# Blades - The Grassland Biome — One Book - 5 Reading Levels > Interactive digital science book on grasslands biome with adjustable reading levels. (iPhone/iPad app by Mobile Education Store LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blades-the-grassland-biome/id617725733 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Mobile Education Store LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/344378744) - Category: Education, Books - Price: $7.99 - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 11.0 · 485 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2013-09-18 - Data updated: 2026-06-08 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blades-the-grassland-biome/id617725733/reviews.md ## What is Blades? ***** Educators Choice Award - SIIA Innovation Competition ***** Flawlessly Designed - Children's Book Review ***** 2014 Kapi Award - Honorable Mention ***** Amazing! - Common Sense Media ***** Editors Choice Award - Children's Technology Review ***** A Masterpiece - Teachers with Apps ***** Near Perfection - Mobile iEducator Blades is a state of the art science book based on the grasslands biome. Developed in collaboration with the Department of Biology at Doane University and a team of educators, Blades includes both interactive enhancements and universal design accessibility features. Blades is part of our Crack the Books series of interactive non-fiction books. Crack the Books are the first digital books that can be ADJUSTED FOR READING LEVEL without sacrificing content. Our digital books allow for reading level adjustment from 1st grade to 8th grade, making it possible for all kids to access the same content regardless of their reading ability. Designed with the goal of improving reading comprehension, fostering a love of learning, and building reading confidence, Blades gives parents a powerful new teaching tool to help all kids, from children with special needs to those who are academically gifted. Blades covers a variety of topics, including the structure of grass, plant and animal wildlife, adaptations, benefits of grasslands, and grassland threats. Kids will learn about all major grassland ecosystems including tropical savannas, steppes, prairies, pampas, and velds. Blades feature hundreds of supportive audio and visual elements including beautiful high definition photographs, integrated video footage, fun facts, custom animations, custom images, and interactive charts, tables and globes. There are comprehension supports built into the text, with pop up definitions for associated new vocabulary. Kids may further interact with the content by creating bookmarks, highlights and study notes. For kids with special needs, there are additional settings for common accommodations including text to speech, answer dictation, image reinforcement and text zooming. Features: Lexile certified reading levels from 1st to 8th grade Visual supports for comprehension Over 100 high-resolution images Videos and custom animations Interactive globes and maps Built in vocabulary definitions Interactive glossary with record feature 25 leveled chapter tests across 4 chapters Built in test grading Text to speech Integrated voice over features Text zoom Bookmarks for multiple readers Requires iOS11 and above ## Key features - Adjustable reading levels (1st-8th grade) - Interactive multimedia content - Comprehension support and vocabulary definitions - Accessibility features (text-to-speech, zoom) - Interactive globes and maps - Leveled chapter tests with grading ## Recent user reviews (1 of 1) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blades-the-grassland-biome/id617725733/reviews.md ### 5/5 — The future of digital books *2013-10-25* This has to be the most amazing digital book I have ever seen. The adaptable reading levels are of course very helpful for my daughter, but that is only the start. The interactive globes, games and glossary, animated maps, videos, and rich image collections bring the material alive like no book I have ever seen. Truly the first digital book for kids that uses the medium to its full capabilities. ## Frequently asked questions about Blades ### What is Blades? Blades is an interactive digital science book focused on the grasslands biome. It was developed in collaboration with Doane University's Biology Department and educators, offering adjustable reading levels and accessibility features. ### What reading levels does Blades support? Blades offers Lexile certified reading levels from 1st grade to 8th grade. This allows content to be adjusted without sacrificing educational value, catering to a wide range of reading abilities. ### What topics are covered in Blades? The app covers various aspects of the grasslands biome, including the structure of grass, plant and animal wildlife, adaptations, benefits, and threats. It explores major grassland ecosystems like savannas, steppes, prairies, pampas, and velds. ### What kind of multimedia content is included in Blades? Blades features hundreds of audio and visual elements such as high-definition photographs, integrated video footage, custom animations, fun facts, and interactive charts, tables, and globes. ### Does Blades offer features for children with special needs? Yes, Blades includes additional settings for common accommodations such as text-to-speech, answer dictation, image reinforcement, and text zooming to support children with special needs. ### How does Blades help with reading comprehension? The app improves reading comprehension through built-in vocabulary definitions that pop up when new words appear in the text. Users can also create bookmarks, highlights, and study notes to engage with the content. ### Does Blades have ads? No, Blades is an ad-free application. It is a paid app designed for focused learning without interruptions from advertisements. ### What devices is Blades compatible with? Blades currently supports iPads and requires iOS 11 and above. It is designed to take advantage of the larger screen and interactive capabilities of tablet devices. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.0.0 — 2023-09-14 Updates for iOS17 compatibility ### 2.0 — 2020-03-29 iOS13 enhancements ### 1.23 — 2016-08-26 Added support for new book titles. ### 1.22 — 2016-08-23 Updated for compatibility for iOS9 and 10. ### 1.2 — 2014-03-08 Added zoom to interactive globes Added video captioning Added interactivity to image gallery Improved performance of reading page interactives Improved stability of drag and drop test questions Improved stability of search ## More apps by Mobile Education Store LLC - [Sentence Builder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sentence-builder/id344378741) - [SentenceBuilder™ for iPad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sentencebuilder-for-ipad/id364197515) - [Question Builder for iPad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/question-builder-for-ipad/id364823150) - [StoryBuilder for iPad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storybuilder-for-ipad/id377631532) - [Expressive Builder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expressive-builder/id405801365) - [ConversationBuilder™](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/conversationbuilder/id413939366) All apps by Mobile Education Store LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/344378744 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-08.*