But I maintain books have far more physical qualities than any tablet or e-reader. Variety, for starters. Tabs and e-readers all come in some shade of black or gray, they all present a very similar glass texture to the touch, and they only have that new gadget smell for two days. On the other hand, very few books are the same. Moving from a magazine to a hardcover to a paperback may be all the same for you and me, but for a 6 year old is an extremely important feast of sensations that informs her developing mind about the myriad materials and textures and smells the world is made of.
Why rob a child of that variety?