Here is a guide to the ten best online literacy resources I can offer to inspire kids and teens to read and create when learning from home. Teachers and parents, feel free to use them as you see fit. And feel free to give feedback or chat to me on socials or email via my Contact link above.
1. Videos
- 5 Free Writing Tips for Kids Videos
- 3 videos on how I wrote Detention – Research, Making a Book Soundtrack and Pre-Visualisation
- My collection of book trailers
2. How to Make a Book Trailer
- This is a great activity for kids working alone or, say, with siblings. Choose a favourite book and make a 30-second to two-minute trailer for it. Here is my post on How to Make a Book Trailer
- Here, you can watch a bunch of the book trailers I’ve made.
3. Create Page
I’ve been gathering creativity tools, online literacy resources and inspiration on this page here for years. You’ll find:
- StoryStarters
- The Writer’s Studio: You can go inside the writing space of some of Australia and the world’s top authors
- My Anything Goes daily writing challenge
- My top tips on writing
4. Author Talk via Zoom, Google Hangouts and Other Platforms
- I’ve been running Skype and Google Hangouts talks for
- Hit my Events page for booking agents in each state or hit ‘Contact’ in the menu above
- OR, if your school is closed or you have students at home or you need a flexible delivery solution, try my new…
5. Video Streaming Author Talk
- For the first time ever I’m offering schools a personalised video of my author talk which allows for flexible delivery in small groups or individual students.
- I am already doing this for QLD schools and it’s a good solution for fun online reading and writing inspiration
- I tailor the video to your school, saying hi to students up-front and answering ten student questions at the end. These questions are sent to me ahead of the video delivery date. Details below!
6. eBooks
Lots of independent neighbourhood booksellers are offering free delivery in your are at this time, so if you’d like a paper book, please contact your local bookshop. If you need an eBook:
- My Kindle Page (prices in Australian dollars. US store here.)
- Kobo Page
- Apple Books
- Please let me know if you’re an eBookseller not listed here and you’d like to be.
7. AudioBooks
Detention and Two Wolves are both available as audiobooks, read by me, downloadable from various sources or as MP3 CDs via Bolinda Audio.
By clicking the book links above, you can listen to free samples. 😉
8. Free Teacher Resources
- Free online learning resources for teachers on my website. Teacher Resource Kits, creative writing inspiration and story starters, videos and more: tristanbancks.com/teachers
9. Tom Weekly: Exploding Chickens Video Game
A highly entertaining, extremely educational, literary video game. Use Tom Weekly, the main character in my book series, to catch as many chickens as you possibly can before the explode. 100 points for the white chickens, 400 for the yellow. Currently, the leaderboard has been hacked so we’re working on unhacking it, but it doesn’t make the game any less fun! Give it a shot and let me know your high score as a comment below or on socials. (NB: if you get bored of catching chickens, you should try The Bacon Game in which you put bacon on things. Life-changing. (NB: I did not write a book on bacon, but I may now do that.)
10. LittleScribe Co-Author Program
Join the LittleScribe co-author program and join me in creating a story. LittleScribe provides extensive resources and framework for students and teachers to use Two Wolves, Detention and Tom Weekly as the springboard for student writing and creativity.
