What is Epic?

Epic is a digital reading platform with over 40,000 child-friendly books available. These books come from a range of publishers and include popular titles such as Captain Underpants and Goosebumps, as well as books published by Epic itself. Children can also access audiobooks and educational videos covering topics such as cooking and science.

The app is available to download on iOS and Android devices, and Epic is also available in a browser. A subscription is required to use the platform, which covers up to 4 child profiles. This subscription costs $13.99USD per month or $84.99USD per year. A 7-day free trial is available before payment. The platform is free to educators and students during school days.

Epic is designed for children aged 12 and under.

When setting up Epic, parents must set up a profile for their child, entering their age and interests. Upon opening Epic, users go to the ‘For You’ page. This page suggests books and videos based on their age and interests, as well as the content they have previously accessed. Content includes fiction books and comics, but also educational books and videos that can help supplement children’s schoolwork. All the content is curated to be age-appropriate for children under 13. Users can search for content using the author’s name, the title or keywords, and can also explore based off language or interests.

Children will also be able to select a ‘Reading buddy’, beginning with a cartoon dog and unlocking additional buddies as they complete reading challenges. These challenges include spending time reading or finding specific words in books. Completing challenges earns stars, which can be used to unlock new buddies. Children can also earn badges for achievements, such as reading a certain number of books, providing motivation to read.

Epic has parental controls, although due to the content on the platform being designed specifically for children, these controls are not too in-depth. Parents can disable features such as videos and audiobooks and can view their child’s activity to see what they have been reading.

There are no controls for screen time, but these can be set within the in-built settings on your child’s device.

Step-by-step parental control guides

Learn how to set device-level controls.

• Huge library of child-friendly content
• Gamified system encourages reading
• Positive screen time
• Range of ways to enjoy content e.g. audio books, videos, comics
• Educational content supports learning
• Ability to monitor child’s activity

Epic is a platform designed specifically for children, and the content on it has all been curated to be appropriate for this audience. Because of this, Epic is a safe platform that can benefit children’s education and literacy. However, there are still some risks you should consider.

The gamified nature of Epic, with children receiving rewards based on how much they read, can cause children to spend a lot of time on the platform. While this encourages reading, you should be sure that your child does not have excessive screen time. Setting device-level controls on your child’s screen time can help prevent this. Learn more about tackling screen time.

Gamification could also lead to children rushing through books without reading in order to earn rewards, such as completing a certain number of books or finding specific words, rather than fully engaging with the content. Using the parent dashboard, you can see how long your child spent on each book, which can provide insight into whether they skimmed. Try discussing the books they have read with them to encourage them to pay more attention while reading.