Electronic Reader Thing

I would go with a Nook color. I have a Kindle, and while it is exactly what I wanted and it works great for me (I only want to read books on it and did NOT want backlighting), if you are wanting multi-use functionality (games for the kids) then you will want to go with the Nook. Yes it is possible to go online on the Kindle, but it is a bit of a pain, and you don't have full functionality--you can read stuff, but not do games. There ARE games for the Kindle (word games mostly) but it is not a touch screen, so playing them is labor intensive compared to other technology available out there.
If you want something to just read books on, keep many books easily portable, and not bells and whistles galore, then a Kindle is great. If you want more, then don't get a kindle or you will be disappointed and frustrated. Not dissing Kindles (again, I love mine!) but be aware of its limitations and what exactly you are looking for in a product. It doesn't sound to me like a Kindle suits what you are after.

I don't own a Nook, but I know several people who do, and from what I understand they are more what you are looking for (online capability, touch screen and color).

Have you considered an iPad? You can download books on them and games, check email, etc....

We have a Nook. We love it! I didn't think I would like it, it's not the same comfort feeling I get when I hold an actual book. But for traveling and weeks when I am super busy, it's perfect. I like taking the Nook instead of taking a huge bag of books. I can get online with mine. I wouldn't want to do any heavy duty research on it or anything, but it works great for looking little things up - tv schedule, check email, a recipe etc. It's just a little slower than my computers and sometimes a bit tricky to click on what I need. I can check books out with our library. Using a USB cord, I can download the books from my computer. I keep the. for two weeks and after their due date, they erase from my Nook. I don't think you can download things like that directly from the Nook internet access, but I could be wrong. The whole family shares ours. That works out well. It's easy to switch out from one book to another and each person has their own "shelf" making it easier to find your books. The Nook also has a pretty good battery life. And yes there are lots of games available for it.

If you want something faster, more interactive and has more options, you may want to look into an Ipad.

A.,

I had a standard black and white Nook and now have a color Nook. Absolutely love them! The standard Nook comes with just a couple of games geared toward adults - Suduko and Chess. The Nook color is a touch screen pad loaded with the Nook reading software and the Android operating system. With the color you can download apps like Angry Birds and Angry Birds Rio. There are also school related apps coming on the market that can help your children practice their math facts, spelling, geography, etc.

When I purchased the Nook color I gave my Nook Classic to our 9-year-old son. He is very careful with it, even so it still gets sticky, dropped occasionally, and lost at home. If your children will be sharing this device, I would recommend you control it and allow them time on the device for both reading and playing games. Checking the device in each evening and checking it out each day will help you to keep track of how they are handling the technology. I would recommend you purchase a protection plan in case the kids accidentally drop it and crack the screen or damage the circuits in any way.

Also note, the Nook Classic battery life is three to four days with heavy use during the day. The Nook Color has to be charged every night just like a laptop or pad. I have had three Nooks in the last few years and have found the company's assessment of battery life to be grossly inflated.

The Classic only reads books, newspapers, and some magazines in black and white. The Color can run some videos, children's picture books, and lots of magazines. I suggest you look at the Barnes and Noble Nook website to learn more about each device to determine which one would be a good fit for your family.

I haven't used a kindle, but my brother-in-law has had three or four. He really like the read-to-me function and, as I understand it, this function works with any book. The Nook does not have this type of software for adult or children's chapter books, only the children's picture books.

I hope this helps.

C. J.

I have a nookcolor and i LOVE it. My kids use it , it has games , and can get online.
It should work with your library. Mine works with ours.
I don't have any complaints about it, the battery life on mine is great. I recharge it every few days, using it constantly.

Haha! again ditto to Denise. I was going to suggest an Ipad because you can download movies, books, games, apps, internet (if you have wifi at a restaurant or something) FAR more than what a kindle or nook can do.

I like my Nook. I resisted getting an ereader for a long time because I love real books. I also didn't want to spend $500 or more for a tablet. Make sure you get a 4G version so you can download books anywhere there is cell phone service. It's nice because it's so flat and convenient and I don't have to hold down the pages when I'm reading on the exercise equipment at the Y. I like being able to download books right when I need them and when there is a long waiting list at the library. I wish I had the updated touchscreen version and I would recommend getting that one. I do not have the Nook Color, which is recommended for magazine reading and children's picture books. I've heard it has only an 8 hour battery life. I think the Nook would be a little difficult to share on vacation if you all wanted to read at the same time. One downside is that you can't use it during takeoff and landing on airplanes, a time when I especially need a distraction! I bring along a magazine or something for those times. I think the Nook has more access to libraries than the Kindle, which is why my husband selected the Nook for me.

I have to also recommend the Nook color. If you have someone who is computer savy, you can root it to run Android (rather than the B&N locked down version) and actually watch movies and access the Android Marketplace with it. For the price and versatility, go for the Nook color. My seven year old is begging for her own for her birthday. She'll choose the Nook over her DS any day.

Love my Nook - you can download free books from the internet and also your library and you cannot do this with a Kindle at present!!

We have a Nook. For the price, it has simple games, internet access, and you have a decent selection of books through Barnes and Nobles. There are alot of free downloadable books too. If you don't want to make the financial investment in an i-pad, this is just fine for kids needing some simple amusement on a trip. The portability is a plus for a trip. I don't know about library accessibility, but it seems like this would be a possibility.

If you're looking into the long run, and have no qualms about kids running around with an i-pad, then that probably makes more sense.

I have a sony reader and a kindle and I don't think either one of them are that great. The sony is giving out after having it a year, and the battery of the kindle doesn't last nearly as long as it is suppose to, and with the kindle you can only read kindle books.

All I know is that www.freebies4mom.com often has books that you can download for free (well, she lets you know what books are offered and when). I see free books on there all the time. Not sure if they're for Kindle or what, but check it out whenever you decide on what you're going to buy.

You can download free and greatly reduced price books for the Kindle through http://www.pixelofink.com/

They have books for kids of all ages, too.