Skoodlez

Following the path of Webkinz and other toy-based online worlds, Skoodlez are stuffed animals whose individual code unlocks a virtual world. What makes Skoodlez.com different than others of its ilk is its focus on literacy activities, rather than social interactions. In features like Tell Me a Story, kids create a story by selecting the setting, characters, and actions from a small graphical list of choices. The story can then be read with the accompanying illustrations by a narrator whose gender kids can choose as well. Levels increase with the children's literacy level. Users can progress from fill-in-the-blank stories to composing their own without any help. On the Library page, kids can read stories -- their own as well as other kids -- and rate their favorites.