FableVision Learning and Lulu Jr. Announce Partnership to Tackle Writing Challenges for Kids with New Online Book Publishing Platform
NY Times Best-Selling Author & Creativity Champ Peter H. Reynolds to Host My Awesome Publishing Company! TM Book Creation Platform for Students
BOSTON, MA and RALEIGH, NC – There's no feeling quite as awesome as holding your very own published book in your hands for the first time. Two companies have joined forces to make this magical moment a reality for kids around the globe. FableVision Learning, award-winning educational media and software publisher, and Lulu Jr., the children’s division of online self-publishing pioneer Lulu.com, have announced their partnership to develop My Awesome Publishing Company! TM, the web-based writing and book publishing platform designed for young learners, initially grades K–8.The companies will share details about the new product and partnership at FETC 2015 (Florida Educational Technology Conference) on Jan. 20–23 in Orlando, Fla.
According to the most recent U.S. DOE’s National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Writing Assessment, “Only 24% of students currently write at “proficient” level in eighth and twelfth grades.” FableVision Learning and Lulu Jr. are out to help change that. My Awesome Publishing Company! invites students to experience the joy of creating a book from beginning to final printed copy. The online tool also helps young learners build writing, production and distribution skills that meet required standards, along with first-hand entrepreneurial, promotion and marketing skills. In this way, educators and librarians now have an engaging way to tackle new Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which require deeper reading and writing ability, along with use of digital tools for collaboration, production and distribution.
The online platform will be hosted by FableVision’s founder and New York Times best-selling children’s book author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds (The Dot, Ish, Sky Color). “While folks tussle over the name and definition of writing standards, my work is focused a mission to encourage creativity and self-expression for all ages, which is why I’m so excited to connect the dots with Lulu—the pioneer in open publishing for grown-ups,” Peter H. Reynolds said. “We can get kids hooked on writing – and improving their writing – along with providing them access to their very own print-on-demand books, giving every child a chance to share their voice with the world.”
FableVision Learning and Lulu Jr. will be scheduling VIP appointments to share a sneak-peek of the new product at the FETC Conference in the Orange County Convention Center (South Building, room S210B).
“Educators need ways to spark students’ intrinsic motivation to write and to keep writing, as well as creative ways to respond to students’ written work,” FableVision CEO Paul Reynolds said. “At the same time, they are scrambling to meet new standards requiring their students to publish in multiple formats. This collaboration aims to deliver an engaging, intuitive, guided solution that motivates kids to write, while also fostering the 4Cs in the 21st Century Skills Framework: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.”
Designed for mobile and desktop accessibility, My Awesome Publishing Company!’s creativity tools can travel beyond the classroom to libraries, community centers and the home—so the creative process doesn’t have to stop when the school bell rings. Because the final output can be a physical book, creative work is easily shared with family and friends, and becomes a family heirloom that can be treasured for generations.
“Educators, their students and kids everywhere deserve more engaging tools to nurture writing of all kinds. And the good news is that publishing is an almost magical invitation to get kids writing,” said Bob Young, founder of Lulu. “Holding a book in your hands with your name printed on it is really exciting, and that’s what My Awesome Publishing Company! enables. It will be so easy and fun to use that we envision adults using it right alongside their kids.”
To schedule an appointment at FETC 2015 to see a preview of the My Awesome Publishing Company! platform, visit fetc.lulujr.com. Further product details will be announced at the conference.
Julia Young
FableVision Learning
Julia@FableVisionLearning.com
888-240-3734
Brook Terran
Lulu
bterran@lulu.com
919-447-3229
About Lulu Jr.
Lulu Jr. allows children to become published authors and artists while encouraging creativity, strengthening literacy and building self-esteem. The Lulu Jr. product line includes the award-winning book-making kits My Awesome Book®, My Comic Book®, and IlluStory®. Lulu Jr.’s product line has been recognized by SheKnows Parents’ Choice Awards, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Creative Child Magazine Toy of the Year, Academic's Choice Brain Toy Award and other organizations and publications celebrating unique products that parents can trust to enrich their children’s lives. For more information, please visit www.lulujr.com and follow us on Facebook . Lulu Jr. is a division of Lulu.
About Lulu
Founded and led by Bob Young, Lulu.com was launched in 2002, pioneering the web-based self-publishing industry that paved the way for people around the world to publish books and bring them to market, while allowing authors to retain full control of their work. Operating a global network, Lulu provides worldwide distribution so that authors can reach readers anywhere via print, e-readers and tablet devices. As the leading independent self-publishing company, Lulu.com has empowered creators in more than 225 countries and territories to produce nearly two million publications. For more information, please visit www.lulu.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook .
About Peter H. Reynolds/FableVision
Internationally-acclaimed creativity champion Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of books for all ages (The Dot, Ish, Sky Color, The North Star, Going Places.) His work has been published in over 25 languages around the globe. In 1996, Reynolds founded FableVision with his identical twin brother Paul Reynolds, along with Gary Goldberger, who serves as President. FableVision Studios is an award-winning, creative R&D/educational media development studio located in Boston's Innovation District. FableVision Studios, co-located at the Boston Children’s Museum, works with other publishers, museums, broadcasters and non-profits to create custom digital media, animation, educational software, learning games and mobile apps.
Reynolds also oversees the company’s K12 edtech publishing group FableVision Learning (FableVisionLearning.com), as well as The Reynolds Center for Teaching Learning & Creativity (ReynoldsTLC.org) non-profit creative R&D group. In 2013, Peter H. Reynolds was presented with the first-ever 2013 Visionary Award by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) for his “insight and exceptional leadership.”
