Technically, our new Kindle Paperwhite is supposed to be a back to school product for our family. I received an email pitching me on the benefits of the Kindle as a back to school essential (there are many!) and thought, hey, this is awesome for us! It came in the mail, but as I started playing with it, I have to totally come clean and tell you guys, I took it for myself!
In my defense: I’ve been a fan of the Kindle since I received one for Mothers’ Day in 2010. I was reluctant to get one back then. I did not want to give up reading on an old school book but once I did, I didn’t go back. My first Kindle one of the “original” Kindle models. I still love it. I’ve gotten used the buttons I use to turn the pages and just like my old self who didn’t want to go to a Kindle at all, I was at a place where I didn’t want to go to Paperwhite or one of the newer Kindle models just because I loved my old one so much.
But then we were sent the Paperwhite. I love that it’s backlight and I love that you can adjust the brightness. With my old Kindle, I had to buy a clip on light – it’s not needed with the Paperwhite, of course.
Check out these two photos I took of my Paperwhite. The first is “low” backlight. This is for when you are in a dark room and don’t need too much extra lighting. Note my red iPad speck case in the back cuz you can tell the difference in the second photo. The second photo has the backlight maxed out – this is for the beach or other brightly light rooms or outside reading. I just love the ability to adjust the light.
Other things I love about it are things that are great about all Kindles – how lightweight it is. And how unbulky. The best is when we travel and I remember how I’d have to pack several thick and big books into a suitcase… now there’s no need and it’s an awesome feeling.
So there you have it, that’s how I came to own the Kindle Paperwhite that was pitched to me for back to school. But let’s be fair and also talk about why Kindles are awesome for kids and back to school too quickly.
For starters, my 10 year old used to be a reluctant reader. E-readers are awesome products for helping reluctant readers. One of the things that held my own son back was the size of the books and the words on the page – sometimes looking at a big book with small words can be daunting to new readers!
They can’t see the size of a book in the same way they can with an actual paper book. It’s not overwhelming. Also, they can adjust the font to make the words bigger. My son read many of his first real chapter books on a Kindle with much more ease than he did an actual physical book. And to this day, he will always pick the Kindle over a “real” book if he’s given the choice. In fact, two of his summer reading list books I downloaded onto our old Kindle for him and that’s how he read them.
And one more back to school perk that I wanted to mention with Kindles and your kids. Kindle FreeTime is a monthly subscription service for kids mon Amazon. Starting at $2.99 you can get access to apps, books and movies that are all hand selected as age appropriate for kids ages 3-8. What’s nice is that you can be confident in knowing that these goodies are safe for your kids and you’re basically playing the flat rate for these books and items.
But more on that next week because I’m also going to be reviewing the Kindle Fire! See, I’m not totally cold-hearted and my kids do both have old Kindles and now a Kindle Fire to share. But more on that soon.
Disclaimer: I received a sample Kindle Paperwhite to facilitate this review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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