Electronic Books and Online Reading
How can I encourage students to read online stories?
Are novels available online?
How can students get involved in creating online stories?
Explore
online reading including interactive stories, articles, and books.
Involve readers in writing stories including adding
to stories, writing new endings, creating illustrations, and facilitating
discussions.
Look for online stories that make good use of the technology.
Also seek out electronic books not available elsewhere. For example the Rosetta Project contains a collection of nearly 2000 antique children's books online.
While some books are stand-alone on the web, others require special software or apps to load. In addition, some subscription services provide sample free books, but the rest are fee-based. For instance, Disney Digital Books provides access to hundreds of their classic and new titles (see image on right). These require purchasing individual e-books or sets.
Explore the following sections of this page for specific
- Early Reading and Primary Grades
- Intermediate/Middle Grades
- Young Adults and Adults
- By Kids, For Kids
- Content Area Reading
- Lists and Collections
- Reviewing and Creating Online Books
Key to Icons
Something
for All Ages including High School and Adults
Easy-to-read
Macromedia
Flash (or Shockwave) (Download
free players)
Sound
in website
Multiple
languages
Submit
your own writing or personalize stories
Exceptional
Quality
Early Reading and Primary Grades
The following books include wordless books, picture books, and easy to read books for younger children. Many also have stories for older students.
The Adventurous Bunny
and Easter Island
http://www.learningbox.com/bunny/
Page by page format, easy, colorful pictures
Aesop's Fables
http://www.umass.edu/aesop/
Fables retold by students including the traditional and modern versions.
Aesop's Fables
http://www.aesopfables.com/
Read and listen to over 655 fables in index.
Bab Books
http://www.sundhagen.com/babbooks/
Online stories for kids.
Baglan's Big Books
http://www.learn-ict.org.uk/projects/primary/bigbooks/
Great books for beginning readers.
Beantime Stories
http://www.meddybemps.com/5.1.html
Lots of stories for young readers and listeners.
Between the
Lions
http://pbskids.org/lions/stories.html
Great stories for beginning readers. Based on a popular TV show.
BookPop
http://bookpop.com/bookpop.html
Books written and narrated by Stephen Cosgrove.
Boowa and
Kwala
http://www.boowakwala.com
Candlelight Stories
http://www.candlelightstories.com/category/childrens-story-collection/
A wide range of stories. Some free and some subscription.
Children's Storybooks
Online
http://www.magickeys.com/books/index.html
Short stories with some sound,
animation and activities.
Clifford Interactive Storybooks
http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/index.htm
Read a story and play a game with Clifford the Big Red Dog.
Drippy Drop
http://www.drippytheraindrop.com/
Story about a drop of water.
Enchanted Learning
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/
Enchanted learning contains rhymes,
stories,and lots of activities for young
Fablevision
http://www.fablevision.com
This site contains great stories and activities for all ages. Use the Library to
locate stories. Don't
miss North
Star. It's available in both English in Spanish. Some stories can be downloaded
for
use
later.
Everything
from
picture
books to chapterbooks are available for free.
Grid Club
http://www.gridclub.com
Stories, adventures, and interactive games. Some sections now are subscription.
International Children's Digital Library from University of Maryland
http://www.icdlbooks.org/
Scanned picture books from around the world.
Kids'
Corner from Wired for Books
http://wiredforbooks.org/kids.htm
Read Peter Rabbit and
many of her Beatrix Potter stories online. Also
available in French, German, and Japanese. Also, listen to Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland, Frog Prince, Christmas Carol, Grimm's
Fairy Tales, and more.
Learning Planet
http://members.learningplanet.com/directory/
Some free activities and online books such as Alphabet
.
Lil' Fingers
http://www.lil-fingers.com/
Stories for toddlers. Many with sounds.
Mama Lisa's World
http://www.mamalisa.com/
Songs and poems from around the world. She also has Nursery
Rhymes.
Mighty Book
http://www.mightybook.com/
Animated books. Samples are free including Barnyard
Babies and Moogie
the Messy Beastie.
The Official Berenstain Bears' Website
http://www.berenstainbears.com/
Read bear country stories with the Berenstain Bears. Read books
in the Barn
Theater.
PBS Kids
http://pbskids.org
Stories based on PBS characters.
Reading A-Z
http://www.readinga-z.com/
Subscription site with a few free items.
The Real Mother Goose
http://trmg.designwest.com
The original book with illustrations.
Rosetta Project: Pre-Reader & Early Readers
http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/library-pre-reader.htm
Scanned antique books.
Room 108
http://netrover.com/~kingskid/108.html
Read stories with sounds, animation, games, and songs.
Sesame Street Stories
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/sesamestreet/?scrollerId=stories
Read easy and wordless stories such as Buckle
Up, Teddy, Elmo
Goes to the Doctor, Elmo's
Special Cupcakes, High
Noon, Lemonade
Stand, Spotty
Day, Thanks
for the Memories, Wear
Your Helmet, The
Yucky Letter M, Zoo
Who?
Star Fall
http://www.starfall.com/
One of the best places for beginning readings with simple stories and great activities.
You can even write for free materials!
Storyline Online
http://www.storylineonline.net/
Read stories read aloud by celebrities.
Story Hour
http://www.ipl.org/div/storyhour/index.html
Read and listen to simple stories. Check out Mother
Goose.
Story Place
http://www.storyplace.org/
Read, listen to stories, and play games in English and Spanish. Sections
for different ages.
Storytime Online from the Kennedy Center
http://www.kennedy-center.org/multimedia/storytimeonline/
Includes audio and images.
Tumblebooks
http://tumblebooks.com/
Great online books - subscription required.
Wacky Web Tales
http://www.eduplace.com/tales/
Read stories and create your own personalized stories.
Webbed into Literacy
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/wil/home.html
Aimed at head start teachers, contains many e-books and activities.
Whootie Owl's Stories to Grow
By
http://www.storiestogrowby.com/
Myths, fables and stories with children's illustrations
Intermediate/Middle Grades
These books are designed for children who are past the picture book stage and ready for short stories and chapter books. However they are a little easier to read than books for middle and upper grades.
ABC Arts Online: Winged
Sandals
http://www.wingedsandals.com/
Explore Hermes the messenger god and learn about gods, heroes, and monsters.
Amazing Adventures
http://www.amazingadventure.com
Read two (June the
Prune and Lazy
Circles) flash-enhanced stories with RealAudio, with activities.
American Folklore
http://americanfolklore.net/
Tall tales, myths and legends, ghost & spooks, and more.
Antique Books
http://www.antiquebooks.net/library.html
This antique collection includes scanned copies of the Golden Books.
Bunyips from National
Library of Australia
http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/37310/20081022-1214/www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/bunyips/html-site/index-html.html
Aboriginal stories from Australia including sound and animation. Very cool!
Brookfield Zoo
http://www.brookfieldzoo.org/pagegen/wok/index_f4.html
Interactive story
Camp Confidential: Natalies' Secret
http://www.funbrain.com/books/natalie/book.html?ActualPage=1
Web-based book.
Chunky Monkey's Rain Forest
Friends
http://www.chunkymonkey.com/rainforest/rainforest.htm
Read stories set in the rainforest.
Classic Children's Stories
http://childhoodreading.com/
Stories and poems by author and illustrator.
Croatian Tales of Long Ago
http://www.bulaja.com/fairytales/pitanje.htm
Great animated fairy tales. (watch for popups)
Defenders of Wildlife
http://www.kidsplanet.org/
Articles and activities on wildlife and conservation. Be sure to read Web
of
Life.
Farmhouse Fables
http://www.fables.co.uk/
Read stories set next to the Old Farmhouse.
Fletcher Hill - The Place
Online
http://FletcherHill.com/
Read intermediate reading level online stories such as Rosie and Her Paintbrush,
Blue-Lined Socks, Buck BuckAA, Magic Basket and Jar, Treasure of Shard Mountain,
Zoobaybay, Rix, Stained Glass Wings, Giant the Squirrel, Force Magnified, and
Wind-up Dog. Some in comic book format.
FunBrain Reading
http://www.funbrain.com/brain/ReadingBrain/ReadingBrain.html
Explore many web-books for young people.
Giggle Poetry
http://www.gigglepoetry.com/
Many fun poems to read.
Grimm Brothers
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grimm/
Choose the type of fairy tale you wish to read by answering questions and making
Hans Christian Anderson
http://hca.gilead.org.il/
Fairy tales and stories
HanuKat
http://www.hanukat.com
Read Hanukkah stories.
International Children's Digital Library from University of Maryland
http://www.icdlbooks.org/
Scanned picture books from around the world.
MacScouter Ghost
Stories
http://www.macscouter.com/Stories/GhostStories.html
Great spooky stories!
Merpy.com
http://www.merpy.com/
Read animated, musical, and interactive tales.
MysteryNet's Kids Mysteries
http://kids.mysterynet.com/
MythWeb
http://www.mythweb.com/
Contains information
Neverending Tale
http://www.coder.com/creations/tale/
Read the teachers section for access to a classroom version.
Nightmare Room
http://www.thenightmareroom.com/
Explore your own personal nightmare!
Planet OzKids
http://www.planetozkids.com/
Stories and mysteries for middle grades. Includes detective
and myths and legends.
Poetry for Kids
http://www.poetry4kids.com/
Read fun poems and learn to write poems.
Pomp
http://pompstory.home.mindspring.com/index.html
The true story of the baby on the Sacagawea Dollar.
Rosetta Project: Intermediate Readers
http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/library-intermediate.htm
Scanned antique books for intermediate readers.
Storybook Online
http://www.storybookonline.net/Default.aspx
Readers read, listen, and write books online.
The Symphony of Friendship
http://www.mandala.co.jp/B9/P00E.html
Story set in Japan.
Zen Stories
http://www.rider.edu/%7Esuler/zenstory/zenstory.html
Fables and stories in the Zen tradition.
Young Adults & Adults
Bartleby.com
http://www.bartleby.com/
Great sound for online literature in many categories.
Bibliomania
http://www.bibliomania.com/0/0/frameset.html
More than 2000 texts with study and research guides.
Book a Minute
http://www.rinkworks.com/bookaminute/
Fun, ultracondenses books. It would be fun to have students create their own.
Encyclopedia Mythica
http://www.pantheon.org/
This encyclopedia of mythology, folklore, and legend has many things to read
and explore.
Favorite Poem
http://www.favoritepoem.org/
People read their favorite poems. Both audio and video are available.
Internet Classics Archive
http://classics.mit.edu/index.html
Contains 441 works of classical literature by 59 authors.
Moonlit Road
http://www.themoonlitroad.com/
Ghost stories and folktales from the American south told by regional storytellers.
Mysterynet.com
http://www.mysterynet.com/
Read stories and participate in activities and discussions.
Poets.org
http://www.poets.org/booth/booth.cfm
Read and listen to poems by famous poets.
Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.net/
Tons of classic text in many languages.
Reference Department Electronic Texts and Images Collection
http://www.indiana.edu/%7Elibrcsd/etext/
A few classic books including Hoosier history and Pied Piper of Hamelin.
Rosetta Project
http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/library.htm
Scanned antique books for advanced readers and adults.
By Kids, For Kids
Charlotte's
Web
http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/charlotte/index.htm
Children developed materials, stories, and activities based on Charlotte's
Web.
EuroTales
http://www.eurotales.eril.net/
Explore folk and fairy tales in different languages as well as projects by
students.
ThinkQuest
http://www.thinkquest.org/
This international project involves students in creating projects. Explore
their list of projects based on Books, Authors,
or Books
and Literature.
Young Writers & Illustrators
Contest Winners from Reading Rainbow
http://pbskids.org/writerscontest/
Annual writing and drawing contest.
Content Area Reading
42explore
http://42explore.com
Links to many popular topics and resources.
American History from Smithsonian
http://americanhistory.si.edu/
Explore topics such as The
American Presidency. Also explore the National
Air and Space Museum.
American Museum
of Natural History Kids
http://www.amnh.org/
This museum has many online stories and reading opportunities such as How
Lou
Got the Flu and Ology.
America's
Story
http://www.americaslibrary.gov
Lots of readings and activities on American History
Art
Tales: Wildlife Art
http://www.wildlifeart.org/ArtTales/index.html
Wildlife reading, writing, and art.
Biomes and Ecosystems
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/
Readings on science from the Missouri Botanical Gardens.
Field Museum in Chicago
http://www.fmnh.org/
Many exhibits include Sue at the Field
Museum
Learner Exhibits
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages/
Lots of online exhibits and project such as Middle
Ages.
National Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
Online articles and projects including Lightning:
Shocking Story and National
Geographic World.
PBS
http://www.pbs.org/
Check out their many program projects. Also, check out PBSKids.
Scholastic
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/
Great articles, activities, and readings including Hiroshima:
A Survivor's Story
Teacher Tap
http://eduscapes.ccom/tap
Explore links to reference
resources, news
sources, and content
area links.
Theodore
Roosevelt
http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/kidscorner/trchildrens.htm
Basic information about this president.
US History
http://www.ushistory.org/
Article on American History
Victor the Vector
http://www.ocean98.org/vict1.htm
Adventures at sea.
Lists and Collections
42eXplore:
Storytelling
http://eduscapes.com/42explore/story.htm
Links to storytelling websites
Alex Catalogue of Electronic Text
http://www.infomotions.com/alex/
Public domain documents from American and English literature.
Digital Book Index
http://www.digitalbookindex.org/
Links to nearly 1000,000 titles from around the world, about half are free.
Electronic Books for Handheld Devices
http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com/
Lists ebooks for purchase for handheld devices.
EServer
http://eserver.org/
Links to many online books
Iroquois Oral Traditions
http://www.indians.org/welker/iroqoral.htm
Links to many Native American Stories.
Online Books Page
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/
Search a database to thousands of online books. This site is a great way to locate
books online.
Online Library
of Literature
http://www.literature.org/
Lots of online literature resources
Search Ebooks
http://www.searchebooks.com/
Search engine for ebooks
Stories in French from
IPL
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/browse/rzn7600/
Links to stories in French language.
Stories in Spanish from
IPL
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/browse/rzn7500/
Links to stories in Spanish language.
Reviewing and Creating Online Books
There are many places where you can find online stories and books. Many of these books can be printed and made into your own books. If you're looking for good online stories, use the word "story" in your search.
Review Books
As you evaluate online books, look for some of the following characteristics.
- Sound
- Clickable words with definitions or animation
- Easy-to-use navigation
- Easy-to-read fonts
- Meaningful story
- Reading level and vocabulary
Build Your Own
One of the exciting things about electronic reading materials is the ability to develop and use Hypertext. Hypertexts are a form of non-linear writing.
Create your own electronic books! Start by reading a book about writing books! It's called Make a Book and you can read it online or download it. You can build web pages and post them online. Or, develop electronic books in HyperStudio, KidPix, or PowerPoint.
Use the following web resources for ideas whether you're writing online or traditional stories and books:
Exhibits Collection -
What Makes a Good Short Story?
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/literature/
Takes you through writing a short story
Write Site
http://www.writesite.org/
An interactive language arts and journalism project for middle schools
Related Topics
To learn more about electronic books, check out our page on Ebooks, Epaper and Eink.
Read Ebooks
Design an activity that encourages students to
read online stories and books.