E-E-book readers for kids. The first "E" stands for educational.

With all the flaws that e-book readers have, they don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. VTech, makers of fine educational electronics, are rolling out the Flip animated e-book reader, so now, your kids can get in on the action too.

I always loved to read as a kid, so on family trips I’d bring a backpack stuffed with Hardy Boys paperbacks. The Flip is aimed at bit lower age group with the animated touch screen and read-along feature, but it does allow parents to bring dozens of books in a fraction of the space.

It features various word games and a dictionary feature to teach kids how to read, as well as downloadable content. The aren’t a huge number of “books” available, most being various Disney or Pixar characters, but the device hasn’t even launched yet.

Units will be available this August at $59.99 a pop, with the e-books running at $19.99.