Many adults purchase a Kindle e-reader because it taps into the largest digital ecosystem in the world. Kids though are not a highly targeted demographic, but Amazon is getting serious about selling Kindles to kids.
Amazon has just announced a new entry level Kindle that is aimed at your children. Kindle Kids Edition is a new reading experience designed just for kids—now young readers can leave the heavy books at home and carry a library full of books (plus a dictionary!) on one lightweight device. And like all Kindle devices, it offers a sanctuary reading experience with no distractions. Kindle Kids Edition comes with the latest Kindle, a kid-friendly case, one year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, and a 2-year worry-free guarantee—if anything happens to it, send it back and Amazon will replace it for free.
This device is basically a rebranded Kindle Basic and featuring a six-inch, 167 ppi e-ink display with an adjustable front light, Kindle Kids Edition makes it comfortable to read in a variety of places—whether outside in the sun or bedtime at night. Plus, with a battery that lasts weeks, not days, kids can enjoy reading as long as they like and parents can leave the charger at home.
With one year of FreeTime Unlimited included with the Kindle Kids Edition, kids have access to over a thousand kid-friendly books, including chapter books and award-winning titles like Island of the Blue Dolphins, El Deafo, and Bridge to Terabithia. And coming soon, kids can also enjoy a selection of Spanish language books and can listen to their favorite Audible books via Bluetooth headphones or a speaker. Plus, Kindle Kids Edition comes with features that encourage kids to build their skills as they go, including:
- Achievement Badges—kids can earn badges like Bookworm and Over Achiever when they make progress towards pre-defined goals.
- Easy Discovery—with enhanced browsing and search, kids can locate titles without the exact spelling. And with smart recommendations, kids can find books related to the genres, authors, and characters they love.
- Word Wise—kids are automatically provided short and simple definitions above difficult words, so they can keep reading with fewer interruptions.
- Dictionary—if kids come across a difficult word, they can select the word to look up the definition via the built-in Kindle dictionary.
- Vocabulary Builder—words looked up in dictionaries are automatically added to Vocabulary Builder and turned into flashcards for future review and learning.
- Kid-friendly Wallpaper—included are a unique set of lock screen wallpapers, specifically designed for kids.
“Kindle Kids Edition makes reading fun with achievement badges to help motivate readers to complete the next chapter, plus features like Word Wise and Vocabulary Builder are designed to help early readers build their reading and comprehension skills,” said Kurt Beidler, Director of Kids and Family, Amazon. “With unlimited access to over a thousand new and popular books in FreeTime Unlimited, kids can easily find books to match their interests and can bring a library of books with them wherever they go—all on a single, lightweight device.”
The new Kindle Kids Edition is available for pre-order for $109.99 and starts shipping October 30. As a special introductory offer, families can purchase two Kindle Kids Editions and save 25 percent. Kid-friendly cases are available in a selection of colors and patterns, including blue, pink, a Space Station design, and a Rainbow Birds design.
Would you buy this for your kids?
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.