This week I want to introduce you to Hayden, AKA haydiethelady, author of the book “Go Fish.”

I asked Hayden and her mom, Hilary, a few questions.

First, Hayden:

What are your favorite books, and what do you like most about them?

Hayden: My favorite book is Pink Elephant with Golden Spots by Phillippe Fix because the drawings are very colorful and because it was my Mother’s book when she was little.

What did you like best about making your own book?

Hayden: I liked writing a story about my pet so my friends could read about Goldie too!

Which do you like better: coming up with a story or making the drawings?

Hayden: Making the drawings because I love to draw all the time.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Hayden: An ice skating teacher.

Are you going to create any more books on Tikatok? What will you write about?

Hayden: I want to write a book about three lost puppies, Noah, Charles, and Brian.

And now to her mom, Hilary. How did you and Hayden come up with the idea for “Go Fish”

Hilary: We actually own a fish named Goldie, and Hayden came up with this whole story line because she actually had been begging me for a dog and I said, “no.” One day this summer, we were swimming and she said “wouldn’t it be funny if we brought Goldie to the pool and let her swim?” We had a laugh at that. Then she started talking about other places Goldie could swim, like the water cooler at my office, and the wishing well at Stew Leonard’s and our family vacation to Great Wolf Lodge.

I typed it all up for her as she envisioned it and she drew all the illustrations. She had such a good time with it and we’ll work on a sequel this winter.

What other fun and creative activities do you like to do with Hayden

Hilary: Hayden loves to create all sorts of things with Hama/Perler Beads (beads that you put on a pegboard and then iron into a hard shape). We recently started playing a game where one of us will draw a body part (e.g. a face) and the next person will then add a body part (like eyes, hair, etc…). We wind up with really funny looking people or animals, but it’s a really fun activity to do together. Hayden loves all sorts of craft projects and takes an art class after school. Sometimes we buy cardboard animal shapes and she decorates them with buttons, yarn, stickers, etc… She also loves building with magnatiles.

Do you have a special time for these activities, or is it just when the feeling hits you?

Hilary: I work full time, so we usually do these projects on the weekends or evenings, but really, whenever the feeling hits us. It’s a nice change from watching T.V.!

Have you shared Hayden’s book with others?

Hilary: We sent the book to all of our close family members and, of course, they loved it! Recently, Hayden’s kindergarten class had an evening event called “Family Reading Night.” It started off with a Scholastic book fair and then a children’s author came and read one of her books. Finally, the kids went back to their classroom and the parents each got to read a story of his or her own choosing to the classroom. I read “Go Fish.” The kids LOVED it because they knew Hayden had drawn all the pictures and because it was a story about her and her brothers. The parents were amazed at the quality of the book and they, too, loved the story. Everyone was asking me how we made the book. I told everyone about Tikatok and how easy it was to create the story and upload the drawings. I felt really proud for Hayden because she was walking around saying “You know, I’m an illustrator. I illustrated a book. Even my cousin hasn’t illustrated a book, and he’s a whole year older than I am!”

And I thought I would give Hayden the last word. What advice do you have to other kids interested in writing a book?

Hayden: They should draw some pictures first and then go to Tikatok and ask their parents to help type the story unless they know how to type themselves.

Thank you so much, Hayden and Hilary. I for one will be anxiously awaiting your second book.

Of course, that’s not where the story really ends.  In fact, it’s just the beginning.  What do you do with your friend when you get home?  What adventures do you have, or do you imagine having with her?  What fun moments do you share?  You brought her to life in the store, but you create her story when you play together.  And now, you can turn that story into a real book, and share it with the world.

Tikatok and Build-A-Bear Workshop have teamed up to allow you to tell the story of your stuffed animal like you never could before.  Using special Tikatok StorySparks and a new gallery of beautiful Build-A-Bear artwork, you can create a story about your favorite stuffed animal in your own words, and publish it into a real book just like you see at the bookstore!

Click here to start your Build-A-Bear Workshop Build-A-Story™

When you’re done with your story, be sure to submit it to the Build-A-Bear Workshop Libeary^®.   The best books will appear in the Library and can be read by anyone, or shared with all of your friends and family.

Happy Writing!

With the holiday season approaching, we at Tikatok get the question all of the time: “I think Tikatok is a great idea but how do I give it as a gift?”  Or, “how can I encourage a child to publish a book who is not yet a member of the site?”  Well, the answer is finally here: a Tikatok Gift Card.

Now available, Tikatok Gift Cards can be used just like cash to order printed books of a child’s own making, or even for purchasing books by other children.  Or, consider giving a card as a gift to a teacher, allowing him or her to run a literacy program in class and preserve the activity in a printed book.

Gift cards are available in any denomination, but we have provided some suggested values based on the average prices of our books.  You have the option of sending the gift card claim code by email, for instant gratification, or of requesting a handsome plastic card for a more tangible gift.

You heard about Tikatok first.  Now here’s your chance to spread the word AND send a unique and thoughtful gift to the creative people on your list at the same time.

Sometimes I am in the mood to write, but when I sit down in front of a blank piece of paper, nothing comes to me.  I just can’t think of anything to write about!  Remember, if you get stuck, it doesn’t mean you’re not creative.  All authors, including famous adult authors, get “writer’s block.”  Don’t blame yourself, blame the blank page.  It’s just not very interesting, is it?  You may need to do something that gets you away from the blank page, gets your mind AND body active, and gets those creative juices flowing.  Some people are most creative when they are physically active, talking to their friends, or exploring the natural world rather than just sitting at a desk thinking.  So here are a few ideas for getting into the storytelling mood.

1. Make a Diorama

A diorama is like a scene from your story that you make with toys or models.  Making a diarama can really help give you a picture of the story you want to create.  So you may think: if I don’t have any story ideas, how can I create a diorama?  It may seem strange, but sometimes inspiration comes not from inside your head, but from what’s around you.  You may find it easier to bring together some interesting objects–toys, models, photographs, some old junk–and tell a story using these “props.”

Dioramas are used all the time in museums and amusement parks to recreate scenes from history, or places that most people will never get a chance to see, in a way that looks very lifelike.   They can show cavemen and ice-age animals fighting, deep ocean trenches full of fish, or even the surface of the moon.  But your diorama doesn’t have to be that complicated! Everything you need for your diorama is in your home.  Here’s what you need:

1. A container - Something to hold your diorama.  Could be any cardboard box such as a shoebox.
2. A backdrop - The background scene for your diorama.  Can be a photograph, an image from a book, or even a photograph.  But please don’t go around the house cutting up books and old photographs!  Ask your parents for help if you have to.
3. The ground - Stuff for the front of your scene, what your characters will stand on.  You can use real dirt or rocks from your yard, or sculpt something with modeling clay, or just more photographs (just be sure to set them apart from the backdrop so they look closer.  You might also add some other props for your characters like cars or furniture, depending on the scene.
4. Characters - Who or what is in this world you’ve created?  What are they doing?  This is where your imagination really comes in to play.  And let it run wild.  Dinosaurs in the city?  Sharks swimming in the sky above the Grand Canyon?  Farmers on Mars?  Why not?

Then just place your backdrop agains the back of your container, lay in the ground, and position your characters in an interesting or funny way.  You can try out different backgrounds and different characters until you get it right.  That’s it.  Now look at what you’ve created.  A lot more interesting than a blank page, right?  In fact,  it virtually screams: “write a story about me!”

Another great thing about this activity is that if you use a digital camera to take a picture of your diorama, you already have the greatest image for you book cover!

2. Story Rounds

The other thing that can really help you to get ideas is to talk with your friends.  Sometimes when you see writers in TV shows and movies, they look very lonely: hunched over a desk, staring at the computer screen, lost in their own thoughts.  But most writers don’t do it on their own.  They talk with their friends to get ideas and have other people read their work to give them advice.  Your friends can help you throughout your story writing process, even at the beginning.

In the Story Rounds game, your make up crazy stories with your friends on the spot.  Gather as many friends as you can and sit in a circle.  You start the game off by saying the first word in a story.  Then the friend sitting to your left says the next word.  And then the next friend says the next word.  In this way you try to tell a story without anyone having to come up with more than one word at a time.  As you’ll see, it is fun and you come up with some really crazy stories.  It may take you a couple of tries to come up with an idea that makes sense, or that you will want to write down into a real story, but you’re sure to come up with something interesting, and have fun doing it.

OK, hope these are helpful.  I’ll be back next week with some more brainstorming activities.  If you have ideas for brainstorming exercises, or any tips for writing, please post them in the comments or email them to neal at tikatok dot com.  The best tips will be featured in a future blog post.Until then, happy writing.

Here’s how it works:

One-step registration

All you need is your name and email address, the address of your school, and the number of students in your class.  When it comes time for your class to begin, each student will use a temporary username and password to sign in, then select their own permanent nicknames and passwords.

Private class forum

Every class also gets a private forum in our “Clubs” section, and every student is automatically joined.  In this forum, teachers can specify assignments, leave feedback, or lead discussions.  Students can share their books with the club when they are completed,  or arrange collaborations with their classmates.

Teacher dashboard

As each student signs up, you’ll see them added to your teacher dashboard.  You can send personal messages directly to their Tikatok inbox, or click on their nicknames to view their work-in-progress.  We also make it easy to invite parents by email to register and see their children’s work.  And if you want to use Tikatok for your next class, just add a new section.

Teacher notifications

Don’t worry about students running amok on the site.  You’ll get an email notification for every action a child takes that has implications for their privacy.  When a parent signs up, you can “hand off” the student and no longer receive those notifications.

When it comes to inspiring kids to read and write, and giving them the guidance they need to make great progress, teachers are so important.  I know we’re going to see some really amazing books come out of classroom projects.

Register your classroom now.

Let other teachers benefit from your experience.

If you’re a teacher, we’d love to hear what you think of the tools, and learn how you used them in your class.  Your feedback will help us improve the site, and your tips or lesson plans will inspire other teachers.  Leave a comment on the blog, or email neal@tikatok.com with your story.   We’ll feature exemplary projects on this blog, along with samples of student work.

And, if you’re a parent and would love for your child to create a book in class, please let his or her teacher know about our new educational program!

And here’s the link to the video from the WCVB-TV Channel 5 evening news last night. A great little segment featuring some amazing and outspoken (and cute) kids. Thank you Bianca de la Garza for highlighting our community and giving some of our child authors some time in the spotlight.

Watch the video!

If you live in the Boston area, or are otherwise in broadcast range of Boston’s ABC affiliate, WCVB TV-5, watch tonight from 5-6:30 for a new story about Tikatok and our joint book writing program with the Boston Public Library. Bianca de la Garza interviewed Tikatok authors, parents, and our own CEO Sharon Kan at the Charlestown Library event held on Tuesday morning. It was a fun event with some really talented kids and should make for a great story, although the TV crew almost stole the show with their “ginormous” microphones and cameras.

Set your watch and/or Tivo!

The Boston Public Library and Tikatok have started a series of creative writing workshops to take place over the next few weeks at each of the branch libraries.  Kids who participate in the event are in for an hour or two of writing and illustrating using Tikatok’s StorySparks system, and each child will receive a free copy of his or her finished book!  We’re already seeing some great examples coming in from workshops held at Adams St., Fields Corner, Grove Hall, Jamaica Plain, and Orient Heights.  If you missed the event nearest you, don’t worry!  There are still plenty upcoming, including one at the main library branch in Copley Square on Friday, August 1 at 2:30PM.  Here is the full slate:

Tuesday July 29, 3:00 PM - Dudley Branch, 65 Warren St., Roxbury

Wednesday July 30, 11:00 AM - West Roxbury Branch, 1961 Centre St.

Thursday July 31, 1:00 PM - Codman Square Branch, 690 Washington St., Dorchester

Friday August 1, 2:30 PM - Main Branch, Copley Sq., 700 Boylston St.

Monday August 4, 6:30 PM - Connolly Branch, 433 Centre St., Jamaica Plain

Tuesday August 5, 11:15 AM - Charlestown Branch, 179 Main St.

Thursday, August 7, 6:30 PM - Hyde Park Branch, 35 Harvard Ave.

Monday, August 11, 3:00 PM - Washington Village Branch, 1226 Columbia Rd., South Boston

Tuesday, August 12, 2:00 PM - South End Branch, 685 Tremont St.

Wednesday August 13, 10:30 AM - 27 Richmond St., Dorchester

Thursday August 14, 10:30 AM - Faneuil Branch, 419 Faneuil St., Brighton

Friday, August 15, 10:30 AM - Roslindale Branch, 4238 Washington St.

Or, view the complete BPL calendar of events for more fun workshops and contact information.