Amazon Rapids

Zift Advisory

Amazon Rapids is a reading app in which short stories are conveyed through a series of text messages. Children ages 5-12 can enjoy funny, conversational stories told through short text message snippets. This app is free to download and use and can be found in both the App Store and the Google Play Store. This app is safe for kids.

About Amazon Rapids

What is Amazon Rapids?

Amazon Rapids is a reading app in which short stories are conveyed through a series of text message conversations.

Children ages 5-12 can enjoy funny, conversational stories told through short text message snippets. This app is free to download and use and can be found in both the App Store and the Google Play Store.

For example, one story is a conversation between two chickens about crossing a road. You get the idea.

Amazon Rapids is a subscription-based reading app that is unique in the way it presents reading. Amazon account holders can take advantage of a 7-day free trial, after which they will be charged $2.99 each month. Amazon Rapids is appropriate for both independent and emergent readers.

Independent readers navigate Amazon Rapids’ stories through a series of text message-type conversations. When a child stumbles upon a word they’re unfamiliar with, they can tap on the individual word to get the pronunciation, as well as the word definition.

Additionally, words can also be added to a personalized glossary for later reference.

Emergent readers will find Amazon Rapids’ “Read Along” function helpful as they navigate through the beginning stages of reading or come across words that are unfamiliar to them.

The Amazon Rapids read along feature slowly reads each line, with voice actors provide entertaining voices for each character, highlighting each word as it’s pronounced. With Amazon Rapids, children control the pace of reading by tapping and swiping the mobile device’s screen.

To create an account, users simply input their Amazon account information (or create an Amazon account if they don’t already have one), select the 7-day free trial, and then create a simple child profile. Profiles ask for the age of the child and their gender.

Once basic information is input, children can then select a cute cartoon avatar, from a cast of cartoon characters, name their avatar (or simply select the suggested name), check off their reading interests -- Adventures, Animals, Fantasy, Funny, History, Mystery, Science Fiction and Sports -- and select finish.

Parents can either turn the mobile device over to their child to get started, or select “Create a new profile” to set up profiles for each of their children.

Is Amazon Rapids safe for my kids?

Amazon Rapids is a reading app and is safe for kids of all ages. Parents of multiple children will appreciate the option to create multiple accounts so that each child has access to his or her own personalized library of stories.

Dozens of stories are added to the Amazon Rapids app each week, so children will not bore easily or suffer a lack of original story options. Stories featured in the app are written by children’s book authors, and feature accompanying illustrations by experienced children’s illustrators.

Parents with proficient to excelling readers may not find the Amazon Rapids app overly educational, or useful for that matter, as the short stories are told through a series of short text message snippets.

While the form the stories are presented in is unique, it may not be beneficial or helpful for struggling readers either. If anything, the Amazon Rapids app is a clever way to encourage and get children practicing reading, who struggle through more traditional formats.

Parents should be aware that Amazon Rapids encourages even more screen time use, as it’s unconventional format it made purely for the digital generation. The short snippets may not appeal to parents who would prefer their children read traditional paper books.