There’s not many things cooler than the International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL). Not only does this website contain free ebooks, but it contains literature for children in multiple languages. Here in Chicago, the school system has over 70 different languages represented in its student population. Wow, right? How can we offer these students access to literature in their first language?

You can search in two ways– simple and advanced search. In the simple, kid-friendly search, users can search by “kid characters” vs. “animal characters,” length, even color of the cover! There are books in Spanish, Danish, German, Japanese, Mongolian, Arabic, Swahili, Polish…the list goes on and on.

You won’t find Diary of a Wimpy Kid here, but you will find gems that are endearing, funny, and accessible to all via the Web. Talk about ACCESS and ADVOCACY for ALL. The website states, “Ultimately, the Foundation aspires to have every culture and language represented so that every child can know and appreciate the riches of children’s literature from the world community.” Way to go, ICDL!