What is a book app? Book apps combine the interactive elements of tablet computers with literature and storytelling. Readers experience the story by interacting with the book. Many book apps provide readers with opportunities to listen to narration and sound effects, read the text on the page, view animation, swipe, tap, record and much more. In the most effective book apps, the interactive features enhance the story without distracting readers or disrupting the flow of the narrative.
Nominations to the Book Apps category may be fiction or nonfiction and may appeal to any age from preschool to young adult. Our judges will use iPads to evaluate book apps, so all nominations must be available for iPad and available in the iTunes App Store. Please note, books available in iBooks are not considered Book Apps.
To be eligible for the 2014 CYBILS, the book apps must be published between October 16, 2013 and October 15, 2014. That means the app must be originally released on or after October 16, 2013. We’re looking for the original release date not when updates occurred. If you aren’t sure of the initial release date, you can check appshopper.com.
– Cathy Potter