What do you think of e-books for kids? That’s a question that I’ve been discussing a lot lately, both with followers of my Facebook page and on a recent interview with Triangle Variety Radio. It’s a topic that is timely, as I’ve organized an event called the Give Your Child a Free Kindle Book Promotion on Thursday, April 19th, in which several books for children, tweens and teens will be free on one day only. They include illustrated bedtime stories, educational non-fiction, historical, mystery, paranormal and romance.
Some of my childhood books still have a home in my office.
My personal opinion on the topic of e-books for kids is that every child should have lots of print books to explore. I certainly hope that e-books will never replace print books. I still have many of my childhood books right in my office – I’m looking at some of the titles right now.
Ballet Shoes.
A Little Princess. (Hmmm…I talked about
A Little Princess a lot in
Sink or Swim. Cassidy’s stalker steals a copy of the book from her mom’s house.)
The Bobbsey Twins Mystery at School. The Greek Gods. (That one had a lasting affect, considering I grew up to write
Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, an adult mystery novel with a Greek mythology subplot. I think it’s safe to say that I was heavily influenced by my childhood print books.
This book introduced me to Greek myth and later helped to inspire Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.
However, I believe e-books can be a nice supplement to print books for children. You may wish to purchase print books for their favorites, but perhaps you don’t have room in your home for a lot of clutter. Maybe the print editions are too costly, or perhaps your child is very interested in technology and is more captivated by a Kindle or iPad than a print book. Children’s e-books also come in handy during family vacations, as you can load up your device and bring a library of stories for everyone in the family.
This book influenced my adult mystery novel Sink or Swim.
If you’d like to try some e-books with your children, then be sure to bookmark this link for the
Give Your Child a Free Kindle Book Event and click down the list on
Thursday, April 19. This is the last time that several of them will be free. If you don’t have an e-reader, you can also download the Kindle app. on your computer and check out the books there. Many of them are available in print, and it’s a good opportunity to look over several books and see whether any might interest your child enough to buy the print edition. You’ll also see where you’ll be able to download a free Agatha-award winning mystery novel for kids and a free historical novel in the e-book format of your choice.
What’s your opinion on children’s e-books? Have you ever read any with your child, or will you always stick to print books for your kids?
The $2.99 Kindle sale for my young adult paranormal thriller Dark Before Dawn is featured on the Daily Cheap Reads, Jr. Edition. The book is a fun read for ages 12 and up, as well as adults who enjoy YA books. When teen psychic Dawn Christian gets involved with a fortuneteller mentor and two girls who share her mysterious talents, she finally belongs after years of being a misfit. When she learns her new friends may be tied to freak “accidents” in town, Dawn has an important choice to make – continue developing the talent that makes her special or challenge the only people who have ever accepted her.
