When I first heard about Kindle, I was not sure about the idea. As one who loves books, I didn’t like the idea of reading from a screen. I didn’t want to give up the look and feel of an actual book.
But during our time in Africa, we realized how heavy real books are and how much space they took up in our luggage, so we decided to try a Kindle. We were impressed. Not only could you get a whole library on one, buying a new book was almost instantaneous. No more waiting for months for a flat rate box from the States. Soon we had almost as many Kindles in the house as readers.
One of the great things about Kindles is how many free e-books are available. Here are some free or inexpensive Kindle books that we’ve enjoyed.
Kindle E-book Deals
The Bible (There are many free versions available, but this is the one we bought because of the easy navigation, but you might want to look around.)
Pilgrim’s Progress (Free, but there are many inexpensive versions that you might like better)
Paula the Waldensian by Eva Lacompte (Free)
Just David by Eleanor H. Porter (Free)
Polyanna by Eleanor H. Porter (Free)
Polyanna Grows Up by Eleanor H. Porter
Five Little Peppers and How they Grew by Margaret Sidney
Kindle Lamplighter Books
If you are familiar with Lamplighter Publishing, you know that they specialize in reprinting old out-of-print books that emphasize character and integrity. Their motto is “Building Christ-like character one story at a time.” While their books are beautiful and a treasure to own (we own quite a few) they are expensive. Following are some that are available on Kindle. I’ve tried to link to a free version if one is available. Cover images are taken from the slightly more expensive versions.
Probable Sons by Amy LeFeuvre (Free)
The Carved Cupboard by Amy LeFeuvre (Free) 12 and up
Jill’s Red Bag by Amy LeFeuvre (Free) If you enjoy these check out other books by the same author.
The Basket of Flowers (illustrated) by Christoph von Schmid (0.99)
The Crew of the Dolphin by Hesba Stratton (1.99)
Jessica’s First Prayer (illustrated) by Hesba Stratton (0.99)
Jessica’s Mother by Hesba Stratton (0.99)
Glaucia, the Greek Slave (Illustrated) by Emma Leslie (1.99)
Titus, A Comrade of the Cross (Illustrated) (Comrades of the Cross Book 1) (1.99)
Stephen, A Soldier of the Cross (Comrades of the Cross Book 2) by Florence M. Kingsley (1.99)
The Robbers’ Cave (illustrated) by Charlotte Maria Tucker (2.99)
The Giant Killer (illustrated)by Charlotte Maria Tucker (2.99)
The Boy of Mount Rhigi by C. M. Sedgwick (1.99)
The Gold Thread by Norman MacLeod (Free)
A Peep Behind the Scenes by Mrs. O. F. Walton (Free)
The Lost Clue by Mrs. O. F. Walton (.99)
Saved at Sea: A Lighthouse Story by Mrs. O. F. Walton (Free)
Christie’s Old Organ by O. F. Walton (Free)
Christie the King’s Servant by O.F. Walton (Free)
Caleb in the Country by John Abbot (Free)
The Haunted Room by A.L.O.E. (Free)
Hebrew Heroes: A Tale Founded on Jewish History by Charlotte Maria Tucker (Free)12 and up
Horatio Alger Books
These are mostly rags-to-riches type stories that emphasize honesty and working hard. I asked my thirteen-year-old which ones he likes the most and he says he doesn’t know; they are all pretty much alike, but that didn’t keep him from reading all sixty of them and asking me to buy a few of the non-free ones, too. He finally did give me a few titles that he said were his favorite.
Fame and Fortune (a sequel to Ragged Dick)
In a New world (Among the Gold Fields of Australia)
Helen Ford (This one has a girl as the main character.)
G.A. Henty Series
Adventure, character, history, and vocabulary. That’s how these books are usually advertised. These books each focus on a different significant event in history and since most turning points in history involve war, there is battle and blood shed involved, so use your discretion as to whether these are appropriate for your children. I asked my fifteen year old son for his five favorite and he rattled off ten so here they are.
Condemned as a Nihilist: A Story of Escape from Siberia
Daughters of Faith Series (8 books in all)
Candy Bomber (The Wall) Series
The Wall is a three part series that takes place a few years after World War II.
Trailblazer Books by Dave and Neta Jackson
These are books which are fictional accounts of young boys or girls whose lives were influenced by great missionaries. There are many books in this series, and they are all only a few dollars. Here are a few to get you started.
The Queen’s Smuggler (William Tyndale)
Kidnapped by River Rats (William and Catherine Booth)
Shanghaied to China (Hudson Taylor)
Flight of the Fugitives (Gladys Aylward)
Imprisoned in the Golden City (Adoniram and Ann Judson)
I hope I’ve given you some ideas to load on your Kindle. I’m sure there are a lot I’ve missed so feel free to add any you’ve liked in the comments.
If you’ve been looking to buy a Kindle, I’d recommend a dedicated e-reader. (The linked website is run by our family and was started by our sons as a homeschool project.)
This post may be shared at one or more of these link-ups.
Thank you for the recommendation in an earlier post about the Viking Quest series. I bought the set on Kindle last week, and am reading the first book to my boys right now. They are loving it!
I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
I just saw where you posted a link to this on the Homeschool Mom’s Hangout group, and noticed we have some mutual friends–Wilma Miller and Sara Daigle. Makes me wonder even more exactly who you are! We used to belong to the same church as the Millers, in Michigan, and often visited the church Sara’s dad pastored (Agape Christian Fellowship) before we moved to New Zealand six years ago.
My sister goes to the same church as Wilma Miller who moved to Montana now. It’s a small world. 🙂 Sarah Daigle is related to my husband somehow.
Sure is. God bless! I’m really enjoying your blog.
Thank you!
I love that there are so many great free and cheap Kindle books! Thank you for linking up.
We love all the free (and cheap) books, too! All our boys love to read so Kindles have been great.
Amazing resource! Thanks!
You’re very welcome.
This is a great list. Lots to add to our reading lists! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I love finding new books, too.
WOW! A great list. I am going to bookmark your page/site for future reference. I have a Nook, but saw that I could download an app? for Kindle. I just ignored that pop-up but now might just be looking into such a thing. Thanks and I am glad to have found you on Cozy Reading Spot linkup.
May your Thanksgiving Day, today, be filled with gratitude. From what I read under your picture above, you have a heart filled with gratitude.
Caring through Christ, ~ linda
Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you had a wonderful, thank-filled Thanksgiving also. We had a great day at my parents.
God Bless You,
Suzanna
Thanks for the recommendations! I downloaded all the free ones! 🙂
I hope you enjoy them! Thanks for visiting.
I agree, I was hesitant to jump on the e-reader bandwagon, but I’ve been converted, at least some of the time. My local library also has an app that works on my Kindle Fire, and I can sometimes use it on my basic Kindle, so that’s nice. I’ve also found that if I put kindle versions in my wish list, Amazon will email me when they are discounted, much like the “ad” groups do.
Thanks for sharing your finds!
Marissa
#TheCozyReadingSpot
We like to use the library with our Kindles, too.
What a great resource! Thanks for sharing at the #LearningKid linkup!