So you have this lovely list of books that you’ve generated through the Kids Must Read search engine. The problem? How can one source books? The lockdown status of the country (full lockdown, soft lockdown, voluntary self-isolation, or free movement) impacts the ability to source books.
Buying e-book is the no-brainer way to get books during the pandemic. Ordinarily, I advocate for printed books, but under these extraordinary circumstances, e-books may be the easiest and sometimes, the only option available to parents. Even if you don’t have an e-reader you can download the app on a tablet device and still read the book; however, please note that eReaders are designed for reading and are geared to reduce eyestrain so reading on the tablet. Kindle, for example, has an app that can be downloaded on any device. But if delivery options are still available to you, do try to get the printed books; children already have too much screen time with online schooling. Another option to consider to reduce screen time for kids is to buy the book on your eReader but read-aloud to your kids.
If your postal and courier services are still working, try placing your order on websites such as bookdepository.com, amazon.com / amazon.in / amazon.co.uk. Please check on these websites for delivery notes – for example, BookDepository.com's delivery time to countries varies but deliveries are still happening.
We would urge you to exercise extreme caution, but if local bookstores are open, and you are allowed to step out of home, you could source books from your local bookstore. If you would like to support independent bookstores, please get information on the bookstores by downloading the Save Your Bookstore app. It has full details of independent bookstores in your city. You could also check if your local library is open. Please call first to check on book availability, and only step out if allowed, and it is advisable.
Stay safe, stay well, and happy reading!
Note: I do not have affiliations to any of the websites/apps mentioned above.
To understand how digital vs print reading impacts the brain, please click here.
To weigh the pros and cons of reading on digital tablets vs printed books, please click here.
