The Walt Disney Company has launched a digital service designed to transform how children read its storybooks. Its Disney Publishing unit is selling the subscription-based Web site,
DisneyDigitalBooks.com. But it ain't cheap. For $79.95 a year, families can access electronic replicas of hundreds of Disney books, from "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too" to "Hannah Montana:
Crush-tastic!" Aimed at children ages 3 to 12, the site is organized by reading level, and offers a "look and listen" feature.
By pursuing a subscription online model -- rather than
downloads and sales for devices like the Kindle -- The Times says Disney is placing a specific bet about where the children's market is going in the near- to mid-term.
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