TOS Crew Review: "Let's Make a Webpage" by Motherboard Books

This e-book was definitely fun to review. It's written in simple, easy-to-follow language. I found the tone very conversational, just like having Phyllis Wheeler sitting at your side and taking you step-by-step through the process. Unlike many do-it-yourself manuals, this one isn't b-o-r-i-n-g!

Big Sis and I sat down together to create a web page. (Since she's a little below the recommended age range, she needed my help. I believe that kids 10+ would be able to do this alone.) We were able to have some fun with it and create a page featuring horses, rainbows, and unicorns -- a few of her favorite things. It has inspired me to be brave about trying some of my own design in the future.

Here's a look at the Table of Contents:

Introduction for Parents ..............................................4
Lesson 1: An Interview................................................ 5
Lesson 2: Download and Set Up the Program ............6
Lesson 3: Add Text ...................................................17
Lesson 4: Make a Table ...........................................22
Lesson 5: Add Photo ................................................27
Lesson 6: From the Internet, Add Animations ...........32
Lesson 7: Browser Check, Backgrounds, Photos .....38
Lesson 8: Sound ......................................................46
Lesson 9: Links ........................................................50
Lesson 10: Post Your Work ......................................54
Appendix: How to Upload to the Internet ...................59

You will download a free trial version of CoffeeCup HTML Editor, a user-friendly piece of software for making Web pages, compatible with Windows Vista. Your child will write an interview and make a Web page for it, including a photo and animations collected from the Internet. He will add a sound and some links. Finally, he will make his creation the "home page" for the browser on your family computer. There are also instructions for the parent on Internet safety and on how to upload to the Internet.

There were some interesting bits of information about the workings of the World Wide Web, too. Just a brief introduction and overview to pique the interest of budding technophiles.

I'm not usually a big e-book devotee, but this format works for this book. It's easy to scroll through and follow along the 60 pages. I recommend it for anyone with computer-inquisitive kids who want a quick project for instant results they can be proud of!