Digital Readers: The Next Chapter in E‐Book Reading and Response

The basic features of digital reading devices (such as the Amazon Kindle) are described in this article. The author also considers how such devices can advance e‐book readership among primary students by offering new avenues for accessing and interacting with a wide array of texts. Rooted in the transactional theory of reader response and a new literacies perspective, this case study examines the reading and response behaviors of two second‐grade girls as they read a book on a digital reading device. Findings suggest that using digital reading devices with second‐grade students promote new literacies practices and extend connections between readers and text as engagement with and manipulation of text is made possible through electronic tools and features.