A review of Epic books
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Our review of Epic Books will help you better understand how this service works and whether it can be your go-to reading resource for kids.
A review of Epic books
Epic books is a leading retailer of children’s books. Most educational institutions in America rely on this platform to engage and educate young learners. If you have elementary school and younger kids, they can leverage the platform for after-school use as well.
This article shares everything you need to know about the kids’ books from Epic.
What is the Epic! book service?
Epic! (or Epic) is an online book service for children aged 2-12. The platform has more than 35,000 books available for reading on the internet, mobile devices, desktop computers, and tablets.
The books are available in numerous languages (Spanish, English, Chinese, French, and more). Numerous bilingual books help young learners and educators make foreign language learning a breeze.
You can search for titles by genre, recommended age, or subject. Some publications also come with audio versions or read-to-me adaptations that highlight the text as it’s being read.
Parents can track the progress their children make, the number of pages and books they read, and more. Kids can enjoy the platform on their favorite devices and earn badges or rewards based on their performance.
Educators and teachers can create a curated list of books for kids to access. The same goes for follow-up material such as quizzes.
The website doesn’t host any inappropriate content. However, you can find literature for younger kids that may include violent themes. For example, novels about epic battles like the Battle of Troy or historic events can include battle scenes.
The benefits of Epic books
Epic mainly focuses on elementary school students. However, it offers plenty of books for all reading levels from kindergarten to the 5th grade. If your child is in the 6th or higher grades, they have likely outgrown the platform.
Below is an overview of the features and benefits of Epic.
Huge library
Epic’s best-selling point is its enormous digital libraries. The platform has more than 35,000 titles available for instant use. You can use read-to-me books to teach early reading skills to pre-readers. Illustrated works are appropriate for all reading levels, while older kids can enjoy chapter books.
All books on Epic are age appropriate. Children can choose between fiction and non-fiction works.
Easy site navigation
Using Epic is as simple as it gets. Kids can search the library to find books suitable for their levels with a few clicks of a button. Numerous search filters help them narrow down their options.
If your goal is to work on reading comprehension, you can filter books that have end-of-book quizzes for reading assessment. Filters also include relevance, grade level, and more. You can also look for books in a different format (audiobooks, books, read-to-me books, etc).
Book collections
Children can easily make book collections with Epic. If your kid loves dinosaurs, they can work their book collection around that topic. They can add relevant books to their library and have easy access to them whenever they log in.
A personalized experience makes Epic more accessible and helps satisfy your children’s curiosity about their interests.
Universal compatibility
Kids who use Epic along with classroom learning can transition from one tool to another in an instant. Most academic reading programs are compatible with Epic. You can search for books recommended by the teacher for the student's reading level.
Both Lexile and Accelerated Reader (AR) programs are compatible with Epic.
Multiple profile support
Epic has high-quality book offers for all kindergarten and elementary school kids. If you have multiple children, you can create up to four different profiles for the same price.
Every child can have their own fully customized library suitable for their reading level. This feature alleviates the need for kids to share profiles or go through each other’s reading lists and collections.
Access to learning videos
Books aren’t the only asset of the Epic library. The video tab stores hundreds of fun educational videos for your children to explore. Video resources include Smithsonian, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Animal Wonders, Harper Collins, and other similar sources.
Available to all kids
Children and families across the world can use the Epic digital library. The platform has millions of registered users which proves its wide reach on the national level. Although many learners use the platform at school, they can easily enjoy their favorite content at home too.
Epic is especially suitable for children who:
- Are bored with reading—The world is full of distractions. Children have shorter attention spans and need more authentic, captivating platforms to keep them focused.
- Don’t want to read—If your child is a reluctant reader, Epic may be the platform for them. Most of the time, children won’t even feel they read in a standard way. They can tap, swipe, and click through the site to have a more engaging time.
- Love reading—Epic is naturally a great place for children who love to explore different types of books. Thousands of books give avid readers more than enough content to read from the comfort of their homes.
Despite the numerous benefits, Epic isn’t an ideal platform for all children. Kids who love traditional books won't find Epic a fun place for reading. In this case, signing them up with a local library would be a much better choice.
Also, children who can’t use tablets or technology will have a difficult time using Epic.
Pros of Epic include:
- More than 35,000 books in a virtual library
- Support for up to four different profiles
- Affordable price
- Epic-exclusive books, graphic novels, and videos
Which titles can you find on Epic?
Listed below are categories of books on Epic, grouped by reading age as well as genre.
5 and under
- How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?
- The Bad Seed
- Jabari Jumps
- Planet Kindergarten
- Goodnight Moon
- Astronaut Training
- Monkey with a Tool Belt
Ages 6-8
- The Dot
- How to Catch a Unicorn
- LEGO
- National Geographic Sharks
- The Great Ice Age
- Puppy Place
Ages 9-12
- Big Nate
- Everything Robotics
- Big Nate from the Top
- Laser Moose
- Goosebumps
- I’ll Keep You Close
Audio
- Captain Underpants
- I Survived
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit
- Giraffes Can’t Dance
- The Magic School Bus
Award Winners
- Watercress
- The Last Cuentista
- This Is Not My Hat
- Unspeakable
- Garvey’s Choice
Nonfiction
- Guinness World Records
- Honeybee
- National Geographic Kids
- Science Fair Success
Cats and Dogs
- Baby Dogs
- Grumpy Cat
- Pete the Cat
- Pug
STEAM
- Eye Spy
- June Almeida Virus Detective
- Ada Twist, Scientist
- Spi-ku
Listen to the best children’s books with Speechify
Speechify is an audiobook service with more than 60,000 titles in a range of categories, including children’s books. Speechify works on Android and iOS (iPad, iPhone) devices, features award-winning collections of books for children, and is slowly becoming the most popular audiobook reading app.
If Epic or Amazon subscriptions are too costly, or you wish to explore a new platform with a focus on audiobooks, Speechify is a great choice.
Try Speechify Audiobooks for free today by visiting the official page.
FAQ
Is Epic books still free?
No, the Epic reading platform now comes with a subscription.
Are Epic books worth it?
Yes, Epic subscribers can expect a high-quality experience both during and outside of school hours.
Is Epic books free for parents?
Parents can enjoy 30-day free access before committing to the subscription.
Is Epic books an app?
Epic books, picture books, and audiobooks are available in the form of an app, but there is also a desktop version.
Cliff Weitzman
Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.