Novel Effect is an award-winning app designed to enhance the experience of reading aloud from children's storybooks by responding with interactive music, sound effects, and character voices at just the right moments. This innovative service aims to bring stories to life, fostering literacy, imagination, and enjoyment for children aged 12 and under. Both parents and teachers have praised Novel Effect for transforming reading time into a magical experience.
Users can access three versions of the Novel Effect service through the app. New books are added on a weekly basis to keep the content fresh and engaging. The free version provides hundreds of soundscapes for a curated library of children's books suitable for teachers, librarians, kids, and families, offering limited access to these enrichments. For those seeking more extensive access, the Premium version caters to families and individual educators, granting unlimited access to kid-friendly content, including soundscapes for popular children's books, in-app eBooks, non-fiction, early reader chapter books, and exclusive members-only content. Educators can opt for the Premium Classroom version, which provides a safe and secure environment for one teacher and up to 30 students, with all Premium features and content included. Teachers report that using Novel Effect makes reading more engaging and helps create motivated, confident readers.
The app works by following along as you read out loud, playing interactive elements in response to your voice. It supports a wide variety of high-quality soundscapes for family-friendly books, updated regularly with new titles. Some titles are available as in-app eBooks, while others require you to read from your own print or eBook copy. To use the app, simply find the book you wish to read, tap the cover, choose whether you'll be reading from a print or an eBook, start reading when you hear the chime, and then listen as the music and sounds change with the story.
Novel Effect has received positive coverage from media outlets such as Shark Tank, The TODAY Show, Forbes, Variety, Lifehacker, and more. Users and experts alike have commended the app for its ability to make reading more interactive and enjoyable, even encouraging reluctant readers to engage with books.
Regarding safety and privacy, Novel Effect prioritizes the protection of children and their grown-ups. Voice recognition is processed on-device, and no voice data is saved without explicit consent. More information can be found on their official website.
Key features of the app include a vast library of books that grows weekly, inclusion of Spanish-language books, the ability to read online or offline, a reading log to track the books read with the app, and compatibility with almost any device for accessing Novel Effect's digital library and soundscapes.