Refreshing Media Mashup: Using Library Cards for Freebie Fun!

June 4, 2010 It’s hard enough to get kids thinking about ‘summer reading’ when kids are gearing up to break loose from school for fun in the sun, but this cool idea prompting families into libraries to check out freebie ‘staycations’ is brilliant. You know how local attractions sometimes offer ‘free admission days’ that turn into hordes of over-crowded frenzied folks … [Read more...]

“Mouse Inc?” Disney Bullies Small & Mighty CCFC From Home?

March 10, 2010 I bought and watched Academy Award nominee  Food Inc. last night, the riveting documentary on corporate pressures leaning hard on farmers that’s nothing short of mafia-style thuggery for compliance and adherence to industrial machinations. Looks to me like we’ve got a similar scenario with Disney strong-arming the powers that be to silence and oust tiny but … [Read more...]

Author Rosalind Wiseman Brings Youth Editors Into YA KidLit Process

Feb. 8, 2010 I bought a copy of the new YA novel by renowned author Rosalind Wiseman of Queen Bees & Wannabes bestseller fame, called “Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials” ...As soon as it hit my home front, my daughter and her ‘BFF’ clamored to snag it from me, lured in by the cover visual alone. Mean Girls writer and co-star Tina Fey had a snarky testimonial on … [Read more...]

Internet Safety: Media Literacy Tips From Industry Insiders Pt 1

Nov. 24, 2009 As fall weather kicks in and families hunker indoors to ‘more screen time’ than summer time norms, I hear tales of media management missteps that would spin heads faster than a Linda Blair Exorcist antic. (yes I know it’s almost Thanksgiving, but I’m still seguing from Halloween here…) I hear parents say things like “Oh, my kids play games sometimes, but we … [Read more...]

Storybird Kids Online Book Community Hatches Creative Fledglings

 Update 11-19-2014: Storybird Studio (Q&A here) launches for educators today, as a "suite of easy-to-use creative, administrative, and social tools for writing, reading, and storytelling" adding to their already successful platform reaching over 300,000 global schools. Post forthcoming, if I can reach some teachers to interview and chat about the new features! Sounds … [Read more...]