Due to CRCT testing, not all classes have been able to come to the library but for those who have, I have been playing with my new IPAD mini and showing the kiddos some of my favorite apps!

The first app is called My Sketch and is currently $1.99. It is also available in the Google Play store for Androids! Here is IOS link for Apple devices:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-sketch/id448162988?mt=8 
As you can see takes a photo and makes it look like a pencil drawing! It works great for animal portraits!!!

The next app we looked at is ToonCamera. This app applies a cartoonish filter to photos and videos and it's lots of fun but you have to play around with it a bit to figure out what effects you like. This is now .99 in the App store.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tooncamera/id392538848?mt=8

Finally, we had the most fun with Puppet Pals and Puppet Pals 2. I had been testing Puppet Pals All Access Pass (the paid version) and the kids were having a ball as I demonstrated the creation of very silly scenes with characters bouncing up and down and getting bigger and smaller. Then somehow I stumbled upon Puppet Pals 2 which has characters with moving limbs, a moving mouth, interchangeable heads and bodies etc. There is even a way to insert your own head into the funky equation! I was completely unfamiliar with Puppet Pals 2 but I really wanted to check it out so I opened it in Ms Sheffield's 4th grade class visit. Then I had the idea of calling on a student to create a movie. What a novel idea, HA! I called Nicholas up to the front and told him he could choose one friend so Andrew joined him. I said "You have two minutes, make a movie!" We all had so much fun watching the two guys figure out the program and we were all very entertained by their hilarious movie! I wanted to get a picture of them with their movie characters in the background but one student got onto the IPAD started changing things around so you really cannot see the scene they created but it was all in fun! Oh and Ian jumped into the shot so that's why there are three boys up there!!! Here is a review of Puppet Pals 2 http://www.geekswithjuniors.com/blog/2013/2/19/puppet-pals-2.html. Here is the link to the app store, this is $4.99 for the full version  (All Access)https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puppet-pals-2-all-access/id557616416?mt=8

Dr. Sarah Prineas, middle grades fantasy author and former English professor was kind enough to visit with a group of our students today for career day via Skype. Prineas was very engaging and dynamic; she was able to capture the hearts and minds of our students with a really nice  down to earth talk about her books from the Magic Thief series. 

Our hungry readers where treated to many details relating to plot, setting, and character development. This author had a very relaxed presence and great rhythm as she moved from booktalk to factoids to writing tips to a tour of her workspace to an introduction of her canine companion.  She was gracious enough to answer all of the questions posed by our  own young authors in very thorough and thoughtful manner. 

Tbis Skype visit was a real highlight for the staff and students and we we are very, very grateful to this outstanding author for donating her time. Thank you Sarah Prineas!!!

http://sarah-prineas.com/2012/09/free-skype-visits/