Book Log (eBook, Educational website, App, etc.)

 

Tarshis, Lauren. (2021). I survived: The Galveston Hurricane, 1900. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Genre: Children’s Series, Historical Fiction

Summary: This book is another installment of the I Survived series. This story is about a hurricane that hit Galveston Island in 1900. Because of the lack of technology and ability to spread word fast, the inhabitants of the island are blind-sided but what was supposed to be just a big rainstorm. Charlie, the main character, was one of the first in the town, after Mr. Eddie, an old man who had survived the last major hurricane to come through the island, to have suspicions that this storm wasn’t going to be what the paper predicted. What happens, though, is even more “impossible” than young Charlie could even imagine.  

Comments: After chapter nine, My son and I couldn’t put this down. The end of each chapter from then on was a cliffhanger leaving us wanting more. We just had to know what was going to happen next. Was everyone going to be safe? How high would the water actually get? What’s more is that my son’s desire to keep reading was infectious. I think this is because he could relate so much to the main character, Charlie. Charlie is about his age, has a younger sister, and loves magic, too. Vardell (2014) says that, “even though the story is set in the past…the reader should be able to identify with the story’s protagonist” (p. 208). This story did just that for a reader like my son.

Idea for Programming: Prezi tutorial for 2nd-4th graders. Kids can learn how to make a Prezi while also practicing some research skills. They can find an event in history like the authors of the I Survived series and make their own little story. This would be a multi-week project in a library classroom or as a program in the library.

Osborne, M. P. (1998). Magic tree house #14: Day of the dragon king. 

New York: Random House Inc.

Genre: Children’s Series, Contemporary Fiction

Summary: This book is book #14 in the Magic Tree House series. The series follows a brother and sister duo, Jack and Annie, as they travel (by means of a magic tree house) to lands and times far away to help Morgan le Fay, a librarian from the time of King Arthur. In this particular book, Jack and Annie visit China during the time of the Dragon King, the first Chinese emperor. Along the way, Jack and Annie get to see the infamous tomb of 7,000 clay soldiers built underground near his tomb to protect him when he died. 

Comments: The Magic Tree House series is wildly popular among children. Vardell (2014) states that, “series books meet an important need for the developing reader. They may be somewhat predictable, but they provide a structure and instant context that help build reading fluency” (p.163). This is certainly the case for this series. Each book has a prologue that briefly retells the start of Jack and Annie’s magical journey so that any reader can pick up any book at any time and know what is going on. 

Idea for Programming: This idea is based on the reason my family and I heard about the Magic Tree House series. My kids’ school’s kindergarten curriculum is based on Tools of the Mind. The central texts for the literacy portion is this series. My son came home from kindergarten two years ago in love with it and now my daughter is experiencing this too. The curriculum uses dramatic play as a way to re-enact the story. For a library program, I think this would be very fun to do as a once a week after school program. This could be done at the local library or held at a school library. The librarian would read a chapter or two, the kids would talk about it (favorite parts, most important plot points, etc) and then they could get into character to put on the performance. One week could be puppets, another week could be creating avatars, another week could be legos, another week could be dress up…the list goes on. 

Kadar, A. (1999). BrainPop. [Website] Retrieved from: http://www.brainpop.com/.

Genre: Children’s Educational Website

Summary: BrainPop is targeted towards school aged children, Kindergarten through Middle School. It covers topics such as STEM, Social Studies, English, Health, and Arts & Music. It is a resource that both parents and educators can acquire but it does come with a decent monthly charge (we pay $50/month for our family account).

Comments: We love this site for so many reasons. For starters, the learning is done through short videos (never longer than 10 minutes) and explained through likeable characters, Tim and Moby. After watching the video, kids can take a quiz, draw about it or play a game to assess their knowledge or just have fun interacting with it. We like to use these when we are a little too tired to play but don’t want them zoning out to a show as we wind down for the evening.

Idea for Programming: Unfortunately, due to licensing, I am unsure that this site could be used for a program. However, as part of a weekly, bimonthly, or monthly spotlight whether through a bulletin board in the library with a QR code to link to the site or through a video created and shared on YouTube, a librarian could showcase a new game or app for kids and walk parents through setting it up and the different features. There could be a permanent spot for the Game and App recommendations on the library website which would make the review easy to access and revisit. 

Persson, M. (2011). Minecraft. [Video Game]. Mojang Studios.

Genre: Children’s video game

Summary: Minecraft is all about creating and surviving though there are no real “goals” or levels in the game. The limits are endless and the “worlds” can go on forever. Built on Java using pixelated 3D images, this game is interactive and has many different “modes.” The most popular, however, are “survival mode” and “creative mode.”

Comments: My kids and all of their friends love this game. Though there is some violence (when they have to kill a zombie) it is, largely, peaceful. However, even where there is violence, the graphics are so heavily pixelated (this is part of the design) it feels more creative than gory. What I like about this game is how interactive it is both on the individual and social levels. My kids can individually be creative in their own worlds and they can also “meet” each other in their worlds to play together. The social interaction for comparing buildings and techniques for creating is also a wonderful aspect of this game. Common Sense Media gave this game 4 out of 5 stars based on child development best practices. It also received a “stands out for diverse representations” award on the site.

Idea for Programming: Set up a large conference room with different devices that the game is compatible with (iPads, Computers, and Xbox) and let kids have fun exploring and learning together. This could be extended to have an “expert” there to give tips and tricks and help kids navigate the different devices, worlds, and modes. Essentially it could be a club/program and would be great for colder months when parents are looking to get out of the house.

Boyton, S. (2017). But Not the Hippopotamus. [Ebook]. Loud Crow Interactive.

Genre: Ebook/App

Summary: Sandra Boyton’s beloved classic redone with interactive animations and music. This story is about a hippopotamus who is left out of all the activities the other animals are doing. Options to have the book read to you by a narrator or to read the book yourself.

Comments: This ebook/app is $2.99/book or $11.99/bundle (4 books). Guernsey and Levine (2016) in an article for Young Children summarized work done by Korat (2014) as, “But she stresses that [the eBook] had to be designed to foster…learning; the quality of the interactions was dependent on the quality of the book’s design.” This ebook does just that for the caregiver/child duo reading it. The words are highlighted as the narrator goes along and if a child wants to hear a word again, all they have to do is simply tap on it. There is an interactive element that has the kids push a “but” button which then has the hippopotamus revealed with the repetitive text “but not the hippopotamus.” Because this book is meant for 2-5 year olds, I think the interactions and animations are appropriate and help foster real learning of literacy skills with a child.

Ideas for Programming: I can’t imagine how this would fit into a program unless it was used as an example and kids were then taught how to use an online program like My Storybook to create their own. This ebook/app could also be downloaded on tablets and offered in the kids section next to comfy seats for caregivers and children to snuggle up and engage with together.

Smeldit, H.W. and Chapman, J. (2012). Farts in the wild: A spotter’s guide. 

New York: Chronicle Books.

Genre: Children’s Book

Summary: Yup, this is a book that hilariously (yup, I said that) summarizes the smelliest and loudest farts found in the animal kingdom from goldfish to elephants to lions to snakes. Using buttons that correlate to a particular animal, a child pushes the button to hear the fart then reads about what the fart smells like, what it does to anything nearby and more (extremely gross) details.

Comments: Interactive as the child has to push the button to make the fart “come to life.” It also uses lots of descriptors and images to really get a kid engaged with the content (albeit, gross!)

Idea for Program: This may sound crazy but how about a program where kids get to engage with April fools jokes, fart jokes, and the like? After reading a few fart books like the one highlighted above, the kids could then move on to different stations to play with different toys that are “gross.” I’m thinking whoopee cushions, snake in a can, disappearing ink, hand buzzers, booger slime, etc. There is a certain age group of kids where it is so developmentally appropriate for them to laugh at farts and poop and pee. Let’s let them be kids and interact in a safe place. A program like this would be great after a week of standardized tests when kids need a brain break and some fun.