Time to grab a book Beijingers, because today is World Book Day! Also known as World Book and Copyright Day, or International Day of the Book, this day was inaugurated in 1995, and was founded by UNESCO to celebrate all things reading, literacy, publishing, and copyright. Now, it’s celebrated all over the world.

As many of you are probably aware, it’s not particularly easy to buy books in China in languages other than Mandarin – the selection in the big bookstores is limited and there is currently no dedicated English-language bookstore or library in the capital. But don’t let that stop you, because Amazon has unlocked a pretty attractive feature recently: offering two months of access to their Kindle Unlimited service for free. The service (which usually costs the equivalent of about USD 10 per month) is available to all new subscribers and gives you access to over 1 million titles, including plenty to keep both parents and kids happy. Actually, this service is more like a library subscription than a bookstore: instead of purchasing books one by one, as under a normal Kindle store, with Unlimited you pay a flat monthly fee and download and read up to 10 different titles from the collection at a time. If you want to read something new, you’ll have to “return” one of your books.

To take advantage of this deal, you have to sign up before Apr 30, but you don’t even need a tablet to use this service: you can download directly to iOS, Android, and Windows devices with the free Kindle apps. You can also sign up and then immediately cancel your subscription, and still enjoy the two months access.

While not all Kindle books are available on Unlimited, there are over 1 million different titles, including bestsellers, magazines, self-help titles, kid’s books, and everything in between. So… where to begin reading? It’s a big wide world out there, but of course, we’ve rounded up some reading lists that are all about parenting, education, and of course, books for children themselves.

Note: please be aware that availability and whether or not they are included in the Unlimited collection also depends on your device’s region settings.

Just click the link for more details and how to download them to your device.

• Book Authority:25 Best New Parenting eBooks To Read In 2020.
• Free Stuff Finder: Free Kindle Parenting Books.
• Goodreads: Free Kindle Books (Young Adult).
• Amazon: Children’s Kindle Books.
• Project Gutenberg: Children’s Bookshelf.
• Free Booksy: Young Adult.
• Manybooks.net: Young Readers.

… and this is just the beginning! Do you have any other good resources for free books? Share them in the comments section!

A version of this article first appeared on our sister site, the Beijinger.
Photos: bady qb (via Unsplash)

Graduation season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate this accomplishment than giving a special gift? We at beijingkids went out shopping and made a list of cute gifts found online and out and about in Beijing.

Cupcakes made in Beijing

This fab baker makes these lovely cupcakes that are a perfect addition to any graduation party. Made in Beijing and delivered to your door. Contact the baker via WeChat id: hwawu001

Kindle From Amazon.com

This is the ultimate gift for a graduate, easy to move to college and you can download a few books that you would like them to read. Get it here.

A Gap Year

Why not take some time to reflect and recharge before the graduate starts out on “real” life? Gap years can be valuable to their future. If you can’t afford gifting a gap year, just get them the book. Buy it here.

Jewelry “Oh the Places you’ll go”

We can all use some inspirational quotes in our life, and all the better if they come from Dr. Seuss. This bracelet is cheap but the message is priceless. Find it here.

Tickets to a show

Tickets to musicals can get expensive, and you can always treat yourself while taking a graduate out. Most likely they’ve never heard of this movie, so you can teach them some culture while you are at it. Get tickets here.

A pillow for the new dorm room

Many first-time college students need some help dressing up their new living arrangements. This donut pillow is sure to be the talk of their dorm. Find this useless but fun gift here.

Flowers from Beijing

Head over to one of the two remaining flower markets and get a great bouquet of flowers. If the graduate does not like it, then no problem; in one week the bouquet will die anyway. This is where the markets are found.

Pictures: pixabay, www.amazon.cn www.baopals.com, vendors

More stories from this author here paulinevanhasselt@truerun.com