Middle School Confidential: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind {Review & Giveaway}

I think it's pretty obvious by now that I'm enthusiastic over the Middle School Confidential (MSC) series of graphic novel apps, as I'm devoting another post to it!  Real Friends vs. The Other Kind is based on book 2 of the MSC series and I must say, I am pleased yet again!

As the title suggests, friendship is the focus of Real Friends vs. The Other Kind, an issue that is very relevant to middle school. Readers will read about common problems as they relate to respect, peer pressure, fairness, rejection, breakups, and making friends.

Questions & scenarios are posed without being "cheesy

Newly added are the interactive quizzes that can be used to assist students in understanding why certain choices are better than others (see below).

Language skills such as figurative language, perspective taking, sequencing, processing, problem solving, foreshadowing, and social thinking can all be targeted with this easy to use and engaging application.

After purchasing this app  ($2.99), users can download a free 25 Leader's Guide that accompanies the MSC series that contains discussion questions and activities addressed in the app.  

App Compatibility:

Real Friends vs. The Other Kind is Compatible with NOOK, Kindle Fire, nabi, Android tablets, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Take a look at Real Friends vs. The Other Kind in action:



David and Annie Fox (creators) have graciously provided me with a promo code for you to download Real Friends vs. The Other Kind and use with your students!

***UPDATE***

David and Annie have given me 2 more promo codes making it a total of 3 codes that I will be giving away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions. 

Middle School Confidential: Be Confident in Who You Are {Review}

Middle School Confidential 1: Be Confident in Who You Are is a stellar graphic novel app I couldn't wait to get my hands on. It is an engaging comic that brings readers into the lives of middle schoolers who are simply trying to figure things out. Issues such as bullying, blowups, looks, popularity, stress, peer approval etc. are all addressed.

Readers get a glimpse 6 middle schoolers (colored)

Jump to any of the 8 chapters

What I love:

• Not only does this graphic novel address hot-button, relatable issues middle school students face in their daily lives, they also offer strategies for dealing with them.
• The layout deviates from the typical picture books for those in elementary school and thus makes it more appealing to adolescents. 
• Stories involve kids talking to other kids and doesn't come off as "preachy"
• Chapters are broken up in a manner that allows for users to work on and address issues and concepts over a period of time, not all at once. This gives users time to process what they've heard. 
• Users are able to view the full page or view it panel-by-panel. The zoomed in panel view allows for prediction and foreshadowing to take place.  

Users can view the comic via full page or zoom in and view each panel

• Each frame is accompanied by music and sounds. No narrator here, the user is the reader. 
• It's a great jumping off point for deeper discussion on the issues addressed in the comic. Important language skills/concepts such as perspective taking, foreshadowing, problem solving, can all be targeted.

Bottom Line: This is app is a gem and worth more than the $2.99 price tag!

App Compatibility:

Be Confident in Who You Are is Compatible with NOOK, Kindle Fire, nabi, Android tablets, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Take a look at this demo provided by Apps for Children with Special Needs


Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions. 

The Grumble Noise {Review}

The Grumble Noise is one of those apps parents and educators scoop up the minute they hear it's free.  As it turns out, that is exactly what I did! This app contains beautiful illustrations, interactive touch screen capabilities and a captivating storyline.

Choose from two options located in the home-screen

 Readers can choose to read the story themselves or have it narrated.

Primary image

Image after one click

Upon touching the screen, interactive elements are elicited. Users can hear characters snoring, dragons roaring and mysterious grumbling. Images such as facial expressions and body movements can also be altered with a simple touch of the screen.

Image after one click

  
                   Primary image

Image after two clicks

I really enjoyed the interactive nature of this app. The sound effects and animation make reading "The Grumble Noise" enjoyable. However, there are a few things I would change. One being the text size. It would be great if users were able to enlarge the text to their liking, as I personally found it too small. Also, the narration of the story is a bit over-exaggerated. My adolescent students would not appreciate the rate or tone, however it works well for younger children.

At the middle school level, I would use "The Grumble Noise" with students who are lower functioning  (referred to as "Life Skills" students). These students would benefit from the simple storyline and engaging interactive components. Important skills such as foreshadowing, perspective taking, problem solving and even decoding can all be targeted with this free app (for a limited time).

How have you used this app with your students? 

App Compatibility
This app is compatible with iPad and requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Disclosure Statement: I was provided a copy of this app by the developer. No other compensation was provided. This review includes solely my opinions.