"Spelling Ace": Perhaps the First Hand-Held Electronic Book, or e-Book

In 1986 Franklin Computer Corporation, Burlington, New Jersey, introduced Spelling Ace, an electronic spelling corrector. Spelling Ace debuted at around $90 retail. The price was later reduced to $70, attracting the interest of retailers such as K Mart and Sears. The response was sensational, and Franklin sold more than 800,000 Spelling Aces in the first two years. 

Depending how the electronic book is defined, this may be considered a candidate for the first handheld electronic book or e-book (eBook). It was a basic reference work and not a narrative or expository work.