With the kids reading more with NLB’s reading programme I wrote about earlier, the Book Buddy can be said to have come at a splendid time.
Reading is a terrific hobby, but most children don’t pay enough attention to their posture while reading, and certainly not the distance their eyes are from the book or lighting conditions. With the BookBuddy, these pertinent issues can be tackled.
But first of all, as a book stand, the BookBuddy has two angles in which it can be used.
For reading, this is the 60-degree angle (see photo below). I have pulled up the page extender to demonstrate that it can be used with large books as well as a sheet of A4-size paper.
The 22-degree angle is used mainly for annotating:
The main thing about the BookBuddy is that it has clever sensors and therefore is more than just a simple bookstand.
The sensor will sound if the child is too close to the book (after it detects that the child is too near for more than 8 seconds) and will blink if it is too dark to read. Also, after 30 minutes of turning on the BookBuddy, the LED will turn red and it will sound again every 15 minutes after that.
As you know, we already have an ergonomic table which can be adjusted for writing, reading etc. so actually the kids can place their books on their tables when reading.
RELATED: Review of ergonomic table and chair for children (with video)
But the table will not be able to inform the kids when to take a break or if they are too near, and it also doesn’t hold the pages firmly for them, like the BookBuddy:
As mentioned previously, the BookBuddy can hold both small and large books. The retractable arms of the BookBuddy can hold the pages of all sizes of books down firmly while your child reads.
The BookBuddy is light (only 390g), so it is very portable. I’d say the main challenge of using the BookBuddy is getting the child to sit at the table to read. Most children (and adults included) love to snuggle up in bed to read a good book. Honestly, I do too. I don’t foresee myself using the BookBuddy to read, but I think it’s worth the effort to get children to establish good habits, especially since mine are not myopic yet. Surely, good vision is worth the effort and a little investment.
For a succinct demonstration of how the BookBuddy works, you can view the video below:
The BookBuddy™ is completely designed and engineered in Singapore. With its official full launch in June 2016, the BookBuddy is available in three colours: pink, blue and green. It is powered by two AAA batteries (batteries included), and no charging is required. Besides using it to read books, you can place smart phones and tablets on it as well.
The BookBuddy can be purchased online at crymsontec.com for $84.90.
Disclosure: I was provided with two sets of the BookBuddy for review purposes. No monetary compensation was received.