Digital Readers: The Next Chapter in E-Book Reading and Response

The basic features of digital reading devices (such as the Amazon Kindle) are described in this article. The author also considers how such devices can advance e-book readership among primary students by offering new avenues for accessing and interacting with a wide array of texts. Rooted in the transactional theory of reader response and a new literacies perspective, this case study examines the reading and response behaviors of two second-grade girls as they read a book on a digital reading device. Findings suggest that using digital reading devices with second-grade students promote new literacies practices and extend connections between readers and text as engagement with and manipulation of text is made possible through electronic tools and features. © 2010 International Reading Association, Inc.