A Safe Alternative to Facebook for Younger Children

Thought this was an interesting product…

Your child wants to be on Facebook. You know he’s too young. What to do? www.friendshipbook.com

Introducing the Friendship Book. Ideal for kids ages 6 to 12, the Friendship Book boasts lively illustrations and written prompts that encourage kids to collect the moments and relationships that mark their school year, summer camp, sporting team or other group activity.

But don’t confuse this with a diary. A Friendship Book is meant to be shared. The fun prompts (“If I were a wizard, I would use my wand to …,” “Favorite Music, Bands, Singers …,” “This Makes Me Laugh …) will have kids writing and sharing in no time. The end result is a yearbook type memory keeper of up to 30 different friends’ thoughts, comments and impressions at a given time.

Move Over Facebook. Step Aside Diary.

New Friendship Book gets kids connecting, communicating and sharing in a manner that’s safe, educational and offline.

Key Highlights
• Designed for children ages 6 –12, Friendship Books inspire kids to gather, keep and write about the moments and relationships that mark their younger years.
• Unlike a diary, a Friendship Book is meant to be shared. The book’s owner passes it to friends, who add their personal information as well.
• A Friendship Book is a fun, safe and educational alternative to online social networks.

In a world where people are continually plugged in and online, where communication is often in shorthand or abbreviated (think texting and tweeting), it’s nice to know there is a safe and educational “networking tool” that gets kids away from the computer and connecting in “real time in the real world” with their friends.

Introducing the Friendship Book (www.friendshipbook.com). Nope. It’s not electronic. Doesn’t boast Flash. Isn’t accompanied by a rhythmic, rocking soundtrack. Nor does it have special effects, fancy buttons to push or whizzing/whirring sounds to catch your attention and hold you captive.

This is a book. A delightful book with lively illustrations and written prompts that encourage kids to collect the moments and relationships that mark their school year, summer camp, sporting team or other group activity.

But don’t confuse this with a diary. A Friendship Book is meant to be shared. Once the book’s owner has filled in his (or her) personal information (name, birthday, likes, dislikes, favorite color, favorite athletes, music and more) he then passes it along to select friends, gathering their stories as well. Adding to the experience, most kids adorn their pages with stickers, doodles, and other artwork. And always, the Friendship Book is returned to the owner so he (or she) may then decide where and to whom it should go next. The end result is a yearbook type memory keeper of up to 30 different friends’ thoughts, comments and impressions at a given time.

Friendship Books Author and Publisher Silke Jauck found inspiration in the memory books her daughters kept and shared while attending elementary school in Germany. When the family relocated to the United States, she saw firsthand how valuable the books were as her daughters lovingly recalled their childhood friends.

She realized that a similar book might provide a fun and unique way for them to make new friends and, as any parent would, “I liked the idea of them socializing and connecting in a safe, offline manner.” Jauck set out then to create something new and different, with the caveat that all work be done in the USA. “It was very important to me that the Friendship Book boast the made-in-the-USA seal. I’m thrilled that we were able to meet this goal.”

While Jauck wears the title of author and publisher, she is quick to acknowledge the role her three daughters played in bringing her vision to reality. “My daughters had their hands all over this project. They had very strong ideas about what to include and how to make the books user-friendly. It was a fun process and I think the books are better because of their involvement.”

Friendship Books come in different themes – Off to School, Pet Buddies and Animals at Play – and are English/Spanish bilingual.

Here are two versions:

Off to School

Pet Buddies

To view sample pages or to purchase a Friendship Book ($18.00) go here.

The bottom line is a social networking tool for younger kids that parents can feel good about. The Friendship Book is available online at www.friendshipbook.com