Archive for the 'Writing' Category

Write a letter to Santa and help others!

Published on December 6, 2010 in Just for fun, Website to Explore and Writing. 2 Comments

In 1897, eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Sun newspaper, asking if there really was a Santa Claus. The editor promptly replied, assuring her that yes, indeed, there is a Santa. This is one of the most famous news stories in history. Macy’s department store has created a way for kids to help other kids based on this story. They are donating $1.00 for every letter that is written to Santa and put in their mailbox at their store! The goal is to raise one million dollars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, who provides wishes for kids who have life-threatening illnesses.

Let’s help them reach their goal! Write a letter to Santa using this great online tool. In your letter, persuade Santa that you should be on the Nice List. Also, be sure to let him know your Christmas wishes. When you finish, let me know so I can help you print your letter.

Just so you know, there will be a TV special on CBS on December 17 at 7:00 p.m. based on the Virginia story. :)

Your library lady,

Mrs. Matzat

Create your own Graphic Novel!

Published on September 30, 2010 in Writing. 2 Comments

Do love reading graphic novels? Now you can create your own with Comic Master! This site lets you create your graphic novel, complete with backgrounds, characters, props, dialogue, and special effects. If you want to save your creations, you do have to create an account. Be sure to ask your parents to help you sign up if you use it a home. Let me know what you think by posting a comment!

Your library lady,

Mrs. Matzat

Create your own online book with My StoryMaker!

Published on September 9, 2010 in Website to Explore and Writing. 27 Comments

I found a great new site that I just had to share with you! It’s called My StoryMaker, and it lets you make your own online story book that you can print and save to share with others. The tool helps you select the characters, setting, plot, and more for your book. Here’s what the site creators say about My StoryMaker:

“Can a lion share a cupcake with an astronaut? What happens when a pirate meets a fox in the woods? You have the power to decide — meeting new characters, going on great adventures and creating your very own story along the way.

My StoryMaker lets you control characters and objects – and creates sentences for you! Once you are done with your story, you can print it out. You cannot go back and edit a story once you have ended it but, if you click “yes” when asked to share it with others, you can print it out again by entering the magic number it gives you in the box on the right.”


One thing to note is that they only save your stories online for 1 month, so if you want to keep a copy, be sure to save the .pdf file that prints to your computer. I can show you how to do that when you visit the LMC. :)

Check out My StoryMaker, create your own story, and let me know what you think about this site. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Click here to create your story

Click here to log in and view a saved story (remember, it will only save for 1 month)

Your library lady,

Mrs. Matzat