As
summer quickly approaches, many parents and teachers worry about the
potential of learning loss, or a "summer slump." Reading
at least five books over the summer can help prevent this loss and
keep young people engaged as learners. However, finding a book that a
kid is excited to read can be a major challenge, whether your child
is a bookworm or a reluctant reader.
Introducing
Bookopolis.com,
a new, free tool to get kids excited about reading this summer.
Bookopolis
is a safe and fun online community made especially for young readers
(ages 7-12) where they can connect with friends to share their
favorite books and discover new ones. In Bookopolis,
kids earn points and badges for reading, rating, and reviewing books.
They can easily see what books their friends recommend and are
motivated to read more through healthy competition with friends.
Nine
out of ten kids are more likely to finish a book they choose for
themselves (Kids & Family Reading Report TM 4th
edition.) But, where do they find out about new book ideas?
Friends! According to a recent study on children's reading habits by
Bowker® Market Research, friends have actually replaced teachers and
librarians as the #1 source of new book ideas for kids today.
Kari
Riedel, an entrepreneur and mom of two elementary school-aged kids
started Bookopolis based on her own experience seeing the power of
book recommendations from friends. Ms. Riedel tried to help her
eight-year-old Harry Potter obsessed son find a new book to
read and suggested he would enjoy another fantasy adventure series,
The Mysterious Benedict Society. He dismissed her suggestion
until his friend recommended the exact same book a week later. Then,
of course, he could not wait to read it.
"We
wanted to create a fun and engaging online space for our tech-savvy
kids to celebrate their reading accomplishments and also to motivate
them to get off the computer and go read a book" says the
founder, Ms. Riedel.
Bookopolis
has been gaining traction in schools across Silicon Valley as a way
to get elementary school-aged kids excited about reading and help
them find peer approved books.
"My
son actually asked me to go to the library today after playing
on Bookopolis at school. He couldn't wait to get new books that his
friends had recommended so he could earn more points in Bookopolis"
shared a parent of a fourth-grade reluctant reader who recently
joined the site.
As
the school year winds down and summer heats up, get your kid excited
about reading by signing them up for a free account at
www.bookopolis.com
Bookopolis
is a COPPA-compliant social network and book discovery tool made
specifically for young readers ages 7-12. Kids can create
virtual bookshelves of books they've read or want to read, earn
points and badges every time they rate or review a book, connect to
friends to see what they are reading, and explore the top book picks
from other young readers. Parents must approve their child's account
and approve of any friends they connect to in Bookopolis.
www.bookopolis.com
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