Creepy Apples and Easy eBooks - Make Your Own!

One of my second grade students, Anna, started jumping up and down when I picked her up for speech yesterday. She could hardly wait to get to my classroom. Her enthusiasm was touching but I must admit, it wasn’t ignited by having the opportunity to spend time with me; she was excited because she was going to have a chance to work on her eBook.

Technology is changing fast. Two weeks ago I discovered a fabulous app for my iPad which makes creating eBooks a breeze.  With “Book Creator” you can create iBooks using the student’s own stories, photos and illustrations. When the book is complete, you can load it right onto your iBooks shelf or email it to parents – and the app costs only $4.99!

The kids are still working on their stories but since I wanted to become familiar with the app, I created an iBook version of The Ghostly Night. If you’d like to check it out, you can download it free at the iBook store on an iPad (or iPhone). Just open the app, click on  “store” and search for The Ghostly Night. The app is free as are thousands of books. I downloaded several classics like Pride and Prejudice and The Tale of Two Cities but you’ll find other free books for kids.

After we left her classroom, Anna couldn’t stop talking about her story. In her tale, she was walking home when she noticed something following her. Apples! There were creepy apples everywhere! 

(Now if you think this story sounds familiar, you are right – Creepy Carrots, by Aaron Reynolds, was a huge hit with my students.) There were creepy apples in bushes, in trees, bouncing up the steps. 

Anna yelled, “Mom! Creepy apples! Creepy apples!” She ran into the kitchen. She ran down the hall. She ran into her room and then . . . well, I’d better stop there. Anna may want to publish her story one day and I don’t want to spoil it for you. But I will tell you, the ending was a happy one and I’m hoping for more happy endings in the lives of my students, when they reach their educational goals and continue on toward higher ones.

  

Artwork from Marcia Douglas' Kindergarten Class