Free nonfiction books for kids, one topic at three levels
Peabody has 15 topics written as free true books three times over: a basic book for about ages 6 to 8, a middle one for 9 to 12 and an advanced one for 13 to 16, all from one set of checked facts. That is 42 books, from level 7 to level 14, free to read with no sign-up.
Tap a book. Each one is a true book: a basic one, a middle one and an advanced one.
Tap a book to see what's inside.
Or start with The Tooth Nobody Lost| Topic | Basic (ages 6 to 8) | Middle (ages 9 to 12) | Advanced (ages 13 to 16) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The water cycle: What is the water cycle? | Where Did the Puddle Go? (level 8) | The Water Cycle Next Door (level 11) | The Tax Collector's Rain (level 14) |
| Bones and the skeleton: How many bones are in the human body? | Tavi and the Bones Under Her Skin (level 8) | How Many Bones Are in the Human Body? (level 11) | Coming later |
| Black holes: What is a black hole? | Just Above the Spout (level 8) | Too Strong for Light (level 10) | Dark Stars and Doubters (level 14) |
| The seven continents: How many continents are there? | Mostly Blue (level 7) | How Many Continents Are There? (level 10) | Seven Is a Choice (level 13) |
| Learning to code: How do you learn to code? | Be My Robot (level 7) | How Do You Learn to Code? (level 10) | Debugging Since 1843 (level 13) |
| Rocks and the rock cycle: What is the rock cycle? | Three Rocks in a Shoebox (level 7) | The Rock Cycle: A Pebble's Very Long Trip (level 10) | Coming later |
| How the dinosaurs died out: When did the dinosaurs go extinct? | The Turtles Made It (level 7) | When Did the Dinosaurs Go Extinct? (level 11) | The Clay That Was Meant to Be a Clock (level 14) |
| The solar system: How many planets are there? | Mina and the Eight Planets (level 8) | How Many Planets Are There? (level 10) | Coming later |
| Cats: Why do cats purr? | Hum Under My Hand (level 8) | Why Do Cats Purr? (level 10) | The Problem With a Purr (level 14) |
| Teeth: Why do we have wisdom teeth? | The Tooth Nobody Lost (level 7) | Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth? (level 10) | The Mismatch at the Back of the Mouth (level 14) |
| Mars: What is Mars like? | The Rusty Red Dot (level 8) | Could We Live on Mars? (level 10) | The Rust That Remembers Water (level 14) |
| Pandas: What do pandas eat? | Crunch Goes the Panda (level 7) | What Do Pandas Eat? (level 11) | The Bamboo Bargain (level 13) |
| Pluto: Why is Pluto not a planet? | Ottilie Gets Pluto (level 7) | Why Is Pluto Not a Planet? (level 11) | Ceres Was a Planet Once (level 14) |
| Bees and honey: How do bees make honey? | A Sip, a Fan, a Lid (level 7) | How Do Bees Make Honey? (level 11) | Nectar, Minus the Water (level 14) |
| The light bulb: Who invented the light bulb? | The Thread That Glowed (level 7) | Who Invented the Light Bulb? (level 11) | A Practical Lamp, Not a First One (level 14) |
Why each topic has three books
A seven-year-old and a fourteen-year-old can ask the same question, like why Pluto is not a planet, and need different books to answer it. So each topic here starts from one list of facts, every one checked against a page from a museum, a space agency, a university or a science journal, and becomes three books. The basic book follows one child doing something, one idea a page. The middle book explains how and why, with the real names for things. The advanced book tells how people found it out, who doubted it and what is still unknown.
Which one to pick
Start with the age, then let the reading level decide. A strong reader can take the next book up, and an older child who is still building reading can begin with the basic book and move on. Each book's page says its level and has questions at the end; the level pages (Level 7 · Level 8 · Level 10 · Level 11 · Level 13 · Level 14) say what a reader at each level can manage.
More on the same topics
These library books came before the three and cover part of the same ground:
- The water cycle: Rain's Long Trip (level 7) and Why Is the Ocean Salty? (level 9)
- Black holes: The First Picture of a Black Hole (level 11)
- How the dinosaurs died out: Dinosaurs Are Still Here (level 9)
- Teeth: My Teeth (level 5)
- Bees and honey: The Honey Bee (level 10) and The Bee Line (level 13)
How the facts were checked
Every number, date and name in these books comes from a page that was opened and read when the book was written, and each book was then read by a second checker against those pages. Where the sources disagree, the book says so rather than picking one. If you find a mistake, the About page says where to write.
More free stories
- The whole library: free stories by reading level, no account needed.
- Classic stories retold short: fables, fairy tales, myths and legends.
- Free short stories for 4th graders
- Free short stories for 7th graders
- Free beginning reader books for kids just learning to read
- By level: Level 7 · Level 8 · Level 10 · Level 11 · Level 13 · Level 14
Questions parents ask
What reading levels are these books?
They run from levels 7 to 14 in Peabody's library. The basic books sit around levels 7 and 8, the middle ones around 10 and 11, and the advanced ones around 13 and 14.
Can a class use them?
Yes. Each book is free to read on any device with no account, and the ones with three or more questions print as a passage with an answer key from the book's page. Three levels of one topic let a mixed class read about the same thing together.
Do the books cost anything?
No. Every story on this page is free to read through the end of 2026, with no account and no card.
Checked against how Peabody works on 19 October 2026. Written with help from AI, from Peabody's own code and library. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: if you're worried about your child's learning, talk to their teacher. How Peabody's pages are made.