Recently, Boo stumbled across a free app for the IPad called Epic. It’s an app for children age two to twelve which allows them to stream a
huge amount of books directly to their device. When you download the app, you
can sign up for a free trial month to determine whether it is a good fit for
you and your children. So we decided it was worth a look. Here are our
impressions so far.
First, I was skeptical about the number and variety of books
that would be available on the app. However, we’ve found offerings suitable for
both Boo and Gator. Some well-known titles include, “The Boxcar Children,” “Mr.
Popper’s Penguins,” and “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” There are also
plenty of titles that I’ve never heard of, and new offerings are added each
week. A read-aloud feature for some books makes the app accessible to even the
youngest kids.
As far as the set up goes, we were excited to see that you
can add multiple profiles to one account. This enables each child in a family
to have their own space within the app; important because the app tracks each
profile’s activity. It keeps a log of books read, time spent on the app, pages
turned, etc. The kids can earn reading points to advance to higher levels
within the app and can also earn new backgrounds and profile decorations.
After the free trial, additional service can be purchased
for only $4.98 per month. The amount of books your child can stream is
unlimited. There is even an option to read offline if you know you will not
have access to the internet. You simply add a book to your favorites while you
are online and check the box that says “read offline.”
Bottom line: For us, this app is both kid and parent
approved. We’ve been using it to read bedtime stories with both kids. They like
the idea of using technology in this way, and it’s nice to have a wide array of
new books to choose from rather than the ones already on our book shelves. While
I don’t believe anything can take the place of an actual hard copy book, Epic is
a fun and useful alternative.
Visit Epic on the app store or on their website at www.getepic.com.
*I am not being compensated in any way for this review. The
ideas expressed here are my own honest opinions.*
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