Merry Early Christmas: 100+ Free Kindle Books

So…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.

For years I’ve kept an extensive list of books I’m looking for. I like to try my luck at used book stores when I can. The books below were carefully picked, even if I didn’t preread them all. First and foremost, each and every one was checked against the official AmblesideOnline list, that I might not accidentally have him read a book before its time. My second criteria was (obviously) that the books be free of charge. This doesn’t mean I won’t eventually pay to put books on his Kindle, but as a general rule I like to pay money for physical books not electronic copies.

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

Spiritual/Biblical Resources

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version
• The Book of Common Prayer and The Scottish Liturgy by The Episcopal Church in Scotland

Mythology/Legend and Greek/Roman Tales

• 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

Fantasy/Fairie

• 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

Fiction/Literature and Short Stories

• 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

Fiction: Geography/World Civilizations

• 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

How-To

• The Boy Mechanic, Vol 1 by Popular Mechanics
• How to Camp Out by John Gould

Readers

• 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

Poetry

• 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

Science/Nature Study

• 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

Non-fiction: History and Geography

• 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

Books for the Holidays

• Christmas in Legend and Story: A Book for Boys and Girls by Elva Smith