Kindle Daily Post

$0.99 for a Limited Time: Rabbit Ears Children's Books

For a limited time, 45 Kindle-exclusive Rabbit Ears children’s picture books with Kindle text pop-up are available for only $0.99 each.  Browse a few of our top picks:

The first new Rabbit Ears book in 15 years: Tom Thumb, features hilarious illustrations by Tim Gabor telling the story of Tiny Tom and his adventures with the Knights of the Roundtable. Gabor, who has produced art for Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Time and many other publications, rock bands, and events, says he used his standard potion of colored pencils, watercolor paints, and the computer software PhotoShop to create these delightful images.

Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Washington Irving’s eerie tale of romantic rivalry along the Hudson pits the new schoolmaster Ichabod Crane against the local hero and bully, Brom Bones, for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel. The haunting drama climaxes with the appearance of one of the great, legendary ghosts of all time: the headless horseman. This spirited adaptation by Robert Van Nutt, who also did the illustrations, reflects all the wit, fun and drama of the early American classic. Ages 6 and up. Winner of Parents Magazine’s The Year’s Best for Kids award.

The Elephant’s Child. Rudyard Kipling’s story of how the elephant got its trunk has always delighted children with its playful use of language and sense of high adventure. This rendering of Kipling’s most beloved “Just So” story, beautifully illustrated by Tim Raglin, explains what the world was like “in the beginning of years when the world was new and all…” Ages 5 and up. Winner of the Action for Children's Television (ACT) Award

The Tailor of Gloucester. A sensitive retelling of a wry Beatrix Potter tale with whimsical illustrations by David Jorgensen that beautifully evoke the period, flavor and subtle humor of the story. The tailor of Gloucester who, no thanks to his naughty cat Simpkin, has no more twisted silk thread to finish the coat he has promised the mayor for his wedding on Christmas day. With the help of some special friends, the tailor finds that a kind favor is returned. Ages 5 and up. Winner of Parents Magazine’s The Year's Best for Kids award.

Follow the Drinking Gourd. This moving story is based on the traditional American folksong. Written by Bernardine Connelly and illustrated by Yvonne Buchanan, the compelling tale recounts the daring adventures of one family’s escape from slavery via the Underground Railroad and captures all the drama of a perilous flight to freedom. Ages 6 and up. The video/audio versions, narrated by Morgan Freeman and with original music by Taj Mahal, won the Parents' Choice Gold award and were nominated for a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.      

The Emperor’s New Clothes is an adaptation by Eric Metaxas of the Hans Christian Andersen story with illustrations by Robert Van Nutt. Like everyone else in the kingdom, two clever swindlers understand the king’s passion for new clothes. Claiming to be the creators of the richest and most beautiful cloth in the world, they cleverly announce that the “magical” garments they are weaving for the Emperor are invisible to anyone lacking intelligence. Who will have the courage to speak the truth?  Ages 5 and up. Winner of Parents' Choice Gold Seal Award.

Pecos Bill is a rollicking ride through the Wild, Wild West with the original cowboy, Pecos Bill. Raised by coyotes to brave the great frontier, Pecos rides his wild mustang Widow-Maker and invents the first rough-and-tumble cattle drive. Then he mounts a runaway cyclone like a buckin’ bronco to create the Great Salt Lake. Rich in language, this adaptation by Brian Gleeson with illustrations by Tim Raglin, is sheer nonsensical fun, a fast and furious fantasy. Ages 5 and up. Winner of Parents' Choice Classic Award.

UNO Comes to Kindle E-Readers

For more than 40 years the family card-game UNO has captivated friends and family members around the world with its fast and fun action, rule variations, and portability. It's an undisputed classic game for all ages that never grows old and consistently inspires big smiles and bursts of raucous laughter.

Now, UNO has been faithfully reproduced for play on Kindle, Kindle Touch, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle DX, and second generation Kindle devices.

Instead of the game's traditional card colors of red, blue, yellow, and green, UNO for Kindle features four easy-to-see patterns customized exclusively for the Kindle e-ink displays. In addition to the four different patterns, UNO for Kindle cards are numbered from 0 to 9, just like in the original card version of the game.

For the uninitiated, play begins when you place a card from your hand into the discard pile to match either the color or the number laid down on the pile by the previous player. The first person to get rid of all their cards is the winner.

A selection of special cards keeps the game play fresh and adds an element of surprise; whenever a Wild, Reverse, Skip, Draw Two, or the dreaded Draw Four Wild card is laid down, fortunes quickly turn! Just as someone thinks they're about to win the game, the momentum can suddenly swing against them. Another hallmark rule twist is the need to call out "Uno!" when you're down to one card. If not, you'll be forced to draw two cards.

UNO for Kindle lets you pick up and play a round right from your Kindle's main menu with the choice of either "Quick Play" or "Tournament Mode." Once selected, UNO for Kindle gives you the choice of nine different varieties of the game, including 7-0 (if a zero card is played, all players give their cards to the next player) and Jump-in (if you have a card with the same number and pattern in your hand as on the discard pile, you can play it at any time).

With smooth game play, sharp graphics, easy-to-learn rules, and loads of in-game achievements, playing UNO for Kindle continues the game's tradition of fast fun for everyone.

R.L. Stine Loves to Make You Scream and Laugh

Guest post by best-selling children’s author R.L. Stine.

I always tell people that my job is to terrify kids. Someone has to do it, right?

But the truth is nowadays when I do a book signing, I see almost as many adults as kids who are reading my books. There is something about horror that cuts across all age groups. That’s because everyone likes a good scare—and we all react the same way. We scream, we cover our eyes, we gasp, and we laugh. Yes, laugh. Horror and humor are very much alike.

Try this experiment. Sneak up on your friend and say, “Boo!” Your friend will jump and shriek. But I bet you also make your friend laugh.

The next time you are at an amusement park, stand near the roller coaster. You will hear screams of terror—and gales of laughter. When I write my scary books I often think of them as being like a roller-coaster ride. I want the book to have twists and turns, scares and screams—and laughs.

One way I get humor into my books is with the crazy titles. When you see a title like The Creatures From Beyond Beyond, My Alien Parents, or The Adventures of Shrinkman, you know that the story will be scary and funny.

Another way my books combine humor and horror is in the cover art. Take my new eBook Zombie Town. The cover is funny. It shows a movie theater ticket-booth where the prices are $8.00 for adults, $6.00 for children, and $7.00 for Zombies. Seems fair to me; although with all the success zombies are having lately, maybe zombies should pay more, not less!

Speaking of zombies, they are everywhere: zombie books, zombie movies, zombie TV shows, and zombie eBooks. Actually, it amazes me how popular zombies are—because let's face it, they can’t do much except stagger around and look hungry. But maybe that’s their appeal. They are just plain scary. They’re not complicated and tortured like vampires. They don’t go invisible on you like ghosts. They don’t have secret identities like werewolves. And best of all they are undead. You’ve got to love something that is not alive, not dead—but undead.

I hope you enjoy Zombie Town and all my other books. For me, writing horror is always a scream.

May's Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less

From great literature to inspiring cookbooks, May's selection of 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less has something for everybody. Here are a few of our favorites:

 

Literature & Fiction

Curses! by J.A. Kazimer, $3.99

This hilarious and witty romp through the twisted fairy-tale world of New Never City follows "ugly stepsister" princess Asia as she tries to figure out who killed her sister, Cinderella. Asia enlists the help of the villainous R.J., a.k.a. Rumplestiltskin, who's suffering from a curse to only do good deeds.

 

Mystery & Thrillers

Kaleidoscope by Darryl Wimberley, $1.99

Jack Romaine's addiction to speakeasies and cards turns him into an unwilling recruit for a Cincinnati gangster wanting to recover his stolen cash and railroad bonds. The trail leads south to Kaleidoscope, a "beddy" for freaks when carnival season over. Unfortunately, Jack's competition is a sadistic killer.

 

Biographies & Memoirs

As Seen On TV by Lucy Grealy, $2.99

Whether she's discussing promiscuity, The New Testament, or learning to tango, Lucy Grealy's writing seduces and surprises at every turn. Wit, unflinching honesty, and peerless intelligence are the hallmarks of this essay collection.

 

History

Holy Wars: 3000 Years of Battles in the Holy Land by Gary L. Rashba, $3.99 

Today's Arab-Israeli conflict is merely the latest iteration of violence in the Holy Land. Gary L. Rashba sheds light on this unending history of conflict by focusing on pivotal battles to describe the region's 3,000 years of war, from the Israelites' capture of Jericho to Israel’s assault against Lebanon.

 

Kids & Teens

What Color Is My World? by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, $3.99

Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar champions a lineup of little-known African-American inventors in this lively, kid-friendly book. Filled with engaging profiles, Abdul-Jabbar gives a nod to the inventors whose perseverance made our world safer, better, and brighter.

 

More Great Deals

Fast, Fresh, and Green by Susie Middleton, $3.99

This go-to reference for all things vegetable holds more than 100 recipes for appetizers, snacks, entrees, and side dishes. Perfect for vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike, the book also features a veggie shopping guide.

 

Be sure to browse May's entire selection of 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less to discover great fiction and nonfiction titles catering to all ages.

 

Note: Deals expire on the last day of each month. Individual books may have additional territory restrictions, and not all deals are available in all territories.

It’s Story Time with the Kindle Fire

Last weekend, a friend asked me to babysit her three-year-old son, Carter. Being new to the Kindle editorial team, I thought it was a perfect chance to try some children’s books on my new Kindle Fire. Here is what I discovered:

• Carter loved the interactive features like double clicking the text to instantly expand it for easy reading and swiping the pages to see what was coming next.
• I was impressed with the full-color backlit display. The Fire makes it fun and easy to read vibrantly colored kids' books in a dimly lit room. All you need is the Fire and a nightlight.
• Carter asked to read a Thomas the Train book and thankfully it was easy to find right from the Fire. You can browse the bookstore from the device and let your child choose his own book from thousands.

Not sure which books to start with? I picked some for your family to read on your Kindle Fire. These are all appropriate for kids ages 4-8: 

A Dress for Me! by Sue Fliess

Hippo is looking for a new dress. There are so many choices. Sue Fliess's rhyming text and Mike Laughead's adorable digital illustrations bring to life Hippo's exciting day at the mall.

 

 

Five Funny Bunnies: Three Bouncing Tales by Jean Van Leeuwen

Whether these five bunnies are trying to outdo each other or cheering one another on, they will hop, pop, twirl, and leap right into your heart.

 

 

 

If Beaver Had A Fever by Helen Ketteman

Little Bear is wondering, if Mama Bear were a doctor, how would she handle: a beaver with a fever, a goat with a sore throat, a gnu with the flu, and more? Mama Bear has the answers.

 

 

 

 

Jack and the Giant Barbeque by Eric A. Kimmel

Help Jack get even with the greedy old giant who stole his daddy’s barbeque recipes. John Manders' hilarious paintings bring Eric Kimmel's new take on the Jack and the Beanstalk story to life.

 

 

 

 

Mother Goose Picture Puzzles by Will Hillenbrand

Children will have fun seeing a picture and guessing some of the words in twenty Mother Goose rhymes. There are clues on every page in Will Hillenbrand’s imaginative mixed-media artwork book.

April's Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less

 

Spring has arrived, and so has this month's selection of 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less. Here are a few of our top picks we're excited to share with you:

 

Russell Wiley Is Out to Lunch by Richard Hine, $1.99

Media executive Russell Wiley's career is about to collapse along with his struggling daily paper and his sexless marriage. Sardonic, humorous, and true to life, this gripping novel offers an insider’s view into a newspaper's inner sanctum.

 

The Pistoleer: A Novel of John Wesley Hardin by James Carlos Blake, $1.99

This stunning portrayal of Texas outlaw John Wesley Hardin exposes the many different sides of the legendary man. From his blood-soaked youth to his time in prison where he studied law, Blake masterfully retells the story of Hardin's life.

 

The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey, $2.99

Set in the canyon lands of the Southwest, a mismatched group of preservation-minded misfits set out to destroy the eyesores that threaten their desert environment's natural beauty. This wildly funny novel is among Abbey's most famous works of fiction.

 

I Wish I Were Engulfed in Flames by Jeni Decker, $1.99

Jeni Decker's brash, personal, and shocking memoir chronicles her effort to raise two healthy kids with autism is an eye-opening read. Her surreal anecdotes will have you either shaking your head in disbelief or nodding with recognition.

 

Daring the Highlander (The Legacy of MacLeod) by Laurin Wittig, $1.99

The sweeping Scottish saga that began with Charming the Shrew continues in this page-turning sequel where Ailig MacLeod returns to Castle Assynt after his brother was killed for plotting against the king. Can the beautiful widow Morainn MacRailt help rebuild his family's legacy.

 

A Matter of Honor by Jeffrey Archer, $2.99

A British colonel bequeaths a mysterious letter to his only son, Adam Scott. Soon after opening the yellowing envelope, Scott's pursued through Europe by the KGB, the CIA and his own countrymen. They intend to kill him before the letter's truth comes out.

 

Check out April's entire selection of 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less. We've created a diverse list for all tastes, whether you're interested in explorations of contemporary culture, imaginative young-adult fantasies, innovative cookbooks, or intense thrillers.

 

Note: Deals expire on the last day of each month. Individual books may have additional territory restrictions, and not all deals are available in all territories.

Author Spotlight: Do You Have a Reluctant Reader?

Raymond Bean is a dad, a teacher, and the Amazon best-selling author of the Sweet Farts Series. His books have ranked #1 in Children's Humor, Humorous Series, and Fantasy and Adventure.

We all want our children to learn to love reading.  We may have the best intentions and provide them with plenty of support, encouragement, and content, yet, many parents find their young readers are still reluctant. They view reading as a chore, an assignment, work to be completed. Reluctant readers will gladly watch hours of tv and play video games until the cows come home, but then insist on reading the minimum amount of time required by the teacher each night and often complain about it. I wrote the Sweet Farts Series for kids who claim they don’t like reading.

I get it. The Sweet Farts series isn’t a fit for everyone, but according to numerous teachers and parents, it has done wonders for loads of reluctant readers around the world, and it might be just the thing to get your reluctant reader reading.

Obviously, Sweet Farts is about human gas, but it’s also about bullying, Benjamin Franklin, the scientific method, and making the best of a bad situation.

It’s no secret that kids find human gas funny. And let’s face it, there’s not much worse in the elementary classroom culture than taking the blame for someone else’s gas. When I wrote the Sweet Farts series I wanted to build a fun, silly series around this universal truth. I imagined a story about a fourth grader named Keith who suffers this timelessly unfortunate fate. Things only get worse for him when the kids at school give him the nickname S.B.D (Silent But Deadly).

He’s teased, bullied, and falsely accused. Rather than accept such an injustice, Keith decides to take the lemons life has given him and make lemonade. So when the annual science fair projects are due, Keith submits a proposal that no one expects. 

Keith’s hypothesis: I think I can create something that people can eat that will make their gas smell good. The idea lands him in the principal’s office and sets in motion events that propel Keith to scientific greatness. The second and third books in the series follow Keith as he learns to manage his new found celebrity, wealth, and position as great, young scientist.

In a world where 9-year-olds are drawn in by video games saturated with vivid violent imagery intended for mature audiences, and popular songs contain lyrics that would make our grandfather’s blush, perhaps a little silly humor is just what you and your reluctant young reader are looking for.

March's Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less

It's time to celebrate the change of seasons with a fresh list of 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less. Here are some of our favorites from this month's selection:

 

Under the March Sun: The Story of Spring Training by Charles Fountain, $1.99

Spring training, baseball's annual six-week ritual, dates back nearly 150 years. In this fascinating history, the full history of spring training is revealed for the first time: from its start as a shoestring-budget road trip to burn off winter calories to today's billion-dollar-a-year business surrounding the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues of Florida and Arizona.

 

A Little Death In Dixie by Lisa Turner, $2.99

Rich with the atmosphere of the American South, this expertly plotted suspense novel tracks Detective Billy Able as he works to uncover why one of Memphis' most seductive and notorious socialites has vanished. What starts as ordinary procedural work for Able soon morphs into a twisted trail of corruption, tragedy, and disturbing truths.

 

The Crossroads Café by Deborah Smith, $1.99

This sophisticated and poignant romance follows a beautiful Hollywood actress's escape to a secluded mountain cabin in North Carolina. A car accident has left her severely scarred, but in the Appalachians she finds unexpected love with a man who lost his family in 9-11.

 

I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi, $2.24

Written with refreshing irreverence, Ramit Sethi's six-week personal finance program takes a practical approach with a nonjudgmental style. The book's core centers around the four pillars of personal finance—banking, saving, budgeting, and investing—as well as the wealth-building ideas of entrepreneurship.

 

Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls) by C. C. Hunter, $2.99

After mixing with the wrong crowd, Kylie Galen gets sent to Shadow Falls camp by her mother. Kylie discovers her fellow campers aren't just "troubled," they're supernatural. The first book of this richly imagined young-adult fantasy series is filled with humor, teen angst, and a good dose of romance.

 

Be sure to browse through March's complete list of 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less. We've taken care to select something for everybody, including taut thrillers, engaging romances, inspiring biographies, well-crafted cookbooks, and histories covering everything from Abraham Lincoln to the legendary punk band Black Flag.

 

Note: Deals expire on the last day of each month. Individual books may have additional territory restrictions, and not all deals are available in all territories.

Guest Blogger: Judy Blume

Judy Blume's keen insight into the world of children and young adults has delighted readers worldwide. Over 80 million copies of her award-winning books, including Superfudge, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and Otherwise Known As Sheila the Great are in print, and her stories have been translated into 31 languages. Here she asks the question, "What is a real book?"

I grew up with books.  In my house, reading was a good thing.  My parents weren't afraid that browsing in the bookshelves flanking our fireplace was a dangerous activity for me.  They were proud that I was a reader, like them. So when I began to write I wasn't afraid either.  "But when are you going to write a real  book?"  my friends and acquaintances asked when my first books were published. They viewed books for young readers as something only a woman with a husband and a couple of babies might write as a hobby.  Their comments could sting--but they couldn't stop me from writing what came naturally.  I identified more with children than with them.  Writing allowed me to escape back into the world of childhood which I found more compelling, more honest, than the lifestyle I was expected to embrace in the suburbs, forty-plus years ago.  I knew what real books were.  I knew how they smelled when they were new and how they smelled when you borrowed them from the library.  Inside were stories and characters transporting you to different places, giving you insight into others' lives and your own, making you think, question, laugh and cry.

I never dreamed then that one day we'd be having another discussion about real books.  I saw a four year old at a restaurant the other night with an electronic device, pushing buttons as if he was born to the task.  I've no doubt he'll learn to read on one electronic device or another and when he does, I'm glad he'll have a choice – not only will he choose what to read but how to read it.  I hope he'll read widely, with amazement and joy.  I'm glad that my books, should he choose to read them, will be there for him on his e-reader.  The story and characters are the same whether you're listening to an audio book, reading on an e-reader, or holding a book between two covers, turning paper pages.

Sure, I hope he gets to visit bookstores and libraries and have the pleasure of browsing and sniffing.  And I’ll do all I can to make that a possibility for him.  But I’m thankful for every opportunity that brings books and readers together.

--Judy Blume

 

 

Editors' Picks: December's Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less

We've chosen a new set of 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or Less this month, and we're excited to share a few of our favorites with you.

The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler, $3.99
Not a character is untouched by delightful eccentricity in this charming story, full of surprises and wisdom.

The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker, $1.99
This debut novel follows the adventures of 14-year-old Princess Emeralda and the talking frog she meets one day in a swamp.

Restless by William Boyd, $2.99
Boyd's ninth novel is an absorbing historical thriller loosely based on the history of a covert branch of British intelligence created to coax America into the Second World War.

Out of My Later Years by Albert Einstein, $2.69
Einstein’s essays share his philosophical beliefs, scientific reasoning, and hopes for a brighter future, and show how one of the greatest minds of all time fully engaged with the changing world around him.

AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller, $2.99
One of our Best Books of 2010 in the category of "Outdoors & Nature," this book is a beautifully written and highly personal view into one man's adventure and what it means to make a lifelong vision come true.

See the whole list of this month's deals at www.amazon.com/kindlemonthlydeals, and have a great weekend reading.

Note: Deals expire on the last day of each month. Individual books may have additional territory restrictions, and not all deals are available in all territories.