Just a quick note to let you know about Amazon’s Black Friday Sale that starts today.

This is the one week of the year that Amazon heavily discounts certain items in their already heavily discounted stock for a very limited time.

These guys are masters at creating anticipation (as I write Monster Vs Aliens DVD is 77% off with 22% of stock sold out and only 1 hour and 12 minutes left of the sale!!!!).

Note added exclamation marks above (insert droll accent here).

Anyway the reason for drawing all of this crass (but highly effective) sales talk to your attention is that there are a number of cool interactive learning toys included in the sale, including Leapfrog toys.

Things may change by the time you read this because, as I mentioned above, most deals are on sale for a very limited time and it pays to check back daily.

Hopefully throughout the week Amazon will see fit to add more learning toys to the sale deals (if you see some let us know!).

You can find the direct link to the Black Friday Deals on Toys section here (I got lost very quickly!)

More Interactive Learning Toy news coming soon, I promise.

Cheers
Inger

When Leapfrog introduced the Tag Reading system last year it was an instant hit with kids, parents and critics, winning a number of awards for Toy Of The Year. Yet one of the main complaints parents particularly had with the system was the storage capacity limitations.

Unlike the Leappad, Leapfrog’s previous reading system which used a book/cartridge system, the Tag reader stores the audio component of the interactive book inside the physical reader.

That is when a Leapfrog Tag book is purchased, the parent must login to Leapfrog online and download a file to the reader via USB. Once the file is downloaded the reader will then interact with that particular book.

The main issue has been that there is only a limited amount of memory in the pen reader and so only 5 books can be used at any one time.

If the child has more than 5 books then one must be removed from the system and replaced with another one, rendering the replaced title basically useless until another title is removed again.

This can pose a problem particularly if the system is being used by more than one child at different age and interest levels.  So it is with great relief that Leapfrog has listened to these criticisms and introduced a Tag reader with double the initial storage capacity.

The 32 Mb version of the Tag reader is now available in the standard pink and green variations and the new system stores up to 10 books at a time. It also comes with The Cat In The Hat as a standard book instead of the previous system which came with a highly enjoyable but rather obscure title Ozzie and Mack.

Another cool factor for those new to the system is that the price has remained the same for the updated version $49.99 US.

While it would have been wonderful to see an external storage system such as an SD card slot so parents could manage their own books without having to repeatedly download the same files, this update is a viable option for those who find the 5 book storage system is not enough.

The newly improved Tag reader is an even better way to help kids become interested in reading, develop their vocabulary  and, like the Leap pad before it, will remain a popular interactive learning toy for many years.

The pink and green 32Mb Leap Frog Tag Reading Systems are now available at Amazon at reduced prices. Or you can check out the latest live auctions below on ebay.

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NEW Leapfrog Tag Reading System Dr.Seuss The Cat in Hat

US $13.00

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Since the release of the Tag reading system in mid 2009, there has been a slow trickle of Leapfrog Tag Books onto the market. While it is easy to see the benefits of the system for younger children who are at a pre-reader level, the Tag system is also a great resource for older emerging readers, particularly boys who may be intimidated by pages with lots of words and so reluctant to read.

As a parent of one such "reluctant reader" I can safely say my son is drawn to visual and/or multimedia books. Comics, graphic novels and books like Geronimo Stilton that are heavy on dynamic images and graphics have always been his first port of call when cruising for something to read (or simply look through) at night.

Needless to say the Tag reader is attractive to him and but as he is nine there have not been a whole lot of titles that hold his interest up until now. But Leapfrog has released some Tag Books that are winners in two areas, they appeal to older readers and... they are comics.

Here are a few Tag books in comic form that I would recommend for an "older" reader who is reluctant to pick up a regular book.

Ben 10 Alien Force: Wanted Kevin Levin
Ever since Kevin used his powers to move a meteorite, he's been acting strangely. When he is captured by the alien bounty hunter Seven Seven, Ben and Gwen fear he might have reverted to his evil ways. It's up to them to rescue Kevin and get to the bottom of this mystery before it's too late.

Ben 10 is very popular with kids of varying ages. Because it is a little edgy and a little scary it is still a hit with older kids up to about the age of 12. The reader is full of colour and dynamic images. Like normal comics, the story is developed through word balloons and the sequential nature of the images.

Various sound effects are taken straight from the TV series which makes it highly appealing for fans of the franchise.

It teaches:

• matching and memory skills
• literary analysis
• critical thinking
• logic and reasoning skills

The Clone Wars Rescue In The Sky
General Grievous has captured R2-D2. Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker is ordered to destroy the evil general's battleship with R2-D2 still aboard. Can Anakin rescue his droid in time?

Taken directly from an episode of the Star Wars Clone Wars television series this book is presented in comic book form with image panels and speech balloons. It also features sound effects taken from the series soundtrack.

There is lots of action and it is very dynamic. Kids who are already familiar with the series or with the characters from the films will enjoy the interaction aspects of the book immensely.

It teaches:

• character analysis
• drawing conclusions
• making predictions
• memory skills

You could also try the Tag Spider-man book but I  have no experience with that title yet.
Check these sites if  you are after regular comics for reluctant readers or want to know more about the Geronimo Stilton books.