1. Home
  2. 📚 Books
  3. Novel Effect
Novel Effect: Read Aloud Books

Novel Effect: Read Aloud Books

Fun Interactive Stories

9.5K ratings
175 reviews
#34 in top-grossing Book
📚 Education
📚 Books
Free
In-App Purchases

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • September 3, 2016
  • June 22, 2026

Features

Developer

Novel Effect Inc
✨Promote your app ✨
Novel Effect: Read Aloud Books screenshot #1 for iPhone
Novel Effect: Read Aloud Books screenshot #2 for iPhone
Novel Effect: Read Aloud Books screenshot #3 for iPhone
Novel Effect: Read Aloud Books screenshot #4 for iPhone
Novel Effect: Read Aloud Books screenshot #5 for iPhone
Novel Effect: Read Aloud Books screenshot #6 for iPhone
iphone
ipad
🧾$0.99 - $9.99
In-App Purchase↘︎
📉no. 34
Charts↘︎
📌Ready
Reviews summary↘︎
⭐175
Reviews↘︎
📝23+ tags
Tags↘︎
🔄6+ apps
Alternatives↘︎
❓5 answered
FAQ↘︎
📦~ in 1 month
Updates frequency↘︎
🖼️Get Icon
Icons↘︎

About

This app enhances children's storybook reading by adding interactive music, sound effects, and character voices that respond to your voice. It aims to make reading time magical, promote literacy, and spark imagination for kids up to 12 years old.

✓Voice-activated music and sound effects
✓Character voices respond to reading
✓Hundreds of curated children's books
✓Weekly new book additions
✓Supports print books and eBooks
✓Classroom and family versions
Show original description

What users say

Summarized from real user reviews of Novel Effect. Based on 9.5K reviews and a 4.9/5 average, it highlights the 10 positives and 4 negatives reviewers mention most about this Books app.

Positive things

  • ❤️Loved the app
  • 🤩Fun and good family time
  • 🎨Brings books to life
  • 👍Engaging for students
  • 🎉Adds magic to reading
  • 🙌Transforms read alouds
  • 🎶Wonderful sound effects
  • 🤗Makes reading more fun
  • 📚Motivates kids to read
  • 👏Absolutely amazing

Negative things

  • 🔒Many locked books need premium
  • 🔇Sound issues - quiet or out of sync
  • 💰Expensive subscription
  • 🤔Not as many titles as expected
See all reviews

What's New in Novel Effect

3.10.1

June 22, 2026

• Added Clever as a sign-in option for Premium Plan customers. We're always looking to improve. If you have feedback or suggestions send an email to support@noveleffect.com

More

Subscription plans

Annual Student Access

Premium features and services for classrooms

$99.991 Year
14 Days trial
How to cancel Novel Effect subscription ⁉️
4

In-App Purchases

$0.99

Mini Vote Bundle

A 3 vote bundle applied to the selected book

Charts

Top Grossing

📉 34-1

Book

This app dropped -1 position in Book chart.

Last updated on August 9, 2026.

Top Free

📈 107+2

Book

This app rose +2 positions in Book chart.

Last updated on August 9, 2026.

User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

Brilliant

I have used this app for a few years. Seems to just get better and better all the time? Love it!!
JMCE Cavaliers KatyJMCE Cavaliers Katy

Interrupting Chicken

What an adorable story! Novel Effects brings to life, Chicken! I will be giving Novel Effects and Interrupting Chicken, as a gift to my next birthday party invite! What a treasure! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ban n BeefBan n Beef

Highly disappointed

My daughter has been begging for this app for months. Unfortunately, the in app ebook selection is extremely limited (even with the paid version.) Any book worth reading gives you a link to buy the book separately. Additionally, there is no easy way to search by reading level. I was really hoping this would inspire her younger sister to read, but the app really isn’t designed to teach reading. It’s impossibly hard to find easy books. There is no assistance if the child reads something incorrectly. You have to read loudly and clearly to get the sound effects to work. The idea is adorable, but the execution leaves a LOT to be desired.
Show more
MNSMNS26MNSMNS26

Best App

This makes story time so engaging and fun!! I love this app
Tasha91bTasha91b

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Fantastic
Rl5booksRl5books
See 170 more reviews

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

2 issues

App crashes or gets stuck

Bug

Progress meter doesn't match audio

Bug
✨

Requested Features

5 requests

Add more books, especially current titles

Feature

Improve audio sync and volume

Feature

Implement Apple Family Sharing

Feature

Add more free books or samples

Feature

Provide option to turn off background music

Feature

FAQ

What does Novel Effect do?

Novel Effect is an app that enhances the experience of reading children's storybooks aloud. As you read, the app uses voice recognition to play interactive music, sound effects, and character voices that correspond to the story, bringing it to life.

How does the app work with books?

You can use the app with your own physical copy of a print book or an eBook. Once you select the book in the app, you'll be prompted to start reading aloud when you hear a chime, and the app's audio features will play in response to your voice.

Is Novel Effect free to use?

The app offers a free version with access to hundreds of soundscapes for a curated library of children's books. For unlimited access to content and additional features, there are Premium and Premium Classroom subscription options available.

What age group is this app for?

This app is designed to promote literacy, imagination, and fun for children aged 12 and under. It aims to make reading engaging for young readers and is also used by teachers and librarians.

Can I read any book with this app?

The app provides soundscapes for a wide variety of carefully selected family-friendly books. While hundreds of titles are available as in-app eBooks, some titles may require you to read aloud from your own physical copy of the book.