There is no question that reading to your kids is important, but sometimes that isn’t always possible to do. That is where the Franklin AnyBook Plus Reader comes in. This reader is able to read to your kids for you, and it will even work with any book! All you need to do is place a voice highlight sticker on each page and scan it. You can also use the device to record your own voice.
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Norman PhartEphant Farts His Way into Your Child’s Heart
Don’t you love it when animals make unique noises – especially farting ones… Norman PhartEphant is a plush young African elephant that was adopted by a U.S. zoo. However his American diet isn’t sitting well and he is becoming extremely gassy. Norman PhartEphant comes with a story book and the stuffed animal makes eight different ‘phart’ sounds, by squeezing his tail! This is truly an ingenious and silly toy for the little ones in your home. Norman PhartEphant retails for $24.95. He also has two friends worth checking out – Ben KaChoo, the sneezing hippo and Harry Hiccers, a hiccuping Koala.
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We Give Books Encourages Kids to Read Digitally – for Free
We Give Books is a new initiative funded by Penguin Books in an effort to encourage kids to read more. The site offers kids ages 10 and younger a chance to read books online. We Give Books offers parents free access to an online library of Penguin’s classic children’s books. After kids and their parents are done reading a book, Penguin will donate a book to a child in need. Parents and their kids even get to choose from a selection of different charities to donate the book to.
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Peter Rabbit App Brings a Classic Tale Up-to Date
Peter Rabbit is a timeless tale has entertained children for decades. The new Peter Rabbit iPhone app brings this class story into the 21st century. Younger children will be captivated by the app’s narrator’s storytelling of this classic story, along with the whimsical musical accompaniment. Meanwhile, older children will be challenged to find a well-concealed hidden object in each of the early 20th Century illustrations. The app also features classic illustrations, an interactive picture puzzle, full narration, and musical accompaniment, and the ability to drag the Easter Egg to the hidden object.
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The Amanda Project Merges Paperback Mysteries with Online Interactivity
THE AMANDA PROJECT: INVISIBLE I is a new eight-book multiplatform series for teen girls that merges a traditional paperback book with online interactivity. The Amanda Project web site features social networking, online games, and user generated content to create a totally collaborative reading experience for girls ages 12 and up. The story surrounds a ninth grader who goes missing. In an effort to find her, her friends keep getting clues that indicate that she is still out there somewhere. At the Amanda Project web site, users can become a character, create a profile, comment on weekly stories and post their own theories (with the chance to be included in future…
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My Virtual Tutor Transforms the Nintendo DS in to a Fun Learning System
When it comes to educational games for Nintendo DS, there aren’t all that many. But My Virtual Tutor Reader changes that. This new title is an interactive game that improves children’s reading and comprehension skills. The game features interactive books, fun reading and word exercises and quizzes that allow the child to earn a prize. When playing the game, the DS is held vertically like a book as a child is guided through the different game modes by an animated tutor that reads, repeats and provides encouraging words. My Virtual Tutor – Reading concentrates on five reading areas including Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Comprehension, Fluency, and Vocabulary. The game retails for…
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ReadingPen Translates Vocabulary Words While You Read
The ReadingPen is a must have tool for kids, and even adults with reading, processing and comprehension disabilities. The pen works by scanning over unfamiliar words and phrases. When a word or phrase is identified, the pen can then access word-by-word definitions, synonyms and translations which you can read on its display. Using text-to-speech technology, the pen will even read the words out aloud. The pen comes populated with definitions from the American Heritage Children’s Dictionary and a Thesaurus. It also comes with translations from WizCom’s English to Spanish dictionary. But even if you don’t suffer from any reading disabilities, this is a great way to learn new vocabulary words…
