A new recommendation service for children’s books is now available – Beanstack online. Beanstack and parent company Zoobean are often referred to as Pandora for children’s books.
Accounts are free, thanks to North Country Library System, and you may create one for each of your children. Every week you will receive a recommendation for a book based on your child’s age, reading ability, and preferences. Beanstack will filter books by format, genre, topic, and even character background. All recommendations are available through NCLS with the Oswego Public Library receiving deliveries of books every Tuesday and Friday. Visit ncls.beanstack.org today to set up your account – no library card needed! However, with a library card Beanstack also lets you access literacy tools, track your child’s favorite reads, and earn digital badges.
Created by Jordan Lloyd Bookey and Felix Lloyd with initial exposure and funding through Shark Tank, Zoobean provides apps and book services across the country. “The problem’s always been that we think it’s hard to discover the right book or app for your child,” said Felix. “We want to make it easier.” They set out to catalogue and recommend children’s books with the help of parents, teachers and librarians across the United States. Using 1,600 tags, Zoobean recommends books and apps likely to be loved and appropriate for your child’s reading level. Parents can indicate their children's age from birth to 12, as well as interests and background. Each week, a book in the library's collection will be suggested specifically for that child. Recommendations are sent via email and are also available on your mobile profile. Each book is accompanied by an online learning guide with helpful tips, information, and activities.
Mark Cuban invested $250,000 for a 25% stake after Jordan and Felix’s Shark Tank appearance which aired April 18, 2014. Afterward, they developed a library service based on feedback from families who loved having highly recommended books and apps selected for them, but who preferred to get the books for free from their local library.