A Little Birdie Told Me

Storybird is a online tool for collaborative storytelling.  It is designed for personal use or in the classroom. 
At the home page there are initially three choices:   Create, Read, Tour. 

If the Read tab is chosen the user can read Featured Storybirds, New & noted, The Best of Storybird Challenges, Featured author or Recent Storybirds.  Once a Storybird is read one can read it again, send it to a friend, create a Storybird or read more Storybirds. 

A four plus minute video that gives an overview of Storybird is embedded in the Tour.

Several choices are presented when the Create tab is selected; a Get inspired by art, b Storybird Challenges:  Summer Break, and  b Explore themes.  By following one of those links a working screen appears where the book is made. 

Prior to making a Storybird I registered for a Teacher/Class account by clicking on Teachers and Librarians on the home page.  To create an account pick a username, enter in your email address and password.  (Account types listed are Regular, Teacher/Class, Kid (under 13) )  Advantages of a Class Account as stated at the site are:  no student emails required, safe, secure, and private, unlimited classes, assignments, beautiful class libraries and foreign languages.  Tutorials are offered on adding students and making assignments. 

To begin I choose a theme instead of a particular artist or challenge.  The screen had art on both the left and the right which could be dragged and dropped to the cover or pages.  Text could be added to the left or the right of the graphic.  Pages can be added or removed.  Cover colors can be changed. As the work progresses the Save button can be used.  When the user believes they are done click on the Menu button.  A drop-down menu says: Invite someone (to collaborate), Publish this Storybird and Save and close. 

When saved the Storybird can be sent via email, embedded or Storybird badges can be embedded using HTML code.  The story can continue to be edited as can the details.

One way to publish your Storybird is to click Save and close.  At that time you can Jump in! go back to work on the Storybird or pick Details.  Options under that choice are writing a summary of your Storybird, tags associated with the theme, school or not for school, a personal story or a public story and an age range.

Using Storybird is simple and engaging. The artwork is varied as are the themes thereby offering users much to stimulate their imaginations and promote writing even for those reluctant to do so. 

You Make My Life Whole on Storybird

Be True To Thyself

Currently on a creative sabbatical, Ethan Long is the author and illustrator of numerous children's books.  Using fabric prints courtesy of Alexander Henry Fabrics, Inc. and digital collage to illustrate his book, Chamelia, Long brings to light for the younger crowd the importance of being a team player without sacrificing your individuality.

Most children know that to survive some chameleons have the ability to change their color; to blend with their surroundings.  They also change their color as a form of social communication. 

But Chamelia does not like to conform to the status quo.  This darling of the lizard world has a need to exceed especially when it comes to making a fashion statement.

When others zig...Chamelia zags.  When others twist, Chamelia shouts.  When others rock, Chamelia rolls...but in her own special way. 

But daring to be different does have its challenges: when your dress train gets caught in the school bus door, or your Cleopatra costume doesn't fit as normal attire for Goldilocks or your sequined heels are no match for a soccer ball.

Saddened Chamelia discovers there is a huge difference between standing out and being left out.  Parents to the rescue!

Readers will see that Chamelia's dress is truly the outer expression of an iridescent, joyous, effervescent soul. 

Ethan Long delivers the whole package in Chamelia; eye-catching jacket, colorful cover, jazzy endpapers and graphics that convey expressive mood of all the characters.  Chamelia decked out to the max on her scooter is a total hoot!

Twenty-four Hours in Twitterville #8

Newest tweets---

Via School Library Journal:

Check out the new trailers for upcoming publications for all ages.  I know a group of students that are more than ready for the next installment in the Amulet series.

There is a very comprehensive list of dystopian books which are fast becoming favorites of readers.  I would add to that list Divergent.  And I, like another reader, am curious as to why Revolution was on the list.   It is an excellent book for high school students but not really dystopian.  Along with this list is an excellent article by author, Phillip Reeve on the allure of this genre.

From Read Roger, the editor of The Horn Book Magazine, there is a link to a wonderful web site by the author/illustrator, Herve Tullet,  of the newer spring title, Press Here.

Library Journal tweeted about a project that puts Free Little Libraries all over.  They are small boxes of various shapes that house a few books, much like birdhouses.  Books are placed inside for the taking.  Hopefully, the idea of take-one-bring-one-back will catch on.

Are you wanting to take a trip down memory lane?  Check out the Old Time Radio Network.  I can't wait to listen to some of my old favorites.  Thanks to Richard Byrne of Free Technology for Teachers for this link.

Mo Willems is profiled in an article, Seriously funny:  Children's author/illustrator Mo Willems, written by Margot Cleary.  It is one of the best I have read to date about this gifted artist.

Get ready fans, Mo Willems has a new book in the Elephant and Piggie series coming out in October.  The cover is delightful.  Plus there are new Pigeon games and puzzles.

YALSA announced its 2011 Teen Read Week Photo Contest for ages 13-18.  This is a fantastic opportunity to combine creative skills with love of reading.  Entrants are asked to design a visual version of their favorite book title.  Follow the link for rules.  Now if only I were a whole lot younger again.

Scholastic has revealed the cover of The Hugo Companion by Brian Selznick which will be released to coincide with the upcoming movie.  In this book Selznick provides information about turning The Invention of Hugo Cabret into a movie.

Enjoy a great article, views of Tomie dePaola's home and celebrate his winning the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award.

A Matter of Life and Death; Light and Black

Much as he did in his Pendragon series, D. J. MacHale takes readers into worlds that are so unique, so believable, so detailed that they must be real; they can't really be fiction can they?  His Morpheus Road trilogy that began with The Light (April 20, 2010), which I featured in the Middle School Book of the Week, follows sixteen-year-old Marshall Seaver into what he figures must be madness.  Two years earlier his photographer mother was killed on assignment by an earthquake, his best friend Cooper Foley is missing, a graphic character of his own creation, The Gravedigger, has come to life trying to kill him, people are turning up dead and Marshall has no doubt that ghosts are real.  He is being haunted by a powerful and deadly being.

Life in Stony Brook, Connecticut has crossed the line of normal into the creepy, frightening world of the supernatural.   With the help of Coop's sister, Sydney, Marsh gathers clues desperate for answers; until what can only be described as a downright nail-biting, horrifying ending leaves him barely alive with more questions than answers.

Check out these two videos about The Light, one a trailer and the other D. J. MacHale's discussion of the Morpheus Road books.

In book two, The Black (April 19, 2011), MacHale changes the point of view to Cooper.  Coop has landed in Trouble Town, big time, as a traveler on the Morpheus Road, a bridge between the living and the dead.  We see Marsh's tension filled trials from his turbulent week from the other side.  People that he never thought he would see again, people from the near and distant past, and places and images from each person's vision create a landscape that Cooper can hardly comprehend.

I shook my head and turned to the guy who had just come in.  He walked deliberately, like an old man with sore joints.  "I figured on finding you here," he said.  "Either here or that place with the french fries.  Never cared for 'em myself.  Too greasy."  My head was spinning.  The guy knew me.  "This is much better," he said.  "If I had a nickel for every ice cream I bought you here, I could buy the place out myself."  The guy sat down on the stool next to me and I got my first good look at him.  It was the best possible person I could have hoped to see...and the worst.  He was my favorite person in the world.  The old lady called him Gene.  That was short for Eugene.  Eugene Foley.  My grandfather.  "Close your mouth, Cooper.  You look like a trout."  Seeing my gramps made me want to throw my arms around him and hug him like I was six again.  Only one thing stopped me.  My grandfather was dead.

There is a war looming on the horizon in a world outside of our reality; a war started by a force from the time of Alexander The Great, that threatens to rip apart the tenuous threads that hold humanity together.  Damon, a general from ancient times with an appetite for murder and his enemies, literally, is mounting his forces seeking to destroy the crucibles and gain power of the poleax.  Damon needs Cooper.  Cooper needs to protect Marsh from Damon.  Marsh and Cooper must find a way to unite or existence as we know it will be crushed.

With communication between their two worlds shaky at best Marshall, wondering how he landed  in the Mother of all nightmares, and Cooper, racing against time seeking to understand his new existence plagued by guilt, redemption and Watchers, journey in these tension-filled thriller adventures that will have readers looking over their shoulders.  MacHale's handle on character development and their dialogue couldn't be better executed.  Eerie, descriptive scenes right out of the Twilight Zone or an Alfred Hitchcock movie raise the bar on a reader's breaking point; making them torn between putting the book down for a breather or gripping it even tighter, continuing desirous of a conclusion. 

The final chapter in this trio is highly anticipated.  Follow the link to D. J. MacHale's web site above.  He has much to offer readers in addition to his books; games, videos and downloads.  Enjoy!

Surf's Up!

Sun, sand, sea, surf, shells, seaweed and Saturday surround readers of Jennifer Sattler's new title, Pig Kahuna. This play on the term Big Kahuna, king of surfers, follows seaside treasure seekers, Fergus and his diaper-clad younger brother on a single, sunny day.

The two never venture into the water but wait along the shore as the rolling waves deposit wealth for their taking. To their wonder a true find appears---a surfboard. Waiting, watching no one shows. It tops all their riches of the afternoon on a little red wagon as they stroll along the beach.

The brothers discover multiple uses for the surfboard other than actually putting it in the water. As Fergus says of the ocean: There was a lurking, murky ickiness. It's becomes their friend. They name it Dave.

When Fergus goes to bring the duo a treat, chunky chocolate Chattanooga chew-chew chip ice cream, Dink thinks that Dave is loosing his luster and sets him free back into the water. Walking back, cones in hand, Fergus is shocked to find Dave heading out to sea. With a shout and no thought of himself he swims out to rescue his newest buddy.

Before he knows what's happening Fergus is sailing the crests. Soon the two are discovering more than they thought possible.

Art created by Sattler using acrylics and colored pencils gives readers wide-eyed, perky eared, expressive piggies that never fail to bring a smile. Alternating between single and double page spreads, framing with white space or bleeding off the page, Sattler perfectly aligns each with the flow of her story. Add in the choice of color bringing this charming tale from the sandy shore straight into our hearts.

So crank up this video and turn the pages of Pig Kahuna for a jubilant ride.

Virtual Post-It Boards---So Simple

Without a doubt Corkboard. me is a simple online post-it board.  It does allow text and pictures, it's free, there is no registration and a unique URL is created for each board so the potential for collaboration is present.  How simple is that?!

After reading about an even simpler application I decided to try Scrumblr.  It is amazingly simple to use.  Go to the web site.  Name your board and click Go. 

On the next screen that appears a mouse over reveals a plus and minus sign on the right side.  By clicking the plus sign the word New in blue appears.  Each time you click the plus sign another word New appears along with a line. These lines are creating columns for your sticky notes.  If you get too many columns they can be removed by clicking on the minus sign.  To label the column headings double click on the word New.

To add notes, in a variety of colors, click on the plus sign in the lower left hand corner.  Notes can be dragged to any location.  By double clicking on the note text can be added and edited.  Unwanted notes can be deleted.  Next to the add note icon is a magnifying glass.  Click on that to zoom in and out on the board.
In the lower right hand corner are a series of colored dots which can be used to prioritize or further label your notes.

Free to use without any registration is a major plus in using this type of application with younger students.  Only people that have the unique URL can share the board.  Adding to the board is anonymous which is inviting for those students that might be hesitant to speak their views. 

Please note that I found it to work better using Mozilla Firefox and Goggle Chrome as opposed to Internet Explorer 8.

Hear Them Roar...GRR #2

Colleen Houck follows the phenomenal success of series opener, Tiger's Curse, with a spellbinding sequel, Tiger's Quest, that strengthens the story at every turn of page. 

Kelsey Hayes has returned to life in Oregon having spent several months in India immersed in the traditions and mythic stories of a culture nearly as old as time, prophecy fulfillment, surreal adventure and finding a love whose thread can not be broken.  Successful in the initial stages of her role as the one chosen to release the two 300-year-old Indian princes from their curse, living as a tigers, she will be attending college until the prophecy can be further deciphered by Mr. Anik Kadam.  While trying to assume the life of a normal college freshman, studying classes enhancing her knowledge of the quest and dating other men, she is living a half life without her beloved.  Leaving Ren in India against his wishes was the hardest thing she ever had to do but she felt it was best for him.   Personally, as a reader, it defied belief that she could do this.

On Christmas Day when she answers the door at her adopted parents' home, there is Ren standing in the doorway.  From that point on the romance escalates with steamy, though chaste, scenes that truly define a steadfast and enduring love. 

Lokesh, a powerful man from the princes' past, is in pursuit of Kelsey seeking her death.  While on a date with one of her suitors she saved an elderly woman from being struck by a car.  It came to the attention of the media which spells trouble for the anonymity that Kelsey currently has.  Sending for Kishan Ren hopes to protect her from harm. 

The trio begins training in earnest, expanding on the wushu classes,  for a possible attack and preparing for a quick exit from the states back to India.  But...

The other men had caught up to us.  What happened next was no fight in a dojo. This was a battle.  War. Ren and Kishan looked like two uber-soldiers.  Their faces showed no emotion.  They moved sharply, efficiently.  They wasted no energy.  They moved in harmony like a pair of lethal dancers.  Ren with the Sai knives and Kishan with the staff.  Between them, they took down at least a dozen men, but dozens more shot out from the trees. 

Even changing from men to tigers and back does not deter the assault.  In the heat of battle to protect Ren, Kelsey discovers she has possession of a power heretofore unknown.  Kishan at Ren's insistence spirits Kelsey away as darts fill the air.  Her white tiger, her warrior angel, Ren, is captured by Lokesh. 

She and Kishan, the black tiger, flee to India following the next course revealed by the prophecy's translation.  Time is of the essence in accomplishing their tasks if they are to save Ren's life.

Now that a new adventure loomed before me, I wanted Ren with me so desperately my insides felt achingly hollow.  The only thing that kept me going was knowing I was doing this for him.  I wouldn't even allow myself to think he might not live through the next few weeks.  He had to.  Life without him would be meaningless.

Visiting the goddess Durga again, a Grandmother weaving the fabric of life, and the Ocean Teacher, traveling to Tibet, walking through the spirit gate into the land known as Shangri-La, passing the tests of the four houses within a sacred tree, gigantic iron birds, the Silvanae tree nymphs, extreme cold, death around every corner---these Kelsey and Kishan face together their friendship growing stronger daily.  Kelsey's love for Ren, her determination to save him never falters, but Kishan now does not hide his love for her.  History does repeat; the two brothers love the same woman.

Colleen Houck further cements her skills as a master storyteller; one dedicated to the geography, culture and myths within which this tale is set.  Descriptions of action and task completion in these magical worlds populated with beings from legend and imagination are luminous and elaborate.  Dialogue heartfelt and true, between the characters that readers have come to know, increases tension that leaves one breathless.

It would not be right to tell you if Kishan and Kelsey reach their goals nor whether they are able to save Ren but I will tell you to get a box of Kleenex handy; no make that two.  And you might want to set a block of time aside.  For once you start Tiger's Quest not much else will matter.

How are we ever to wait until November 2011 to continue in the fulfillment of the the prophecy set forth in The Tiger Series?