reading my first free book on it. It isn’t as bad as I thought it might be…I am so a “real” book kind of girl! I have a nine year old son as well, and this is exactly the reason I bought it: to put books on there that I otherwise couldn’t afford before he has grown! Thank you for this list and taking the TIME to post them all for us.
Julie in St. Louis
I guess I won’t get to see him much this year.
Granddad
Wow. Nice list. My 15 yo just bought a kindle fire for himself. We are trying to learn how to load free ebooks, music, images. It’s taking so long to figure it all out for each device in the house. Though your books are for a younger boy, but I will def. keep and use the list. Thanks again.