Charles Cavanaugh wrote:
>
> Can anyone recommend a good desktop publishing program
> for elementary school students? I'm looking for something
> that would be simple enough for 3rd graders, but would
> allow kids to do simple layout (moving text
> boxes around, placing graphics, borders, etc.).

        How about "StoryBook Weaver" (used to be
        "Explor-a-story", I believe). It's not organized
        along a microsoft mind set, but the examples of
        work I've seen with it put most DT publishing
        heads to shame. (I'm not sure if it easily
        publishes to the web ...)

        "Writing" Software Reviews by Dr. David Furr
        http://www.dr.furr.com/dd00004.html

        Story Book Weaver This software is really amazing.
        Story Book Weaver is a program that lets you pick
        from a variety of backgrounds, people, animals,
        shelters, music, and sound effects to create either
        a multimedia "book" or a regular paper book. My son,
        a first grader, drove me crazy with this program, he
        wanted to write books every day, and it was truly
        impressive what he could produce.

        irst you are presented with a selection of background
        skies, then background grounds. You then add people,
        and things to put your story together, you can enlarge
        or shrink the "things" to fit where and how you place
        them. Then you type in the words that tell the story.
        If you like, you can add music and sound effects. Or
        you can write your story first and add the backgrounds
        later. It's a little hard to do this way unless you are
        very familiar with what you have to work with.


        Story Book Weaver Delus $14.95
        http://www.kidsclick.com/descrip/sbw_deluxe.htm

http://www.riverdeep.net/products/storybook_weaver/storybook_weaver_deluxe.jhtml


> Also, a broader question: Does anyone know of a good source of
> children's software reviews?

        Dr. Furr ?
        http://www.dr.furr.com/


> Thanks,
>
> Charlie Cavanaugh
> Technology Coordinator
> Johnson Elementary School