📚 Reading apps and reading coaches
Great Kid Books
Here for your child to play now? Arcade · Library
The answer in one minute
- What Great Kid Books is: A blog of children's and teen book reviews written by Mary Ann Scheuer, a high school librarian in Albany, California.
- Ages, price, ads: Free · Ages book reviews for ages 2 to young adult; written for adults · Ads: none.
- Our take: A good starting list for adults picking children's books if older reviews are fine; check newer sources for recent titles.
Peabody (ours): free stories by reading level, read aloud. Free through the end of 2026, no sign-up, no ads.
Play freeBy Mary Ann Scheuer. Go to Great Kid Books ↗
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-11-10.
Quick answers
- How much does Great Kid Books cost?
- Free to read; Amazon links earn the blogger a small share of purchases (Nov 2026).
- What age is Great Kid Books for?
- Ages it suits: book reviews for ages 2 to young adult; written for adults. What its terms say: The site states no minimum age.
- Is Great Kid Books safe for kids?
- Our take: A good starting list for adults picking children's books if older reviews are fine; check newer sources for recent titles. Ads: none. In-app purchases: none. Account: no account needed. Watch for: Latest post on the blog is dated September 2021.
- Where is the official Great Kid Books site?
- The official site is greatkidbooks.blogspot.com, from Mary Ann Scheuer. It works on the web.Go to Great Kid Books ↗
- What are the alternatives to Great Kid Books?
- Three others in reading apps and reading coaches: A-Z Animals, AmblesideOnline and Amira Learning.
A blog of children's and teen book reviews written by Mary Ann Scheuer, a high school librarian in Albany, California. Reviews are sorted by age from 2 to young adult, by type such as picture books, graphic novels and nonfiction, and by awards like the Caldecott and Newbery. It is for parents, teachers and librarians choosing books. Everything is free to read.
Our take
Desk researchA good starting list for adults picking children's books if older reviews are fine; check newer sources for recent titles.
- PriceFree
- AdsNo ads
- In-app buyingNone
- AccountNone needed
Ages book reviews for ages 2 to young adult; written for adults · 4 good things · 4 things to watch for
Is Great Kid Books OK for my kid?
Find your child's age. Each row reads Great Kid Books's own terms (quoted above), the ages it suits and the account it needs. An age rule is the least a maker asks, not a judgement that it suits a child of that age. Check another app.
| Age | By its terms | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 5 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 6 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 7 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 8 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 9 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 10 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 11 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 12 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 13 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 14 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 15 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 16 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| 17 | No age rule | We found no age the terms set for using it.No age range it suits is given. |
| Ages it suits | book reviews for ages 2 to young adult; written for adults |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | The site states no minimum age. (terms) |
| Price | Free. Free to read; Amazon links earn the blogger a small share of purchases (Nov 2026). |
| Works on | Web |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI mentioned on the site. |
What's good
- Reviews sorted by age, type and award
- Written by a librarian
- Free, with no display ads seen
- Contact by email
Watch for
- Latest post on the blog is dated September 2021
- No privacy policy of its own
- Amazon affiliate links throughout
- Open comment forms on each post
8 things to know before your child uses Great Kid Books
- Check the age rule first. The site states no minimum age.
- Know what it costs. Free. Free to read; Amazon links earn the blogger a small share of purchases (Nov 2026).
- See whose account it is. No account needed. Nothing to sign up for.
- No ads or purchases. Great Kid Books shows no ads and sells nothing inside it, so there is nothing for a child to tap by mistake.
- Read what it does with data. The blog is hosted on Google's Blogger and has no privacy policy of its own that we could find. Readers can leave comments and join a newsletter; the blog does not say what is done with that information. Google describes its own cookie use on its policy page.
- Know where the AI is. No AI mentioned on the site.
- Watch for the main catch. Latest post on the blog is dated September 2021.
- Start with what it does well. Reviews sorted by age, type and award.
Data and privacy
The blog is hosted on Google's Blogger and has no privacy policy of its own that we could find. Readers can leave comments and join a newsletter; the blog does not say what is done with that information. Google describes its own cookie use on its policy page. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
The maker's own claims only; we found no independent study.
Great Kid Books beside 4 alternatives
| App | Price | Ads | In-app buying | Account | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Kid Books (this page) | Free | No ads | None | None needed | book reviews for ages 2 to… |
| A-Z Animals | Free | Has ads | None | None needed | all ages (general readers… |
| AmblesideOnline | Free | No ads | None | None needed | about 5-18 (Year 0 to Year 12) |
| Amira Learning | Through schools | No ads | None | A school's | about 5-14 (school product… |
| Bloom Library | Free | No ads | None | None needed | mostly early readers; some… |
Alternatives to Great Kid Books
Desk researchFreeNo account
A-Z Animals
Flywheel Publishing, LLC · ages all ages (general readers, not child-directed)
Handy for older children and families researching animals with an adult nearby; skip for young children who should not meet ads.
Desk researchFreeNo adsNo account
AmblesideOnline
AmblesideOnline (volunteer advisory) · ages about 5-18 (Year 0 to Year 12)
A strong free plan for homeschool families drawn to Charlotte Mason and literature-rich learning; secular families or those wanting an interactive program should look elsewhere.
Desk researchThrough schoolsNo ads
Amira Learning
Amira Learning · ages about 5-14 (school product; listed studies run from kindergarten to middle school)
Worth asking about if your child's school uses it; parents cannot buy it, so home users should look at family apps instead.
Desk researchFreeNo adsNo account
Bloom Library
SIL Global · ages mostly early readers; some books for adults (health, farming)
A standout for families reading in a home or heritage language; parents should filter by topic, since religious and adult titles mix with children's books.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Bookshare
Benetech (nonprofit) · ages all ages (PreK-12 students through adults)
A free, practical library for US students with a documented print disability; families without that need should use a public library app instead.
Desk researchThrough schoolsNo ads
Boost Reading
Amplify Education, Inc. · ages grades K-5 (about 5-11)
Worth asking about if your child's school uses Amplify CKLA or mCLASS; families cannot buy it on their own.
Where these facts come from
- https://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/
- https://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html
- https://policies.google.com/technologies/cookies
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.