What's In Your Library Bag Wednesday?

     Hello Again!!! Welcome to What's In Your Library Bag Wednesday?? Today I'd like to talk about reading apps. Do you have a Kindle? Nook? Ipad? Ipod? Smart Phone? Do you use it to read or have it read to your children?? I am somewhat Old School in that I always said I didn't want one because there's just something about touching a book and turning the pages...However, opinions change and I definitely see a time and place for such readers. For example, I don't have a Kindle or Nook, but I do have an Ipod, presumably for music, but it works great when I lay down next to my kids at night and can read in the dark. Or when I take my youngest to an appointment with me and can hand him my Ipod and have an app read stories to him to help keep him entertained. Wow! Amazing!! Peace and quiet and reading! What could be better?!
     I also noticed in the kids' book orders recently that Scholastic has come out with a reading app called Storia. Currently, it only works on an Ipad, but the concept is there. You get free books when you purchase others and you can also purchase more, of course. I thought it looked interesting.
    I have purchased the Read Me Stories app through itunes which reads stories to my first grader and every so often he gets to download a new one. Also, when I asked a coworker if she used any reading apps, she told me that she didn't have an app per se, but had downloaded several Story Boy books from itunes for her children to read. All of which were free. Better yet.
     After doing a search on the internet, I found that there are several interactive titles out there where the child gets the story read to them, but has the opportunity to play little  mini games throughout. It looked like several Dr. Seuss titles, a Toy Story Read-Along, etc. It also mentioned the title, The Fantastic Flying books of Morris Lessmore for the Ipad which was rated as the best interactive book out there today coming in at a whopping $8.99!!!
    Even if you don't have one of the aforementioned devices you can search YouTube and find books that will read to your children. Sometimes it's a parent reading the story, or a little older child. Other times, you just hear the narrator and you see all the pages of the book turning. (I have a son who is obsessed with YouTube.)
     Sometimes it seems like maybe technology is taking over...but really, you can use it to your advantage and really enhance your reading experience!! Try it, you might like it. I know I did.