Scholastic's Member Online Book Club for Kids Chooses Hoot
Scholastic's 140,000 member online book club for kids chooses best-selling book Hoot by Carl HiaasenInteractive site features behind-the-scenes exclusives and first look at the new movie March 8, 2006
By NICOLE SPERLING
Scholastic.com
NEW YORK - Flashlight Readers(TM), a unique online book club for kids on Scholastic.com, introduces a virtual extension of Hoot by Carl Hiaasen as its newest book club installment. Young readers can plunge into the ecological mystery world of this award-winning children's book and have access to exclusive information about the author. Flashlight Readers at www.scholastic.com/flashlight, for children in grades 3-8, has more than 140,000 members and features popular titles that kids love and parents and teachers trust. Hoot, a 2003 Newbery Honor Book, is a humorous mystery that leads three middle-school kids to a protest to save endangered burrowing owls that live on the property where a pancake house is about to be built. These unlikely allies take on the masses, all for the sake of the owls. Starting today, Flashlight Readers takes Hoot fans on a virtual journey by expanding the adventure and bringing the book to life online with unique, interactive activities. Carl Hiaasen gives members a sneak peek at what it really takes to craft a book and Scholastic.com will host an online chat with the author on April 18 from 1-2 pm eastern, and again from 7-8 pm eastern that evening. Fun bulletin boards, flashboards and booklists are included exclusively for members of the Flashlight Readers club.
"This engaging experience gives Hoot fans the opportunity to continue exploring the mysteries and activism of the characters," said Sylvia Barsotti, Editor-in-Chief of Scholastic.com. "Flashlight Readers gives kids the unique opportunity to interact and broaden their experience with books well beyond the final chapter."
Hoot on Flashlight Readers has fun, interactive, exclusive features including:
* Hoot: The Movie - Kids will get a first look at slideshow stills with captions from the upcoming movie produced by Walden Media.
* Meet the Author - Carl Hiaasen discusses his writing process and posts an author's note about Hoot.
* What's Next - Kids will get a sneak-peek of Carl Hiaasen's newest book Flush with multi-page excerpts posted for members.
* Flashboards and Message Boards - To share with other Hoot readers, kids can post reactions and messages immediately in a safe, moderated format.
* Write for Change - This persuasive letter writing activity guides kids through the process of writing a letter about an issue of their choice to a politician or company.
* Surprise Reward - Once club members visit both the slideshow and writing activity, they'll receive fun construction and conservation signs to print and use to decorate their locker or bedroom.
Flashlight Readers is the ultimate multi-media experience for kids who love books. Other titles on the site include Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Holes by Louis Sachar, Esperanza Rising by Pan Munoz Ryan and Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett. Flashlight Readers also provides school to home learning opportunities with a comprehensive Teacher's Guide that offers lessons and activities and a Parent's Guide with tips and advice on how to use the online reading club at home. When readers join the virtual reading club, they can create free membership cards, which give them access to participate in author chats, leave instant messages for other readers and engage in interactive games that bring books to life. In addition, a Teacher Guide based on the movie version of Hoot is provided by Walden Media, a multi-media entertainment company and is available to download here.
About Scholastic.com
Scholastic.com is a leading Web site for Pre-K to grade 8 teachers, students and families. For educators, The Teacher Area offers free, standards-based content, online activities and teacher tools that span reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science. The Teacher Store at Scholastic.com features an extensive, relevant selection of classroom and professional development materials at preferred teacher pricing. Most recently special interest areas including a Librarian Area and Administrator Area have been created to provide resources that meet the needs for various educational fields. The Parents Area on the site facilitates home-to-school connections with robust resources including rich content and The Scholastic Store Online, which offers a broad mix of merchandise carefully selected for its developmental appropriateness and kid appeal, with learning benefits endorsed by a panel of early childhood experts. The Kids Area offers games and activities featuring children's favorite Scholastic characters, including Clifford the Big Red Dog(TM), Harry Potter(TM) and Captain Underpants(TM). Visit www.scholastic.com for more information.
