kobo for my son?

[dow]

Hey,

My son is twelve, and I'd like to give him a kobo reader and let him have access to a bunch of my ebook library. However, how should i manage his access to the rest of it?. There's nothing bad there, just some books that wouldn't be age appropriate at this time. I'd also like to give him the ability to purchase ebooks from time to time, but again, how do I manage access so that he is protected?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and recommendations.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by dow

Hey,

My son is twelve, and I'd like to give him a kobo reader and let him have access to a bunch of my ebook library. However, how should i manage his access to the rest of it?. There's nothing bad there, just some books that wouldn't be age appropriate at this time. I'd also like to give him the ability to purchase ebooks from time to time, but again, how do I manage access so that he is protected?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and recommendations.

You could use Calibre to setup a library of your books that you feel are age appropriate for your son. As to purchases, I'm not sure there is any way to block book that are not age appropriate. You could have him ask you for books he wants and you buy them if they are appropriate.

[dow]

Thanks Jon. That's about what I was thinking but figured that there might be a lazier solution. ��

[Calenorn]

Kobo readers can be set with a four digit PIN that must be entered to use the Kobo store or web browser.

[ZodWallop]

Kobo doesn't have child accounts and family lending like Amazon has?

[dow]

re: child accounts, I searched the forum for just that, and found where Kobo used to have them, but shuttered the service several years ago. I see nothing at kobo.com that mentions child accounts now.

[dow]

Originally Posted by Calenorn

Kobo readers can be set with a four digit PIN that must be entered to use the Kobo store or web browser.

Thanks, I'll loom into that.

[issybird]

Well, you did ask for thoughts!

At twelve, I’d say let ‘im rip. I’m not sure what age-appropriate means at that age; let him read as he will. The benefits will far outweigh any potential drawbacks, and I don’t see them in any case. It’s hard to know what you mean by “nothing bad” in your library, but I assume that excludes hard-core porn, torture, etc., so why not assume he can handle what’s there? And be open to discussion, which could be a win in itself.

As a practical matter, you could archive on Kobo the books you don’t want him to see and let him purchase as he will, with the understanding that you will of course be able to see what he buys. That should keep him within appropriate boundaries!

[meeera]

Originally Posted by issybird

Well, you did ask for thoughts!

At twelve, I’d say let ‘im rip. I’m not sure what age-appropriate means at that age; let him read as he will. The benefits will far outweigh any potential drawbacks, and I don’t see them in any case. It’s hard to know what you mean by “nothing bad” in your library, but I assume that excludes hard-core porn, torture, etc., so why not assume he can handle what’s there?

I'm on this side, FWIW. Books aren't like TV/movies, they're not fed passively into the child's eyes and ears. IME most kids this age will control their own intake and stop reading if it's not for them. Mine was free to take whatever books he liked off the shelves, home or public library, at 12.

[JSWolf]

I cannot remember ever being told no, I cannot read something.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by issybird

At twelve, I’d say let ‘im rip. I’m not sure what age-appropriate means at that age; let him read as he will. The benefits will far outweigh any potential drawbacks, and I don’t see them in any case. It’s hard to know what you mean by “nothing bad” in your library, but I assume that excludes hard-core porn, torture, etc., so why not assume he can handle what’s there? And be open to discussion, which could be a win in itself.

I mostly agree. Though there are some books, like Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door that I would not want a kid to read. I haven't read that one yet despite (or because of) Jack Ketchum's skill as an author and how damn dark it is.

I admit, there aren't many of those books and the stuff I see people trying to block from school libraries are ridiculous.

[BookCat]

Your son probably wouldn't be interested in the romance section anyway, but many of the free romance books on Kobo are smut. I'm not sure how you feel about this. He'll probably gravitate to books of more interest to him anyway.

Probably best to download lots of books to Calibre - one set up for him - and let him choose what he wants from there.

By the age of twelve I think I was reading the Confessions books, such as Confessions of a Window Cleaner by Timothy Lea. They were circulated amongst the kids at school. Not recommended.

[JSWolf]

At 13 I was reading Clive Cussler Dirk Pitt books.

[issybird]

I’m bothered by the level of control implied in some posts here. The kid’s 12 years old; he needs both some freedom and the feeling that he’s trusted. And I honestly can’t think of anything safer in terms of allowing for spreading of wings than letting a 12-year old read what he wants. Especially when the parent by the nature of the shared account will be aware of everything he reads or buys! The idea of a curated account or running each book by a parent at that age gives me the shudders, frankly.

Now, if the dad is a tad embarrassed by some of the books on the account and doesn’t want his son to see them, that’s totally understandable. I don’t think parents need to or should share everything. But that’s easily handled as I said above; archive the embarrassing books on Kobo and the kid will never know they’re there.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by issybird

I’m bothered by the level of control implied in some posts here. The kid’s 12 years old; he needs both some freedom and the feeling that he’s trusted.

I think there was only one post that disagreed with you? Everyone else seemed to be on your side.

Unless you didn't like my one book counter-example maybe.