You don’t have to be a total bookworm to embrace the concept of free books, and when you can receive free books in the mail, you can up your reading game without ever leaving home.
As someone who loves getting all kinds of free stuff, books are always welcome in our house.
You are reading: Free books by mail
If you’re a book lover and want to know how to get free books, whether it’s adult print books, children’s books, or eBooks, be sure to bookmark this page as I add and update these resources.
6 places that send free children’s books by mail
1. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: From award-winning country music singer Dolly Parton, this nonprofit organization has been promoting literacy in children since 1995. It originated in Sevier County, Tennessee, and then spread throughout the whole country. Any child from birth to age 5 in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland can join the program and receive 1 book per month completely free. As of August 2021, the organization announced that it has given away 165 million free books by mail since launch.
2. pj library: This website offers free Jewish books for children up to 12 years old. They accept both donations and requests, so be sure to check out their facebook page for new titles.
3. Natural Inquirer Coloring Book : At this time, the “Natural Inquirer Scientific Bee Coloring Book,” produced through a collaboration of the Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association and the Forest Service, is Available in both print and digital formats in English and Spanish. 16-page book is a great educational coloring book for kids from kindergarten through second grade.
4. American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults: Braille Book Program: This program has been giving blind children a free braille book every month of a popular children’s book. series since 1997. To enroll, each applicant must be blind or have low vision, be a braille reader, and have successfully completed the Braille Book Program online application.
5. read with me – if you want to learn Spanish with your children or partner and you live in California, Florida or Texas, you can get free English- Spanish books for children from preschool to fifth grade shipping directly to your home. If you don’t reside in these states but would like some resources, free e-books are available for you.
note: as of summer 2021, the website is undergoing renovations, but is expected to be back up and running within the year.
6. National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP): The EPA, through the NSCEP, delivers free books by mail to children, with the goal of promoting environmental awareness. a couple are also in Spanish.
bonus: barnes & noble summer reading program: aimed at kids, this program isn’t technically one that sends free books in the mail. but it is still an amazing program that promotes literacy among children of all ages. During the summer, a child or teen should keep a reading journal and list 8 books that she has finished. once the journal is complete, they can take their journal to a nearby store and pick up their free book.
12 places that send free books by mail for all ages
7. bookboon: College students or anyone looking for educational or business textbooks can request one of over 1,000 free textbooks written by professors of the best universities.
8. Reading Service: With this program, anyone who signs up will get two free books mailed to their home, no questions asked. however, since it is subscription based, only the first month (a couple of books) is actually free. you will be charged a “members only discount price” on your second month. cancel then if you don’t want to pay for more books.
9. librarything: New authors who want feedback from real readers list their books on this website, where volunteers gladly accept books and review them in exchange for free books.
10. freecycle: It’s unlike any other bookstore or online organization on this list. this is actually a classified ad / buy & sale website, where you can find people giving away different things (books included). instructions on how to be the recipient of a particular book vary, but are usually included in the list.
11. Fresh Fiction: You must apply to become a Book Reviewer through this form. once you’re accepted, you’ll be able to select which books (and how many of them) to send to you for review.
12. goodreads: Join goodreads and check out the giveaways page where authors and publishers list the new titles up for grabs. not only can you receive totally free books, but you also get the first dibs if you are lucky enough to be chosen.
13. hillsdale college‘s free book (unique) – if you need a copy of the united states constitution and declaration of independence and don’t want to shell out cash , you can get a paperback version for free at hillsdale college.
See Also: 20 Teacher Recommended Picture Books That Rhyme – Simply Kinder
14. american bibles: get a free religious christian book when you sign up and look for the “order free” button. no credit card is required, but you must complete the form with your mailing address.
15. Baker Publishing Group: If you’re interested in other religious books, this company gives away free books to bloggers, YouTubers, and other online influencers whose niche centers around Christian fiction and non-fiction.
16. haunted book promotions: are you always open to reading new authors and titles? If you are an Amazon affiliate and blogger, you can simply fill out the form and request a review of one of the books listed on the reviews page. you need time to read the book quickly, as reviewers should be able to post their comments within 30 days of receiving any of the books.
17. jiffy mix: If you’re in the continental United States and use jiffy mix, you’re in luck. you can request a copy of your cookbook for free.
18. my book rewards club: This is a rewards program and site where you get paid to earn points for shopping at tyndale.com or navpress.com, signing up for the newsletter, taking user surveys, recommend users and many more small tasks. the points you earn can be redeemed for free books delivered by mail.
23 sites offering free e-books
For those who want something to read but can’t physically get to the library, trade books with other book lovers, or take advantage of the other methods of receiving free books as I noted above, the next best thing would be e-books.
And if you don’t already know, you have plenty of options when it comes to e-books.
The 21 sites below are some of the most trusted and popular eBook resources out there. With a simple google search, you can find thousands of similar sites, but you have to start somewhere and I’m sure these top 14 will keep you busy for months or even years to come.
1. Project Gutenberg: Project Gutenberg is home to over 60,000 free public domain e-books. you can read, download and even redistribute any of the e-books published here without having to pay for them. this should be your choice if you are interested in exploring classic books at no cost.
2. internet archive: This non-profit site is one of the oldest libraries with electronic books, videos, audio and other files stored in different formats. the site itself isn’t fancy, but there are thousands of e-books available through search.
3. Open Library: This is also a public domain book resource, so don’t expect fancy titles here. The good thing about this website is that you can join the community and contribute by organizing titles.
4. manybooks: Offers free and deeply discounted ebooks in different formats for different reading platforms like ereaders, kindle, ipads and nooks.
5. free-ebooks.net – Not the most unique name for a website, but it lives up to its name. There are hundreds of ebooks in categories like fiction, non-fiction, science fiction, business, romance, self-help, business, and much more. They also carry audiobooks. become a member of the site using your email address and you will be able to download up to 5 free e-books per month.
6. freetechbooks – Ideal for college students, this website primarily has textbooks, lecture notes, white papers, and other resources on technology topics such as computer science, engineering, and programming.
7. bookboon – This is another resource for over a thousand free textbooks written by professors from the world’s top universities. There are free business eBooks here as well, but these are on a subscription model (€5.99 per month).
8. freebookspot: The difference between this “place” and others is that it offers free eBooks in over 90 categories. So whatever your interests, you’re bound to find a free eBook for you.
9. getfreeebooks – Explore more fiction books in sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and other genres on this site. They also have a blog with articles containing many book recommendations.
10. freebooksy: freebooksy prides itself on making it fast and easy to find free eBooks across a wide variety of genres and platforms.
See Also: Top 25 phonics books for children – BabyKidsBooks!
11. Harlequin Online Readings – Download the Book Jumps app on your Android or iOS device and read free serialized stories from Harlequin authors on the go. this is perfect for lovers of romance.
12. knowfree: This is the go-to resource for IT professionals who need e-books, case studies, research papers, journals, etc.
13. issuu — issuu is a content creation and distribution platform. the amazing thing about this site is that more than 20,000 e-books are uploaded daily as issuu allows anyone from all over the world to upload and distribute their publications for free.
14. bookbub: bookbub works with major book retailers and major publishers and authors to promote their books to bookbub members for free or deeply discounted e-books.
15. ebookbetty – This is another site that has many free and discounted eBooks for their members. ebookbetty features fewer genres, mainly focused on mystery, action/adventure, science fiction, fantasy, and romance.
16. Google Play Books: Yes, even Google Play Books has free eBooks from many different categories. you just have to periodically check for catalog updates.
17. Kindle App: You don’t need to have a Kindle eBook reader to be able to get free eBooks from Amazon. just download the kindle app to your smartphone or computer and see what’s available.
18. barnes & noble nook store: if amazon has a kindle, barnes & noble has corner. they also have an online bookstore where you can download titles for free. you can buy a nook e-reader or you can download the nook app on your smartphone or laptop.
19. smashwords: smashwords is a specialist distributor of independent e-books. if you’re the adventurous type who likes to explore new books and authors, there’s a lot to discover here.
20. The Online Books Page, founded and edited by John Mark Ockerbloom of the University of Pennsylvania, lists more than 3 million free books online.
21. netgalley — netgalley works with publishers and authors around the world to promote their books and help them succeed. Get free, early copies of books in exchange for your honest reviews and feedback.
22. bdk america — is bdk america the american branch of bukky? dend? ky?kai, which is an organization that aims to promote a better understanding of Buddhism. If you find it interesting, you can download his books for free.
23. Official Sites of Local Public Libraries: Visit the official website of your community’s public library. In most cases, they will allow you to access their e-books for free, as long as you log in to the site with your library card details. And since you don’t have to physically “return the book,” you’ll never be hit with late fees again.
free books galore
Did you know that more and more local libraries are creating programs that mail the books you need directly to your home, especially if you’re studying at home?
Some reading programs are only available for one state. For example, The Governor’s Birth Book Foundation sends Tennessee children (ages 5 and under) one book a month at no cost.
You can also trade books with others online through paperback swaps, book junctions, bookmooch, and facebook book swap groups. If you’re lucky and find a group dedicated to your city or state, you might even be able to swap books in person and meet new people in the process.
If you’re a fan of audiobooks, be sure to check out this list of free audiobooks to read hands-free.
Do you know of any other sources of free books by mail? share them in the comments! I’d love to hear some of your recommendations.
See Also: A.J. Rivers – Book Series In Order