Summary
- Google is offering over 300 digital kids’ books for free, with the option to read and listen simultaneously for enhanced learning.
- Thousands of audiobook previews are available on YouTube, helping users make informed purchases with emphasis on narration quality.
- The Google Play Books app now features an Upcoming section for pre-orders and Reading Rewards to motivate young readers.
As a parent, finding books for your children to read either on their own or with you can be an expensive undertaking. In addition to the price of books (for all ages) going up year after year, it can also be an increasingly difficult proposition to find a place to put them all. That’s why it’s good news for parents everywhere that Google is just giving away digital kids’ books.
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Wait, how many books?
Google dropped the news today that it had made over 300 non-fiction children’s books available on its Google Play Books platform. What’s even more of a pleasant surprise is that all of these titles will have the option to read and listen at the same time. Reading a book while listening to it is a tried and tested method of assisting children with their reading comprehension and decoding skills.
In addition to this massive book drop, Google also announced that it had put thousands of audiobook previews on its YouTube channel. Although these previews were already available on the Android and iOS mobile apps, I have a feeling that more people are browsing YouTube than are browsing Google Play Books. It’s also worth noting that when it comes to audio books, the narration is just as important as the plot, so having a preview is a vital part of making an informed purchase.
On top of all that, Google has added an Upcoming section on the Library tab of its app. The new section will show users’ book pre-orders as well as recommendations for books that Google thinks you might want to buy. Finally, Google is adding what it calls Reading Rewards (they’re digital stickers) to award to young readers when they reach reading milestones on either the Google Play Books Android app or the Google Kids Space app.
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This is awesome news
As a parent and former educator, I will always celebrate greater access to reading. Having browsed a few of these books, I can safely say that none of them will be in contention for this year’s Caldecott Medal, but I know for a fact that this will be a treasured tool in the digital library of many primary school classrooms. One very important point that Google leaves unsaid is that most of these books are categorized by reading level, making this library an even more potent tool in the learning arsenal. And if you’d like to read these new books with your kid on an e-reader, check out this awesome roundup of Android-powered Boox devices.
