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StoryJumper (http://www.storyjumper.com/)

common sense media says

Easy tool lets kids write and publish their own books.

parents & educators say
See 2 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this creative-writing site offers kids an online tool to create literary works like a picture book, treasure map, or calendar. Parents then have the option to publish and purchase the final product. To register, you need to provide your birthdate and create a username and password. Kids are encouraged not to use their real name as part of the username. Anyone under 13 who registers for the site needs to provide a parent's email address, and the site will ask the parent for approval before activiating the account.

Educational value: The site encourages creative writing and reading.
Positive messages: Not applicable.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: The site doesn't have any ads.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Privacy & safety: Users can mark the books and other items they create as private or make them public and share them with other site users. Parents can set up an account and view the books that their children create on the site -- or create books of their own.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on StoryJumper

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • How fun and easy it is to write your own book. You can also talk about the creative process -- how you think of an idea and make an entire story out of it.
  • Why is it never a good idea to include a ton of personal information, like your home address or phone number, in anything you post on a website? If you're writing a story about your life, why would you not want to include where you live or any information about how to reach you?
  • What kind of photos are OK to upload to a site, and which ones aren't -- even if you think no one else will ever see them?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

The authoring tool's instructions are a little confusing, but the tool itself is pretty easy to use -- kids will probably be able to figure it out on the first try. And they can do a lot with it: Users can make their stories very visual by manipulating and adding images and deciding what they want the text they add to look like. Kids can upload their own photos or choose from the site's selection of clip art to add images or backgrounds to their stories.

The site doesn't have a ton of stories for kids to read yet -- authors can choose to make what they write either private or public, and it's possible more will opt to share their work in the future. However, if that happens, the site may want to increase its screening and filter functions. Right now, it's a little unclear how the site filters user content.

Online interaction: Kids can't interact with other users on the site.

This review was written by Erin Brereton
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

shopgirly
kid, 11 years old
5
 
Fun and Boring
I like it but I think there should be more stickers.
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helped me decide (16) | had useful details (16) | read my mind (16)
cpscreenblogger
kid, 9 years old
8
 
great today
thats great i might go on it today!
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was this review useful?
helped me decide (10) | had useful details (8) | read my mind (17)

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About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age
Our child development rating guidelines