Every student. Their own hardcover book.
Your class draws and writes picture books on paper. Families scan the pages at home with our app, and every child gets a real hardcover with their name on the cover. Class codes can bring the price down for families, all the way to free.
- No student accounts
- No student data for you to manage
- Common Core aligned
How a class book project works
Draw it in class, scan it at home. Two to four weeks, start to finish.
- 1
Get the free unit
Six lessons for K-2 (or 3-5), drawing sheets, a story planner, a parent letter and a publishing-party kit, free to print.
- 2
Draw and write in class
Each student makes 8 to 20 pages on paper. Our drawing sheets are half a letter page, the exact shape of the book.
- 3
Pages go home
Send each child’s pages home in a folder with the parent letter, in English or Spanish, and your class code for families who want a hardcover.
- 4
Families scan and order
A grown-up scans the pages with the app in about 15 minutes, the child checks the words, and the grown-up orders with your code. We check every book before it prints, and it ships to the family.
- 5
Hold a publishing party
Author’s chair, certificates, and a shelf of books by your class.
Or scan the pages in class
With a teacher account, you’ll scan each student’s pages on your own phone and email each parent an invitation. The parent gives their consent, then finishes the book at home with their child and orders it.
Until a parent joins, the class keeps only the student’s first name and the scanned pages. Nothing else happens to them, and if no parent joins, they’re deleted. Teacher accounts aren’t open yet: join the teacher list to hear when they are.
No student data on your desk
- Families scan at home, so you never upload student work or create student accounts. Each family scans under their own account and gives their own consent, as COPPA requires.
- First names only. A child’s profile is a first name or nickname. Books are private: no public library, no public pages.
- Scanning in class, once teacher accounts open, keeps the same rules: your roster holds first names only, each parent gives their own consent, and you never see a family’s payment or address.
- Ready for your principal. A one-page privacy summary says what the app collects and who sees it, and our safety and privacy page has the details.
Then hold a publishing party
Author’s chair, certificates, and a shelf of books by your class. Every child reads from a book with their name on the cover.
The free young authors unit
Lesson plans for K-2 and 3-5, a parent letter in English and Spanish, a principal’s privacy summary, the printables below and a publishing-party kit. Free to download, no sign-up. Use it with or without the app.
Drawing sheets
Half-letter pages with corner marks, so the app straightens every page exactly. Two per sheet of paper.
Download (PDF)Story planner
Beginning, problem, ending, in three boxes a five-year-old can fill with drawings.
Download (PDF)Author certificate
A “Published Author” certificate for every student at your publishing party.
Download (PDF)What it costs families
A book is $27.99 with US shipping included. A class code lowers that for every family in your class.
- One code per class, one use per family, with an end date you choose.
- Codes can be paid for by your PTA, a local sponsor or a grant.
- Families who don’t order still keep their paper booklet: the drawing sheets fold into one.
Every book is still checked by our team before it prints, even when it’s free. How class codes work
Class anthology, or their own book?
Many teachers do both.
| Class anthology programs | I Wrote That Book | |
|---|---|---|
| What each child makes | 1 to 2 pages in a shared book | Their own whole book, 8 to 30 pages |
| Name on the cover | The class | The child: "by Maya" |
| Cost to families | About $27 for a copy of the class book | $27.99, or less or free with a class code |
| Who handles the pages | The teacher mails them in | Each family scans at home |
Built for the narrative writing you already teach
Narrate events in order; in kindergarten, using drawing, dictating and writing.
Revise with guidance, using the story planner and peer share.
Use digital tools to produce and publish writing.
Add drawings to descriptions, and read aloud from the author’s chair.
Common Core codes. Many states use their own versions; the lesson plans say how to find yours.
Teacher questions
Do I need an account?
No. You need a class code only if you want families to get a discount, and you can ask for one after launch. Teacher accounts, coming soon, are only for scanning the pages in class.
What about students without a smartphone at home?
The paper booklet is a finished book on its own: the drawing sheets fold into one. Families can also scan at a relative’s house or the library.
Can I scan the pages in class?
Soon, with a teacher account. You’ll scan each student’s pages on your phone and email each parent an invitation; the parent gives consent, then finishes and orders the book at home. Until a parent joins, the class keeps only a first name and the scans, and they’re deleted if no one joins. Until teacher accounts open, families scan at home.
Does it work for older grades?
Yes. Grades 6 to 12 use it for picture-book projects and for buddy books written for younger readers.
How long should I allow before a publishing party?
Printing takes about 1 to 2 weeks after a family orders. Plan the party for about three weeks after the pages go home.
What do you check before a book prints?
Every page, for safety and print quality. If a page shows something like a last name or a school name, we tell the family.
Join the teacher list
We’ll email you when classrooms can start, with how to get a class code for your families.
Thinking about a classroom pilot this spring? Tick the box and tell us a little about your class. We read every one.