Creator: Humankind Systems, Inc. | visit site
Grade Range: 8 - 11
If you are a booklover, this is a fabulous site and a unique way to connect with other booklovers around the world. The proviso with it is that it is an entirely open site. Watching the site for several years has proven that it is genuinely populated by people interested in reading and discussing books as well as sharing them with others throughout the world. Ron Hornbaker of Humankind Systems developed this software to make tracking books possible, and a phenomenon began that has grown immensely over the past 6 years. For everything you ever were curious about with the site, click on the FAQ at the bottom. An amazing site for anyone who reads and loves books.
In the Classroom
Understanding that this is an open site worldwide is what puts it into the HS range-- plus the fact that most of the books addressed are adult books (rather than books written for juveniles). As a teacher, it is fascinating to gather information from other places-- and books are released from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and everywhere in between! There are sites on this web to look at the books and the people who release them. You must register to fully use the site, but it is free. This is definitely worth exploring for a variety of reasons, even beyond teaching reading and English. And if you are a book lover yourself, it is just plain fun! Recomment the site to your mature students to promote independent reading and life-long learning.
At Home
Love to read? Want to encourage your kids to read? What better way than showing them readers around the world? This is a great site to explore WITH your student to discover new areas of reading and new directions that you or your child might not have explored otherwise. This is definitely worth a look!