Topic for 7/29/12 #storyappchat: How can we “improve children’s literature in digital spaces”? A challenge from Daniel Donahoo

This week, join us for #storyappchat at 6pm PT/9pm ET for a special ‘open mic’ discussion. A recent article in the Huffington Post from Wired.com contributor Daniel Donahoo (Researcher & Author on Childhood Learning, Development & Technology) & Beth Dobler (Professor of Reading & Language Arts, Emporia State University,Kansas) asked the following question(s):

Checking for Quality: Developing an Assessment Tool

“We all know that the increasing number of new publishing platforms are challenging the traditional models of publishing. There is a growing interest and enthusiasm for the capacity of anyone to publish and create, but is there equal interest on the impact of quality or value of these texts to the reader? Currently, publishing in digital spaces emphasizes producers, rather than consumers. This unbalanced focus has the potential to impact children’s reading experiences in negative, as well as positive ways, and is already having a significant impact on the world of children’s literature.” Read the full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-donahoo/improving-childrens-liter_b_1675089.html

Join us Sunday, July 29th at 6pm PT/9pm ET to discuss the quality of digital children’s literature …

Topic for the 5/27/12 #storyappchat: David vs. Goliath

One theme we thoroughly explored in last week’s anniversary chat is that the app market has definitely exploded over the last year. And it’s not just independents and small publishers getting into the act–big brands with decades-old characters are establishing electronic book presences.

What does this mean for the little guys (us)? Is it possible to compete with Barbie, Dora and Lightning McQueen? How do we let parents know about our original but unfamiliar characters and stories?

We’ll explore this issue in this Sunday’s #storyappchat. Plan to stop by at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/6:00 p.m. Pacific–just use the #storyappchat hashtag to join in!

Guest Host for 1/8/12 #storyappchat: Lynley Stace

Help us welcome Lynley Stace of Slap Happy Larry, the team behind the new storybook app The Artifacts. She will be the guest host for this Sunday’s #storyappchat, set for 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Slap Happy Larry comprises the husband and wife team of Dan Hare and Lynley Stace who are based near Canberra. Dan grew up on the central NSW coast and Lynley grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand. Their daughter is three years old. Their first storybook app is called The Artifacts and was released early December, 2011. Music for The Artifacts was created by film and game composer Chris Hurn, also from New Zealand.

So get your questions and comments ready for Lynley–and be sure to take a look at The Artifacts ahead of time. See you Sunday at 9!

Topic for 10/9/11 #storyappchat: Let’s Talk Formats

The field of electronic book formats is growing–even for picture books. These include:

Apps: Interestingly, this format is the oldest (at only a few years old) and most dominant for creators of electronic picture books. Apps exist for many devices, but the two main players here are Apple (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch) and Android phones and tablets. Those who want to develop books in this format must have some technical knowledge, or work with a third party who does. Native file is a stand-alone program.

iBooks: Originally designed by Apple for books containing mostly text, recent developments have allowed content creators to create fixed layout books complete with sound and word highlighting, resulting in a more ‘app-like’ experience for the reader. A bit of technical knowledge helps here as well, or there are tools available like Red Jumper’s Book Creator app to make the process easier and more intuitive. Native file is an enhanced ePub.

Nook: Similar to iBooks in capabilities and feature set, the Nook is the proprietary Barnes & Noble electronic format. Currently B&N doesn’t allow anyone besides a major publisher of print books to upload enhanced, fixed-layout books to their Nook store, but this may change. Native file is an ePub.

Kindle: Until the recent introduction of the Kindle Fire, the Kindle family of hardware devices (Amazon’s e-readers) included only black and white eInk screens, although a color device like the Apple iPad can display Kindle content in color. The Kindle Fire is a color Android tablet capable of running apps and displaying enhanced content, so the eventual addition of a fixed-layout/animated/narrated creator hub would be a welcome development by Amazon. Native files are in Mobi format.

Come join us for a discussion of the pros and cons of these and other electronic book formats at the October 9 installation of our weekly #storyappchat hour. We’ll get things kicked off at 9:00 p.m. EDT–just use the #storyappchat hashtag to chime in!