FOR FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS · AGES 0–11
Free reading websites for kids (UK): a checked list
Good places for children to read free stories online in the UK include BookTrust’s storybooks, Oxford Owl’s free eBook library (with a free account), the BBC’s CBeebies Storytime app, Sooper Books and Storynory, and your library’s BorrowBox or Libby apps with a library card. We checked each one on 5 November 2026: what is free, the ages it says it is for, and whether a grown-up needs to set up an account.
Checked on · Every entry links to the pages we checked
The list at a glance
Ages are as each site gives them. “Account” is what you need before your child can read: if one is needed, a grown-up should set it up.
| Site | Ages | Account | Website or app |
|---|---|---|---|
| BookTrust storybooks | No age given (picture books) | None asked for | Website |
| CBeebies Storytime | “Made for ages 0–5” (App Store) | Sign-in with a BBC account is offered | App (we checked the iPhone and iPad listing) |
| Oxford Owl free eBook library | “Children aged 3–11” | Yes: register or sign in | Website |
| Sooper Books | Sorted into 0–5, 3–7, 4–10 and 6–10 years | None asked for to read on the website | Website, and an app with a paid plan |
| Storynory | “Most of our stories are aimed at an age group around 7 to 11 years” | None asked for | Website and podcast |
| BorrowBox | Children’s and adults’ books | Yes: your library card | App |
| Libby | Children’s and adults’ books | Yes: your library card | App, or in a web browser at libbyapp.com |
| Our own: Litsee’s free interactive stories | Ages 5 to 11 (each story shows its reading age) | None | Website |
Picture books to share
For younger children, read side by side with a grown-up.
BookTrust storybooks
From BookTrust, a UK children’s reading charity.
A shelf of picture books to read along with on screen. Some are read aloud, one can be watched with signing and one can be heard in many languages. The same page has storytime videos and games.
- What’s free
- Free. BookTrust says: “Our storybooks and games are free to use, but some older devices aren’t able to support them.”
- Ages
- No age given (picture books)
- Account
- None asked for
- Website or app
- Website
For grown-ups: Share it on the biggest screen you have, side by side. If a story will not open, try a newer device.
Checked on: BookTrust: Storybooks and games · BookTrust: About us
CBeebies Storytime
From the BBC.
The BBC’s app of interactive story books with CBeebies characters, made to “support early years reading”, with different reading modes for different reading abilities.
- What’s free
- Free. The App Store listing says: “All the stories are free to download, with no in-app purchases.”
- Ages
- “Made for ages 0–5” (App Store)
- Account
- Sign-in with a BBC account is offered
- Website or app
- App (we checked the iPhone and iPad listing)
For grown-ups: Download stories at home: the listing says downloaded stories can be read offline, and that links out of the app have a parental lock. If it asks for a BBC account, a grown-up should set it up.
Checked on: App Store (UK): CBeebies Storytime
For children learning to read
Books matched to your child’s reading level, like the ones that come home from school.
Oxford Owl free eBook library
From Oxford University Press.
Hundreds of eBooks for practising reading at home. You can choose by age or by level, including book bands from Lilac to Dark Red and Read Write Inc. Phonics levels.
- What’s free
- Free, with a free account. Oxford Owl says: “All our eBooks are free to use, but you will need to register or sign in at the link below to read your book.”
- Ages
- “Children aged 3–11”
- Account
- Yes: register or sign in
- Website or app
- Website
For grown-ups: The page does not say who should register, so a grown-up should. If school has given your child a class login, Oxford Owl says to use that instead.
Checked on: Oxford Owl: Free eBook library · Oxford Owl: eBook library (levels and class logins) · Oxford Owl for Home
Stories to read and listen to
Stories read aloud, for car journeys, quiet time and bedtime.
Sooper Books
From Sooper Books.
In its own words, “a free library of hundreds of original stories to read and listen to”, alongside retold fairy tales. Each story shows the age it starts from.
- What’s free
- Free to read on the website. Sooper Books also has an audio app with a paid plan after a free trial.
- Ages
- Sorted into 0–5, 3–7, 4–10 and 6–10 years
- Account
- None asked for to read on the website
- Website or app
- Website, and an app with a paid plan
For grown-ups: Story pages suggest listening in the Sooper Books app. Reading on the website needs no app and no account.
Checked on: Sooper Books: home page · Sooper Books: a story page (The Three Little Pigs) · Sooper Books app: plans
Storynory
From Storynory Ltd, UK.
Hundreds of free audio stories, posted since November 2005, with a Junior section of “shorter tales for younger children”. You can also listen as a podcast.
- What’s free
- Free. Storynory says: “All our content is free.”
- Ages
- “Most of our stories are aimed at an age group around 7 to 11 years”
- Account
- None asked for
- Website or app
- Website and podcast
For grown-ups: Storynory says its business model “has been mainly based on advertising”, so a grown-up may want to start the story for younger children.
Checked on: Storynory: home page · Storynory: About · Storynory: Where do I start?
Through your library, for older readers too
Your public library lends eBooks and audiobooks through an app, free with a library card, including chapter books for older readers.
BorrowBox
From your public library.
Borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks from your local library’s collection, for children and adults.
- What’s free
- Free with a library card. Bexley Libraries, for example, say it “is free to use for library members”.
- Ages
- Children’s and adults’ books
- Account
- Yes: your library card
- Website or app
- App
For grown-ups: BorrowBox’s steps are: join your local library, install the app, then activate it with your library membership. The app holds adults’ books too, so set it up and choose books together.
Checked on: BorrowBox: home page · Bexley Council: Borrowbox comes to Bexley libraries · Leeds Libraries: Families
Libby
From OverDrive, with your public library.
Another library app for eBooks and audiobooks. At some libraries it is also where you read comics and magazines.
- What’s free
- Free with a library card. Libby’s help pages say there are “no subscription costs, no in-app purchases, and no late fees.”
- Ages
- Children’s and adults’ books
- Account
- Yes: your library card
- Website or app
- App, or in a web browser at libbyapp.com
For grown-ups: Some libraries use BorrowBox, some Libby, and some both for different things: Leeds, for example, uses BorrowBox for eBooks and audiobooks and Libby for comics and magazines. Your library’s website says which.
Checked on: Libby: home page · Libby help: getting started · Leeds Libraries: Families
Our own free stories
We make these, so we are not neutral about them. They are here because they are free, with no sign-up.
Our own: Litsee’s free interactive stories
From Litsee (us).
Short illustrated stories where your child decides what happens next. Most have a Read to me button that reads the chapter aloud.
- What’s free
- Free to read, with no account or email.
- Ages
- Ages 5 to 11 (each story shows its reading age)
- Account
- None
- Website or app
- Website
For grown-ups: Nothing your child chooses is sent anywhere. Afterwards, they can make up a story of their own. Free story starters.
Questions about free reading websites
Which free reading websites for kids need no sign-up?
When we checked on 5 November 2026, BookTrust’s storybooks, Sooper Books (reading on the website), Storynory and our own free stories asked for no account. Oxford Owl’s eBook library needs a free account, and BorrowBox and Libby need a library card.
Is the Oxford Owl eBook library really free?
Yes. Oxford Owl says “All our eBooks are free to use, but you will need to register or sign in” to read them. The library is for children aged 3 to 11, and you can choose books by level, including book bands. If school has given your child a class login, use that.
Can my child borrow eBooks from the library for free?
Yes, with a library card. BorrowBox and Libby lend eBooks and audiobooks from UK public libraries, and both say you need to be a library member. Joining is free at the libraries we checked: Leeds says “The library service is free to join from birth”, and Telford says “Anyone of any age can become a library member”.
Where can my child listen to free stories online?
Storynory is all audio, mostly aimed at ages 7 to 11, with shorter tales for younger children. Some of BookTrust’s storybooks are read aloud, Sooper Books has stories to read and listen to, and your library lends eAudiobooks through BorrowBox and Libby. Most of our own free stories have a Read to me button.
Are these websites safe for children to use alone?
We listed sites from a children’s reading charity, a publisher, the BBC and public libraries, plus story sites that say clearly what is free. Still, set up any account yourself, choose library books together (the library apps hold adults’ books too), and stay nearby with younger children. Storynory says it is paid for mainly by advertising.
How did you check this list?
On 5 November 2026 we opened each site’s own pages, listed under each entry, and noted what they say about cost, ages, accounts and apps. Where a page did not say, we left it out. If something has changed, email info@litsee.com and we will update the list.
Keep reading
- Book bands and reading ages explained: The band colours in order, for choosing Oxford Owl eBooks by level.
- Audiobooks for children: how to use them well: Listening together, reading along and free audiobooks from libraries.
- Kindle, tablet or paper: what’s best for a child’s reading?: With a quick check for setting up any device.
- Reading at home, on one page: A 10-minute bedtime routine, book bands in brief and questions to ask.
- How to start a family book club: A free story makes an easy first book.
How we checked
On we opened each site’s own pages, linked under each entry, and noted what they say about cost, ages, accounts and apps. Where a page did not say, we left it out rather than guess. On joining a library, we quoted Leeds Libraries and Telford libraries; to find yours, use GOV.UK (England and Wales) or your council’s website.
Sites change. Spotted something out of date? Email info@litsee.com and we will check it again.
About Litsee: we make an interactive storybook app for ages 5 to 11, in which your child creates the hero and decides what happens next. How it works.