CULT UPDATE: My earlier post brought a lot of suggestions, but most people agreed that the iPod Shuffle is fine for audiobooks. And quite a few people reported that their 9-year-olds had no trouble with the interface. Some recommended an iPod Mini now that the price gap has closed, but I don’t think it’s shock-resistant enough to ride in a 9-year-old’s backpack. I like the flash-memory aspect, and the cheapness, of the Shuffle. And, yes, there are other alternatives, but my daughter is fully indoctrinated into the cult, now, so they’re not really alternatives at all . . . .