Will Children's Literature Make The Jump Form Print To Ebook Format?

[The Terminator]

I doubt it.

[rdjack21]

My son (10) got a nook simple touch for Christmas this year. We did look at the Nook Color/Tablet but decided that a dedicated book reading device was a better fit for his age. Yea the Tablets are nice but they are also full of distractions that we felt would be too tempting for him to ignore when he needs to be reading books not playing games/surfing the web/watching moves/ect..

As far as kid books go our only requirement, that he agreed to, was that he had to get his AR (Advanced Reader) books read first before he could read just for fun. It should be noted though that most everything he wants to read is on the AR book list so this should not be a problem. Anyways back to the books so far pretty much every thing he has been reading this year has been available as an E-Book so I'm not too concerned about finding content for him.

[AlexBell]

Originally Posted by kiwipippa

My 11 year old and 8 year old both have kobo touch devices. My 8 year older daughter reads around 30 books a month so the library is our friend! I would LOVE a greater selection of kids books. Both kids download their own books, being that little bit older makes that easier.

Alexbell, I'm looking forward to seeing your series.

Thanks, Kiwidude. It's not mine - I didn't write the books, I'm just making ePubs and mobi versions of them. The first one is David and Tomoko Bk1, by FC Menzinger from Earlyworks Press, and it's probably 90% finished. I'll check whether I can send you a review copy. Perhaps you could check them out on their website and see if you'd be interested.

[rdjack21]

Originally Posted by The Terminator

IMO LCD read along books could become very popular.

While I do agree that read along books and interactive books will most likely become very popular with parents. I'm not trying to start a war here but what I worry about is parents giving the kids a device and letting it do the work instead of sitting down and reading with there kids themselves. But then again allot of parents already don't read to there kids so maybe for them this will be a good thing. In our house hold though our kids would miss reading with mom or dad.

[AlexBell]

Originally Posted by rdjack21

While I do agree that read along books and interactive books will most likely become very popular with parents. I'm not trying to start a war here but what I worry about is parents giving the kids a device and letting it do the work instead of sitting down and reading with there kids themselves. But then again allot of parents already don't read to there kids so maybe for them this will be a good thing. In our house hold though our kids would miss reading with mom or dad.

In fact that was my next question: Does anyone read with their children from an ebook reading device?

It's a long time ago, but I can remember always reading my children to bed, and would be happy to do that with an ebook reader if I had any grandchildren.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by AlexBell

In fact that was my next question: Does anyone read with their children from an ebook reading device?

It's a long time ago, but I can remember always reading my children to bed, and would be happy to do that with an ebook reader if I had any grandchildren.

I don't and in the forseable future I won't. My kids are only well almost 4 and the other just turned 2. Kids at that age need picture books, and I have tried a few kindle samples but I feel they just aren't up to scratch compared to kids paper books.

Possibly if I could find a few reasonable interactive on the android at reasonable prices it might be OK on the rare occasion, but right now my kids love sitting down and reading a book. My little 2 year old whilst capable of flicking through an iPod with ease loves going through her bookshelf looking for a book she wants us to read to her. I feel with my children that electronic books would remove some of that excitement from them.

When they grow up and are more interested in reading a book themselves I might look at ebooks, but not right now when reading books to our kids involve more than just reading words aloud to them, it is a whole interactive and learning time between my wife and I with our kids. Looking at a screen I feel will detract from such a positive activity and influence.

[CommonReader]

We gave our daughter (10) a Cybook Opus for Christmas and she has been gobbling up ebooks since Christmas Eve. She does use my wife's iPad 2 for games but the Opus is clearly her favourite for reading. The reader will certainly cut down her luggage requirements for the next vacations.

[NickyWithNook]

I read to both my kids from e-readers.

[CommonReader]

I would just like to add that we bought the Opus because it was available in bright, friendly colours and the slightly rounded form fits well into a child's hands. Some readers look rather austere. Clearly the industry doesn't consider children as relevant customer group yet.

[ProfCrash]

Three of my five nieces/nephews have e-readers that they read on pretty regularly. The range from 8 - 13. I sent e-books as Christmas gifts this year.

I would guess that childrens e-books are going to take off in the very near future. I have seen plenty of parents sitting with their young child (Like my 18 month old nephew) and allowing them to use an IPad. Whats not to say that they wouldn't like to put books on it so they can read to him on the plane or in the car more easily?

[5thWiggle]

We gave a Kobo Vox to both of our girls this year (both age 7). They voraciously tore through the books that were on them (including the free dessert cookbook), and are looking for more. Magic Tree House e-books, here we come!

I installed an app locker on the Voxes (Voxi???) , and locked out the WiFi and other apps I felt were not appropriate (ie Facebook, YouTube etc). However, I did install Angry Birds and Cut the Rope in my bid to win the "Coolest Dad Ever" award

[jtdolphins]

Originally Posted by AlexBell

In fact that was my next question: Does anyone read with their children from an ebook reading device?

It's a long time ago, but I can remember always reading my children to bed, and would be happy to do that with an ebook reader if I had any grandchildren.

I do from time to time. I initially downloaded some Peter Cottontail books for a trip. I figured I could read from the front seat of the car. Well, those are free on Amazon so we started getting the free ones we didn't have.

The only problem with was the lack of illustrations in the ebooks. The boys are not crazy about the missing pictures. There are only a couple of pictures in a book, but the kids love those few pages.

In a couple of years I could see them reading from ereaders, but the illustrations are to important right now. So I try not to read from it to often. Mix those in with library books or books we have.

[carpetmojo]

When I think of the treatment so-called fragile paper books went through during our son's early years, up to 8/9 especially, AND still survive, by the way,I laugh, thinking of how many replacement readers I would have had to buy !

Wet gardens, sloppy food, bathtime, picnics, left out in a shower, dogs, and dog baskets, parties, MUD , camping out, cycling, the top bed in bunks (!), high-chairs, salt/sea/sand/rockpools/rocks......etc...

Yes, right, great idea....

Present-day devices, in my opinion, just aren't robust enough for most active children's life-styles.
And a socking great picture book is a wonderful exerience for parent and child. Not much fun in reading with a child on a reader, surely.
Oops, yes, it's dropped on the floor again....

We couldn't have afforded the "risk" - and certainly wouldn't have wanted to curtail our off-spring's exhuberance !

Although I suppose it could be argued they aren't as active any more !

[NickyWithNook]

Most children, active and otherwise, have tons of electronic equipment, including lots of portable electronic equipment. I don't know why they'd have more trouble taking care of an e-reader than a Nintendo DS.

[kiwipippa]

Originally Posted by AlexBell

Thanks, Kiwidude. It's not mine - I didn't write the books, I'm just making ePubs and mobi versions of them. The first one is David and Tomoko Bk1, by FC Menzinger from Earlyworks Press, and it's probably 90% finished. I'll check whether I can send you a review copy. Perhaps you could check them out on their website and see if you'd be interested.

Alexbell, these books look fantastic, I'm sure there will be lots of kids that gobble them up. Nothing like a good fantasy, a dragon or two and some time travel.

Hope the digital launch goes well.