Nook Vs. Kindle for 10-Year-old: Your Opinions?

Updated on October 18, 2011
L.R. asks from Vienna, VA
8 answers

Hi, mamas,

My brother would like to give my 10-year-old daughter, who is an avid reader, either a Nook or a Kindle for Christmas.

Nook and/or Kindle users: Which did you buy, and why? Which one would give us better availability of books? Is it tougher or more expensive to get books for one compared to the other? What about battery life of each? (My brother says he hears that Kindles don't have as long a battery life as Nooks, overall--true or not?) What about the screen and visibiity -- does either one let you increase type size on the screen, change the font, lighten or darken the background, etc.?

As you can tell, we have nothing like this, so any advice is welcome, particularly if you researched both Nook and Kindle when making your own choice. Please, iPad fans and notebook computer fans, don't recommend that she get an iPad or whatever instead -- for a number of reasons the choice is only for an e-reader. We'll be going to the local Barnes and Noble to look at Nooks soon for ourselves but I'd value your input. Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Just to add -- I prefer real books too and I am sure my daughter will, and I would never have thought of getting her an e-reader. But she reads so much that when we travel we are laden with lots of heavy books and end up losing them etc. sometimes. So I'm agreeing to the e-reader mostly for travel, especially because we travel overseas each year and taking books just for the plane has become a weighty issue....

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L.N.

answers from New York on

Hi,

I own a nook. I love my nook, it's the colored one. I got it last year, and I just can't go without it, but I have to, so I download books (buy them) when we travel, otherwise I buy bargain books at barnes and noble. My daughter who is 7, loves to read. I have let her use my nook a few times now enough for me to know she will do great with one. So she is getting that for Christmas. I decided not to get a kindle (although I don't know much about kindles) I had heard that they don't have color (maybe the new one does??) I don't know but anyway my neighbor has a kindle and says it is difficult to read it when outside. I have no problems with nook.
Anyway, because I have a nook, and because I love my nook, I will get my daughter one. Why test something else when I know she already loves it.

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S.H.

answers from Jacksonville on

I have a NOOK with Wifi and absolutely love it! I read hundreds of books a year and this is the best gift I ever got. With a NOOK you get books through Barnes & Noble and I have downloaded thousands of free books. With the NOOK vs the Kindle you have the ability to lend books between other NOOK readers also. We travel several times out of the country a year and this saves tons of space of packing paper books I got from the library and running the risk of losing,damaging, etc.

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R.M.

answers from Chicago on

Wow I think that's a great gift idea! My younger daughter has had a Nook for a year and although she still reads paper books, she enjoys having things on her Nook to read. It's a great thing to have if you travel. You can have dozens of books right in your hand!

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J.M.

answers from Dallas on

I wouldn't allow an e-reader for a 10 year old. Just my 2 cents.

J.S.

answers from Jacksonville on

My MIL has a kindle and really loves it. As far as I know she hasn't had any problems.

That being said, I've written two books and I don't think I will ever get a electronic reader. There is just something special about holding a paper book in your hands. LOL Almost all of my author friends agree. Guess we are just old school.

N.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

I don't have either of these, but rather an older Sony eReader. I can do library check outs on mine, and I think one of the brands yu mentioned can now as well (thru my library system anyways...around here they use the vendor "Overdrive digital media".

I would look at your libraries online system and look to see if they offer digital books. Look thru some titles or age ranges your child might be reading and see what formats they are offered in. I LOVE having library access. I sign in online..peruse the books, click to cart them (sometimes I can not get them right away as there is a waiting list, which for me is fine..then I later get an email saying I have 3 days to download the book, and can keep it for 3 weeks.

Its a great option to have! Good luck!

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

Sorry, but why not let a 10 year old have an e-reader? The world today is technology...embrace it :).

My daughter got a nook last year and we both HATE it! It NEVER works. She'll get a Kindle to replace it soon.

I LOVE my Kindle 3G. Definitely get one where she can download books wherever, especially if you travel.

G.T.

answers from Redding on

I have a Kindle, don't know anything about the Nook really. I have only put free books on mine so far and their are PLENTY of freebies at Amazon, lots of free games too. It doesnt light up for night reading, you have to buy an accessory light for that, but it adapts fine in bright sunlight. I've had mine for a couple of months and have only had to charge it once, so I feel the battery is working pretty darned well.
Go to Amazon and click on free Kindle books and see if there's enough there that would suit your daughter. The ones you have to pay for arent all that expensive either and if you get the Kindle with wifi it's really easy and quick to download books from the Amazon site. You dont have to have wifi tho, you can just plug in the usb cord to your pc while at the Amazon site to get books. Yes, you can increase the text size.

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