Friday "Appy" Hour: Epic!

 A colleague this year introduced me to Epic!, the award-winning service, which includes unlimited digital access to fiction and non-fiction books from leading publishers such as HarperCollins, Macmillan and National Geographic. 

My first thought was.....how did I not know about this app sooner? As a former elementary classroom teacher, I immediately thought of the thousands of ways I could have utilized this app in my guided reading groups and during my independent learning centers. With thousands of books available now and hundreds of more titles added each week, Epic! has been called the “Netflix of kids books”. The reason I decided to feature this app here is that this is a perfect resource for our students with print disabilities, as it enables students to access digital versions of books their classmates may also be reading that include the beautiful illustrations as well. Although there are plenty of other apps out there, like Read2Go or Voice Dream Reader, that have the capability to read books aloud, often times they lack the visuals that accompany books for our youngest readers.  It’s an unlimited library your kids can take anywhere which is what make's Epic.....so epic!

 
The Epic! library contains everything from picture books to chapter books, early readers, audio-enabled “read to me” books, comic books, graphic novels, non-fiction titles, educational books, and junior novels. 


Key Features...
•Thousands of great titles with hundreds more added weekly - fiction, non-fiction, classics, book series, favorite characters, how-to, holidays, historical, jokes, science & nature, and so much more....  
• New books are added weekly from major publishers including HarperCollins, Macmillan, National Geographic and more
•Vivid images, just like you would find in printed books
• Audio-enabled “read-to-me” books
•Personalized book suggestions can be made upon completing your child's or students' interests
• Includes 4 customized reading profiles per account, at no additional cost
• Book information includes the AR Level if one has been assigned to the book
•Children/Students can save their favorite books to read again at a later date
• A detailed reading log to track reading progress available in the app, and emailed weekly to parents
• Online and offline (without a Wi-Fi connection) reading...take Epic! in the car, on a plane, or camping!




How It Works/Cost...
•The Epic! app is available on iOS (iPod, iPad, iPhone), Android, Kindle, and you can also access books on any web browser. Accounts stay updated among various devices. 

•Parents: Your Epic! account is free for the first 30 days. To continue receiving access to Epic!’s library after your free trial, a monthly subscription is just $4.99 per month thereafter. You can cancel anytime.

•Educators: Epic! is 100% free for elementary school teachers and librarians in the U.S. and Canada. Create up to 36 profiles with personalized recommendations based on reading levels and interests. 

Download Epic! on the App Store now!