Watch LeVar Burton Promote The Reading Rainbow Kindle Fire App

I tend to go on about how much I love my Kindle, because I really do love it. In fact, earlier today, I was talking about how the updated software on my Kindle Touch shows me how many minutes are left in each chapter. It's a feature I'm pretty sure they added when the Paperwhite came out, and then updated on the older Kindles, and it really does bring the eReader a bit closer to an actual book by giving the reader some idea of how far into a chapter they are. That's an added improvement to the Kindle eReaders, but that's slightly off topic, as the above promotional video focuses on Amazon's tablet, the Kindle Fire.

My sister has a Kindle Fire, and my nephews can't keep their hands off it. They love it for the games, but the oldest is getting to reading age, which is partially why the promotional video caught my attention. The other reason is because, as a child of the 80s and as someone who was about my nephew's age when Reading Rainbow was first airing on PBS, I'm especially appreciative of the mentioned Reading Rainbow App for the Kindle Fire, not to mention LeVar Burton's appearance in the promo.

Reading Rainbow debuted on PBS in the early 80s was a program that encouraged kids to read. It was hosted and executive produced by Star Trek: TNG's LeVar Burton. It's worth pointing out the irony in a TV show that would try to promote reading, when you consider that a lot of kids would rather be watching TV than burying their nose in a book, but that was kind of the point. The show grabbed kids' attention where it stood a good chance of finding it - in front of the television. And if my nephews' preferences for where to direct their glazed expressions are any indication, the same would be the case for tablets these days. So an App seems like a fitting place for the evolved Reading Rainbow to land.

The app's been up at Amazon since February and it has a 4-star (out of five) rating from the people who have reviewed it. So, parents who own a Kindle Fire, or who are considering getting one (maybe a new Kindle Fire HD 8.9"?) might consider adding the app for their young ones, as it looks like it emphasizes just how fun reading can be, using a current approach that kids can latch on to, if they can pull their attention away from Temple Run or whatever it is the kids are playing these days. The app features over 300 quality books and video field trips, new books and videos added weekly, "early discovery of books based on your child's age and interest," interactive activities and a reward program. Plus, LeVar Burton appears to be giving it his stamp of approval. And, did we mention it's free?

Amazon seems to be targeting kids (and parents) in their marketing these days. Earlier this month we shared another great promotional video that focuses on kids using Kindles to read. Getting the kids hooked on books early on can really only benefit the eBook retailer. And it's not such a bad thing, is it?

And if you're an iPad user, you're not out of luck. The Reading Rainbow app's been up on iTunes for a while now. Check that out here.