Celebrate your family’s love of children’s books with the Children’s Book Week Writing Contest*. Have your child write and illustrate an original storybook. Submit your child’s story at www.tikatok.com by April 25, 2010 and he or she could be eligible to win:

• A $100 Tikatok Gift Card
• 25 free hardcover copies of the winning story to share with classmates, friends and family
• A poster signed by Jon Sciezska and Katherine Paterson, the inaugural and current National Ambassadors for Young People’s Literature and authors of “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales” and “Bridge to Terabithia”

Visit www.tikatok.com/contests to learn more.

*No purchase necessary to enter or win.  See details and official rules.

Have you been inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?  You’re not alone!  The eccentric children’s novel authored by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson – better known as Lewis Carroll – has entertained many generations of children and adults with its unpredictable story and crazy characters.  But what makes perhaps the biggest impression is the world of Wonderland itself – a dream-like realm where anything can happen.  This world has sparked the creativity of many authors, filmmakers, and even video game designers.

Here’s your chance to write and publish a book inspired by the world of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  Create a book with Tikatok StorySparks inspired by the novel.  They are a perfect fit if you’re a fan of Carroll’s surreal world – there is even a way for you to write your own remix version of the book using the original illustrations by John Tenniel!

1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: by You! – We’ve brought together the woodcut illustrations from the original novel into a StorySpark to help you create your own retelling of the story.  Put the story in your own words, retell the story from a minor character’s perspective, or tell an entirely new story to go along with these beautiful images.

2. The Fairy School – Wonderland is a place where the physical  laws of the real world have been turned upside down.  Cats disappear, babies turn into pigs, and playing cards are alive.  In this StorySpark you can imagine what going to school would be like in a topsy-turvy world of flying fairies.

3. The Shrinking Potion – Alice finds herself changing all the time on her trip through Wonderland.  She’s big, she’s small, she’s big again.  With this StorySpark, imagine what it would be like to shrink down to the size of a toy car.

We hope these StorySparks help ignite your imagination.  Of course, you can always start from scratch with a blank book and add your own original story and illustrations.  If so, I hope you’ll still take a page from Lewis Carroll, and really let your imagination run wild.

Happy writing!

Tikatok is happy to announce the launch of our new classroom program.  Teachers can now inspire their students to love reading and writing by using Tikatok in the classroom. With Tikatok’s Classroom Program, teachers can provide students with the unique opportunity to create and publish their own books, creating a rewarding classroom experience that encourages students to take pride in their written work.  Thousands of teachers have already begun using Tikatok for their classroom writing projects, and our new program makes it easier than ever for educators to join, add student accounts (no parent email addresses required), and manage classroom writing projects – all for free.  And best of all, the classroom program makes it possible for teachers to help their students become published authors.

Here are some of the benefits of a free teacher account:

• Option to purchase books created by you and your students in hardcover, softcover and pdf.
• Add author biographies to your students’ books, complete with picture and description.
• Personalized dashboard to view and track your students’ progress.
• Interactive story prompts to help your students develop their stories.

Click here to register for a free teacher account.

How it Works

After a teacher joins Tikatok by filling out our teacher registration form, he or she will be taken directly to their own Teacher Dashboard.  This is the command center for adding students and managing projects.

From the dashboard, getting started is a cinch.

1. Add Student Accounts – Create a Tikatok account for each student by entering his or her name, username and password via your Tikatok teacher dashboard.
2. Write and Illustrate – Use your own writing lesson plan or choose from hundreds of StorySparks to jumpstart your students’ imaginations. Students write their stories, upload their illustrations and photos and create their books online.
3. Publish and Share – Help your students take pride in their work by having their stories published as professional-quality books. Organize a publishing party in your school library or local Barnes & Noble store as a way to build your students’ pride in their work.  Hardcover books start at $18, paperbacks at $15, and PDFs are all $2.99.  Tikatok offers significant educational and volume discounts, so please contact us directly for a custom quote for your classroom.

Join Today, or Invite a Teacher

Teachers, we invite you to give Tikatok’s classroom program a try.  Registering for Tikatok is free, getting your classroom set up and ready to create is easy, and there is no obligation to buy.  Join today.

Parents, do you know a teacher who would be interested in Tikatok’s classroom program?  Would you like to see your child’s teacher incorporate creative writing and publishing into his or her curriculum?  Then let the teacher know, and help Tikatok spread the word.  Just forward the following link to your teacher friends:

How did Tikatok begin?  It all started with a trip to the bookstore.

Some months had passed since the birth of her second daughter, and entrepreneur Sharon Kan was looking ahead to her return to the working world.  She was intrigued by all of the cool “Web 2.0” startups that had been launched recently, but had noticed a significant gap.  Where were the sites that brought the advantages of the Web to children like her own?  It seemed like the only sites out there for kids were sites with lots of games.  “I believed it was important for children to have the opportunity to use their imaginations and create things,” says Sharon, “instead of always consuming products.”

A resident of the Boston area, Sharon had a chance to visit the MIT Media Lab, famous incubator for innovative technologies and forward-thinking talent.  It was there that she met graduate student Orit Zuckerman, who was working on new ways for people to communicate and express themselves.  One of her projects was a technology that allowed children to connect with grandparents who lived far away more intimately than by phone or email.  “For example,” describes Orit, “a grandmother would read a story to her grandchild on the other side of the world; and then the grandson would get that message when he went to bed. The system would know the right time to connect between the relatives and thus create a more meaningful connection between them.”  It was a project close to her heart as an Israeli mother of two studying abroad in the United States.  And she, too, was thinking about what lay ahead in her own future.  After her graduation, how could she continue her groundbreaking work in connecting families?

Sharon and Orit – entrepreneur and innovator – became instant friends and, eventually, business partners.  But what could they work on together that would give kids an opportunity to create and families to connect?  That’s where the trip to the bookstore came in.

The two friends went on an afternoon visit to the local Barnes & Noble store.   They had been thinking about work too much, so that day they were just going to have a nice time and read some books at the store with their children.  While they were browsing the bookshelves, however, something clicked.  They looked at the children’s books on the shelves.  “We realized that all of the books were written and illustrated by adults,” says Sharon.  What if their children had a chance to tell their own stories, to create their own children’s books?

“Children clearly tell stories differently, but no one publishes them,” says Orit.  “This is what led us to think that creating a platform where kids can tell their stories, bind them into real books, and be active in a community of book lovers would be a great thing to build. Who knew better the kinds of stories that children would like to read than kids?”

And from that moment of inspiration came Tikatok: a website where kids and their parents could create and publish their own children’s books.

They gathered a team to help realize their vision, and put together a prototype.  Some early investors in the company realized the potential of the idea and enabled them to take it to the next level.  Tikatok was launched to the world in 2008.  The rest, as they say, is history.

So it was that one creative idea launched the potential for thousands of imaginative, original stories. As Orit puts it: “Tikatok’s goal is to give young children a stage to show their creativity, cultivate it, and create a continuum of creativity and creation into their adult life.”  We at Tikatok hope that you will take the opportunity to help your child tap into his or her creativity and create a book.  The time you spend writing and reading together, and the keepsake book that you create, will be treasured forever.

Tikatok is happy to announce a brand new option that makes it more convenient and affordable than ever to enjoy your Tikatok books anywhere. For an introductory price of $2.99 you can save your book, or favorites by other Tikatok authors, as a downloadable eBook. These high-resolution PDF files can be saved to your computer or printed out right on your home printer. And once you purchase your book in eBook format, you can download the eBook file as often as you like.

It’s easy to get your eBook.

1. Sign in to Tikatok and go to the book view page.

2. Click “Buy Now” and select the “eBook Download”

3. Checkout through Google Checkout and click on the link to return to the site and download your file. Follow the instructions to save and open the file.

4. If you need to download your file again, go to the book page and look for the “Download Now’ button.

Why Would I Buy an E-book?

Of course you will always be able to view and share your book on Tikatok, but unlocking your eBook download makes your Tikatok book even better. Here are some suggestions for how the eBook can come in handy.

1. Save wear and tear on your hardcover - Print out extra copies of your book for the beach, a long road trip, a cave exploration adventure, your skydiving lessons, or the rocket trip to Mars, and leave your professionally bound Tikatok hardcover book safe at home.
2. Print a copy for EVERYONE - We know your Great Aunt Edna would love a copy.
3. Download ALL of your books - No more need to play favorites.  At this affordable price you can download each one of your books.
4. Share your book without an Internet connection - Open the saved file on your laptop when you can’t get a Web connection.  Or keep the file on a thumb drive and take it with you everywhere.
5. Revise and reprint - Do you prefer to do your editing and rewriting by hand?  Print your book out, mark it up with your red pen as much as you want, then go back online to make your changes and download a fresh new copy when you’re finished.

Those are just some ideas, but we’re sure you’ll come up with others.  Please let us know what YOU will do with your eBook!

Tikatok is happy to announce a brand new option that makes it more convenient and affordable than ever to enjoy your Tikatok books anywhere. For an introductory price of $2.99 you can save your book, or favorites by other Tikatok authors, as a downloadable eBook. These high-resolution PDF files can be saved to your computer or printed out right on your home printer. And once you purchase your book in eBook format, you can download the eBook file as often as you like.

It’s easy to get your eBook.

1. Sign in to Tikatok and go to the book view page.

2. Click “Buy Now” and select the “eBook Download”

3. Checkout through Google Checkout and click on the link to return to the site and download your file. Follow the instructions to save and open the file.

4. If you need to download your file again, go to the book page and look for the “Download Now’ button.

Why Would I Buy an E-book?

Of course you will always be able to view and share your book on Tikatok, but unlocking your eBook download makes your Tikatok book even better. Here are some suggestions for how the eBook can come in handy.

1. Save wear and tear on your hardcover - Print out extra copies of your book for the beach, a long road trip, a cave exploration adventure, your skydiving lessons, or the rocket trip to Mars, and leave your professionally bound Tikatok hardcover book safe at home.
2. Print a copy for EVERYONE – We know your Great Aunt Edna would love a copy.
3. Download ALL of your books – No more need to play favorites.  At this affordable price you can download each one of your books.
4. Share your book without an Internet connection – Open the saved file on your laptop when you can’t get a Web connection.  Or keep the file on a thumb drive and take it with you everywhere.
5. Revise and reprint – Do you prefer to do your editing and rewriting by hand?  Print your book out, mark it up with your red pen as much as you want, then go back online to make your changes and download a fresh new copy when you’re finished.

Those are just some ideas, but we’re sure you’ll come up with others.  Please let us know what YOU will do with your eBook!

I’m happy to announce the winners of Tikatok’s last 2 weekly contests.   Every week a new contest is posted to the Tikatok Talk Back Forum.  If you have writing or illustrating talent and want to show off, be sure to join Tikatok and join the Talk Back club to enter.

Contest #2: Time Travel

Winner:

Runners up:

and “Twister Travel” by Kizzie (can only be read by Kizzie’s Tikatok friends).

Contest #3: It’s a Mystery

Winner:

Runners up:

and “The Mystery of the Stolen Diamond” by Zibby12 (a private book).

Congratulations to the winners, the runners up, and everyone who entered.  It takes guts to put your books out there for other people to judge.  Thank you for sharing your work with me, and with the world!

At Tikatok we’re always thinking of new ways to give parents the tools they need to help their children enjoy a safe and creative experience on the site.  Our newest feature is doubly beneficial - it helps parents restrict their children from content that they do not want them to read AND it helps kids find the books that will be most appealing to them.

How does it work?

Now, every book created on Tikatok is given one of these age ratings:

• All Ages
• Preschool
• 4-8
• 9-12
• 13+

When someone creates a book he or she can pick the age range that is most appropriate.  Please keep in mind that Tikatok staff do not read every single book to assign a rating.  If you find that the rating on a book is wrong, please flag it as inappropriate and we will review the rating immediately.

To change the age range on a book you have written, go to the settings menu.  You can do this from inside the book editor (click the “Settings” button on the left side of the editor window) or from the book view page (click the “Settings” button that is above the book).

Restricting Access

Parents can use these new ratings to restrict which books their children can read while signed in to the site.  The restriction settings are located with the other parental controls.  First sign in with your parent account (only parent accounts have access to the parent controls), and go to the “Profile” page.  Click the “Permissions” link under the “Settings” menu.  Choose your child from the drop-down menu and click “Set Maximum Age Limit.”   Choose the maximum age rating that you want your child to be able to access and click “Save.”

Remember, this will hide the books that have been assigned an age limit above the setting you specify for your child, but it does not guarantee that all age ratings are accurate.  We encourage parents of younger children to maintain their active role in helping their children use the site safely.  And please, if you see a book that has been rated incorrectly, flag it as inappropriate!

Also know that, even though we have a category for  ”13+,” this does not mean that “anything goes” for Tikatok books.  Books still have to meet our community guidelines and our standards for appropriateness.  If a book would not be appropriate to the “Young Adults” section of your bookstore, it is not appropriate for Tikatok.

Discovering Books

Kids on the site can also use the age rating to find the books that they are most likely to enjoy.  Tikatok has made it easy to filter the books on the homepage for a given age range.  Just look for this blue filter box below the books:

Click off the age ranges that you don’t want to see, and those books will be hidden.   Or, if you want to see more books that have the same rating as a book you enjoy, just click on the blue age rating to filter on just that range.

Now you can browse a version of Tikatok that was made just for YOU.

If you have any questions about this or any other feature, please contact us.

At Tikatok we’re always thinking of new ways to give parents the tools they need to help their children enjoy a safe and creative experience on the site.  Our newest feature is doubly beneficial – it helps parents restrict their children from content that they do not want them to read AND it helps kids find the books that will be most appealing to them.

How does it work?

Now, every book created on Tikatok is given one of these age ratings:

• All Ages
• Preschool
• 4-8
• 9-12
• 13+

When someone creates a book he or she can pick the age range that is most appropriate.  Please keep in mind that Tikatok staff do not read every single book to assign a rating.  If you find that the rating on a book is wrong, please flag it as inappropriate and we will review the rating immediately.

To change the age range on a book you have written, go to the settings menu.  You can do this from inside the book editor (click the “Settings” button on the left side of the editor window) or from the book view page (click the “Settings” button that is above the book).

Restricting Access

Parents can use these new ratings to restrict which books their children can read while signed in to the site.  The restriction settings are located with the other parental controls.  First sign in with your parent account (only parent accounts have access to the parent controls), and go to the “Profile” page.  Click the “Permissions” link under the “Settings” menu.  Choose your child from the drop-down menu and click “Set Maximum Age Limit.”   Choose the maximum age rating that you want your child to be able to access and click “Save.”

Remember, this will hide the books that have been assigned an age limit above the setting you specify for your child, but it does not guarantee that all age ratings are accurate.  We encourage parents of younger children to maintain their active role in helping their children use the site safely.  And please, if you see a book that has been rated incorrectly, flag it as inappropriate!

Also know that, even though we have a category for  ”13+,” this does not mean that “anything goes” for Tikatok books.  Books still have to meet our community guidelines and our standards for appropriateness.  If a book would not be appropriate to the “Young Adults” section of your bookstore, it is not appropriate for Tikatok.

Discovering Books

Kids on the site can also use the age rating to find the books that they are most likely to enjoy.  Tikatok has made it easy to filter the books on the homepage for a given age range.  Just look for this blue filter box below the books:

Click on the age ranges that you prefer, and all other books will be hidden. Click on another range to add it to your selection. Now you can browse a version of Tikatok that was made just for YOU.

If you have any questions about this or any other feature, please contact us.

If you haven’t noticed yet, Tikatok has been posting weekly contests to the site for the past three weeks.  That’s right, every Friday we post a new challenge for our talented authors on the Tikatok Talk Back Forum.  Be sure to check back each week to see details about the latest contest.

The first week’s contest has come to an end and we are happy to announce the winners.  Authors were asked to create books about a crazy or memorable summer vacation.

The top winner was Mai, with this book about some stranded friends who make the best of their situation.

And here are the runners up.  Congratulations to all of the winning authors!

If you haven’t noticed yet, Tikatok has been posting weekly contests to the site for the past three weeks.  That’s right, every Friday we post a new challenge for our talented authors on the Tikatok Talk Back Forum.  Be sure to check back each week to see details about the latest contest.

The first week’s contest has come to an end and we are happy to announce the winners.  Authors were asked to create books about a crazy or memorable summer vacation.

The top winner was Mai, with this book about some stranded friends who make the best of their situation.

And here are the runners up.  Congratulations to all of the winning authors!

This week, Tikatok was invited to be the special guest at Kids Club Storytime at CBS Scene at Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA. During the event, we were able to feature some of the incredible books written by kids on Tikatok.com. Kids of all ages showed up to the event and loved the stories we shared. Mix 98.5 also joined the event with giveaways and prizes. What a great time!

If you missed it don’t worry. Tikatok will return to Storytime in August, so be sure to check the blog for the upcoming date. Interested in reading your Tikatok book at Storytime? If you live in the Boston area, send an email to [email protected] with a link to your story. You just might be chosen as the Featured Author at this amazing event!

This week, Tikatok was invited to be the special guest at Kids Club Storytime at CBS Scene at Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA. During the event, we were able to feature some of the incredible books written by kids on Tikatok.com. Kids of all ages showed up to the event and loved the stories we shared. Mix 98.5 also joined the event with giveaways and prizes. What a great time!

If you missed it don’t worry. Tikatok will return to Storytime in August, so be sure to check the blog for the upcoming date. Interested in reading your Tikatok book at Storytime? If you live in the Boston area, send an email to [email protected] with a link to your story. You just might be chosen as the Featured Author at this amazing event!

Take out your digital cameras and sharpen those drawing pencils for Tikatok’s Fourth of July Challenge!  This holiday weekend, be on the lookout for the items on our scavenger hunt list.  Take a photo, or make a drawing, of as many of these items as you can.  Upload your photos or drawings to a Tikatok book, send us the link, and if you score 20 points we will send you a special certificate you can print out, and a coupon for $5 off your next book purchase.

July 4th Scavenger Hunt List

Easy - 2 points for a photo, 3 for your own drawing

• An American Flag
• Fireworks
• Holiday cake or cookies
• A dog out for walk
• A pair of sunglasses

Medium - 3 points for a photo, 4 for your own drawing

• Food from a BBQ
• A beach umbrella
• Red, white, and blue holiday clothing
• Someone in a military uniform
• City decorations

Difficult - 4 points for a photo, 5 for your own drawing

• Someone dressed as Uncle Sam
• A band playing 4th of July music
• A 4th of July parade
• Decorations on a state capitol building

Extra Credit - 5 bonus points!

• Write a 4th of July story to connect all of your photos and drawings

That’s the list, now get out there and have fun!  Please upload only YOUR OWN photos or drawings.  To submit your book just email the link to neal at tikatok dot com.  Please submit your book by July 13th to receive your certificate of achievement and your $5 coupon.

And have a great 4th!

*Fireworks photo by Mr Magoo ICU

Take out your digital cameras and sharpen those drawing pencils for Tikatok’s Fourth of July Challenge!  This holiday weekend, be on the lookout for the items on our scavenger hunt list.  Take a photo, or make a drawing, of as many of these items as you can.  Upload your photos or drawings to a Tikatok book, send us the link, and if you score 20 points we will send you a special certificate you can print out, and a coupon for $5 off your next book purchase.

July 4th Scavenger Hunt List

Easy – 2 points for a photo, 3 for your own drawing

• An American Flag
• Fireworks
• Holiday cake or cookies
• A dog out for walk
• A pair of sunglasses

Medium – 3 points for a photo, 4 for your own drawing

• Food from a BBQ
• A beach umbrella
• Red, white, and blue holiday clothing
• Someone in a military uniform
• City decorations

Difficult – 4 points for a photo, 5 for your own drawing

• Someone dressed as Uncle Sam
• A band playing 4th of July music
• A 4th of July parade
• Decorations on a state capitol building

Extra Credit – 5 bonus points!

• Write a 4th of July story to connect all of your photos and drawings

That’s the list, now get out there and have fun!  Please upload only YOUR OWN photos or drawings.  To submit your book just email the link to neal at tikatok dot com.  Please submit your book by July 13th to receive your certificate of achievement and your $5 coupon.

And have a great 4th!

*Fireworks photo by Mr Magoo ICU

Summer is finally here, and many Tikatok members begin to look forward to a season filled with fun outdoor activities.  If you’re a member of an organizaton such as the Boy Scouts of America, the Girls Scouts of the USA, or one of the many other scouting organizations around the world, the summer may be a time for you to go camping with your troop, or to work on earning those merit badges.

Did you know that both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have badges for scouts who can demonstrate an ability with computers and the Internet?  That’s right, you may be able to use Tikatok to earn a merit badge.  Here are some suggestions for projects you might try - but be sure to ask your counselor first.

Girl Scouts

The Girl Scouts have a few insignia related to computers, the Internet, and storytelling.

For Brownie-level scouts, Point Click and Go is a “Try It” insignia awarded for basic computer skills.  One of the activities required for this award is to use a computer to write a story.  Or, you can write a story with your friends.  Of course with Tikatok you can do both at the same time.  Just add your friends as co-authors of your book and you can all write together.

For Junior-level Girl Scouts, the Women’s Stories Badge is awarded to scouts who consider the role of women in history.  A few of the activities could be completed and shared using Tikatok.  For example, “Display It” asks you to create a display of pictures and information and present it at a group meeting.  The “Creative Control” activity asks you to create a story about one of these prompts - each would make an amazing Tikatok book:

• The first female President of the United States.
• The life of a woman 100 years from now.
• A country in which women own the businesses and control the government.

For 11-17 year old Girl Scouts, Exploring the Net is an interest project all about safe and responsbile use of the Internet.  One thing you can do to help earn this insignia is to develop a “scavenger hunt for peers” - a guide to the Internet for your friends or younger Girl Scouts with examples of safe sites and some questions that they can search for answers to.  Imagine creating this as a Tikatok book and asking them to message you with the answers to the questions.

Finally, the Computers in Everyday Life interest project is for Girl Scouts who can demonstrate how computers are used at home, at work, and for the community.  There are a lot of options for using Tikatok here.  You can create a troop newsletter for the Skill Builders requirement, you can review the site as part of the Technology requirement, or you can design a flier about the Internet use to satisfy the Service Project requirement.

Boy Scouts

For Boy Scouts, the badge that fits best with Tikatok is the Communications Merit Badge, which is awarded to scouts who demonstrate knowledge and mastery of different media.  One of the requiremens can be fulfilled by describing yourself in a creative way, for example using “a collage, short story or autobiography, drawing or series of photographs, or a song or skit.”  Of course you can use Tikatok to put together your story with your illustrations and pictures.  If your story is personal you should set the permissions on that book so that only you and your parent can read it.

Another part of the requirement can be met by creating a newsletter, brochure, or flier for your Scout troop, or your class at school.  With Tikatok you can “publish” your newsletter every week and send it to your Scout leader or teacher to distribute.

There are so many Boy Scout Merit Badges with fun activities and valuable skills to learn.  You may be able to use Tikatok as part of the Computers, Art, Photography, or other badges.

Have you used Tikatok in your scouting activities?  Tell us how!

Summer is finally here, and many Tikatok members begin to look forward to a season filled with fun outdoor activities.  If you’re a member of an organizaton such as the Boy Scouts of America, the Girls Scouts of the USA, or one of the many other scouting organizations around the world, the summer may be a time for you to go camping with your troop, or to work on earning those merit badges.

Did you know that both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have badges for scouts who can demonstrate an ability with computers and the Internet?  That’s right, you may be able to use Tikatok to earn a merit badge.  Here are some suggestions for projects you might try – but be sure to ask your counselor first.

Girl Scouts

The Girl Scouts have a few insignia related to computers, the Internet, and storytelling.

For Brownie-level scouts, Point Click and Go is a “Try It” insignia awarded for basic computer skills.  One of the activities required for this award is to use a computer to write a story.  Or, you can write a story with your friends.  Of course with Tikatok you can do both at the same time.  Just add your friends as co-authors of your book and you can all write together.

For Junior-level Girl Scouts, the Women’s Stories Badge is awarded to scouts who consider the role of women in history.  A few of the activities could be completed and shared using Tikatok.  For example, “Display It” asks you to create a display of pictures and information and present it at a group meeting.  The “Creative Control” activity asks you to create a story about one of these prompts – each would make an amazing Tikatok book:

• The first female President of the United States.
• The life of a woman 100 years from now.
• A country in which women own the businesses and control the government.

For 11-17 year old Girl Scouts, Exploring the Net is an interest project all about safe and responsbile use of the Internet.  One thing you can do to help earn this insignia is to develop a “scavenger hunt for peers” – a guide to the Internet for your friends or younger Girl Scouts with examples of safe sites and some questions that they can search for answers to.  Imagine creating this as a Tikatok book and asking them to message you with the answers to the questions.

Finally, the Computers in Everyday Life interest project is for Girl Scouts who can demonstrate how computers are used at home, at work, and for the community.  There are a lot of options for using Tikatok here.  You can create a troop newsletter for the Skill Builders requirement, you can review the site as part of the Technology requirement, or you can design a flier about the Internet use to satisfy the Service Project requirement.

Boy Scouts

For Boy Scouts, the badge that fits best with Tikatok is the Communications Merit Badge, which is awarded to scouts who demonstrate knowledge and mastery of different media.  One of the requiremens can be fulfilled by describing yourself in a creative way, for example using “a collage, short story or autobiography, drawing or series of photographs, or a song or skit.”  Of course you can use Tikatok to put together your story with your illustrations and pictures.  If your story is personal you should set the permissions on that book so that only you and your parent can read it.

Another part of the requirement can be met by creating a newsletter, brochure, or flier for your Scout troop, or your class at school.  With Tikatok you can “publish” your newsletter every week and send it to your Scout leader or teacher to distribute.

There are so many Boy Scout Merit Badges with fun activities and valuable skills to learn.  You may be able to use Tikatok as part of the Computers, Art, Photography, or other badges.

Have you used Tikatok in your scouting activities?  Tell us how!

Last month, the winners of Tikatok’s National Writing Contest were announced and Sharon Kan, Tikatok’s CEO and co-founder, had the pleasure of interviewing this talented group of kids. Here is what Westlake Elementary ’s third grade class had to say:

We are sending your book to President Obama and are writing a letter to ask him to read your book. Can you help us suggest why he should read this book?

We think the president should read this book because it is an amazing book, and it is about the President, and it has questions, concerns, and ideas!  It could give him ideas about making laws and it could be a good bedtime story for his daughters.

Have any of you thought about writing another book? Can you share with us what the book will be about?

Yes we have.  1) A book about saving and protecting the natural environment around us so that we can keep it clean. 2) And maybe one about saving schools by donating money. 3) Donating money to the poor!

Tell us what it feels like to win a national writing contest.

We feel great and honored to win the award. It inspires us to be writers. We feel like we are famous because Obama will read this book.  Our principal has even mentioned us on the intercom!

How did you get your inspiration for your letter?

We had just watched the Inauguration and that was what got us going. It also was happening in our lives. And watching the news gave us great ideas and we had a class brainstorm.

What was your favorite part of the project?

We liked putting our personal problems and families into our letter and knowing they can maybe be solved, and we loved illustrating.  We loved illustrating because we all like to draw and use our imagination but also using reality.

Last month, the winners of Tikatok’s National Writing Contest were announced and Sharon Kan, Tikatok’s CEO and co-founder, had the pleasure of interviewing this talented group of kids. Here is what Westlake Elementary ’s third grade class had to say:

We are sending your book to President Obama and are writing a letter to ask him to read your book. Can you help us suggest why he should read this book?

We think the president should read this book because it is an amazing book, and it is about the President, and it has questions, concerns, and ideas!  It could give him ideas about making laws and it could be a good bedtime story for his daughters.

Have any of you thought about writing another book? Can you share with us what the book will be about?

Yes we have.  1) A book about saving and protecting the natural environment around us so that we can keep it clean. 2) And maybe one about saving schools by donating money. 3) Donating money to the poor!

Tell us what it feels like to win a national writing contest.

We feel great and honored to win the award. It inspires us to be writers. We feel like we are famous because Obama will read this book.  Our principal has even mentioned us on the intercom!

How did you get your inspiration for your letter?

We had just watched the Inauguration and that was what got us going. It also was happening in our lives. And watching the news gave us great ideas and we had a class brainstorm.

What was your favorite part of the project?

We liked putting our personal problems and families into our letter and knowing they can maybe be solved, and we loved illustrating.  We loved illustrating because we all like to draw and use our imagination but also using reality.

Today I would like to share with you an example of how gracious the kids of Tikatok are.  What is very exciting to me is that our authors really seem to understand the mission of our company: to give everyone the chance to express themselves, collaborate, be safe, and just have fun.   It’s so nice to know how much these kids care about Tikatok, because we care so much about these kids!

Let me take this opportunity to personally thank these authors, and every other child who has written a book on Tikatok.

I hope you will continue to teach us what Tikatok is all about.

Best,

Sharon Kan, Co-founder of Tikatok

Today I would like to share with you an example of how gracious the kids of Tikatok are.  What is very exciting to me is that our authors really seem to understand the mission of our company: to give everyone the chance to express themselves, collaborate, be safe, and just have fun.   It’s so nice to know how much these kids care about Tikatok, because we care so much about these kids!

Let me take this opportunity to personally thank these authors, and every other child who has written a book on Tikatok.

I hope you will continue to teach us what Tikatok is all about.

Best,

Sharon Kan, Co-founder of Tikatok

You wrote your heart out. You drew some amazing illustrations to go with your story. You adjusted the page color and the text size so that the layout of your book is just perfect. Your book is going to take the world by storm. You wait to receive your first comment… and wait… and wait.

What happened? Usually the answer is simple: you need to share your book! On Tikatok there are many ways you can share, from putting your book on the Tikatok homepage for all to see, to sharing a private link with your friends by email, to posting your book to other websites. In this post I’ll explain the ways you can share your book on Tikatok… and beyond.

Permission Settings: Sharing with the Tikatok Community

The first thing you should do after you finish a book is decide how you want to share it with the rest of Tikatok. By default new books are shared to just the people on your Friends list. That means that only those people can read your book - other people who try to read it will see the message that they “do not have permission to read this book.” How do you give them permission? Change the permission settings.

From the book view page, click “Share” and then “Change sharing permissions.”  The next page you see will look like this:

To unlock your book so that anyone can read it, and to publish it to the Tikatok homepage, set “Who can read this book” to “Anyone.”  For your privacy, you should only do this for books that have absolutely no personal information in them!  Here is a summary of what the other permission levels mean:

• Anyone - Anyone who visits Tikatok can read the book, even people who aren’t members of Tikatok.  The book will appear with the “New” books on the homepage. 
• My Friends - Only Tikatok members on your Friends list can read the books.   Add Tikatok friends from the Friends page.
• My Family - Only Tikatok members on your Family list can read the books.  Family members have to be approved by parents before they are added to your list.
• Only my co-authors and I - The book is totally locked down to just you as the author, any co-authors of the book, and your parents

Even if you share your book with anyone, your real name will be hidden on the cover and title page, and the back cover will be removed (so that you can add your “about the author” information).  Only yourself, your parents, and approved family members will be able to see your real name.

Sharing a Private Book

What if you want to share your book with a few friends who aren’t members of Tikatok, but you don’t want to make the book visible to everyone?  It is possible.  In this case use the other options under the Share menu.

Send book via email - From here you can write in an email address and Tikatok will send to that address a special link to the book that is visible for 30 days.

Link or embed this book - If you’d rather use your own email program to send the link, click this button, copy the link, and paste it into your email message.  Again, if the book is private this link will only be valid for 30 days. 

Sharing Outside of Tikatok

Now if you really want the most people to read your book as possible, consider sharing it with other sites and social networks out there.  Kids, please get your parent’s permission, and their help, if you want to do this.

There are a lot of social networks out there where you can share cool stuff, and they are all different.  So I’ll give the example of Facebook.  Again, this is FOR PARENTS to do.

Sharing a Tikatok book to your Facebook Wall:

1. Make sure the permission settings on the book is set to “Anyone,” or that you have copied a temporary link to the book (see instructions above).  Otherwise your friends will not be able to read the book!
2. Sign in to your account on Facebook
3. At the status update prompt - “What’s on your mind?” - type a short message about the book.
4. Click the button below the update to add a link, paste in the link to the book, and click “Attach.”
5. Click “Share” to post the update to your Wall.  Your friends will see your update the next time they sign in to Facebook.

While you’re there, don’t forget to become a fan of Tikatok’s Facebook page!  And feel free to post your book to Tikatok’s wall.  We always welcome showing off from our authors.

Of course there are a ton of other places online where you can share your book.  How have you shared yours?

You wrote your heart out. You drew some amazing illustrations to go with your story. You adjusted the page color and the text size so that the layout of your book is just perfect. Your book is going to take the world by storm. You wait to receive your first comment… and wait… and wait.

What happened? Usually the answer is simple: you need to share your book! On Tikatok there are many ways you can share, from putting your book on the Tikatok homepage for all to see, to sharing a private link with your friends by email, to posting your book to other websites. In this post I’ll explain the ways you can share your book on Tikatok… and beyond.

Permission Settings: Sharing with the Tikatok Community

The first thing you should do after you finish a book is decide how you want to share it with the rest of Tikatok. By default new books are shared to just the people on your Friends list. That means that only those people can read your book – other people who try to read it will see the message that they “do not have permission to read this book.” How do you give them permission? Change the permission settings.

From the book view page, click “Share” and then “Change sharing permissions.”  The next page you see will look like this:

To unlock your book so that anyone can read it, and to publish it to the Tikatok homepage, set “Who can read this book” to “Anyone.”  For your privacy, you should only do this for books that have absolutely no personal information in them!  Here is a summary of what the other permission levels mean:

• Anyone - Anyone who visits Tikatok can read the book, even people who aren’t members of Tikatok.  The book will appear with the “New” books on the homepage. 
• My Friends – Only Tikatok members on your Friends list can read the books.   Add Tikatok friends from the Friends page.
• My Family – Only Tikatok members on your Family list can read the books.  Family members have to be approved by parents before they are added to your list.
• Only my co-authors and I – The book is totally locked down to just you as the author, any co-authors of the book, and your parents

Even if you share your book with anyone, your real name will be hidden on the cover and title page, and the back cover will be removed (so that you can add your “about the author” information).  Only yourself, your parents, and approved family members will be able to see your real name.

Sharing a Private Book

What if you want to share your book with a few friends who aren’t members of Tikatok, but you don’t want to make the book visible to everyone?  It is possible.  In this case use the other options under the Share menu.

Send book via email – From here you can write in an email address and Tikatok will send to that address a special link to the book that is visible for 30 days.

Link or embed this book – If you’d rather use your own email program to send the link, click this button, copy the link, and paste it into your email message.  Again, if the book is private this link will only be valid for 30 days. 

Sharing Outside of Tikatok

Now if you really want the most people to read your book as possible, consider sharing it with other sites and social networks out there.  Kids, please get your parent’s permission, and their help, if you want to do this.

There are a lot of social networks out there where you can share cool stuff, and they are all different.  So I’ll give the example of Facebook.  Again, this is FOR PARENTS to do.

Sharing a Tikatok book to your Facebook Wall:

1. Make sure the permission settings on the book is set to “Anyone,” or that you have copied a temporary link to the book (see instructions above).  Otherwise your friends will not be able to read the book!
2. Sign in to your account on Facebook
3. At the status update prompt – “What’s on your mind?” – type a short message about the book.
4. Click the button below the update to add a link, paste in the link to the book, and click “Attach.”
5. Click “Share” to post the update to your Wall.  Your friends will see your update the next time they sign in to Facebook.

While you’re there, don’t forget to become a fan of Tikatok’s Facebook page!  And feel free to post your book to Tikatok’s wall.  We always welcome showing off from our authors.

Of course there are a ton of other places online where you can share your book.  How have you shared yours?

Around this time, most teachers are getting ready to end the school year and start their summer. It’s a very hectic time, between finishing projects, preparing report cards, and packing up the classroom. There’s also the emotional toll that many people don’t consider. These students have been your children for the last year, and even the ones you say you can’t stand have found a place in your thoughts, if not your heart. So, how to make all this easier? 

Kill the rat! The pack rat that is. Teachers are notorious for hoarding EVERYTHING. Hey, we have reason. We never know when our budgets will be cut, our programs will switch, the old “new math” will become new again. But seriously, you know you have things you will NEVER use again. Spend 10 minutes a day between now and the end of the year throwing out stuff: one cubby hole, file drawer, cabinet section, whatever you can manage. Just be honest when you look at that purple-ink ditto. Then, when it’s time to really leave, you can do it with a lighter load, literally!

Maintain contact - Before you leave your school site for good this summer, ask your school office to print a sheet of address labels for your students. Buy (curse those feds for removing our deductible expenses!) prepostaged postcards from the machine at your local post office. Sometime during the summer (on a plane ride, long car trip, hot day at the beach), jot a note to each student. The postcard format ensures brevity, but sending it will make you feel good, and receiving it will make your kids feel great!

One of the things I love about good teachers is that they are always willing to share good ideas. I would love to hear yours. How do you get ready to close the year?

You know that you can create your own books on Tikatok using Build-A-Bear Workshop® artwork, characters, and special StorySparks. Now we are proud to announce that books appearing in the Build-A-Story Libeary on Tikatok will also appear inside Build-A-Bearville itself!

Build-A-Bearville is an award-winning virtual world “stuffed with fun” where millions of kids and their furry friends explore new virtual spaces, play games, and safely chat with each other.  With Tikatok books now appearing in Build-A-Bearville, your book has the chance to be read by more people than ever before!

Where do I find the Tikatok books in Build-A-Bearville?

Go where you would expect to find books: the Libeary of course!  Just sign in to Build-A-Bearville and either enter the Libeary on foot near Bear University, or click on the map icon and go right to the Libeary.  Once inside the Libeary, click on the open book that is on the center table with the title “Build-A-Story.”  And there you have it!

How do I add my own book to the Libeary?

Only books created in the Build-A-Story Workshop can be submitted to the Build-A-Bearville Libeary.  After you create your book, be sure to click “Submit to Libeary” to have your book considered for “cataloging” within the Libeary.

The Libeary will not accept every book submitted.  Here are some of the things we are looking for in your submissions:

1. Books that display a lot of imagination and creativity.
2. Original stories and illustrations, or interesting uses of the StorySparks and Build-A-Bear Gallery images.
3. Books that express the friendly spirit of Build-A-Bear Workshop.

 Here are some things that we WILL NOT accept:

1. Aside from on the back cover of the book (which is hidden to the public), books with any personal information about the author or other children such as real names and personal photos.
2. Books with illustrations not created by the author, or not available through the Build-A-Bear Gallery on Tikatok, including any image captured from another website.
3. Books that appear incomplete, or do not add anything to a StorySpark template.
4. Books with violence, profanity,  or other violations of Tikatok’s Community Guidelines.

Show Your Character Name

If you are a member of Build-A-Bearville, you will want your book to show your character’s name in the Libeary.  You can now add your character name to your Tikatok profile so that it will appear on your books in Build-A-Bearville (you will still see your Tikatok nickname when you’re on Tikatok).  If you are registering for Tikatok for the first time, just add your character name in the correct place on the registration form.  If you are already a member of Tikatok, sign in and go to the Profile page to add or change the name.

Chat about Tikatok with your Furbulous Friends

Now that you’ve created your book and it’s appearing in the Build-A-Bearville Libeary, let your friends know about it!  You can chat about your book using the Instant Chat box.  Here are some of the ways to tell your friends about your Tikatok book:

“Read my book in the Libeary!”

“I wrote a book, you can read it in the Libeary.”

“Did you see my book in the Libeary?”

Now go write those stories!

OK, you should now have all of the information you need to write your stories, see them in Build-A-Bearville, and share the experience with your friends.  You can always join the Official Build-A-Bear Workshop Books Club on Tikatok to share your ideas and completed stories.  Hope to see you there!

www.tikatok.com/build-a-bear