Ghostwriter: Beyond the Page
Kids learn storytelling with fun write-along web series.
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Ghostwriter: Beyond the Page
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Ghostwriter: Beyond the Page is a web series that extends the award-winning Ghostwriter TV series. It teaches kids how to write a story of their own, and has an accompanying activity guide print-out to help young authors get on their way. There's no iffy content, but there are direct plugs for the Ghostwriter book line as well as the full TV show. The otherwise-fantastic printout has a ton of Apple product promotion. Kids age 8+ will get the most out of the content, as it supports what they're learning in school.
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What's the Story?
In Ghostwriter: Beyond the Page, Ghostwriter character Donna (Hannah Levinson) extends the award-winning TV show to a YouTube web series. Book-lover Donna wants to learn to write stories of her own and records a video blog about the process. She isn't sure where to start, so she asks the mysterious ghostwriter for help. Ghostwriter offers her hints in her journal, like asking her to think about the "who," "where," and "why" of her story. Literary characters like Alice in Wonderland or The Jungle Book's Mowgli say hello, and Donna reads excerpts from their stories. These examples help her deconstruct the literary elements she'll need in her own story. She writes a story about Sapphire the Spider, and helps kids understand the elements of storytelling in the process. Children's author D.J. MacHale introduces each installment and directs kid viewers to try writing their own stories with the accompanying Activity Guide handout.
Is It Any Good?
Ghostwriter: Beyond the Page has a much more explicitly educational bent than the original series. This web series will be appreciated by upper elementary teachers introducing narrative writing to their students. Each short episode focuses on one element of writing a story and has multiple examples of the theme. Donna does a great job summarizing the takeaways so kids can remember them. The accompanying story writing guide on the show's website is very well done and will help budding authors get their ideas on the page.
Hannah Levinson (Donna) is just as charming in these webisodes, but overall Beyond the Page doesn't have the same excitement as the series as it's mostly just Donna talking to the camera. There's a bit of a hard sell of the series' book product line, as well as the series itself. The otherwise-excellent accompanying handout has a lot of mentions of Apple products. It's a bit of a bummer to have such explicit product placement in media that's definitely meant to be used for learning in schools. Overall, Beyond the Page is a fun way for kids to learn the basics of storytelling.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about writing a story together. What ideas do we have for the who, where, and why of a story?
Donna is curious about how to write a good story, and asks the Ghostwriter for help. Who is someone you can ask to help you learn more about writing?
TV Details
- Premiere date: April 1, 2021
- Cast: Hannah Levinson, D.J. MacHale
- Networks: YouTube, Apple TV+
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: Book Characters, Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Curiosity
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: August 5, 2021
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