Full disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I was compensated to review the Bookboard app. However, all opinions about this really cool subscription-based service are all my own!
Technology has come a long way since I was a kid. I didn’t grow up with computers, tablets, or cell phones. Who would have ever envisioned that we’d be reading books on tablets? And yet, today you can have an entire digital library of children’s e-books available on demand, right at your fingertips!
I used to love owning physical books….books that you could touch and hold in your hands. But at some point over the last few years, my books combined with my children’s books, started to overrun our house. You see, my children and I all love to read. When our kids were really little, they loved to read with us. My husband was in charge of night time stories, and they would all gather round to learn of magical tales of lands far away. Now that they’re older, they read almost every night before bed. As a result, over the years, we have gone through a lot of books, and buying all these books can get expensive!
Today’s kids are very dialed in to their electronics. My younger nephews and nieces know how to navigate the ins and outs of their parents’ iPhones, tablets and numerous other technological devices. They know what an app is, they know how to download, and they know how to find things on the internet. It’s incredible how tech savvy this generation of children is.
I really feel that books that you can download or read online is going to be the wave of the future. So when I heard about Bookboard, I have to admit I was more than a little curious.
Bookboard is a subscription-based service for children’s e-books on the iPad. Rather than having to purchase books, kids can choose from a wide variety of books, on demand. Your children aren’t limited by your pocketbook, or by when you can go to the library! Bookboard puts unlimited books at their fingertips! In the 2013 Kids and Family Reading report, which is a national survey done by Scholastic, they found that half of children age 9-17 said they would read more books for fun if they had greater access to e-books.
In our house, we have two iPads. One is mine and the other belongs to my youngest son, who is 12. He reads almost exclusively on his iPad, but he has been dependent on us to purchase books. With Bookboard, you don’t have to worry about this, because you can choose as many books as you’d like.
My nephews are visiting right now, so I got to try out Bookboard with them as well last night. They loved it! The older one, who is 4, loved the animal books, especially the Pierre Le Poof books! He was able to read some of the words to me from a few of the books as well. And both of them loved swiping from page to page! But the most telling part was today when they asked me when we were going to read with the reading app again! They could not wait to use it!
Each child can have their own ID, which is great, because every child’s interests are a little different! There are over 400 books for children up to age 12 to enjoy! As their interests change and reading skills grow, Bookboard will grow with them.
Bookboard also allows kids to earn keys to unlock new books to read, “rewarding” them for achieving reading goals! Younger kids especially love this! My nephews kept watching for the “unlock” feature to appear! If a child needs a little help, or just wants someone to read to them, they can also choose the “read-to-me” feature available on select books (only available with subscriptions, not the trial version).
I can honestly say I highly recommend Bookboard. It is a really fun way to get young children excited about reading! Ready to give Bookboard a try? Subscriptions start at $4.99 a month, and you can sign up for a free trial today! What are you waiting for?!
Full disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I was compensated to review the Bookboard app. However, all opinions about this really cool subscription-based service are all my own!
Kelly
Friday 16th of August 2013
I LOVE having physical books but at some point in one of my one bedroom apartments (and after my husband begged) I realized I couldn't keep buying them! So I made the tough decision to get a Kindle and I LOVED it. I still occasionally buy physical books but now with my Kindle and tablet not nearly as many. We are starting to have a huge collection of kids books though...
Michelle Nahom
Friday 16th of August 2013
I feel the same way. I now only buy books from authors I really love and the rest I read on my iPad. My youngest reads exclusively on his iPad. This is a such great service for kids...I was really impressed! :)
Gracielle
Friday 16th of August 2013
Very cool! Definitely an app worth looking into - my kids love books!
Michelle Nahom
Friday 16th of August 2013
This really is an amazing service! The trial is free...let me know what you think if you try it!
Michell
Wednesday 14th of August 2013
This sounds awesome!! In our house...we are all avid readers and everyone has their own personal library! Lol! I, like you, enjoy hardcover books, but reading is reading I guess! :-) I am constantly downloading books on my tablet. One day, I'm going to get to them, but it's great to have them on hand for one of those upcoming rainy days. :-) Thanks so much for sharing this great info(I'll definitely pass it on)...and thanks for linking up!!
Michelle Nahom
Wednesday 14th of August 2013
It is really cool! It is great for the kids because their reading skills advance so rapidly. Of course I love having some physical books on hand, but my nephews really enjoyed this. Thanks for passing it on!!
JDaniel4's Mom
Tuesday 13th of August 2013
These book look wonderful! Thank you for sharing this tool on the Back to School Traditions link up.
Michelle Nahom
Tuesday 13th of August 2013
Oh I am forgot to mention we are doing a Back to School linkup this Friday...I would love to have your lunch post - that was awesome!! It should be up on my blog Thursday night.
Michelle Nahom
Tuesday 13th of August 2013
It is really cool! My nephews that are visiting absolutely loved it! Wish it had been available when my kids were little. But I've got lots of younger nieces and nephews so I've got it on my iPad for them!
another jennifer
Sunday 4th of August 2013
This is such a great idea! It seems like a nice way for kids to find new things to read on a regular basis. In today's digital world, kids interests seem to change faster than books can be published!
Michelle Nahom
Tuesday 13th of August 2013
My nephews are loving it!! It really is a cool program -- I was really impressed!