Scholastic is closing its children’s book platform app Storia in favor of pushing its subscription model reading platform Storia School Edition. Essentially the publisher will no longer be selling eBooks, and will instead offer access to its collection of 2000 books for an annual subscription price that costs $2000 (based on school size). There will also be a family plan available next year.
“With the launch of Storia School Edition on September 1, Scholastic will transition to a streaming model for children’s eBook delivery,” the publisher explained on its website. “The switch to streaming means that eBooks you’ve previously purchased may soon no longer be accessible.You may be able to continue using your eBooks by making sure to open them on a bookshelf at least once by October 15.”
Readers that don’t want to deal with whether or not their content will work can call Scholastic to ask for a refund, but must do so by August 1st, 2015.
The new streaming service will feature fiction and nonfiction titles along with tools for adults to track their child’s progress including quizzes and a tool to measure how long they spent reading.