MONTREAL -- Kids who are stuck at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic can now entertain themselves by joining The Boy Who Lived on his quest to defeat He Who Shall Not Be Named.
Through an initiative called Audible Stories, launched by the online, subscription-based audiobook service Audible, children and parents are being granted unlimited access to hundreds of audiobooks for free during the pandemic.
Kids can listen to books such as Moby Dick, Anne of Green Gables, Winnie the Pooh, and, most recently, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which is available for free in six languages.
Audible teamed up with J.K. Rowling to support the Harry Potter at Home initiative, which is a website that brings Hogwarts to children who have suddenly found themselves with lots of time on their hands.
“The response has been overwhelming,” said Georgia Knox, Audible.ca’s Country Manager. “In addition to many listeners of all ages taking the opportunity to explore the saga for the first time or revisit it as a well-loved classic, we are hearing from some customers that going back and forth between translations may help them with foreign language learning.”
Several French books are also available through Audible Stories, including Les trois mousquetaires, Peter Pan and Montreal-based Nicolas Aumais’ La course des tuques.
“We’re hearing from customers in Canada, as well as many countries around the world that they’re enjoying listening to old favorites, discovering new titles, and sharing screen-free family listening time through Audible Stories,” said Knox.
No subscription is necessary to listen to Audible Stories online.
