B&N Aims E-Books at Kids
Barnes & Noble Inc., intent on winning over a new generation of readers, including some who haven’t yet learned to tie their shoes, is launching a digital collection of more than 12,000 books under the name Nook Kids.
The works, aimed at children 3 to 8 years old, include picture books, novels and a selection of enhanced editions of classics, such as “Jamberry,” the tale of a boy and a bear who have a good time together finding berries.
An estimated 12,000 chapter books, among the largest digital collections for young readers, is expected to be available at NookKids.com by late Sunday. In addition, 100 or so picture books will be available in mid-November, while about 30 enhanced picture books will be available by the end of the year, or early in 2011. The collection, also available online at BarnesandNoble.com, will be accessible by year end via a Nook Kids app for Apple Inc.’s iPad and other devices.
Nook Kids represents a crucial effort by the nation’s largest bookstore chain to establish itself with children and their parents as a digital e-book leader.
