School Librarian Saturday: BookFlix
New series! In School Librarian Saturday, I’m going to share the websites, databases, apps, and other stuff I use with students, under the cover of internet darkness (see: the weekend).
First up, a digital resource from Scholastic called BookFlix.
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What It Is: A site that pairs picture book videos (produced by Weston Woods) with Scholastic nonfiction ebooks. For example, one pair on the site is I Stink by Kate and Jim McMullan and the nonfiction ebook Garbage Trucks. The pairs of books are sorted into different categories (Animals and Nature, People and Places, etc.) Up until last year, our state picked up the tab for the site. Now we pay for it as a school district.
What’s Good About It: I like that it’s a resource that engages a few different grade levels. I like that it’s a great place for talking with younger students about the difference between fiction and nonfiction. I like that it allows kids to read books and watch stories on a bunch of different topics.
What’s Bad About It: I wish it were updated a bit more frequently. Every year they add a couple titles, but of course it would be great if more new videos and ebooks became available.
Last Words: It’s a good combination of fact and fiction with a lot of books to choose from. I like having BookFlix available for our students.
Filed under: School Librarian Saturday
About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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