Interactive Storybook Apps for iPad

I thought that some of you might be interested in this!  I know I was!

 

SCHOLASTIC MEDIA DEBUTS TOUCH & TILT™ LINE OF

INTERACTIVE STORYBOOK APPS FOR iPAD™

I Love You Through And Through, The Magic School Bus: Oceans and Go, Clifford, Go! Offer Enhanced Reading Experiences For Kids

NEW YORK – January 3, 2011 - Scholastic Media, a division of Scholastic Inc., the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced the introduction of its “Touch & Tilt” line of iPad book applications on the iTunes App Store. The three apps, I LOVE YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH, THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS: OCEANS and GO, CLIFFORD, GO!, introduce age appropriate, re-playable reading experiences and leverage the unique technology of the iPad to bring the books to life. These interactive storybooks allow the youngest of children to read and play independently on the iPad – seamlessly combining how they naturally want to interact with the story and characters with the unique capabilities of the platform to provide hours of reading and play.


“Interactive media is all about kids owning the experience, and Scholastic is delighted to introduce interactive reading experiences that truly put children in the driver’s seat,” said Deborah Forte, President of Scholastic Media and Executive Vice President of Scholastic Inc. “With the design of engaging, humorous enhanced interactions that kids will want to do over and over again, Scholastic is confident these apps will foster a love of reading for generations to come.”



The new Scholastic “Touch & Tilt” Apps for iPad include:


I LOVE YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH

* Based on the Scholastic book by Bernadette Rosetti-Shustak and illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church (More than 1.8 million copies in print)
* Age: 2 and up / $4.99 U.S. Only
* Perfect for preschoolers, this app focuses on “emotional play” – encouraging children to understand the moods, sentiments and emotions that bring characters to life
* Simple “Touch & Tilt” animated interactions make it easy for the youngest of children to engage with the story

• Touch the words to hear the story and then touch again to pause; touch characters or objects to watch a fun animation and see them move

• Tilt the iPad to watch the story characters lean and move, bringing them to life

* Lively narration, original music and sound effects make the story come alive
* Individual words highlight as they are read aloud, to aid reading skills
* Options allow parents to turn off music and narration so the child can read the story on his/her own, or have the story read to them—just like a physical book



THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS: OCEANS
* Based on the Scholastic book “The Magic School Bus: On The Ocean Floor” by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen (More than 58 million books in print of The Magic School Bus series)
* Age 4 and up / $7.99 U.S. only for full app; Lite Version also available
* The app takes readers on a wild ride with Ms. Frizzle's class – a field trip to the bottom of the ocean

• The app embodies the “open exploration” essence of The Magic School Bus brand, which encourages kids to “take chances, make mistakes…and get messy!”

• The app takes advanced facts from the book and brings them to life so kids can manipulate variables, and see cause-and-effect in action

* “Touch & Tilt” animated interactions make it easy for children to engage with the story

• Touch the words to hear the story and then touch again to pause and touch speech bubbles to hear what characters are saying

• Within seven interactive science explorations, touch characters, animals or objects for fun animations and to see science concepts come to life

• Tilt to find underwater bubbles that grant access to 26 real photos and 11 videos of underwater animals and plant life

* Narration & Music

• Features over 20 individual voices, as well as original music and sound effects

* Game

• Features one highly re-playable game with more than 20 animals; children play to earn points for more science facts, and to travel to other areas of the ocean

* Includes hundreds of facts about underwater life

* Individual words are highlighted as they are read aloud, to aid reading skills. Options allow independent readers to turn off music and narration, access mini-games and go to specific pages in the story.


GO, CLIFFORD, GO!

* Based on the Scholastic book series by Norman Bridwell (More than 126 million books in print from the Clifford series)
* Age 2 and up / $4.99 U.S. only
* The app combines the beloved Big Red Dog with a topic that all kids enjoy: vehicles and motion. Users play along with Clifford as he encounters trucks, trains, planes, and motorcycles that go whizzing by.
* “Touch & Tilt” animated interactions make it easy for children to engage with the story

• Touch the pictures and words to hear the story and see the characters move

• Tilt the iPad to make the trees sway, waves roll and characters animate

* Re-playable Game

• After reading the story, kids can play an action game in which they drive the vehicles featured in the story and collect bones for Clifford

* Lively narration, music and sound effects make the story come to life
* Individual words are highlighted as they are read aloud, to aid reading skills. Options allow parents to turn off music and narration so that the child can read the story on his/her own or have the story read to them by a parent—just like a physical book.

All of Scholastic Media’s book apps (and all of its interactive products) are developed in-house, ensuring fidelity to the tone, look, and feel of beloved Scholastic brands while guaranteeing that parents can trust the apps to be both educational and entertaining. The company’s penchant for developing quality entertainment for children and families on new platforms follows the 2009 release of six Scholastic-branded game apps for iPhone and iPod touch based on the hit children’s properties Clifford The Big Red Dog®, I SPY™, The 39 Clues™, WordGirl® and Goosebumps™. I SPY™ and Clifford The Big Red Dog® apps are also available for iPad.

For more information on Scholastic apps please visit: www.scholastic.com/apps or www.itunes.com/appstore/. For more information about Scholastic, please visit Scholastic’s media room at mediaroom.scholastic.com.

Here are links to video previews of the Apps:

Go, Clifford, Go!

I Love You Through and Through

Magic School Bus

3,2,1 Blastoff!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact: Caroline Harris, Public Relations

 877-958-2600

 CarolineHarris@SylvanDellPublishing.com

 

  

3, 2, 1…Blastoff!

 

Celebrate International Space Day on May 7

  

Mount Pleasant, SC (May 5, 2010) – Did you know that if you put Saturn in a giant glass of water it would float? Or how about that it takes eight and a half minutes for the light from the Sun to get to the Earth? Join Sylvan Dell in celebrating Space Day on May 7 by exploring the mysterious wonders of the universe.

  

Launched by Lockheed Martin in 1997, the Space Day educational initiative is a grassroots effort dedicated to extraordinary achievements, benefits and opportunities in the explorations and use of space. This annual event focuses on promoting math, science, technology and engineering education to children all over the world.

  

The topic of space is as vast as the universe, but Sylvan Dell has the answers for fun ways to learn about the final frontier. Below are a few suggestions of ways to celebrate Space Day:

•  Visit a planetarium or observatory. Learn about our solar system and other galaxies by looking through telescopes or watching a simulated motion of the sky.
• Make planets out of clay or paper plates. Create your own solar system by forming the size and shapes of each planet.
• Read a Sylvan Dell book about space. Check out Sylvan Dell’s three titles with entertaining and vividly illustrated stories about space: How the Moon Regained Her Shape, Pieces of Another World and Saturn for my Birthday.

 The Sylvan Dell titles, offered in hardback, paperback and eBook format, include a “For Creative Minds” section at the end of each story, which provides fun, educational activities and information on the book. Additionally, the Sylvan Dell Web site offers an abundant amount of supporting material including a 30-40 page “Teaching Activities” packet, interactive reading and math quizzes, and much more.

While astronauts have made great advancements in space exploration, there is still much we don’t know about our universe. So, celebrate Space Day with Sylvan Dell by learning all you can about the marvels of the universe. You never know, you just might make a new discovery!

To learn more about Space Day and find special events in your area visit http://www.spaceday.org/.

About Sylvan Dell Publishing

 

Sylvan Dell Publishing’s mission is to excite children’s imaginations with artistically spectacular science, math and nature themed stories. Founded in November of 2004, Sylvan Dell has grown to include more than 75 authors and illustrators, in the U.S. and Canada, and 50 titles – honored as finalists or winners of more than 70 book awards. Our Science and Math Through Literature Program integrates reading, science, math, geography, character skills, and language learning through fun, cross-curricular activities. Sylvan Dell provides more online educator resources than any other publisher in the U.S. We offer schools, homeschooling families and public libraries a free one-year access to our ebook site license featuring the most technologically advanced eBooks each with Auto-Flip, Auto-Read, 3D page curling, and selectable English and Spanish text and audio through our School Resource Grant program. For more information, visit http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/.

Magic Tree House Essay Contest

I thought those of you with children might enjoy this contest.  It starts today, so get your kids writing!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact

Random House: 

Elizabeth Zajac 212.782.8530 ezajac@randomhouse.com;
Kids Crooked House:
Kerri Moran 404.664.2090 kerri@taylormoranpr.com

Random House Children’s Books and Kids Crooked House Team Up to Host Magic Tree House Essay Contest

Grand-Prize Winner Receives Custom Designed Kids Crooked House Playhouse

Inspired by Mary Pope Osborne’s bestselling Magic Tree House Book Series

NEW YORK, NY – April 26, 2010 - Random House Children’s Books and Kids Crooked House are kicking off an essay contest for kids to promote adventure, imagination, and creativity: themes that are all reflected in Mary Pope Osborne’s bestselling Magic Tree House series. The grand-prize winner will be awarded their own Magic Tree House: a custom designed playhouse by Kids Crooked House, creators of the most whimsical playhouses for children. Ten runner-up winners will receive a Magic Tree House book autographed by Mary Pope Osborne, beloved author of the wildly popular New York Times bestselling series that has now sold nearly 70 million copies.

The Magic Tree House series, first published in 1992, follows brother and sister duo Jack and Annie as they journey back in time via a magic tree house, traveling to exotic places and meeting famous historical figures. Children interested in entering the essay contest must submit a response to this question: Write about an adventure you would like to have in the Magic Tree House. Where would you go and what would you do? Mary Pope Osborne will review the submissions and choose the winner.

Essay entry forms are available for download at MagicTreeHouse.com and must be mailed to Random House offices at 1745 Broadway New York, NY 10019. Entries will be accepted from April 27 through October 31, 2010. The winners will be announced in mid December 2010.

“There is nothing more exciting than a child using their imagination and this essay contest is a great outlet. No one knows boundless imagination better than Mary Pope Osborne, a truly creative and artistic author. Kids Crooked House is honored to work with Ms. Osborne and a partner like Random House to help make this an exciting endeavor for many children,” said Glen Halliday, creative director and CEO for Kids Crooked House.

Kids Crooked House is inspired by, and infused with, Maine and its natural wonders. Glen and his cousin, Jeff Leighton, built their first crooked house because they loved being outside and wanted their kids to love it, too. Glen and Jeff’s goal is to encourage children to use their imaginations as wildly as possible, and with the diverse range of playhouses Kids Crooked House offers, it isn’t very hard to do.

“I’m so excited about this contest, knowing it will inspire an adventure and allow children to be as creative as they dare. I can’t wait to read their ideas, and learn about where they would like to go! This essay contest touches on my main goal in writing the Magic Tree House books: to encourage children to go on adventures using their own imaginations,” said Mary Pope Osborne.

About Random House Children’s Books and the MAGIC TREE HOUSE Series

Random House Children’s Books is the world’s largest English-language children's trade book publisher. Creating books for preschool children through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books and novels, Random House Children’s Books brings together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series.

It is the proud and longtime publisher of Mary Pope Osborne’s celebrated Magic Tree House series, which has now sold nearly 70 million copies and has been translated into 28 different languages in 31 countries since it was first published in 1992. The series is widely regarded among children, teachers, and parents alike for its power to instill a passion for reading. Teachers and kids can experience even more Magic Tree House fun on the interactive Web site www.magictreehouse.com, which features games and activities for children and teaching tools and materials for educators.

Random House Books for Young Readers is an imprint of the Random House Children’s Books division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG. Visit us on the Web at www.randomhouse.com/kids.

About Kids Crooked House

Based in Windham, Maine, Kids Crooked House was founded by fun-loving dads Glen Halliday and Jeff Leighton, who couldn’t find a unique, affordable, and imaginative playhouse for their young kids. They looked in all the big home centers and scoured dozens of Web sites. The products either looked like a tool shed for lawnmowers or like a small city with a price to match. For the graphic designer and carpenter-electrician, the answer was simple: Build one of their own. The entire neighborhood was soon hanging out in Glen’s backyard. So FUNky was his kid’s new crooked house, the rest is (becoming) history. For more information about Kids Crooked House, visit http://www.kidscrookedhouse.com/

Amazon.com's Best of 2009

I just received this press release in an email, and had to share it with you.  Many of you know that I am a huge fan of Kami Garcia and Margie Stohl, co-authors of Beautiful Creatures.  This is such awesome news for them and the authors of the other books on this list.  Congrats to all!

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Amazon.com Unveils Best Books of 2009, Including Editors’ Top 100 Books of the Year

Amazon.com book editors announce their favorite 100 books of 2009, as well as top 100 customer favorites, the majority of which are available on Kindle

SEATTLE—Nov. 2, 2009—Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced its picks for Best Books of 2009. This annual feature includes the Editors’ Picks for the Top 100 Books of the Year, Top 100 Customer Favorites, Top 10 lists for both editors and customers in nearly two dozen categories, including Literature & Fiction and Cooking, Food & Wine, as well as videos of the year. The majority of the Best Books of 2009 are available on Kindle via wireless download in less than 60 seconds. To see the full list of the Top 100 Books of the Year, as well as the other features for Best Books of 2009, go to www.amazon.com/bestbooks2009.

Amazon.com’s Book Blog, Omnivoracious.com, began previewing the Top 100 Books on Oct. 26, starting at 100 and working backward. This end-of-year list highlights Amazon.com editors’ picks for the best 100 books that were released in 2009. Customers looking for holiday shopping recommendations or to stock their own bookshelves will find an eclectic list, from a celebrity memoir that’s better than any celebrity memoir deserves to be to a not-yet-released young-adult novel that’s a serious contender for the coveted spot of “the next ‘Twilight.’”

“Our editorial team spends the whole year reading new releases with our Best Books of the Year lists in mind, and every year it proves to be our most popular feature among our customers,” said Tom Nissley, senior editor of Amazon.com Books. “Deciding on our Top 100 Books can often get a little contentious, but this year our choice for the Best Book of the Year, Colum McCann’s ‘Let the Great World Spin,’ was the closest we’ve ever come to a unanimous pick across the entire Amazon.com Books team. Many readers have already fallen in love with this moving story of New York City in the mid-‘70s, centered around Philippe Petit’s audaciously graceful tightrope walk between the Twin Towers, and we’re looking forward to sharing it with many more.”

Today, the Top 10 is live on Amazon.com. The Best Book of the Year, “Let the Great World Spin” by Colum McCann, was June’s Best Book of the Month, and also appeared on the Best Books of 2009… So Far list.

Here’s a quick peek at the Top 10:

1. “Let the Great World Spin” by Colum McCann: A gorgeous and moving story of 10 varied and intense New York lives, set against the backdrop of Philippe Petit’s 1974 Twin Tower tightrope crossing, that will appeal to readers of Frank McCourt, Jonathan Lethem or E.L. Doctorow.

2. “Strength in What Remains” by Tracy Kidder: In a sequel of sorts to his bestselling “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” Kidder follows, with clear-eyed empathy, the remarkable journey of a young man from the genocide in Burundi to homelessness and then a medical degree in the United States, and back to his home country to build a desperately needed health clinic.

3. “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel: The most popular Man Booker Prize winner in years was an early favorite for us too: a thrillingly confident reinvention of one of the most familiar tales in the bloody history of the British monarchy.

4. “Brooklyn” by Colm Toibin: Toibin’s story of an industrious young girl in 1950s Ireland who reluctantly finds herself on a boat to New York City is elegantly told and full of beautiful, bittersweet moments.

5. “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl: Everyone wants to find "the next ‘Twilight.’" We think this is it: a tale of star-crossed, small-town teens that draws you into a lush world of mystery and magic from the very first page.

6. “Crazy for the Storm” by Norman Ollestad: Ollestad has written a memoir that will last—just the story itself could take your breath away: as an 11-year-old boy, he was the only survivor in a small-plane crash and made his way to safety down an icy mountain face in a blizzard, using the skills and determination he learned from his father (who perished in the crash).

7. “The Girl Who Played with Fire” by Steig Larsson: No sophomore slump here: the second book in Larsson's thrilling trilogy is even more heart-racing than “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” as Larsson dives further into the fascinating character of his heroine, Lisbeth Salander.

8. “The City & The City” by China Meiville: Fans of hard-boiled mysteries and literary suspense will love “The City and the City,” Meiville’s ingenious breakout novel that imagines two cities coexisting on the eastern edge of Europe: one dying, one thriving, and both home to a host of mysterious secrets.

9. “Stitches” by David Small: Small, best known until now as a Caldecott-winning children's illustrator, finds a voice for the terrors of his own childhood in this delicate and haunting graphic memoir of a boy learning to stand on his own.

10. “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” by William Kamkwamba: Kamkwamba's memoir is an unabashedly inspirational story of a teenager in famine-stricken Malawi who ingeniously turns the few resources at hand (scrap metal, borrowed textbooks and wind) into a powerful source of energy for his village.

The Sylvan Dell Revolution

I do reviews for Sylvan Dell and have been very impressed with everything they've ever sent me.  Their children's books are not only great stories, many with lessons, but they are beautifully illustrated.   When Sara Dobie, from Sylvan Dell sent me this email the other day, I knew I had to share it with you.  I hope you will check out this great new venture that Sylvan Dell is embarking on.

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SYLVAN DELL PUBLISHING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 29, 2009

MOVE OVER KINDLE

Sylvan Dell’s innovative eBook format promises to improve reading speeds,
comprehension, and language learning skills

MT PLEASANT, SC - Sylvan Dell Publishing goes LIVE this week with its next generation eBook, proving the company represents “so much more than a picture book;” it represents a full-fledged campaign for literacy in America.

From Sylvan Dell publisher and co-founder Lee German: “These are the most technologically advanced eBooks in the world today, featuring Auto-Flip, Auto-Read, and Selectable Language. There is nothing even close to this on the market. Amazon/Kindle and Barnes & Noble eBooks are not even in the same category. I encourage parents and teachers to take a test-drive and see for themselves. Let the children play with these for a few weeks, and you’ll be amazed at their excitement and improved reading performance. For children wanting to learn a foreign language or ESOL families learning English, these are phenomenal tools.”

Below is a link to a 90-day trial of all 45 Sylvan Dell eBooks:

http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ebooktrials.php?e=MSBL9J
Code expiration date: 10/31/2009

For guided directions: http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/documents/eBookOperatingInstructions.pdf

“Whether in Auto-Flip or Manual Mode, switch back and forth between English and Spanish text and audio (more language choices on the way) and remain on the same page,” said German. “With the addition of Auto-Flip and Auto-Read features, our Sylvan Dell eBooks are powerful literacy and language learning tools to complement our mission of teaching ‘Science and Math Through Literature.’”

Sylvan Dell is no newcomer to literacy education and no stranger to technological advances. Since the company’s founding in 2004, co-founders Lee and Donna German have been ahead of the picture book publishing curve. Last year, Sylvan Dell awarded free eBook site licenses to over 2600 elementary and Title I/III schools nationwide through their School Resource Grant Program.

What’s next? According to German, “We want moms, dads, and grandparents to be able to record a reading of our books and add that audio to the language selection list. This is especially important for military families with a parent overseas. We are also developing an iPhone, iPod, and iPod touch application so that our eBooks will be available on handhelds and an online data capture system to allow teachers to track student reading and quiz performance.”

Sylvan Dell eBooks are available on the company website, http://SylvanDellPublishing.com, as are an array of free educational resources, which include Teaching Activities and Interactive Math and Reading Comprehension Quizzes. For more information about the eBooks, visit http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ebooks.php. For more about the eBook Resource Grants: http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/ResourceGrant.htm.

It's THE REAL REAL Tour + giveaway

No, I didn't mean to say the Real Deal Tour. The Real Real: a novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus went on sale yesterday and tomorrow they kick off their book tour on Good Morning America.

"In their first book for teens, the bestselling authors of the Nanny Diaries take aim at reality tv, where fiction masquerades as fact and the real drama is behind the scenes."

 

“Really funny, really smart, and really entertaining. I really LOVED this book!”
   — Sarah Mlynowski, author of Bras & Broomsticks and How to Be Bad

Praise for The Nanny Diaries:

“Diabolically funny.”
   — New York Times
“Impossible to put down.”
   — Vogue

The Real Real

by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus

 

When Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus penned The Nanny Diaries, they had no idea of how much their lives would change with its runaway success.   They suddenly found themselves in the media spotlight with a bestselling debut novel on their hands, and a lot of attention suddenly focused on them.

Their experience inspired them to write THE REAL REAL--their first book for young adults.  The story begins when Jesse--one of the NOT rich kids at Hampton High – gets chosen to star on the Laguna Beach-style reality show filmed at her school.  Soon she’s forced to pal around with the glamorous kids whose families her working-class parents serve.  But there’s a tuition check attached to being on the show, and at the producers’ insistence, Jesse must trade her actual best friend for four people she’s gone to school with for years, but hardly knows.  As the producers play with their lives to heighten the drama, Jesse must struggle against losing herself amidst the red-carpet hype that is now a part of her daily life and try to remember one thing: the difference between real and the real real.

Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus are the authors of the New York Times bestsellers The Nanny Diaries, Citizen Girl, and Dedication. They live and work in New York City.

THE REAL REAL

by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

ISBN: 978-0-06-172040-6

$16.99                   Ages 14 up

On sale: May 19, 2009

www.harperteen.com

Read an excerpt of THE REAL REAL!

THE REAL REAL tour:

May 23                Bookhampton, Amagansett, NY

May 26                B&N Skokie, IL

May 27                Anderson’s, Naperville, IL

May 28               B&N Lake Grove, NY

June 2                  Changing Hands, Phoenix, AZ

June 3                  Vroman’s, Pasadena, CA

June 4                 Borders, Torrance, CA

June 5                  B&N Huntington Beach, CA

June 6                  B&N, El Cerrito, CA

June 7                  Copperfields, Petaluma, CA

June 8                 Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA

June 24               Borders Columbus Circle, NYC

Guess what?  Harper Teen wants to give one of my readers a signed copy of The Real Real, to celebrate the kick-off of the book tour!   Just answer this question: If you could be on any reality show, which one would it be?  This contest is open to US/Canada addresses and will run until May 31st.  Make sure you leave your email in your comment so I can contact you if you win.

Earn Extra Entries by:

+1 - follower

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