Would You Spend $500 To Get Your Kid to Read?

Spending $500 or more on an iPad and buying games, books and movies for it seems like a lot of money to shell out to entertain a child. But it’s a trend that’s becoming too common in the short life of the iPad: Parents buying book apps for the iPad so their children can read, or they can read to their children. An AOL News story recently reported that 81%, or 13 of the 16 top book applications for the iPad, are children’s titles.

I can sure see where a kid would LIKE using an iPad, but I keep thinking of the durability – or lack thereof. Wonder what exactly the warranty covers…

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New Reading Apps for iPad

Looks to be a lot of new applications for the iPad aimed at children’s books, and there are some interesting ideas.

A Story Before Bed lets parents record themselves reading on video. Sounds like a wonderful idea for parents that aren’t home at bedtime.

PBS Kids is launching SUPER WHY! interactive literacy games.

The International Childrens’ Digital Library will be offering more than 4,000 titles free through the iTunes store. No plans for an iPad? ICDL has full-text books available for you here. Have an iPhone instead? There’s an app for you, too, here.

With the iPad starting at $499, it’s an expensive item to be considered a child’s toy, but if you’re willing to let your kids borrow yours for a while, it looks like there are going to be a number of worthwhile things for them to try out.