Ebook FAQ

What is an ebook?

An ebook is an electronic book. Ebooks can be read on a variety of computing devices, including desktop computers, laptop computers, handheld computers, proprietary ebook devices, and even MP3 players.

How can you make the type bigger on ebooks?

Most ebook readers, whether on desktop or handheld computers, have a way to enlarge the font for better readability. Generally, this is done through a preferences or display setting accessed through the menus. For example, in eReader, if you go to the menus and choose Fonts’ from the Options menu, you may choose a small or large font.

What are the most common ebook format?

There are many different ebook formats. On the desktop platform, Adobe Reader (PDFs) are popular. On handhelds, Microsoft Reader is a common ebook format on Pocket PC. There are many common ebook formats for Palm OS handhelds, including eReader, iSilo, and TomeRaider, among others. DOC is a plain text type format that is common on the Palm and Pocket PC platforms.

I installed an ebook, but I can't find it on my handheld. Where is it?

If you properly installed your ebook and you can’t find it, chances are that you are looking for it in the wrong place or you don’t have the right program to read it. Ebooks are documents and must be opened with a program that can read their particular format. (An exception is plain text ebooks, such as the DOC format, which can be opened with almost any ebook reader.)

So, for example, if you download a book that is in an iSilo format, you need the iSilo reader to open it. If you try to find an iSilo book in the main application (home) screen or using another ebook reader, such as eReader, you won’t see it.

So, make sure you know the format of the ebook you are trying to find and are using the appropriate program to open it.

How can you beam an ebook?

On handhelds, ebooks are documents, and so are generally beamed from the program that reads them. Most ebooks can be beamed by going into the appropriate ebook reader program and using the menus. For example, in eReader, if you want to beam a book, go into eReader, go to the menus, and in the Book menu, choose Beam... You will then be presented with a list of all the eReader-compatible ebooks on your handheld. Select the one you want to beam, and tap Beam.

Where can I get free ebooks?

See Free Ebooks for a list of sites where you can download ebooks free of charge.

Where can I get ebooks of popular fiction?

Most popular contemporary fiction ebooks are commercial and must be paid for. For a list of good sites for these kinds of ebooks, see Commercial Ebooks.

Where can I find ebooks that are appropriate for lower elementary students?

While there are not as many ebooks available for lower elementary age readers, there are some. Here are some sources for these:

K12 Handhelds ebooks
University of Virginia — Ebooks for Young Readers
Ebooks for Young Readers — from The Saskatchewan Grassroots Project (PDF format designed for desktop computers and print)

Another great way to get age-appropriate reading material in an ebook format is to create your own ebooks.

Where can I get audio books?

There are a number of sources that have audio books. One that we would recommend is www.audible.com.