eBooks are becoming more an more common. There are a number of publishers selling eBooks (e.g., http://www.ebooks.com), commercial ventures loaning eBooks (e.g., http://www.netlibrary.com/ (UMD uses them), http://www.questia.com), and companies selling software to read eBooks (e.g., Microsoft Reader, Adobe eBook Reader). However, none of these systems are designed with young children in mind.
This project option is to design an eBook reader interface designed for children aged 3-13 years old. It will be your job to work with children to understand how their needs, abilities, and interests are different than adults - and then design an interface to suit them. HCIL has some scanned images of books that you can use to help prototype your interface.