Free Kids' Books.
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A free children's book library I'm hoping to grow
Giving away free kids' books? But I'm a professional writer! I'm not supposed to do anything for free.
Be that as it may...
I got into this website thing when I started writing children's books for my own daughter. I had an ulterior motive. I was trying to help her with a couple of problem behaviors.
It worked... and it turned out that as kids' books they were good enough to stand on their own.
They lack pictures, because that means your child can have the experience of illustrating them. (It's an activity!) And while they may not be quite free, they sure are cheaper than books you buy in the store.
Check 'em out, then print 'em out!
And remember: they may improve a problem behavior.
On this page I'm trying to create a free kids' book library of books from visitors to this very website.
Most of these people are not professional children's book authors. (But a lot of them are sure working on it!)
Dana Trauth is from the New Orleans area and loves writing fun and goofy stories. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Louisiana Tech University and is currently working on a Masters degree. She lives in Ruston, Louisiana where many moments are spent laughing with friends. She loves children and thinks they offer the world a simple perspective on life.
Her rhyming story, Peculiar Mr. Norsworthy and His Camel Tootsie Lou, tells of a camel that needs learn better manners, or a negative outcome will likely result.
Stephanie Travers is a former preschool teacher with four kids of her own. Telling her own stories to her students - and then hearing the students ask why her stories weren't in the library - motivated Stephanie to get those stories down on paper!
Ethan the Lefty is a story about Stephanie's son, the only left-handed person in his family and in his class at school.
Seán Robinson is an Irishman. He writes personal poetry for his own enjoyment, but this is his first effort at a rhyming children's story.
Cecil Blade is a friendly snake with a bit of a hissing problem. That scary sound makes him keep losing friends! A flying fish, of all things, provides the cure.
"Grandma Heppner" is a Grandma (go figure!) who lives in the town of Heppner, OR. Her story, The Great Escape at Bizbee Barn, is inspired by the Heppner food of 1903.
And she's contributed a second story as well. The O Fish and the Jelly Goo. She wrote it after reading an article about a fishing boat that inadvertently reeled in a container of toxic mustard gas. Her underwater "kids" are fish that - just like our own kids - have to be careful about where they play!
Matthew Cline is an 8th grade Science teacher with a kid's heart. He's married with a seven year old daughter and one on the way! He wants to inspire kids to use their imagination and be as creative as they want.
In Sid the Kid and His Lost Imagination, Sid's teacher wants him to use his imagination for a homework assignment. But Sid isn't quite sure what an imagination is, and is quite sure that if he had one he must have lost it!
Becky Cox lives in Minnesota with her husband and 2 young sons. She is a stay at home mom with a passion to write and a goal of publishing a book some day.
Tommy the Timid Turtle is the story of a turtle with a fear of the deep dark water below him. He conquers his fear with the help of some friends - each with a fear of their own! (See if it doesn't remind you of The Wizard of Oz in that way.)
Laura Barnes is a happily married mom of 3 small children in Colorado. She has written many kids' books and hopes to publish some day.
I Wonder Why explores many of the whys children wonder about and encourages readers to keep asking questions. (It's also one of this webmaster's very favorite free kids' books on this page!)
Jeffrey Duane Stone lives in Santiago in the Dominican Republic. We don't know much about him, but we know a lot about his character, Chatty Cherry Hippo.
Chatty is nine years old and wears pajamas with a cherry pattern print. Her brothers are Melvin and Marty (though they don't appear in this story). She thinks with her heart, and her favorite colors are pink and fuchsia green.
Jeanne Patton is a single mother with two little boys who keep her very busy and very entertained. They are her inspiration for mostly everything.
No, No Sweet Tobias is a story about a little boy who wants to do everything that his mommy does, but she tells him that certain things are just for girls.
George Xenophontos (BS, MS) serves in vocational Christian ministry. He regularly works with kids of all ages and backgrounds. He is the author of Duty of Don’t and is joyfully married with children.
There's something about Kip. It's his passion for animals. Then the big day comes for the class trip to the zoo! While visiting the many animals, his teacher points out the ostriches. Instantly, Kip has to know why ostriches don't fly. It's something he eventually discovers—with a little imagination!
Mark Rosario is a freelance writer and poet specializing in fables, fantasy, romance, and satires. He comes to Best Children's Books from Negros Occidental in the Philippines.
In The Ant on the Moon, he tells the story of Suebai, a dreamer and the most ambitious ant in his colony. Suebai sets out to be the leader of The Great Ant Colony on the Moon.
Rachel Mularz is a mother of one, stepmother of two, married with a quaint little home and great family. One that I suspect includes a few cats.
Alex and His Five Furry Friends features a little boy learning that each of the cats in his family requires a different approach and a different kind of care. The story reminds us that everyone is different.
William Meeks is married with a six year old daughter and a three year old son at the time he brings us the free kids book, Amanda the Gander and Goosewire Gill.
William enjoys writing songs and short stories. Amanda is a true story, courtesy of the Meeks family, about keeping geese as family pets.
Courtney Groll wrote The Catch of the Year at age 23, living with her fiance and a son about to turn three.
Courtney's free kids' book is a story about a boy about the age of her own son going out on his first fishing expedition with his dad. Just when it looks like he's not going to catch anything...well, I'll let you read for yourself.
This is Brian Burris's first adventure into professional writing. He is a School Psychologist in a small district, and has a part-time counseling practice. He enjoys helping children and watching young minds learn new concepts. He is a husband and father of two adorable children.
Across the Creek is the first of several stories Brian has written for his children as bedtime stories. "We live on a one acre lot that backs up to a wooded area. The stories are intended to help them understand what type of creatures may live in the woods, and how they may interact with each other."
Scott Mitchell is a Theater critic in New York. He has a written Science Fiction book for young adults, "Rebellion On The Northern Line." He wrote his free kids book, Donna and the Dodo for his nieces, Dora and Mijken.
In this rhyming story, a dodo bird escapes extinction on Mauritius and hides in a New York museum. A little girl discovers the dodo and sneaks him home. The moral of the story is that kids should get out and explore the world, not just stay inside. The story has a delightfully Seussian sense of absurdity.
Cannon Clifton is a Doctor of Anesthesiology and Professional Engineer in the discipline of Chemical Engineering. He wrote this infant book after the birth of his first son, Greson James. Cannon currently practices medicine in San Antonio with his wife, and high school sweatheart, Amy Clifton.
In Little Dragon Friend, your precious newborn takes a magical ride with his dragon friend to learn about animals, numbers, and nature.
Paige Hamrock is a 20 year old college student. She wrote this story in as an assignment for her Children's Literature class and simply wanted to get it out there to see if people liked it in hopes of maybe someday being published. She's a Junior and an Elementary Education/Early Childhood major.
Her story, Stinky Cheese Louise, reminds me of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. She would appreciate any feedback on her free kids' book. Use the form at the bottom of her page to give it to her!
Auric Zygala - a native of Chicago living in Maryland - is the devoted father of Olivia and Carter and a loving husband. His family gives him great happiness.
In Going to See Santa, inspired by 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Auric's entire family makes an appearance, as Olivia and Carter meet Santa at the mall Christmas display.
Dale Emmert is a public school teacher and a grandfather in New Mexico. His granddaughter is constantly asking him to tell her stories and Dale is good enough to oblige.
The Girl Who Got Lost in Her Bed, Dale's free kids' book, is one of those stories.
You see, little Elizabeth doesn't much like cleaning up. After a few months, that causes some serious problems that only the fire department and 50 garbage bags can fix.
David DeValois, an insurance agent living near Des Moines, Iowa, is a former newspaper editor and features writer who is trying to get the rust off the right hemisphere of his brain.
David would also like to chronicle some of his favorite memories from growing up in Iowa with three older siters, two parents, and an amazing Siamese cat.
In his free kids' book, Look What the Cat Drug In!, Squeaky is a beloved family pet and young David's best friend in the world. Squeaky uses her natural hunting instincts to track down a garter snake in the vast wilderness of David's backyard. Then, she uses her skills of deception to get the snake in the front door and past the watchful eyes of David's mom.
Jodie Keeling is a special education teacher in Arkansas and the mother of two boys. Her first children's story is a short little poem, reminiscent of Shel Silverstein's wonderful Sick
Jodie calls her piece You Can't Make Me Go to School. (Unless, of course, it's a field trip day!)
Regina Gross is a mother of two grown kids in Oklahoma. A writer of poetry and short stories, pets have always been a big part of her life and often appear in her fiction.
George is a cat who has always been treated like one of the children. He tends to learn the hard way why the rules he's always breaking were made. Hi, My Name is George. I'm a Cat.
Alina Shaposhnik is 23 and a novice writer, though she has much experience reading to kids as a special ed paraeducator, camp counselor and tutor to autistic children. Yay, Alina!
In A Warm Yellow Pancake, a little star wants to meet the sun. Are children the only ones who make wishes upon stars? What if a star made a wish upon a child in order to meet the sun?
Amanda Nicholas, from El Paso, TX, is a stay at home mom with 3 kids who practically require her to stay creative! She brings us the story of The Rainwalker.
Sara is a little girl who gets very bummed out when it rains because her mom won't let her play. Then along comes a little boy named Alex. Alex Rainwalker. Alex likes to dance in the rain. Well, not exactly in the rain. More like on the rain.
I don't want to give away too much, but I will say that when her adventure is over, rainy days no longer make Sara sad!
Brittney Gish attends the University of Northern Iowa where she studies music and plays the string bass. Fittingly enough, she entitles her free kids' book, The Nature of a Bass. No music but lots of rhyme!...
A spruce and a maple tree fall in love along the banks of a river. They are chopped down and forced to be apart for over a decade. In the end their love is reunited in a process that allows them to truly be one. They become a string bass!
Renee Hall hails from North Carolina, where she's an elementary school teacher and mother to two boys. Her five year old serves as the inspiration for Happy Hedgehog Changes His Name.
Happy prefers the name Jack. That's a disappointment to his parents, but their disappointment is nothing compared to the resistance Happy's friends Sunny, Cheery and Dreamy put up to Happy's new moniker. What's in a name? Read Renee's story to find out.
Jeff Harris's stories are intended to help children realize that good choices can be difficult to make, but once made, they’ll be proud of their decisions.
In Ginger's Journey, Ginger is a puppy on the way to her grandmother's farm who comes across other creatures in need of help. By putting their needs above her own desire to get where she's going, she earns some lifelong friends.
Jeff is working on two other stories!
Heather Cross is a pediatric nurse educator who teaches newborn classes and plays mom to 3 year old Sara, whose relationship with her blanket comprised the inspiration for What Does a Diggle Do?, one of the shortest little stories on our site (and a rhyming one to boot).
Heather aims to write professionally some day. Her sweet story speaks to the symbiotic relationship between child and blanket that she seeks to encourage. She knows that security objects are a natural and enjoyable part of development.
Dean Fink is a father of two and a third grade teacher with eight years experience. He'll tell you first hand that being 8 or nine years old is a valuable time with some hard lessons.
The First Day of School is the first story in Dean's series entitled, "Homer's Third Grade Adventures." Homer is a mouse, but a mouse who goes to school! He learns the importance of certain character traits through interaction with peers and grown-ups alike.
Carol Dose lives in Minnesota. She grew up with a father who ate grasshopper legs. I've heard about eating your greens, but I don't think that's what they meant!
In Grandpa Ate Grasshopper Legs! Carol imagines her 6 year old niece (who LOVES grasshoppers) having had the chance to see Grandpa make a meal of them. "Fried up, with lots of butter!"
Bring a toothpick for this one!
Bernard Katz is a husband, father of a two-year old little boy, and an Industrial Engineer. He lives, works and plays in the beautiful city of Cape Town in South Africa.
Bernard's Will the Wing is the fastest rugby player in the World. This makes him a very good competitor who scores lots of tries. However Will the Wing has one very bad habit, which almost costs his team an important match.
Julie Mitchell lives in Central Michigan with her husband, two daughters, and Sheltie. She can be found playing dress-up with her girls or cleaning play-dough out of the carpet.
In Beanie Finds Her Bop, Beanie loves going to school but is struggling to find the confidence to participate in a popular game with her friends. She works to overcome her fear and is surprised to find the assurance she needs in a cup of dropped pudding.
(If you have a child with a behavior problem - and who doesn't??? - you'll want to check out my children's behavior books page for downloadable stories that can help!)
Jennifer Bryant lives in California with her two incredibly imaginative young boys.
Not many people can weave a princess, a garden, a dragon and a plate of cookies into the same kids' story but Jennifer can. Princess Fanny is an upbeat young girl who gives naturally. In this story, her giving is rewarded with some yummy getting.
Her story is called Princess Fanny and the Mysterious Smell. Now, a question for Jennifer: Does a dragon need an oven to bake cookies?
Melissa Smart comes to us from Saskatchewan, Canada. She has written many kids' stories, has published in local newspapers and Canadian Living Magazine.
Five year old Wyatt is scared Santa is going to miss his house! He's been good all year, but the Christmas lights outside have stopped blinking. Wyatt knows blinking lights guide airline pilots onto the runway. Surely Santa must rely on them in the same way.
Wyatt resolves to make the The Christmas Lights blink!
I'm particularly proud to host Patty Juliano on my site. She performed a bit of magic on this picky author: her kids book is so absorbing and the story so well told that I didn't give a hoot about all the typos!
Roscoe is a richly textured story with real heart. A raccoon, Roscoe encounters undeserved hostility when he comes to a new town. In the end, he overcomes the townspeople's meanness with goodness and heroism.
Roscoe is a longer and more complex story than most of our other selections, but well worth your time!
Tammy Wilson is a mother of four from the heart of the U.S. - Oklahoma. And boy, has she imagined a scary scenario! The town in her story has canceled Halloween!
The children are horrified, but Tammy's story is presented from the point of view of Jack, The Pumpkin Seller.
Jack is a "pumpkinhead," and he knows his crop is meant for more important things than just bread and pies. Do you think he'll find greener pastures in Spook Ville?
I like Garth Lawless. He lives in Katikati, in the Bay of Plenty, in New Zealand, and he writes of dragons, butterflies and rainbows. One thing I like about him is that he knows his grammar and spelling! Another thing I like about him is that he says this about his writing career:
"[I'm] just beginning the journey of letting all my stories for children I have in my head [be] told to the people who they are written for."
This story is called Dragon and Butterfly: What Dragon Learned about Rainbows. It's a story about Nature and Magic.
Betsy Humphries has four grown children and has done a lot of babysitting! When she reads to children she pays special attention to what they enjoy. Her philosophy: keep it simple so they can understand, and make it exciting so that stay interested.
Good advice!
Betsy's free kids' book, Jake and the Big Red Balloon is the story of a boy who encounters a balloon with just a little too much helium. Jake, of course, gets the ride of his little life!
And guess what? Betsy has now written another story. The Stray Cat That Ran Away is about who gets lost, gets found, and finds love with a little boy.
Prepare for a real treat. Author Julie Buscher has chosen to share with us an electronic version of her fully illustrated, fully published chapter book, Homer the Helicopter. A full 69 pages long, Homer can be read by your older kids or read to your young ones.
You'll need Adobe to view it, and you'll probably have to adjust the settings to make it the right size on your screen. But it'll be well worth it! And then, when you decide that your children can't live without the real, page-turning version of Homer, Julie hopes you'll visit Homer's site to make a purchase!
Let's hear it for Danielle Bruckert! She's a pilot in Windhoekl, Namibia (Africa!) who writes training manuals for airplanes. (In fact, she writes about that on my self publishing site.) For fun she writes kids' books.
The Stair Case is one book in her series about Big Mac and Little Dipper. Big Mac is an older dog, and Little Dipper is a puppy. Big Mac doesn't always have the greatest time of it; he's tired and sometimes experiences self doubt. (He sounds like a parent!) Little Dipper is defined almost entirely by his energy. He's good for Big Mac!
And guess what: Mac and Dipper are back again! Danielle treats us to a second adventure in the series, The Other Side, where the two pals ponder the question: how can you find a hole if a hole is something that's not there?
Jeff Sojka lives in Iowa with his wife and son. He has a degree in Studio Art from the University of Iowa. (The illustration is his own!) Jeff is a musician as well as an artist, and a licensed pilot to boot. He works as a construction superintendent and has spent significant time abroad.
Fireman Fred and the Zoo Rescue is a rhyming story about a hapless fireman. Fred "rescues" all the animals in the zoo (it turns out there's no fire, so they didn't need rescuing!) only to find out that the burning building in town is the firehouse - Fireman Fred left the stove on!
Anthony Nicosia lives in California and works as a staff writer for the online magazine Affordable Audio. With a degree in Psychology, he weaves a children's story with an untraditional point of view.
We've all heard of the "bluebird of happiness" but we've never heard him speak. In The Adventures of Blue, The Helpful Bluebird, we actually hear from the Bluebird. Imagine a story about Santa...being told by Santa!
"Blue" helps children and adults alike.
And if you like Anthony's work, consider his free kids' book from a dream caterpillar's viewpoint. It's called, The Dreams of Timothy.
Judy Goodridge is blessed to be a mother, grandmother, kindergarten teacher and nurse. She writes from Tennessee, and she craves feedback (which every writer should!). She presents a free kids' book about God's love and His plans for our lives.
Daisy is the story of a little girl who hates her name...until her relationship with her Lord makes her realize that it was a name picked just for her. This is one of our longer stories, so don't read it to a child who is already up late!
What a privilege this is! Janet Carr is not only sharing her story, Gillie, with us, she's sharing her original artwork as well.
Gillie is a grouper with a taste for adventure, and Janet's dreams for him are adventurous as well. She envisions any number of kids' books featuring Gillie. Janet actually wrote and illustrated this delightful book 12 years ago, so I'd say Gillie is finally getting a much-deserved viewing!
Janet hails from Texas, USA and has had publisher interest in her illustrations. It's not hard to see why.
Tammie Smith writes about love. From Georgia, USA, she brings us a tale of love and sharing as seen through the eyes of a child. This is a story of goodness, growth, change and maturity.
The little girl in Victoria's Playhouse learns to share with little beings even more helpless than herself. She helps them cope with change, and she watches out for their emotional and physical needs.
In this free kids' book, Victoria resides in her parents' house, but she makes her own playhouse a residence for others.
And now Tammie brings us another story, this time about four girls, their mom and a dog named Red.
They say animals have a sixth sense that humans don't. Red senses what makes the family's mountain home mysterious, even before the family does!
Heather Burke is a single mom who likes to write in her spare time. Her story, Lilac's Big Adventure, is a longer story than most of our stories, but perfect for kids who like fantasy and fairies.
Lilac is a fairy princess who doesn't quite live up to her fairy princess duties. That is, until her kingdom, The Land of the Fairies, is threatened. Then she really comes through!
Tracey Allen doesn't tell us much about herself, but after reading this free kids' book I'm guessing she has sons by the name of Jalen and DJ.
Tracey wrote Jalen's Big Surprise, a lovely rhyming story about a little boy who finds out that birthdays aren't like Christmases: the gifts aren't necessarily waiting for you right when you wake up! Fortunately, everything works out in the end.
Alvin Clark, a veteran of the United States Air Force, brings us Brittany's Big Baby Spike, a free kids' book about a little girl and her dog. 
He wrote "Brittany's Big Baby" to help his own daughter understand why their dog could no longer live with them.
Kudos to Alvin and every other parent who writes for their child! (Want to give a similar gift to your child? Here's a page on this site that'll help you brainstorm a story idea and walk you through the writing process!)
The Adventures of Marty and Mack (Book 1) is an exciting story that comes to us from the mind of Seattle Seahawks fan Rodney Burns.
This story, the first in an intended series, chronicles the adventures of two young mice who run into a bit of trouble with the family feline. And it does so in rhyming couplets, which makes it a great read-to for the young ones.
My Daddy Cape: A Soldier Shares His Uniform is a story from the point of view of a young boy whose soldier father is about to ship out overseas.
This touching story comes to us from Hillary Douglas, a real military mom.
(If you like the first book, check out the 2nd of the two free kids' books in Hillary's My Daddy Cape series.)
When you read the stories, I trust you and your children will join me in appreciation of Hillary's husband for his service, Hillary for her own sacrifice, and please send good thoughts their way.
The first chapter of Kevin Richardson's Circle of Darkness is a first for this site. All of our previous submissions have been picture books.
This thriller is the opening of a 500 page chapter book! Have your child read it then cross your fingers it gets published!
Kevin has honest-to-goodness experience in children's storytelling. He's been the animation director for a number of kids' tv shows. He's also worked on at least one movie and has produced over 20 interactive video games for kids.
When you read Circle of Darkness I think you'll see the professionalism shine through.
Erik Humphries conceives Mentasia - The Way of Imagination, as just one part of an all-encompassing "story universe" called Mentasia. 
This free kids' book conveys the "ultimate power that is imagination," as well as imagination's effect upon an ever-changing world.
In Mentasia, a little boy can effect the course of the sun through the sky! (And here's the second of the two free kids' books in Erik's series.)
My Pet Ladybug is based on the true tale of a little girl who kept a pet ladybug and fed it people food! Kandy Schlosser brings you this sweet story.
Before you read it, ask your child what he/she thinks will happen!
Visitor Julie Owsik shares with us a delightful rhyming story answering the eternal question, "Where Did The Other Sock Go?"
I love stories that put children in the shoes of adults; I think they help in the task of teaching empathy. This story does just that. As the first line says, "Grown ups do laundry every day..."
Another of our free kids' books that teaches empathy is this one by visitor Francesca Walker.
Here we see the new kitten from the old cat's point of view. It's called, The Long Tails of Maui and Kasi.
And what a great story it is for a child expecting a new brother or sister!
This free kids' book by Claire Robinson may have the ring of truth. If so, it's likely because Claire grew up in a family of 12 kids. It's called Jane and the New Chicks.
The little girl in it just happens to have nine sisters and two brothers!
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I can't tell you much about Tricia Blake. She comes from Jamaica in the West Indies. She is a 29 year old children's book author.
Her story, My Dog Smiles, is aimed at the little ones. It's about an unnamed little boy and a dog called Lucky. Think of it as a love story about a boy and his dog.
The Fabulous Sock comes to you courtesy of Jonnie Simone. It is not only a great read but beautifully illustrated.
(Jonnie has his own website, Charlie's Child Book Club. If you like his book, do please check him out and contact him to let him know!)
If you have free kids' books you've written which you'd like to make available for online reading (and feedback), please let me know by using the form below.
(And if you have a friend who might be interested, please refer them to this page.)
Once you submit the form, you'll receive an email. Either reply with your book, or use the email to ask me further questions.
There is no compensation for posting your book, other than the exposure you receive and the feedback you might get. Every book page has a form through which readers can give feedback which I will automatically forward to you.
Thanks!
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