Review by Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Education | Updated July 2018
Get it now
  • Download from App Store

Book Creator

Get it now
  • Download from App Store

Magically easy way to create and publish digital books and multimedia

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • English Language Arts
Skills
  • Communication & Collaboration
  • Creativity
Grades This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.
3–12
Great for:
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (318 Reviews)
Price:  Free, Paid Free version supports one library and 40 books. For $60 per year, this expands to three libraries with 60 books each. $120 per year supports 10 libraries with 100 books each.
Platforms:  iPad, Chrome

Take a look inside

1 video | 5 images
EdTech Showdown: Book Creator vs. Shadow Puppet EDU
Educator Video
2:51
Students can add photos, text, drawings, audio, and more.
Students' work can be collected in the class library.
Students join the class library using an access code. Then all their creations are automatically shared with the teacher.
Choose from a variety of book formats.
Students can create multimedia books that go beyond text and images. Anything with a link can be incorporated.

Pros: Super-simple design makes it easy to build pages, letting students focus on creativity.

Cons: No way to share a link to a student's library, so parents will need to have kids log in.

Bottom Line: This is a top-quality creation tool that lets students of many ages and abilities publish their own digital books.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

To get students started, have them focus on creating individual pages. Students should read the tutorial and try to create a sample page within the tutorial. Once they're familiar with the basic functions, it's time for students and teachers to start creating a full project: fiction or nonfiction books, how-to manuals with video and audio instructions, photo books, comic strips, and more. Students could also use Book Creator as a portfolio tool, assembling examples of work throughout a unit or semester. Even though they'll be creating digitally, the old rules still apply: Have students sketch out a simple outline and maybe even mock up on paper the basic layout they want to go with. Take note that Book Creator is perfect for app smashing, too, because pretty much anything with a link can be added to a book. Check out our Top Picks lists for tools students can use to, for instance, create illustrations they can then insert into their books.

Teachers might want to check out the developer-created "50 Ways to Use Book Creator in Your Classroom," or any number of other ideas for implementation on Book Creator's blog.

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Put this tool into practice:
Standards:

Book Creator is an amazingly easy-to-use digital book-making tool with limitless options. It's available for both iPad and the web (including Chrome). With guidance, even students in early elementary school grades can use this app to produce and publish their own simple books or comics with images, videos, and audio. But given the options for adding images and multimedia, even more sophisticated students won't feel limited.

Students join the class library using a code, and then any books they create can be accessed by the teacher and added to the class library to share with classmates.

Before students create that first book, it's helpful for them to read the basic tutorial. They then tap the plus sign or New Book icon on the main screen, choose a book shape, and then tap the plus icon to add photos, videos, and typed words to the cover page, first page, and so on. Simply swipe to move content around the page and resize or rotate it as desired. Under the "i" tab, students will find many options for adjusting or deleting items. Every time they want to add something, they just tap the plus sign again. Once they're done, books can be shared in tons of ways: by email, AirDrop, Google Drive, Dropbox, printing, publishing to iBooks, and more.

Storytelling and book creation are common creative tasks in classrooms, and there's no better option than Book Creator. Its ease of use and flexibility with media and publishing make it perfect for empowering students to create and share their work. Plus, book creation gets students using critical-thinking and organization skills as they brainstorm, plan, and make creative decisions about their books. Once they start to compose pages, students can learn how multimedia elements help them tell their story or communicate information more effectively. Students can practice their writing skills and feel pride in translating their thinking into book form. Of course, teachers can create books for students too. This offers teachers another way to communicate key class information (like norms and procedures), or to collect and share student learning and accomplishments.

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

The straightforward design focuses students on storytelling. They can easily create ebooks and comic strips using their own photos, drawings, audio (including their own voices), video, and text. Even first-timers can create a book.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Versatile enough to be used in any content area, and students can extend their creativity by app smashing and incorporating other creations into their books.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

There are impressive support and extensive idea resources, including a Facebook group for idea sharing and a book: "50 Ways to Use Book Creator in your Classroom."

Common Sense Reviewer
Amanda Bindel Classroom teacher
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Writing

  • W.3.6

    With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

  • W.3.10

    Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

  • W.4.6

    With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

  • W.4.10

    Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

  • W.5.6

    With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

  • W.5.10

    Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

  • W.6.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.

  • W.6.10

    Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and

  • W.7.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

  • W.7.10

    Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

  • W.8.10

    Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

  • W.9-10.4

    Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

  • W.9-10.5

    Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

  • W.9-10.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

  • W.11-12.4

    Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

  • W.11-12.5

    Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

  • W.11-12.6

    Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

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Teacher Reviews

(See all 318 reviews) (318 reviews) Write a review
Featured review by
Cherie H. , Classroom teacher
Classroom teacher
Digging Deeper into Music with Book Creator
Book Creator is a powerful way for students in my music classes to curate their learning in a 1:1 iPad setting. Adding images and videos, creating music in Garageband > exporting to iMovie > into Book Creator ... my students are very comfortable using BookCreator as a tool for demonstrating and publishing their learning experiences in the music classroom. It makes me a more efficient teacher because I can create a template filled with prompts and challenges to support student-driven learning.
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