Classroom Books: 9 Ways to Get Children’s Books for Free or Cheap!
When you read a lot of books…. or when you are using many different read-alouds in the classroom to teach… the price can REALLY add up fast. That’s why I have found many ways to get classroom books free or cheap during my teaching career. Here are some ways that I get classroom books for myself, AND ways that you can get access to books to use book companions with (without spending money!). And if you love cheap or free ideas, be sure to check out the freebies in my free resource library!
Free Ways to Add Classroom Books to Your Library
If you’re anything like me, you love finding ways to stretch your classroom budget. Free is always my favorite price! Before you even think about spending a dime, there are many creative ways to bring new books into your classroom just by tapping into the resources that are already around you. Let’s start with some of my favorite free strategies for growing your classroom library.
Asking Friends and Family for Classroom Books
The good old “ask and you shall receive”. As a first-year teacher, I did not have much money to put into my classroom for books. And I can’t imagine many first-year teachers do! So, I asked some family members if they had any books or if they had friends or neighbors with books they were ready to let go of. I lucked out big time with a family with older children who had a ton of children’s books they didn’t need anymore, but didn’t want to throw them away! It’s sometimes as simple as asking for help.
Public Library to get Classroom Books
Of course, having a library card will save you lots of money, so I had to include this one. Sometimes, making it to the library can be time-consuming. But if I know that I am teaching a topic that is only for a few weeks or a special event like a holiday, I will pop into my local library and grab the read-alouds I might need. You may run the risk of the books not being there, but this is an easy option to bring in different classroom books in most cases.
Book Swaps With Other Teachers
One of the easiest ways to refresh your classroom books without spending a dime is by organizing a “book swap” with other teachers at your school. Many of us collect books year after year. Sometimes, titles no longer fit the grade level we’re teaching or the units we plan. Setting up a simple book swap lets everyone trade classroom books they aren’t using anymore for ones that are new to them. I used to do this every spring, and it was such a fun, easy way to give my classroom library a refresh!
You can also organize a book swap with your school librarian or even with teachers in your district through professional groups. The best part is that your students will be excited to see “new” books on the shelves. Plus, you’ll be building variety without spending a penny.
Apps To Use for Classroom Books for Free or at a Low Cost
While building your classroom library, don’t forget about the power of digital tools! Apps can give you and your students instant access to hundreds of books, often for free, without taking up shelf space. These options are perfect for read-aloud stations, listening centers, or giving your students more ways to engage with books. Here are a few of my favorite apps to help you expand your book collection digitally.
Libby
The Libby app connects your library card to your library’s eBook library! You can download classroom books for free through your library using this app on your phone, Kindle, or iPad. This means you could have a station set up with a device in your classroom that students can either listen to books being read to them or read the books themselves. I used to love having a station like this when I taught elementary and in the early childhood grades.
YouTube
YouTube has many classroom books available for free read-aloud. You can find a children’s book being read aloud by someone on YouTube. Especially after COVID, many teachers took time to record themselves reading books that are easy to use in their own classroom. Please use your discretion and view the entire video first before showing it to your students. Due to the fact that YouTube is free, there can be some issues with videos that would not be appropriate for the classroom.
Vooks
Vooks is a great option for digital books. The thing that makes Vooks special is that it reads books to you, but they make the books come to life! It’s a mix of a video and a book put together. As you or the student reads through the books, it has pieces of the actual book, like text or pictures, that are animated. This can increase student engagement with all the excitement happening on each page. Vooks offers a free trial, and then teachers get a 50% discount on subscriptions!
Epic
Epic is a great, free option for bringing free books digitally into your classroom. Creating an educator’s account allows teachers to add each student to a classroom. From there, students can log in individually and have books read to them, or read books on their own. The more students use their profiles, the more book suggestions become tailored to their personal interests. Epic is full of fun, kid-friendly content for students to enjoy. If you’ve never tried Epic, it’s definitely worth giving it a try!
Check Out Stores and Sales for Deals on Classroom Books
Of course, there are times when you want to add specific titles to your collection or stock up on books for class sets. The good news is that you don’t have to pay full price to do it! From online marketplaces to local sales and teacher programs, there are plenty of affordable ways to score great deals on books for your classroom. Here are some places I’ve found fantastic books without breaking the bank.
Garage Sales
A good old garage or yard sale is still another go-to of mine. In my early years of teaching, I would check my local newspaper and talk to neighbors who were having sales. You can even go on social media now and look up garage sales near you. The other great thing is that many times, you can find teachers who are retired, just looking to pass on the knowledge and materials from their previous classroom. It’s great that educators are so willing to pay it forward!
Goodwill
Additionally, I think this one is a no-brainer. Places like Goodwill or other thrift shops often have children’s books that are in decent condition for the classroom. I have found many great titles looking through at such a cheap price! A lot of times, families will clean out their children’s book collections as they get older. You will hit the jackpot with some of their most loved books that are still useful as classroom books!
Thrift Books 4 Teachers Program
ThriftBooks is available to anyone to use, but they specifically have a program for teachers who want to purchase books. Some of the great things about it are not only that the books are discounted, but they are also labeled by condition. I know I don’t mind a book that’s in “like new” condition for 50% of the normal cost!
Secondly, you can filter this site by age group, grade level, or subject area to look for specific titles or just certain content areas. You don’t get that luxury at some of the other places I have mentioned in this blog previously. I highly recommend checking this site out!
Facebook Marketplace
Another spot for finding affordable classroom books is Facebook Marketplace. I often used this when I wanted to add specific books to my collection or when hunting for books in bulk. You can find all kinds of deals on books this way, from individual titles to entire boxes of classroom books sold by other teachers or families.
One of my favorite things about Marketplace is that it also helps you discover upcoming local garage sales. Many of which are hosted by retiring teachers or families clearing out their children’s books. I’ve scored some of my best book finds this way! If you’re on Facebook already, it’s worth taking a few minutes to browse listings in your area and keep an eye out for posts in local teacher groups or community pages, too. You never know what treasures you might find to add to your classroom books!
Scholastic Book Orders
I remember as a kid myself when teachers would give us the Scholastic orders, and I would be so excited! The books were amazing and my parents loved the prices! Not only did they have good deals for the students and families, but teachers got perks every time a student or family purchased books. You can earn points to use towards getting more classroom books! I’ve seen teachers build an amazing library by doing this for just a little work of sending the information home. Check out more about it here.
Using Book Fairs to Increase Your Classroom Library
I always looked forward to our school book fairs. Not just because of the fun atmosphere, but also because they offered an easy way to grow my classroom book collection. Many book fairs give teachers an opportunity to create a wish list that families can purchase from, or offer teacher discounts at the end of the fair.
Another tip is if your school allows it, use book fairs as a time to let families know that you’re collecting donations of new or gently used books for your classroom. I would often send home a note or add it to the newsletter during book fair week. It’s a simple ask, and families are often happy to contribute a book or two. Over time, this added to dozens of great new titles for my classroom books.
Your Classroom Just Got Easier to Build
I hope this blog post has sparked lots of new ideas for how you can fill your classroom library with engaging and affordable classroom books. Whether you’re building your collection from scratch or just looking to add a few fresh titles, every new book helps create more reading opportunities for your students. Speaking of supporting your readers, while this next resource isn’t a classroom book, it’s one you’ll definitely want to grab! Check out this free reading comprehension resource all about dinosaurs. It’s the perfect way to build those comprehension skills right alongside your classroom books.
Save for Later
If you want to come back to this list later or share it with other teachers, be sure to save this post to one of your Pinterest boards, whether it’s your classroom library board, teaching ideas board, or special education resources board. That way, you’ll have all these tips handy the next time you’re on the hunt for more great classroom books!
