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Kid Book Reviews on StoryTubes

   June 3rd, 2008

StoryTubes book review video imageA librarian in Maine recently posted to MELIBS-L that one of their local patrons was a finalist for the 2008 StoryTubes contest. I had never heard of this contest, but I like projects where patrons get involved, so I checked it out. I loved it.

Kids make a video of themselves reviewing a book on a particular theme (that week's was "Facts, Fads and Phenoms") and submit it to StoryTubes. Finalists get posted on the website (via YouTube), website visitors vote, and four winner win $500 in books (and their sponsoring school or library receives $1,000 in books).

This year's contest is winding down, and I'm sorry I missed it. It's sponsored by publishers and libraries, and the finalist videos are great (my two favorite are below, and more here).

But even outside this contest, I think this would be a fun thing to do in the library. All it would take is a basic digital camera and a YouTube account, and I can see parents, kids and librarians getting really into it. It gives kids an opportunity to create, and in a public way. You always hear the phrase, "it'll be something to tell your grandkids about." This gives kids something to be proud of and tell their grandparents about.

Your Chickens: A Kids Guide to Raising and Showing

Essential Visual History of the World




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4 Responses to “Kid Book Reviews on StoryTubes”

  1. s.c. Says:

    Yay!! Vote for the video YOUR CHICKENS! The other one is by a kid whose sister already won a category. Well, vote for whichever you like best, but watch them both! You can vote here:
    http://www.storytubes.info/vote/final_videos.php

    Also– don’t you think that it would be better if the kids videos were judged on merit, not on this absurd popular vote? It seems like a better message for the kids. The kid with the second video, and his sister, have their entire school system voting daily because of organized parents and teachers. That hardly seems fair to kids who made gerat videos but don’t have parents’ who know how to network for votes. I’m suggesting to the sponsoring library that they have a merit-based award next year. It just seems liek a better message to the kids, don’t you think?

  2. Brian Herzog Says:

    You’re right (perhaps the fundamental flaw with democracy is that you don’t have to be right or the nest to win, just organized or the most popular).

    But actually, my preference to use this idea in a library wouldn’t involve voting at all – it’d just be kids reviewing books. Perhaps work a deal with teachers so students get extra credit, but otherwise the video itself should be the goal.

  3. Friday Link Round Up « ellie <3 libraries Says:

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