E-book reader for high school student?

[Bookworm_Anna]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Yes, there is a way to get library ebooks on Kindle but it hinges on:
1- The library offering Mobipocket-format DRM'ed ebooks (some do, some don't)
2- using a "proscribed" kindlepid utility that generates a (generally) valid Mobipocket Product ID number (PID) from your Kindle's serial number. This PID could once (but no longer can) be used to remove DRM from purchased ebooks, hence the proscription. The utility is easy to find online along with instructions on how to use it. Just not here. The powers that be don't like it.
If you look into the Kindle forum there are plenty of reports of people who have gotten library ebooks successfully unto their Kindles. And they expire at the end of the loan period as they should.

On the textbook front, don't get your hopes up; at this point there is no ebook reader that has been tested in academic environments and resulted in an unqualified success. Look into other threads in this forum for "Academic Readers" and you'll see that the requirements are closer to a Tablet PC that they are to today's ebook readers.
It may yet happen, but not soon.

Finally, two off-topic observations:
1- Anybody who observes young children in detail quickly notices that they observe, experiment, and theorize about the world around them as they grow up. Which is to say, we are all born scientists. It is only later that society and the education system beats it out of some of us. If your home schooling experience allowed you to retain your innate sense of wonder and curiosity about how the world works that could be seen as a sign of a job well done. (See how that flies with your surprised mother.)

2- If you haven't already, check out the Baen Free Library at www.webscription.net for dozens of free high-quality ebooks (available DRM-free) and in multiple formats including some (HTML, rtf) that don't even need an ebook reader.
Also, because Baen is one of the few publishers that really, really "gets" ebooks, they offer a couple dozen Promo CDs' worth of free ebooks that come with select hardcover releases (the next one will come with Lois McMaster Bujold's eagerly-awaited CRYOBURN, in a month or so) and online, legally-for-free, at: http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/ You might want to check them out if SF and/or Fantasy appeals to you. (I'm taking a wild guess and thinking it might be possible. ) A good starting point might be Bujold's MOUNTAINS OF MOURNING, David Weber's ON BASILISK STATION or David Drake's WITH THE LIGHTNINGS and their free sequels. (A bit of warning: some of the characters in the latter two series tend to cuss like (space) sailors. Cause they *are*. ) I'm a big Fan myself of Miles Vorkosigan (and his Mother Cordelia Naismith), Adele Mundy (the librarian from he**), and Honor Harrington, the ass-kickingest female starship Captain the genre has seen in ages. On the fantasy side, Rick Cook's WIZARD'S BANE is a fun read for anybody with even a hint of a techie exposure.
Check'em out; there is fun to be had.

thanks for the info on the library books.
my surprised mother went out to school, didn't like science and majored in accounting...she loves numbers, i love figuring out how stuff works. neither one of us really expected me to like bio so much[of course, great textbooks don't hurt, either-apologia has the most amazing science books, lol].
yup, i like my sci-fi and fanstasy. scott westerfield is my favorite, probably because he was the first one i read. anne osterlund has one book that is pretty matter-of-fact sci-fi for what is really a coming of age/teen romance[academy 7]

@SpiderMatt-thanks. that helps a lot. too bad, but it makes sense
@desertgrandma-good point. it's a neat idea, but i'm really looking for something a ton more portable than that

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Anna

yup, i like my sci-fi and fanstasy. scott westerfield is my favorite, probably because he was the first one i read.

Yup, that tends to happen on ocassion. (I have a soft spot for Heinlein's BEYOND THIS HORIZON for that reason. Plus the protagonist's name. )
But Westerfied is actually good, too; I just wrapped up his LEVIATHAN.

Have fun!