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What is AboutCoolBooks?

Overview
AboutCoolBooks is a site for elementary and middle school readers to share their love of reading with others.  Readers can complete various weekly art projects, writing activities, and more in response to books they read.  Members can earn points by completing and sharing multiple projects.  Members who get the most points during each seasonal contest get Super Member of the Season status.  Points are determined based on the effort and creativity put into projects.  There are four contests each year (fall, winter, spring, summer) with a grand summer contest at the end of each school year. 

Super Member of the Season
The Super Member of the Season is the member who earns the most points during a seasonal contest. This member will be featured on the front page of AboutCoolBooks and will have the privilege of developing his/her own project prompt for the next season's contest.

Bronze-Medal Winners
Members who earn 100-199 points in a seasonal contest win the Bronze-Medal award.  During the Summer Contest, members must earn 200-299 points to win a Bronze-Medal award.

Silver-Medal Winners
Members who earn 200-299 points in a seasonal contest win the Silver-Medal award. During the Summer Contest, members must earn 300-399 points to win a Silver-Medal award.

Gold-Medal Winners
Members who earn 300 or more points in a seasonal contest win the Gold-Medal award.  During the Summer Contest, members must earn 400 or more points to win a Gold-Medal award.


Seasonal Contests
Each year there are four contests occurring during the dates below:
Fall Contest: September to November
Winter Contest: December to February
Spring Contest: March to May
Summer Contest: June to August

Rules and More Details
It is important to read the below rules before becoming a member and submitting projects. 

How can I become a member?
Go on the Members page and click on the link that will tell you how to join.

Can I do a project on a book that is not in any of the book lists?
Yes, but it has to relate to one of the topics on the Monthly Projects page.

Can I do any three projects of my choice?
Yes, you can, but it is highly recommended that you do more than three projects.  You can get many more points if you do more projects.

Can I do a project about a book that another member already shared?
Yes; it is great to have lots of different points-of-view on a particular book.  

How can I submit a story I wrote?
Write your story as you would any other project in a new post.  Be sure NOT to copy down the story from another location.  Write the story directly in the new post box.  Be sure your story has a title and that you checked it for grammar errors. Each story should be of reasonable length (between 100-500 words) and must have a problem and solution.  Stories with different chapters will not be accepted after the December 2012 contest. 

How many stories can I submit?
Each member may submit a maximum of three stories per monthly contest.  You cannot submit more than three stories in a monthly contest.  Earn points by completing various book projects.

Can I put stories or writings I wrote before?
No, you can only submit projects and stories that you are writing specifically for this contest.  Do NOT submit stories or other writings you have written before.  

Can I submit summaries of stories?
Submitting summaries is not recommended.  Instead, complete any of the monthly projects posted on the "Monthly Projects" page.  This online book club is mainly designed for telling others how you felt about books you read.  You can include information about what the books you read were about, but you also have to include how you felt about them.

Do all comments I write earn me two points?
No, comments should not be only one or two words.  They should intelligently respond to members' book projects and give sincere feedback.  Also, rude and negative comments may be deleted and may even take away points from members.  Don't write rude comments or you may get minus points!

What are Bonus Days?
Bonus Days are days in which members can earn double the usual amount of points for projects they submit.  They will earn double points only for the projects they completed during the Bonus Day.  If a member completed a project the day before the Bonus Day but gets awarded points for it the next day, he/she will get awarded the usual amount of points. 

Note to Parents and Teachers
AboutCoolBooks began in 2012 with the intention of encouraging kids to read and interact with their books more. The seasonal contests provide an incentive for kids to keep reading as they challenge themselves to earn points in the friendly competition. Furthermore, because AboutCoolBooks is an online book club, kids can become members from virtually all around the globe and interact with others in many different cities.
I hope you find AboutCoolBooks beneficial for your kids and/or students. Please email me at nur.misskose@gmail.com if you have any suggestions, questions, or comments.