About the Press
 
What is the Tiger Tales Press?

The Tiger Tales press, also known as The Publication Center, is a cooperative of teachers, volunteers and students formed to publish children’s writing. This is our third year of operation.

How Does it work?

Most writing is done in the classroom. Manuscripts can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, biography, or any mix thereof. They can be the result of an assignment or at the child’s initiative. The "book" can be an individual production, a collaboration, or even a whole-class project. When a teacher decides that a child is ready, he/she comes to the press.

What happens after a manuscript is sent to the Press?

In most cases, there is an initial interview with a volunteer in which the child designs how he/she wants his/her book to look: handwriting, typed, or a combination; size and shape; pictures or not; if illustrated, what kind and in what lay-out. Children are encouraged to make as many decisions, and to do as much work at each level of production, as they are able.
 
Occasionally fifth graders type their own work, but typically, instructions for typing are sent to a volunteer. Typing is done at home or at the Center. completed pages are returned to the Press. Some children then illustrate their books at home. Most come to the Center. They work during recess, lunch, by special appointment before or after school, or when they have finished classroom work. Most books are put together by teachers or volunteers using a plastic spiral binding. Some children sew their books.

What happens to the book when it is finished?

The book returns to the classroom. Most teachers use the opportunity to spotlight the child and the book. The child can then take the book home. In second grade, Writer's Workshop is an integral part of the curriculum. A copy of each book, with the original artwork scanned, is given to the child's classroom. In July, books are displayed in the New City Library.

Technical Information

• The Tiger Tales Press has two Dell OptiPlex Gxi computers and two Hewlett Packard Ink Jet Printers.
• Most books are printed in Microsoft Publisher. Sierra PrintArtist and PrintMaster Gold are also available and used for special effects.
• Most books contain original artwork. This year, for the first time, the press also has available a Hewlett Packard ScanJet 6100C scanner. When books are written by more than one child (so that multiple copies are needed) or when original work must be re-sized, pictures are scanned.
• Most books use standard letter-size paper in either portrait or landscape orientation. For covers, paper is glued onto a piece of construction paper and then laminated. Binding is done with a GBC binder with plastic binding combs.
• There are, however, other binding and book-shape options available. Some books are sewn. Some books become "shape" books taking the shape of the subject, such as balls, footballs, houses, etc.
• In the back of each book, is an About-the-Author section. Each child in interviewed and photographed with a Kodak DC50 Digital Camera.
• Gluing is an ongoing problem in a children's press. Presently the Tiger Tales press is using a Rollataq Desktop Adhesive System.

• http://www.planet.eon.net/~bplaroch/index.html
• http://www.inkspot.com/young/