eBook Readers – Apple Books and Thorium

Apple Books is the preferred reader for our eBooks (ePub files) for Mac.
Thorium is the preferred reader for our eBooks (ePub files) for Windows.
More information about Thorium further down this page.

Question. I am having difficulties downloading my file. What should I do?

  • Your school may be blocking downloads.
    If this is the case, please see your local technician
    Any domain with *bushfirepress* needs to be unblocked for downloads.
  • or download at home.

Still having problems? Please contact us

Question. I downloaded my files a while ago but now I cannot find my resources and my downloads have expired.

    If you have downloaded and saved these resources according the instructions further down this page, you should have these items on your computer. No need to download again.

    You should find them in your library. Just open Thorium or Books (Mac and iPad) and they should be there.
    If you still can’t find them, check the FAQs below.

Apple Books

    Question. I have downloaded my book.epub file. How do I read it?

    • Create a folder called “Music Room” in your “Documents” folder
    • Using Finder, drag the downloaded epub file into your Music Room Folder.
    • Tap on the file. It should open automatically in Apple Books.
      You should not have to download your resources again. It may be even worth keeping a backup copy on USB with your other teaching resources.

    Question. My eBook did not open in Apple Books. What do I do next?

    • In Finder, right click on the epub file
    • Choose “Get info”
    • Choose Books.app in “Open With”
    • Tap “change all” to make it default for all ePubs

    Question. I cannot find my resources and my downloads have expired.

      If you have downloaded and saved these resources according the instructions above, you should have these items on your computer. No need to download again.
      You should find them in your library. Just open Books and they should be there.

      If you still can’t find them in the Apple Books Library, you may have deleted them.
      The original resources should have been saved into a folder called /Documents/MusicRoom (or similar, as above).
      From Finder, simply tap on the .epub file(s) in /Documents/MusicRoom (or similar) and they should open in your library.

      If you have deleted or can’t find your resources, please let us know and we will follow up with you.

for Windows and ChromeBook – Thorium

Thorium

Download Thorium (Windows) by tapping here.
For ChromeBook – see Q&A further down.

You will first need to download Thorium
You will also need to download the resources using the links sent to you.
Once you have done this, you will need to move your downloaded resources to a special folder
We suggest you make a folder in “Documents” called “MusicRoom”.
You can then run Thorium and add the resources from your Documents/MusicRoom folder to your Library.
You can find an excellent Getting Started Guide by tapping here.

Question. Is Thorium safe?

    Thorium Reader is generally considered safe for Windows, provided you download it from the official sources such as the Microsoft Store or the developer’s website. It is a free, open-source eBook reader developed by the European Digital Reading Lab (EDRLab) and is widely used by libraries, educational institutions, and accessibility-focused readers.

    A few reasons it is regarded as trustworthy:

    • Open source: The source code is publicly available, allowing independent review.
    • No advertising or user tracking: The developers explicitly state that the application is free, contains no ads, and does not leak private data.
    • Active development: The software is regularly updated and maintained.
    • Used by educational and accessibility organizations: Universities and accessibility groups recommend it because of its strong support for EPUB 3, DAISY books, screen readers, and dyslexia-friendly features.

    Potential considerations:

      As with any eBook reader, opening files from untrusted sources always carries some risk. Keep Windows and Thorium updated and obtain eBooks from reputable sources.

    For a Windows user who wants:

    • Safety
    • Strong EPUB 3 support (we have only identified Apple Books and Thorium as fully ePub3 compliant)
    • Accessibility features
    • Free, open-source reader

      • Thorium is best choice currently available.

    Question. I am having difficulties downloading my file. What should I do?

    • Your school may be blocking downloads.
      If this is the case, please see your local technician
      Any domain with *bushfirepress* needs to be unblocked for downloads.
    • or download at home.

    Still having problems? Please contact us

    Question. I have downloaded my book.epub file. How do I read it?

    • Create a folder called “Music Room” in your “Documents” folder
    • Using Explorer, drag the downloaded file(s) into your Music Room Folder.
      You should not have to download your resources again. It may be even worth keeping a backup copy on USB with your other teaching resources.

    For Thorium

    • Open Thorium
    • Go to Home -> + import publication
      Locate the new .epub file(s) in your chosen Music Room Folder (see above)
    • Choose the file and this will load into your Thorium Library. It should be there next time you login to THorium.
    • Do not delete the original files from your Music Room folder. Deleting these may remove your books from the Thorium library.

    Question. I cannot find my resources and my downloads have expired.

      If you have downloaded and saved these resources according the instructions above, you should have these items on your computer. No need to download again.
      You should find them in your library. Just open Thorium and they should be there.

    Question. I can no longer find my title in the Thorium library. Where is it?

      This usually means that you have moved the epub file(s) away from the original saved location
      or have deleted them.

      You can search for your lost ePubs using File Explorer for Windows or Finder for Mac.
      If you find them, put them back in a place you can find again easily.

      We recommend /Documents/MusicRoom – but of course you can put them where you like. Just remember where they are 😊.

      You can then open them in Thorium again by importing from your known location.

      You should only need to download the files once and keep them as per instructions in safe place you can find on your computer.

    Question. Can I use Thorium on a Chromebook?

    Yes you can – but the installation process is a little more involved.
    Thorium Reader can be used on a Chromebook by installing the Linux version, as it is not natively available yet in the Google Play Store. Users must enable Linux in their Chromebook settings, download the .deb file from the official EDRLab website, and install it.
    Installation Steps for Thorium Reader on Chromebook:
    1. Enable Linux: Go to your Chromebook’s Settings, select Advanced, then Developers, and turn on the Linux development environment.
    2. Download File: Visit the official EDRLab Thorium site and download the .deb package designed for Linux.
    3. Install: Open the Files app, move the downloaded .deb file to the “Linux files” folder, double-click it, and select “Install”.
    4. Usage: Once installed, Thorium will appear in your app launcher. Open it to import EPUBs or LCP files.

    Question. What about Adobe Digital Editions?

    • ADE is not reliable displaying  media rich fixed format files like ours. Please use Thorium