Magic Blox

https://magicblox.com

MagicBlox is an online library filled with many different kinds of books for children.  It is a free resource and the website is user friendly. You can navigate through the website by the different tabs or simply browse through the collection of books shown on the homepage of the website.  Enjoy reading books from your computer, tablet, or mobile device! You can take your books anywhere.  The stories offered are age appropriate and there are books for all ages.

MagicBlox offers different access passes.  If you opt into experiencing the website for free, you are able to enjoy the Ladybug access pass and have unlimited access to reading one free book a month.  The website also offers a Bookworm access pass which allows you to have unlimited access to all the books for a monthly fee or the Butterfly access pass that also gives you unlimited access to books for a fee of once a year - saving you 36%!

One feature that I like about this website is how every book has a description.  I think that this is really helpful in choosing what book you want to read, especially if you are using the free one book a month access.  I also like how each book has a star rating.  The online library is always expanding which makes this resource better than it already is.  The choices of books are endless! I also appreciate the stories that have the audio narrations and music.   

MagicBlox is a resource that everyone should know about.  I, myself, use it for my kids.  As an educator, I want to instill the love for reading into my students and as a parent, I want the same for my children.  MagicBlox makes reading a whole different experience for them and they love it.  

*Contribution by Jia

Pebble Go and Pebble Go Next

By Capstone

Pebble Go (https://pebblego.com/) and Pebble Go Next (https://pebblegonext.com/) by Capstones is a curricular content hub. Pebble Go is designed for K-3 students and Pebble Go Next is designed for 3rd-5th grade students. Capstone is a family owned company to support the needs of reading in grades Pre-K to high school students. There are high quality and high-interest fiction and non-fictional materials. The content hub includes informational articles, ready-made activities, and literacy support for students of all abilities. It allows and fosters independent learning in core areas.

You can also sign up for a free trial to explore what Pebble Go and Pebble Go Next has to offer. Pebble Go Next's big idea is research. Its databases help students learn key concepts in Social Studies, Biographies, Science, States and American Indians. The articles are all supported by read-aloud audio and are connected to the curriculum. Pebble Go in particular assists early readers, meets student needs, and supports educators.

Pebble Go and Pebble Go Next offers a lot of user friendly features. Students just click on what they would like to read about or learn. Each category has a huge library of choices.

Among the features, is simple navigation and information is easy to find. The read aloud articles have real voice actors to help model correct pronunciation and fluency. It also provides text highlighting for readers of all abilities to follow along. 

*Contribution by Dona Miles

International Children’s Digital Library Foundation

 

The International Children’s Digital Library Foundation (ICDL) website - http://www.childrenslibrary.org was created to support the world’s children in becoming effective members of their local and global community while respecting the diverse cultures, languages, and ideas throughout our world.  ICDL strives to make the best children's literature available online, free of charge.  Another thing to note about this site is that it is a government-funded website so the content on the site has been reviewed and filtered. 

Even though the primary audiences for the ICDL are children from three to thirteen years old, parents, children caregivers, and educators, as well as academic professionals working in the field of children’s literature, are also targeted, since these people also impact the literacy of a child.  This website is great for students, parents, and educators, because it has a large collection of interactive books and they're all free.  It is valuable, especially considering its goals of helping a diverse audience accept all cultures.

*Contribution by G. Henry