MeeGenius! Kid's Books
Narrated stories from many genres; subscription a must.
MeeGenius! Kid's Books
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that MeeGenius! stocks more than 400 children's fiction and nonfiction digital books with audio narration. Users can access most books by paying a monthly $4.99 subscription, as well as some "premium" books by paying for each book individually. Download the app for free and you'll get a few free books to try, but subscribing or buying books is a must for this app to be enjoyable for more than one session. Select books categorized in many ways: subject (fables, animals, and holidays, for example), featured books, MeeGenius! originals (age 3–5 and 6–8), and more. Books also are searchable by author or title. The "read-along technology" highlights each word while a narrator reads the story aloud. There's a read-to-myself option, too, in which narration is turned off. Parents should know that the books include text, audio, and illustrations, but there is no interactivity or animation beyond highlighted text.
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What’s It About?
Visit the MEEGENIUS! library and select a book from dozens of categories. Tap on a book cover, then tap "Read and Add to My Books." Wait for the download to complete, then choose "Read it to me" or "Read it to myself." Swipe to turn pages. If book is paused, press the red pause/play button that fades in and out of the center of the page to restart. Tap "My Books" to access the books you've already read. This is a well-stocked children's bookstore with many good selections.
Is It Any Good?
MEEGENIUS! is a nice app on which to buy and read colorful stories for kids who are prereaders or new to reading. The app may be free, but most of the books aren't. A monthly subscription or individual book purchase is required for access to most books, which cost about the same as most other storybook apps but don't include interactivity.
The "read-along technology" may work better on some books than others. The books previewed for this review were read rather quickly and had quite a bit of text on many pages of the story, so the little yellow highlighted box that jumped from word to word was more of a distraction than a help in reading.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Read all the available genre titles to your kid and discuss which ones they'd like to explore, some that are new to them, and others that may not immediately be of interest.
If your kid is having difficulties with a certain math skill, friendship struggles, or struggles with another social skill (such as manners), browse this app's library for related books.
Explain to your kid that, even if you have a subscription, some books may require further purchase, so they know ahead of time which ones may be off-limits (unless a parent chooses to buy them).
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
- Subjects: Language & Reading: reading, vocabulary, Science: animals, Social Studies: historical figures, history
- Skills: Communication: listening
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: March 8, 2014
- Category: Books
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures, Book Characters, Friendship, Numbers and Letters, Science and Nature, Wild Animals
- Publisher: MeeGenius!
- Version: 6.0.4
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 5.1 or later
- Last updated: October 7, 2021
Our Editors Recommend
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iStoryBooks
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Skybrary – Kids Books & Videos
Classic reborn as fee-based e-library with great selection.
For kids who love books and storytelling
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