Resources: Audiobooks and Text-to-Speech
Digital media technology is evolving at a rapid pace. Should you find that a recommendation here is outdated, please do let us know and we will be happy to assist you in finding another.
Amazon
Purchase many popular titles for children and teens on multiple formats. Many classic titles are available for free download to Kindle.
Audible
Audible is a great resource that offers a wide selection of books (i.e., history, science fiction, classic novels, etc), as well as “spark notes” study guides.
Barnes & Noble
Buy books in multiple digital formats. B&N Jr. provides a link to titles for younger readers.
Bookshare
This online library of digital books provides both text and audio versions of many trade and textbooks. A recommendation is required to qualify for the free membership; please contact the Yellin Center for more information.
Boomerang
Download hour-long radio episodes which cover stories about history, economics, literature, geography, current events, vocabulary, jokes, and stories, all written for and performed by kids.
iTunes
Select from tens of thousands best-selling audiobooks.
Learning Ally
Choose from a vast selection of children’s books, novels, non-fiction, textbooks, test preparation materials (SAT, ACT, etc.), and books in various languages. Selections are available in multiple formats.
Public Libraries
Don’t forget to check your local library for lots of free audiobooks!
Recorded Books
Contains an extensive catalogue of children’s books. It also has an excellent portion of the site that is designed for teachers.
Simply Audiobooks
Provides a choice between a rental program or a download club. This website offers helpful reading suggestions from lists such as “High School” and “Young Readers.”
Web Reader (available in iTunes App Store)
Web Reader is an inexpensive, user-friendly app that reads web pages and PDFs. Users can save audio as .mp3 files for later listening, too. Web Reader’s voices are just as canned as those of other text-to-speech programs unfortunately, but its affordability and portability make it hard to beat. Male and female voices are available, and listeners can adjust not only the volume but also the speed at which the content is read. Web Reader can also work in conjunction with DropBox to read content stored in other formats, like Word or RTF.
Links are provided for informational purposes only. Links do not indicate endorsement of any particular products or services. Some resources may not be appropriate for all learners. We urge you to carefully review any of the products, services, or tools linked to from these pages prior to allowing children to use them without adult supervision.
Amazon
Purchase many popular titles for children and teens on multiple formats. Many classic titles are available for free download to Kindle.
Audible
Audible is a great resource that offers a wide selection of books (i.e., history, science fiction, classic novels, etc), as well as “spark notes” study guides.
Barnes & Noble
Buy books in multiple digital formats. B&N Jr. provides a link to titles for younger readers.
Bookshare
This online library of digital books provides both text and audio versions of many trade and textbooks. A recommendation is required to qualify for the free membership; please contact the Yellin Center for more information.
Boomerang
Download hour-long radio episodes which cover stories about history, economics, literature, geography, current events, vocabulary, jokes, and stories, all written for and performed by kids.
iTunes
Select from tens of thousands best-selling audiobooks.
Learning Ally
Choose from a vast selection of children’s books, novels, non-fiction, textbooks, test preparation materials (SAT, ACT, etc.), and books in various languages. Selections are available in multiple formats.
Public Libraries
Don’t forget to check your local library for lots of free audiobooks!
Recorded Books
Contains an extensive catalogue of children’s books. It also has an excellent portion of the site that is designed for teachers.
Simply Audiobooks
Provides a choice between a rental program or a download club. This website offers helpful reading suggestions from lists such as “High School” and “Young Readers.”
Web Reader (available in iTunes App Store)
Web Reader is an inexpensive, user-friendly app that reads web pages and PDFs. Users can save audio as .mp3 files for later listening, too. Web Reader’s voices are just as canned as those of other text-to-speech programs unfortunately, but its affordability and portability make it hard to beat. Male and female voices are available, and listeners can adjust not only the volume but also the speed at which the content is read. Web Reader can also work in conjunction with DropBox to read content stored in other formats, like Word or RTF.
Links are provided for informational purposes only. Links do not indicate endorsement of any particular products or services. Some resources may not be appropriate for all learners. We urge you to carefully review any of the products, services, or tools linked to from these pages prior to allowing children to use them without adult supervision.
