Novel Effect is an app that uses voice recognition to follow along with interactive music, sound effects, and character voices (i.e., “soundscape”) as you read aloud from your favorite children’s books. Parents, kids, and teachers call it “magical." Parents Melissa and Matt Hammersley came up with the idea for Novel Effect after Matt watched his friend read aloud with a young child while adding her own silly voices and sound effects. The child laughed and begged to read more books. It was magical and stuck with them.