One More Story

Today, Evadne shares a favorite online reading tool for kids:

I first came across One More Story during a play date at a friend's house. Our same-aged children (4 and 2 years at the time) were having a blast together and making quite a ruckus, and then a few moments later, the playroom became noticeably quiet. Naturally, I decided it would be wise to peek in, and instead of trouble brewing, I found the children gathered around the computer listening to a story. The pages of the storybook were on the monitor and the words became highlighted as they were being read, karaoke-style. There was even original sound & music accompanying the storytelling. I was intrigued.
My friend explained that they had a paid subscription to One More Story, a website that offers a virtual library of quality children's literature. Familiar titles such as "Owl Babies" and "Pete's a Pizza," award winners like "A Snowy Day" or "Red is Best," and refreshing stories including "This is the Tree" are all accessible at the click of a mouse. As I continued to observe, the children took turns picking books off the virtual shelves -- sometimes allowing the story pages to turn automatically and sometimes opting to hear the story read at their own pace. For early readers, there's an "I Can Read It" mode so children can try reading without the music or sound.

Well, it took about two seconds to know that One More Story was right for our family. We have been a TV-free household (until a few months ago...now we're simply cable-free), and our children have always been big into books and audiobooks. But I never anticipated what a wonderful tool One More Story could be for my children at opportune moments, such as when I was nursing our third little one or when we moved house this past year. Subscriptions are available in 3 ($15), 6 ($27), and 12 ($44) month increments -- One More Story makes a wonderful gift to budding readers, whether in your own home or to little friends and relatives.