WASHINGTON (July 24, 2012)—National Geographic Kids’ bestselling kids’ book series, National Geographic Readers, is now available on Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, Amazon Kindle and Kobo. And the best part? You can have them read to you. For those devices that support it, readers will have the option to read the e-books with or without accompanying narration. There are currently 34 titles available, including some of the most popular books such as “Sharks,” “Frogs” and “Sea Turtles.”
Filled with stunning photography, bold text and colorful illustrations, National Geographic Readers e-books explore high-interest nonfiction topics that children — including even the most reluctant readers — can’t get enough of, like dinosaurs, tigers, planes and trains. Miriam Jean Dreher, professor of reading education at the University of Maryland, notes, “Studies show that informational reading is critical to success in school and in life.”
The titles are leveled from pre-reader to fluent to ensure that choosing books is simple and to help kids along their own paths to literacy. Audio narration not only makes reading more fun but also allows greater flexibility for self-guided instruction. Now, kids can have read-aloud story time whenever they want.
National Geographic Readers e-books are part of the National Geographic Super Readers program that provides fun incentives to keep kids reading, and games and activities that enhance learning and excitement. The program includes an interactive website with downloadable posters, incentives, activity pages, book excerpts and games. To find out more, visit http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/superreader/.
“We are delighted to offer our popular National Geographic Readers in e-book format for all different tablets, and at a bargain price. The 34 titles are available in time for the second half of summer and for back to school. They are great to take along on trips and for giving kids a jump-start on reading for the next school year,” said Jennifer Emmett, National Geographic’s editorial director for Children’s Books. “We are proud to provide our award-winning books across all major e-reader platforms; this is an important step in making our world-class nonfiction available digitally.”
The e-book format allows parents and kids portable access to more books and saves bookshelf space. Kids can collect National Geographic Readers from each level as they increase their reading skills and can keep all of them handy on an e-reader for other family members to enjoy.
Like the printed National Geographic Readers, the e-books are affordable. Versions with the audio option sell from $4.99 to $5.99, and versions without audio sell from $3.99 to $4.99. Moving forward, every new print National Geographic Reader will have an e-book version that will go on sale simultaneously.
The 34 titles currently available are “Elephants,” “Whales,” “ Butterflies,” “Amazing Animal Journeys,” “Deadliest Animals,” “Cats vs. Dogs,” “Titanic,” “Pandas,” “Bats,” “Dolphins,” “Sea Turtles,” “Cheetahs,” “Wolves,” “Tigers,” “Planets,” “Sharks,” “Dinosaurs,” “Trains,” “Caterpillar to Butterfly,” “Lizards,” “Halloween,” “Volcanoes,” “Penguins,” “Snakes,” “Mummies,” “Race Day,” “Safari,” “Frogs,” “Storms,” “Trucks,” “Ants,” “Planes,” “Ponies” and “Spiders.”
About National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids inspires young adventurers to explore the world through award-winning magazines, books, apps, games, toys, videos, events, and a website and is the only kids brand with a world-class scientific organization at its core. National Geographic Kids (10 issues a year) and Little Kids (6 issues a year) are photo-driven publications available on newsstands or by subscription, in print and on tablets. The award-winning website kids.nationalgeographic.com excites kids about the planet through games, videos, contests, photos and blogs about cultures, animals and destinations. National Geographic Kids Books is the leading nonfiction publisher with as many as 100 nonfiction titles each year, including the New York Times’ bestselling “Kids Almanac.” National Geographic Kids Games engages kids to learn through play with games like the online virtual animal world of Animal Jam and the interactive TV experience of Nat Geo Kinect TV. National Geographic Kids Apps bring the best of National Geographic Kids to smart phones and tablets.
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