APP AT A GLANCE

PRICE: $2.99 a month

FREE VERSION: there is a 7 day trial
CUSTOMER RATING: 3 / 5
MY RATING: 2 / 5 (not good)
BUY IT? no
TRY IT? maybe

Read Me Stories by 8Interactive

Read Me Stories by 8interactive is a great idea, however this idea gets lost in translation. Firstly, the app is quite slow and both parent and child get impatient waiting for it to load. Once loaded, you have 2 books that you can read but you can see books that are coming soon – inevitably the child wants to read one of the books that is not currently available, and this is where the frustration begins. You can’t just buy that book to read – and if you could, it would not be worth the minimum app price o.99c.

Unfortunately, the worst thing about Read Me Stories is that the book are not interesting. The graphics are nice, but the stories just okay – and the voiceover is incredibly cloying. My son even turned the iPhone over and looked away at one point. I do not have any problems with paying for ebook apps if they are good, but some apps miss basic interactivity that is the main attraction of reading on an iPhone or iPad. For example, a simple addition would be a “bouncing ball” type effect that allows kids to follow along with the words. If you want to get a simple, but well done book app for kids, try the Wheels On The Bus app by Duck Moose.

Free Trial NOT Free App:
The app is listed as free, but it is only really a free trial. After 7 days, you will be prompted to pay $3 month for the daily new books. Ten cents a day this is not expensive, IF the books were good.

Recommendations:
Don’t make me subscribe on a monthly basis. If I had the option of buying the next 5 books for 0.99c, I would have – but the thought of month after month of books with the same voiceover, no, no, no!