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EDUCATION Book club makes leap from reading to writing Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Oct. 22, 2015 at 8:12 PM Updated Oct 22, 2015 at 8:13 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Oct. 22, 2015 at 8:12 PM Updated Oct 22, 2015 at 8:13 PM » Social News It’s a secret and magical world in the vault at the rear of Treehouse Books on Ashland’s Plaza. It’s a place where kids can write the Secret Book that writes their future — and perhaps the future of the world. Echoing the world of Harry Potter, the owners of Treehouse — Cynthia Salbato and Jane Almquist — say they’ve outgrown the store’s Secret Book Club and are morphing to a story-telling game that uses life skills and do-it-yourself projects to create videos, books and games that live in the online world. The Secret Book Club’s online StoryTelling Game has been accepted into the Oregon Story Board business accelerator in Portland, a state-mandated program to nurture digital storytelling in an array of new media, says Salbato. In its new online base, kids can write in classrooms and communities in a new medium called “storytelling gameplay,” which conforms to Core Curriculum standards, she notes. Aiding in the technology is Ashland High School teacher Alan Parowski. The Treehouse group meets at 4 p.m. every Friday and talks about books and stories the kids are writing in a 30-day period. They also are working on videos based in their stories, says Salbato. Local kids have found it a gateway to imaginative stories. Sixth-grader Sage Michelle Vazquez has penned one about a girl going into the future to save herself from dying, she says. Mirandah Davis-Powell, also a sixth-grader, wrote a story about a bird who woke up to find her family gone. Eighth-grader Kaya Crosby is writing an online story of a girl who had everything but lost it and met a boy who had nothing, she says. Store owner Almquist says, “We’ve had a lot of fun over the last three years and put a lot of heart into these stories, for the kids and their families. It’s been rewarding and empowering and we’re unveiling this new project with a small group of kids.” Salbato adds, “We’re helping them tell the best stories, which help create the best lives for them. We believe the stories we tell shape our life — and the stories we tell together create the world.” Portland Business Journal notes, “Oregon Story Board is an accelerator focused on entrepreneurs and startups working in the digital storytelling space. This covers everything from game development to independent film makers. The program was created to help spur companies that bridge two of the state’s strengths: technology and creativity ... The program is meant to help entrepreneurs turn passion projects into sustainable businesses.” Salbato says she is on a four-month mentorship with Storyboard in Portland, as they build a software platform for Treehouse to work on stories in the digital world. More information is online at http://bit.ly/1W8hdH4 . John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. --30-- By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Oct. 22, 2015 at 8:12 PM Updated Oct 22, 2015 at 8:13 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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