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The Youngsters’ Forum has over 1,000 stories, blogs, animations and broadcasts from the youngsters who are the creative engine of the Reading Bus.

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Reading this blog is fun!

Add comment November 6th, 2007 Russell

Kittybrewster Film Animation Group

A group of youngsters from Kittybrewster School took part in an after school film animation group. The group met for four weeks and produced their own digi-blue films. Here they are - we hope you enjoy them!

 
 Guess What? and The Farmer: Play Now | Download (60)

Add comment August 7th, 2008 Russell

The Test

This animated film was created at Word 08. Primary 7 from Sunnybank School organised and delivered two workshops during the Word School’s programme at the University of Aberdeen. They introduced pupils from Bucksburn Primary School and families from Aberdeenshire Home School Group to digi blue animation. The Sunnybank youngsters helped their groups film the scenes for The Test and this is the result! Well done all involved.

 
 The Test: Play Now | Download (63)

Add comment August 5th, 2008 Russell

Handa’s Surprise

This film has been made by a group of youngsters who attend the EAL Centre. The Reading Bus regularly visits this centre which works with youngsters who are learning English as an alternative language. They did a fantastic job retelling the story of Handa’s Surprise!

 
 Handa's Surprise by the EAL service: Play Now | Download (69)

Add comment August 5th, 2008 Russell

New interactive book - The Chief O Moonthooley’s Kilt

Check out the new interactive book created by some very talented writers and artists from Primary 3/4 Causewayend:

Books > The Chief O Moonthooley’s Kilt

Add comment July 9th, 2008 Russell

Seaton PodCast - July 3rd 2008

Primary 7 broadcasters from Seaton Primary, present this fascinating show, including

  • stories inspired from a trip to Aberdeen Art Gallery
  • on-the-spot reports from the trip to Edinburgh including a visit to the Tesco Food Fair… or maybe not
  • interview with reading champion Grace Banks, with a lively story
  • stories from Primary 6
  • interview with reading champion, David Barry, the Reading Bus writer, with a very funny Peter Cook sketch
 
 Seaton - July 3rd: Play Now | Download (26)

Add comment July 3rd, 2008 Russell

Working with author Simon Puttock

Simon Puttock is an award winning author who has published many children’s books. His books, including Mrs Fox, Goat Donkey and the Strawberry Sunglasses are firm favourites on The Reading Bus.
Primary 5 at Sunnybank enjoyed a short residency with Simon Puttock during this summer term. The class worked with Simon for four sessions and all wrote their own fantastic stories.
Here, in their own words, is a summary from Primary 5:
Week 1 - We didn’t know what you wanted us to do , but we all soon started to have fun. You started to write our spelling words on the board in a funny collection and “The Three-Word Game” was born. Here are some of our three words: “invisble eating car”, “paper projector holder”, “destruction grill monster”, “diamond powered pistol”.
Week 2 - We talked about the three word game and how to make our words into a story. We discussed the problems some of us had with our stories.
Week 3 - We quickly got down to work and after reading some plans and stories, you gave us advice on how to make our stories better.
Week 4 - Your last week. We read some of our stories and recorded our 3 words for The Reading Bus Radio. You even read us one of your stories - “Miss Fox”.

This is what we thought about our sessions with Simon:
“Your visits helped to boost my confidence and the best part about it was the three letter word game. I felt happy because you showed me how to write exciting, emotional and intersting stories. I learned that stories can be exciting and be fun and not just a chore.”
“I could not have written my story if you had not come. We really liked your lessons. You were fantastic, brave, not shy and funny. Everyone in the classroom laughed and were so amazed at what you have done.”
“Your visits made me boost my confidence so I can write better stories. I also learned that anyone can write a story and it doesn’t take a few hours. Your visit has really made me improve my writing.”
“When you came in I was scared but during the weeks I wasn’t scared. I will try to write a bit more.”

Here are two of the stories from Primary 5

The Bouncing Tiger

Once there was a tiger called Stips who was very kind. She like to play with other tigers. Stigs had black stripes and ginger paws with very long, sharp claws She liked to bounce with her friends on her friend’s tampouline.

One day Strips was on her way home from school when she sawy something in the back garden. Her Mum had bought her a brand new trampouline. She was so happy she gave her Mum a huge hug and a kiss. She went onto her trampoline staright away and was there until bedtime.

The next morning her Mum woke up to a boing, boing noise. She looked out of her window and saw Stips bouncing in the trampoline. Mum went downstairs and told Steps to get ready for school but Stips refused and kept on bouncing because she loved bouncing on her new trampoline.

Stips remembered that her best friend had told her about a competition for the most jumps so Stips decided to enter it. Stips practised and practised her bouncing all day and all night. She didn’t even stop to have her supper.

On the Sunday when the competition was over Stips was the best bouncer and made over a million jumps. She won the biggest trophy and 5 million pounds for her Mum. Mum bought Stips a brand new trampoline that was so big it took up the whole garden.

By Nicole K

Dragon Book Island

Chapter One - Long Ago
Long, long ago in a magic island called Dragon Island, there were dragons of types you could never imagine. There were nature dragons, mystery dragons, seal dragons, tiger dragons, electric and fire dragons. The island was very peaceful until one day the Dragon Slayers came.

The Dragon Slayers slew all the dragons that they could find. A few of the dragons managed to escape and survive including the last mystery dragon, but it was still in the egg and almost buried. The other dragons hid in a buried cave that only dragons could get into. The mystery dragons could only be killed with a special sword made of gold and precious power crystals that were found in dangerous places and deep under the ground.

Chapter Two - Found and Attacked
Almost a centry after the attack by the Dragon Slayers, the mystery dragon egg was found by two dragons. They found the egg while one of them was digging. The dragon hit something hard and white, so the other dragon began to help him dig round the object. When they took it out they realised it was an egg. The egg felt very smooth at first until a small crack began to appear. Then a little head appeared in the crack. It was a little baby dragon.
To be continued

Andres Hernandez

Add comment June 30th, 2008 Jenny

Causewayend PodCast - June 26th 2008

The Causewayend broadcast team present a special show on the Children and Yound People’s Services Awards, featuring:

  • interviews with winners and others attending the ceremony
  • stories from the session with writer Simon Puttock
  • discussion about the upcoming summer holidays
  • studio guest Peter from SHMU
  • a brilliant dramatisation of the orginal and Doric ‘Crocorattie’
  • a fun 3 word game
  • interviews with students about the move to Gilcomston school
 
 Causewayend - June 26th: Play Now | Download (25)

Add comment June 26th, 2008 Russell

Friday 6th June

On Friday morning the film was almost finished. Migy finished any little things and tidied it up a little. We had a visitor. Jim Scott from Summerhill came to see what we had been up to. The animators showed him how we used the tablets and some of our animations.
David Barry from the reading bus came in to help us make up our own advertising slogans for Three wishes.We recorded them on a merantz. They are going to be on the radio. In the afternoon we got to watch our film for the first time. We had lots of adult visitors. Mr Burr said we could have a red carpet for our Premiere. Everybody enjoyed watching our film, they thought it was absolutely fantastic.We went to say bye to everyone.We got some or all of their autographs.Shona and Lauren went to give Migy a big hug.

Add comment June 22nd, 2008 Woodside

Thursday 5th

The Broadcatsing team were doing some interviews with Richard.We interviewed Kirsty and we interviewed Migy.The Radio team did inteviews for the radio show.They interviewed Jenny with the Mirantz.The animators animated the characters.Tyler animated the fairy crying and Billy animated Jack with the sauages on his head.The artists glued the background together, they glued on all the animals,trees and bridges etc.

Add comment June 22nd, 2008 Woodside

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