I CAN READ! Early Reader Program Goes Digital

NEW YORK, July 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- HarperCollins Children's Books announced today the launch of the I CAN READ program on Apple's iBookstore and Barnes & Noble's NOOK Bookstore. I CAN READ is the first complete early reader program available digitally, with eighty titles out now and many more to come. I CAN READ has its own boutiques on both the iBookstore (www.itunes.com/ICanRead) and the NOOK Bookstore (www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook-kids-i-can-read/379002805).

The I CAN READ series, widely recognized as the premier line of books for beginning readers, has sold over 140 million copies since the line was launched in 1957.  With more than 400 titles by award-winning and bestselling authors and illustrators such as Arnold Lobel, Rob Scotton, Stan, Jan, and Mike Berenstain, and Jane O'Connor and Robin Price Glasser, I CAN READ books have helped millions of children learn to read.

The I CAN READ ebook editions provide a fun and engaging early reading experience with classic favorites such as BISCUIT, FROG AND TOAD ARE FRIENDS, and THE BERENSTAIN BEARS' CLASS TRIP, as well as newer favorites such as FANCY NANCY AT THE MUSEUM and SPLAT THE CAT SINGS FLAT. The ebook versions feature audio read-along with sound effects that are synched to the word or page, taking children through the process of early reading together to advanced reading alone.

"I CAN READ is perfectly suited for the ebook format, and now families can have access to this valuable and essential early reading tool at home and on the go," said Susan Katz, President and Publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books. "In addition to ebooks, I CAN READ now has an online forum where parents can share reading tips and insights. These are the first major steps in building an exciting digital future for the I CAN READ brand."

For more information about I CAN READ, visit www.icanread.com/ebooks  or www.facebook.com/ICanReadBooks

ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS CHILDREN'S BOOKS

HarperCollins Children's Books is one of the leading publishers of children's books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality, award-winning books for young readers, HarperCollins is home to many timeless treasures -- Charlotte's Web, The Chronicles of Narnia, Goodnight Moon, Where the Sidewalk Ends, the Ramona series, Where the Wild Things Are; and popular new classics -- The Graveyard Book, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Warriors, and Fancy Nancy. Consistently at the forefront of digital innovation, HarperCollins Children's Books delights young readers through engaging storytelling in all formats, including ebooks and apps. HarperCollins Children's Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, one of the leading English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia/New Zealand, and India. You can visit HarperCollins Children's Books at www.harpercollinschildrens.com and HarperCollins Publishers at www.harpercollins.com.

SOURCE HarperCollins Children's Books