Can I Read The Mouse And The Motorcycle Online For Free?

I’m having a lot of trouble finding free e-book copies of classic children’s books. Right now, I’m searching for free e-book copies of The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary, which was first published in 1965. While I’d love to have free e-books, there are many important issues surrounding accessibility to e-books as well as the fair compensation of authors and illustrators.

I should probably also list out some legit sources of free e-books, which is what the question seems to be asking for. Many public libraries offer free digital borrowing of e-books to library card holders. I've gotten to re-read many of my childhood favorites (including all of the books in the ‘Ramona’ series by Beverly Cleary) through Libby (for e-books) and Hoopla (for e-books, audiobooks, and documentaries, among other things). Project Gutenberg is another source of free e-books, many of which are older and hence no longer under copyright. (However, it’s always good to check the copyright status of a particular book first, on a site like Open Library, which often has not only e-book versions but also print versions of books — and can give you some sense of how a particular book has been made available for free in the past).

There are many sites that illegally offer full versions of works of literature online. These should be avoided, not only because they are often in violation of copyright, but also because they can often contain malware that can harm your computer. I would recommend checking out used bookstores. For example, I recently found a copy of The Mouse and the Motorcycle for three dollars at a used bookstore. The book was old and in rough shape, but it was very fun to read. It was nice to be able to read Ralph’s motorcycle-driven adventures on actual paper, with the classic illustrations of Garth Williams. The search for the book can be half the fun of reading it.