Middle School Confidential 1: Be Confident In Who You Are is a 49 page digital graphic novel is based on Book 1 of the award-winning Middle School Confidential series written by nationally recognized teen expert and anti-bullying activist Annie Fox, M. Ed., and illustrated by Harvey award winner Matt Kindt. This ipad app is great for ages 8 – 14. This app is also great for not only for kids ages 8 – 14 but also for special needs kids.

“Lack of self-confidence underlies most of the problems tweens and teens have with their peers.” says Annie Fox who has been answering emails from kids and teens around the world and offering advice since 1997. “I wrote the Middle School Confidential series to help kids build their sense of self and make choices that reflect who they really are.”

MY THOUGHTS:

I was honestly really impressed with Middle School Confidential 1: Be Confident In Who You Are. Reading this it took me back in time to how I felt growing up. I have heard Dakota say I am not smart. Kids don’t like me because I am differnt. I have heard my oldest son Brad say I am not good enough to play in sports. My son is an AWESOME soccer player and yet for some reason he doesn’t think so. I could relate to some of the issues in this story as well.

I thought this was a great set up for kids. It’s like reading a comic book sort of. The kids talk about every day issues that kids do face. I like the postiveness that turns around in each chapter. Like for example one girl sturggles with her weight. She had over heard a conversation about her gaining weight. Which upset her. When she gets teased she eats more and gains weight. Well the kids gave her suggestions of exercising, eating better, and loving herself. Loving yourself and treating your body with respect give you a better outlook to like yourself which is a better then putting your self down.

You do see some bullying in the book but again the postiveness turns it around. Like for example one boy gets called El Shrimpo because he is short. He was stressed for a talent show and he ended up having to go first. Friends reassured him he would do fine. Although he didn’t think so at first. The music started and he started dancing. The bullys unplugged his music. Well the positive turn around was that he realized he didn’t need the music, it was in his head and he continued dancing and finished up his act. His friends made positive praise at the end of how well he did.

I really believe this book can encourage self-confidence in kids. It’s so real into what kids can face on a day to day basis. I think it gives them encouragement in a sense too. Very well written book and I really highly recommend it.

I liked the fact that you also got a chance to meet the characters in the book. You can also zoom in and out of each frame. I loved making it bigger so it was easy to ready and I liked the graphics in the story as well. The movie like sound effects and sound were fantastic as well.

I normally don’t share a lot about the author, publisher, and illustrator but I felt this time I should because I found the information to be very interesting and I think it’s what makes the book

You can purchase this app on itunes for $2.99. This is also available on NOOK Color and Tablet, Kindle Fire, and other Android Tablets.

Make sure you check out Middle School Confidential 2: Real Friends VS The Other Kind Review, as the story continues/

I also wanted to share this info with you. Annie Fox is making free classroom Skype videos visits for schools that buy the apps or the book series they’re based on. This offer is good through March 2012.

About the Author (www.AnnieFox.com)

Annie Fox, M.Ed., has been teaching, writing, and creating innovative content for kids for many decades. She’s particularly proud of The InSite—a teen website she created to help young people with the challenges many face growing up. Since 1997, she’s been answering online questions (as Hey Terra!) from tweens, teens, and parents around the world. In 2010, Annie founded Cruel’s Not Cool!, a popular anti-bullying forum for students, parents, and teachers. Her Internet work has contributed to the publication of multiple books, including Too Stressed to Think? and the award-winning Middle School Confidential™ series. When not answering Hey Terra! email or speaking at schools and conferences, Annie enjoys yoga, meditation, making bagels, and hiking with her husband, David, their grown children, and Josie the dog.

About the Illustrator (MattKindt.com)

Matt Kindt was born in 1973 to a pair of artistically supportive parents. Living briefly in New York, Matt has spent most of his years in the Midwest, and the last 15 years in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. In middle school, he would often create mini-comics featuring the teachers, to the delight of his fellow classmates. Matt is the Harvey Award–winning writer and artist of the graphic novels Super Spy and 2 Sisters and co-creator of the Pistolwhip series. He has been nominated for four Eisner Awards and three Harvey Awards. In addition to graphic novels, Matt also works as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. When he is not working, Matt enjoys long trips to the playground with his wife and daughter.

About the Developer (ElectricEggplant.com)

Founded by David and Annie Fox, Electric Eggplant has been on the forefront of multimedia design and production since its inception in 1992. Annie and David Fox have partnered on dozens of projects in their 36 years of marriage, including co-founding the Marin Computer Center—the world’s first public-access microcomputer center. The Foxes have consistently garnered kudos for their work on games, educational software, Web design, emotional intelligence content, online communities, and emerging technologies, as well as books and apps for kids, tweens, and teens. David was one of the original members of Lucasfilm Games (now LucasArts) and was project leader/designer/programmer on several of their titles, including the classic Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders.

About the Publisher (www.freespirit.com)

Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Free Spirit Publishing is the leading publisher of learning tools that support young people’s social-emotional health and educational needs. Founded by Judy Galbraith, a former classroom teacher and gifted-education specialist, Free Spirit has had the same mission for over 27 years: to help children and teens think for themselves, succeed in life, and make a difference in the world.

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this review. However, I did receive a copy of Middle School Confidential 1:  Be Confident In Who You Are for my review. The opinions in this post are 100% mine.

 

 

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