Playaway

In preparation for a family car trip I grabbed what I thought were a couple of “books on tape” while at the library. But later when we opened the cases this is what we found inside, minus the ear buds and the AAA battery (we supply those):

This was our introduction to Playaways. They are a pre-loaded digital audio player. They offer a lot of advantages. They are so compact and portable, you can walk with them. Wherever you press stop is where the audio will begin when you press start. Yay! And Ryan, who has been shying away from reading ever since his optometrist father claimed he was getting nearsighted, has been devouring books on Playaway. And I have to admit, I love that he's giving his eyes a break. These are expensive, about $35 or more to buy, but I think most libraries are carrying them now. We really recommend them.