The age of the 'iron' book.

Oh how I love to cuddle up in my warm bed and read a good book. The sound of the pages flicking as I turn them and the smell of the paper of a brand new book appeals to my sensitive side. Alas, I am now introduced to electronic books, called ebooks for short, and they are awesome. So, why not enhance my literacy centre with a digital library which contains many ebooks. According to Shamir & Korat, 2006, the "sound, animation, and interactive activities" contained in ebooks help pupils to "master tasks" which they may have been unable to do "independently." I also see the possibility of using ebooks to motivate the struggling reader because of the audio function. The animated feature will appeal to every child. It is almost like a portable talking television.How awesome indeed!

A word of caution; good things don't always come in small packages. There are specific features that make a good ebook like the quality of the text and sound and the use of images to support the text. So choose carefully. As for me, I choose both the traditional book and the ebook. I prefer to hug my paperback novels in my bed but, I also love having an entire digital library in my mini handbag which I can access anywhere and anytime.

Fellow reading specialists, my question to you is, Do you think that the ebook will replace the traditional book? Your views will be highly appreciated.