New twists for e-books

There will be a lot of children's publishing news made at the American Library Association's annual conference in Washington, D.C. this week. One exciting new product that's being introduced by Lerner is a new line of e-books for children who are struggling with reading. According to a report in PW, these books will have an audio component with varying speeds that can be adjusted to the child's reading speed. There will also be a feature that will highlight each word in the text as the child reads. Additional content and quizzes to reinforce learning will also be part of the package. At $39.95 each, these books are aimed at the school and library market rather than at families, and they should serve their audience well. It's another example of some of the exciting innovations that e-books can bring to enhance a child's reading experience. How sucessful the line will be is impossible to predict, but it's an open market with plenty of chance for tweaking and experimenting. As librarians we can look forward to more help in bringing literacy to children who need a little extra help in the struggle toward reading.