My Take
I like this tool as a visual for my students to see what they have read this year. Because I have created a class, my students can go into each other's book shelves to see what others have read so far. This can lead to book discussions, more familiarity with a book and as a place to find new books to read. Not to mention... my students also love taking ownership of their account and choosing their avatar. :) I am excited to create "book challenges" for my students, in which I can challenge them to read a specific book, one from a series, or a book in a specific genre. One of my frustrations with Biblionasium is that there have been a number of times already during this school year when the website has been offline or inaccessible, causing my students (and their parents) some stress.
How I Use It
Rather than turning in paper reading log, my students use their Biblionasium account to log in books as they finish reading them. After adding a book to their virtual shelf, I ask my students to rate this book from 1-5 stars. Because I stress the importance that we are building a reading community, I ask my students to complete the statement, "Someone who would like this book would be someone who likes ___." I also encourage, but do not yet require, my 4th graders to write a review or what they liked or didn't like. Many of them take initiative and enjoy filling out a review, while others skip this piece entirely.