Review: Once Appon

Today’s review is of the book app Once Appon – A Goodnight Storymaker for Kids. It comes from Emily Lloyd, who blogs at Little eLit, and is a round one panelist for Book Apps. She writes: OnceAppon, released in May 2014, is a beautifully-illustrated app that invites users to assemble a “hero” with an avatar maker, and see that hero imported into …

Review: Rules of Summer

Today’s review comes from Book App judge Paula who usually blogs at Pink Me. She did review the book app for Shaun Tan’s Rules of Summer for School Library Journal earlier this year. She wrote: Atmospheric, textured, surreal—the work of Shaun Tan is easily described as “cinematic.” His tableaux appear to be stills from a larger story, his settings hint at a larger …

Review: How I Became a Pirate

Today’s review comes from Cathy, a librarian in Maine. She usually blogs at the Nonfiction Detectives, but she frequently reviews book apps at the School Library Journal. Recently she reviewed Book App-nominated How I Became a Pirate. Cathy writes: Sound and animation have been added to this version of the story. A sea chantey plays in the background on opening the app—setting …

Book Apps – Category Description

What is a book app? Book apps combine the interactive elements of tablet computers with literature and storytelling. Readers experience the story by interacting with the book. Many book apps provide readers with opportunities to listen to narration and sound effects, read the text on the page, view animation, swipe, tap, record and much more. In the most effective book …

2014 Book App Judges

First Round Jill Goodman appoLearning @queenofappland Emily Lloyd Little eLit @poesygalore Cathy Potter The Nonfiction Detectives @cppotter Colby Sharp Sharp Read @colbysharp Stacey Shubitz Two Writing Teachers @raisealithuman Jen Vincent Teach Mentor Texts @mentortexts @u46insttech Erin Warzala Falling Flannelboards @fallingflannel   Second Round Jason Boog Born Reading @jasonboog Elisabeth LeBris LeBrisary @elebris Jackie Parker Interactive Reader @interactiver Deanne Shoyer Small …

Meet the Organizers: Cathy Potter, Book Apps

Cathy Potter has served as a CYBILS panelist for the past three years and is thrilled to be chairing the Book Apps category this year. Cathy is K-5 school librarian at Falmouth Elementary School in Maine and enjoys finding innovative ways to use iPads with her students. If you walk into Cathy’s library you’re likely to find her recommending her …

Cybils App Organizer Interviews Author William Joyce

The organizer for the Cybils Book App category, Mary Ann Scheuer, just posted a fabulous interview on her blog with William Joyce, author of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Mary Ann also shares a speech that William Joyce gave about his inspiration for the story, which is currently number one on the New York Times Bestselling Children's Picture Books list. The …

SLJ finds us APPealing

It's a pun, get it? Our APP award is APPealing. Hahaha! Oh, never mind. School Library Journal gives us a nice shout-out. Here's the link.