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Find out why you like popping those bubbles sooooooo much!  You can also find the answers to lots of other questions that make us all say hmmmmm??? What are you wondering?

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Have you ever tasted an Arab taco?

When was the Arab taco invented?

What is shawarma?

Find it out

How are currency exchange rates determined?

What was the gold standard?

Which type of currency exchange rate system does the U.S. use?

Find it out
Which of the following is usually NOT a factor in determining currency exchange rates?

Test your knowledge

How can I use Wonderopolis?

What are the parts of a Wonder?

How do writers make a Wonder?

Find it out
Based on information from the Wonder, what was Lou Castro known for when he was alive?

Test your knowledge

What is an okapi?

Where do okapis live?

What do okapis eat?

Find it out

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Where the Wonders of Learning Never Cease | Wonderopolis

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Where the Wonders of Learning Never Cease

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Go spy on many different types of animals! If video looks dark, it might be nighttime in San Diego, California.

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"Aiden Tyler, Quaran-teen" a webcast from Junior Library Guild and author Rex Ogle.

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"Aiden Tyler, Quaran-teen" a webcast from Junior Library Guild and author Rex Ogle.

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Aiden Tyler is your typical middle school student. Rides the bus. Likes comic books. Tolerates his sister. But, his life is about to be turned upside down by the Coronavirus. Yes, you heard that correctly. Aiden Tyler, Quaran-teen is a new and original middle-grade serial written and read in real time by author Rex Ogle (Free Lunch). That means as YOU experience things, Aiden will be experiencing them too. Join us every Tuesday, as Rex shares ( a new episode of) Aiden's story that's full of laughs, facts, hearts, and farts. Watch anytime to get caught-up!

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JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

Aiden Tyler, Quaran-teen - A Weekly Webcast "Serial" with Author Rex Ogle
Every Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET, starting March 24, 2020

UP NEXT: Week 4, April 14: Part 4

Aiden Tyler is your typical middle school student. Rides the bus. Likes comic books. Tolerates his sister. But, his life is about to be turned upside down by the Coronavirus. Yes, you heard that correctly. Aiden Tyler, Quaran-teen is a new and original middle-grade serial written and read in real time by author Rex Ogle ( Free Lunch). That means as YOU experience things, Aiden will be experiencing them too. Join us every Tuesday, as Rex shares Aiden's story that's full of laughs, facts, hearts, and farts. Scroll down for links to upcoming and previous episodes! Target audience is grades 4-8 but all are welcome!

Want to follow Aiden's story? Click here and we'll keep you in the loop about our weekly webcasts!

Illustrate Aiden's story! Scroll down for details.

Week 4, April 14: Part 4
Join us for week 4 in this webcast serial, as Rex reads the next chapters in Aiden Tyler's story.

Week 3, April 7: Part 3
For Aiden, online classes are bleh (except for getting to "see" his friends), mom's stress about money is worrisome, and the fate of comic books lays in the COVID balance. But, Aiden still finds a way to encourage us all to find joy in our predicament. Hear Rex read & talk about a LEGO giveaway you're gonna want to get in on!
Download and Read

Week 2, March 31: Part 2
In chapters 4-5, Aiden, his siblings, and their parents struggle to get used to being stuck at home. Even the parks & hiking trails are closed! Between mom's worries and the kids' boredom, this quarantine life is the pits. But special packages from Uncle Josh brighten their mood! Hear Rex engage with audience questions and suggestions-including names for characters in future chapters!
Download and Read

Week 1, March 24: Part 1
In the first 3 chapters, we meet Aiden Tyler and discover (alongside him) that COVID-19 is a thing! He experiences pandemonium at the toilet-paper-free grocery store. He goes through mixed feelings about school closures. And he admits to farting when he's nervous. Hear Rex read the first 3 chapters and engage with student viewers on ideas for plot twists, Aiden's age, and more!
Download and Read

Illustrate Aiden's Story
What color is Aiden's hair? What does Sophia's Coronavirus crown look like? Let's have some fun illustrating Aiden's story! Share YOUR illustrations of Aiden's fun and fear (and farts?) with us on social (tag @JrLibraryGuild) or email them to us at jlgwebcast@gmail.com. Some pics might just make it on the next webcast!

Be sure to also tag Rex on Twitter (@RexOgle) or Instagram (@thirdrex).

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JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Aiden Tyler, Quaran-teen - A Weekly Webcast "Serial" with Author Rex Ogle Every Tuesday at 2 p.m.

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Check back daily for some new distractions.
Scroll all the way to the right to see new additions. Today is Day 28!
I promise to try to surprise you!

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Ride Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more...

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Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger at Walt Disney World

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An interesting post from POPSUGAR Family. Check it out!

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"Wide Open School is a free collection of the best online learning experiences for kids curated by the editors at Common Sense. There is so much good happening, and we are here to gather great stuff and organize it so teachers and families can easily find it and plan each day."

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Informizely customer feedback surveys

Spotlight: Sensical, A Free Streaming Service for Kids

Inspired by Common Sense Media, Sensical is a new streaming service for kids age 2-10. Families will find thousands of entertaining and educational videos featuring characters and creators that children love! Check it out here

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Informizely customer feedback surveys Inspired by Common Sense Media, Sensical is a new streaming service for kids age 2-10. Families will find thousands of entertaining and educational videos featuring characters and creators that children love! Check it out here

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The world's largest live interactive classroom with weekly challenges to engage students of all abilities

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Whether you're a parent/guardian or a student learning independently, the options below are engaging, easy-to-try ways to begin your exploration of computer science.

Try an Hour of Code with these fun introductory tutorial

Try a one-hour tutorial featuring popular games and movies like Minecraft, Frozen, and Star Wars. Many tutorials are structured like games, designed to teach basic computer science concepts in fun, engaging ways.

Minecraft Hour of Code

Minecraft is back for the Hour of Code with a brand new activity! Journey through Minecraft with code.

Try activity

AI for Oceans

Help A.I. clean the oceans by training it to detect trash! Learn about training data and bias, and how AI can address world problems. View lesson plan.

Try activity

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Watch an engaging series of short videos to learn how computers, the internet, and AI work

Learn the basics of computer science with videos featuring famous technologists like Bill Gates and Satya Nadella, as well as a diverse cast of presenters from a number of industries and organizations.

How Computers Work

With an introduction by Bill Gates, this series of six short videos explains what makes a computer a computer and how computer circuits work.

Watch the video series

How the Internet Works

In this series of eight short videos, you'll learn how the internet was invented, what HTML is, and how search engines like Google work.

Watch the video series

How AI Works

Learn about how AI works and why it matters with this series of short videos. Featuring Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and a diverse cast of experts.

Watch the video series

View more videos, including short inspirational videos featuring celebrities like Steph Curry and Shakira, here.
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Learn the fundamentals with our self-paced courses

Self-paced introductory courses

A great option for students getting started on their own. You'll learn the fundamentals of computer science with drag & drop blocks. Create your own drawings and games. Note: Express courses are currently available in English, Hindi, Italian, and Spanish. For other languages, we recommend our 20-hour Accelerated Course. To see what's available in your language, visit our course catalog.

Self-paced introductions to Game Lab and App Lab

Adapted from our CS Discoveries and CS Principles courses, these short, self-paced modules are a great way to learn concepts that span all programming languages and tools. Requires Code.org account to access.
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Create something!

First, get inspired! View our project gallery - play some of the games or try out some of the apps that students have created. You can "remix" the project to make it your own, or build something new in App Lab, Game Lab, or Web Lab.

App Lab

App Lab is a programming environment where you can make simple apps. Design an app, code with blocks or JavaScript to make it work, then share your app in seconds.

Build an app

Game Lab

Game Lab is a programming environment where you can make simple animations and games with objects and characters that interact with each other.

Create a game

Web Lab

Web Lab is a programming environment where you can make simple web pages using HTML and CSS. Design your web pages and share your site in seconds.

Make a web page

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'Unplugged' activities: Computer Science without the computer

Click image to view as PDF

No screen, no problem! We've put together a 'sampler' of quick, fun CS activities you can do without a device. Have a family Dance Party party while learning about events, or 'program' each other to draw pictures!

View unplugged activities

Or view these unplugged options from other organizations:

Hello Ruby - The world's most whimsical way to learn about computers, technology and programming. Activities on a range of CS topics, like the ability to decompose a problem, spot patterns, think algorithmically, debug problems and work together. (for ages 4-10)

CS Unplugged - A collection of free teaching material that teaches computer science through engaging games and puzzles that use cards, string, crayons and lots of running around. (for ages 5-14)

No computer at home? Try CS on your phone with these apps from our partners

Box Island
A charming mobile coding game that takes learners on an exciting adventure, while teaching the fundamentals of coding, like algorithms, pattern recognition, sequences, loops and conditionals. (for all ages)

codeSpark
Award-winning learn-to-code platform for kids ages 5-9. Solve puzzles and create games with The Foos while learning to code. Note: codeSpark is offering a free 3-month trial. Parent's email address and credit card information are required at signup. (for pre-readers through Grade 5)

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Learn from the Code.org team and special guests!

CodeBytes

CodeBytes are easy-to-digest, 20 minute interactive lessons blending computer science with real-world topics. Train an AI to read sign language, design an app for good, explore the world of Minecraft, and more!

View episodes

Code Break

Keep computer science fun by taking a Code Break! You can create a cypher with Ashton Kutcher, learn about variables with Yara Shahidi, and even explore how the Internet works with the actual inventor of the Internet, Vint Cerf!

Get connected

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Whether you're a parent/guardian or a student learning independently, the options below are engaging, easy-to-try ways to begin your exploration of computer science. Try a one-hour tutorial featuring popular games and movies like Minecraft, Frozen, and Star Wars. Many tutorials are structured like games, designed to teach basic computer science concepts in fun, engaging ways.

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Make one for you to open in the future - and don't open it for AT LEAST five years.  No need to bury it.  Stash it away, don't think about it, and years from now, it will be an amazing blast from the past.

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Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds.

Here are some tips to help you get started on your family time capsule .

1. Step 1: Choose Where You'll Hide Your Time Capsule. ...

2. Step 2: Pick Your Time Capsule Container. ...

3. Step 3: Decide What To Include. ...

4. Step 4: Set a Time Frame. ...

5. Step 5: Seal It and Set the Date!

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Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds. Here are some tips to help you get started on your family time capsule . Step 1: Choose Where You'll Hide Your Time Capsule. ... Step 2: Pick Your Time Capsule Container. ... Step 3: Decide What To Include.

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Do you have a mug and a microwave?
Go see what you can make! Lots of yummy recipes for meals and desserts!

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As a professional chef and baker, you may not think a microwave mug cake recipe would be on my menu, but what I call "microbaking" is the real deal. I have 100+ mug meals, including the best Chocolate Mug Cake recipes you'll ever enjoy, a delicious Vanilla Mug Cake for any occasion, my world famous Mug Pizza recipe, and my Brownie in a Mug that is the perfect single-serving treat for you to enjoy.

Top Mug Cake Recipe & Mug Meal Secrets:

How long should I cook my Mug Cake or Meal? Check the wattage (power) on your microwave to determine your exact cook time. My microwave heats at 1200 watts so your mug recipes may take a little more or less time.

Can you overcook a Mug Cake? Does your mug cake smell or taste like egg or is it rubbery? It shouldn't be! This means you overcooked your mug recipe. Cook it for the time on each recipe, check on it and you can always cook it longer.

Are there Egg Substitutes for a Mug Cake or Meal? YES! I have an egg substitute chart you can use to enjoy mug cakes egg free!

What kind of chocolate should you use in a Chocolate Mug Cake recipe? Always use good quality chocolate including unsweetened cocoa powder (not hot chocolate powder because it has loads of unnecessary sugar) to get the best flavor.

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Gemma's Best Mug Cake Recipes and Microwave Mug Meals

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As a professional chef and baker, you may not think a microwave mug cake recipe would be on my menu, but what I call "microbaking" is the real deal.

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This is fun. You can do it, too! Let me know if you escape!

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Celebrate by READing some poetry by Shel Silverstein. Youĺl find some old favorites here. If you see one you like, click to read the entire poem. If you read one, add a comment below, or star this post. PS. These are fun to read out loud to your family! Take turns.

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April is Poetry Month and we're celebrating with some of our favorite Shel Silverstein poems from all your favorite Shel Silverstein books. Shel Silverstein quotes are the best!

Now you can follow in Shel's footsteps with the Poet Tree, an engaging, age-appropriate poetry resource, perfect for classrooms or at-home fun!

PIN ME!

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21 Short and Sweet Shel Silverstein Poems That'll Bring You Back to Childhood

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April is Poetry Month and we're celebrating with some of our favorite Shel Silverstein poems from all your favorite Shel Silverstein books. Shel Silverstein quotes are the best! 1. "Invitation" Where the Sidewalk Ends 2. "Runny's Heading Rabits" Runny Babbit 3. "Homework Machine" A Light in the Attic 4.

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Get up and move! That couch will be there when you get back, I promise. Show us your moves, post a video if your parents give permission.

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Billie Eilish Surprises Her Biggest Fans | Just Dance 2020

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Are you stuck at home? Get out of the house by traveling 121.53 million miles on a virtual trip to Mars! NASA's Jet propulsion laboratory collaborated with Virtual Reality and Google to bring you to the surface of Mars. Have fun, and don't forget to write!

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NASA, JPL, and Google bring the real surface of Mars to your browser.

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Jason is amazing! He never eead a book cover to cover until he was 17 years old. He is now a famous author (he wrote the Track Series). Jason is this year's National Ambassador for Young People's Literature!  Check him out  and his new videos for students from the Library of Congress!!  WRITE.RIGHT.RITE.

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Write. Right. Rite. Jason Reynolds Presents New Video Series

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Jason Reynolds, seventh National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, presents his new series “Write. Right. Rite.” as part of his “Grab the Mic: Tell Your Story” platform.

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Join National Geographic to observe Earth Day. View some amazing videos of endangered species, and way cool infographics too! Seriously, keep exploring because you can get lost here for hours.

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In 1970, as decades of environmental disasters rocked the United States-an offshore oil rig blanketed California beaches with millions of gallons of spilled oil, pesticides devastated insect and bird populations, Ohio's Cuyahoga River burst into flames-Earth Day founder Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson decided to take action. He wanted to educate the public about the environment. Nelson recruited a team that rallied approximately 20 million people across the U.S. to attend events and gatherings and participate in teach-ins and protests against continued deterioration of the environment. The first Earth Day inspired the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the passage of key environmental legislation such as the Clean Air Act, the Water Quality Improvement Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

National Geographic uses the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world, and is focusing on the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day (April 22nd, 2020) to add its voice to the worldwide call for a healthy, sustainable environment for all. What will you do this year to make every day Earth Day?
During the month of April, meet explorers working on conservation and species preservation through our Explorer Classroom digital events.

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In 1970, as decades of environmental disasters rocked the United States-an offshore oil rig blanketed California beaches with millions of gallons of spilled oil, pesticides devastated insect and bird populations, Ohio's Cuyahoga River burst into flames-Earth Day founder Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson decided to take action.

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Try this 15 minute Yoga focusing session geared especially for teens! If you don't have a Yoga mat (I don't) you can just spread a towel out on the floor! I love this. It's easy and you will feel so much better afterwards!

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Yoga For Focus | Teens Yoga Class with Yoga Ed

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Who is good at this? All you need is a piece of paper and something to write with. These instructions are easy enough for a librarian to do it! I know you can do it too. Have fun!

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How To Draw Greg From Diary Of A Wimpy Kid

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Hurricane season starts June 1st. Sign up today for a session next Thursday that will teach you all about hurricanes; how to prepare and how to protect yourself and your family. Best part? You guessed it! It's FREE! Just click the link and follow the directions...

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Have fun playing these games! Have contests to see who is the best typist in your family. I think I know who is the best in my family. Guess what? It isn't me. I need more practice! Bye. I'm going to play some games now. . .

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Typing Games - Learn to Type with Free Typing Games - Typing.com

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Typing.com Typing Games. Our exclusive typing games are a great way to improve typing speed and accuracy. Adjust to your level or challenge yourself. Start now!

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Author Erin Entrada Kelly Shares her Notebooks

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Author Erin Entrada Kelly Shares her Notebooks

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This author's notebooks are fascinating! You might think about using some of these ideas to get started with writing your very own book.

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Author Erin Entrada Kelly Shares Her Notebooks

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It could be really fun to write a novel while you're staying safe at home. You can find everything you need right here. Check it out!

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Kid President has gotten older, just like you and me. Watch this video to see what he's up to now, and why he stopped making Kid President videos.

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What Happened to Kid President? | Kid President Travel Show E1

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Don't let your math skills get stale. Have fun practicing them with these awesome games! I played and they were a lot of fun! Lots of games to choose from here.

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6th grade math games for free. Multiplication, division, fractions, and logic games that boost sixth grade math skills.

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Jarret Lerner writes and illustrates  the Enginerds series, the Geeger the Robot series, and the Hunger Heroes series. Have some fun learning about his books and getting all of his tips for lettering and drawing here.

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The activities below are available for free download, and are to be used in educational and/or private settings. They may not be used elsewhere or for other purposes (such as for profit) unless explicit permission is granted.
Below will find: Blank Comic Book Pages, Special Activities, "Finish This Story!" Story Starters, "How to Draw..." Instructions, "Finish This Comic!" Comics, and Drawing/Writing Prompts.
More activities are being added to this page regularly, so make sure to check back for more. And if you like the activities below, don't miss my activity books, GIVE THIS BOOK A TITLE and GIVE THIS BOOK A COVER, available wherever books are sold!
Click on the numbers below to find a variety of different blank comic book pages. Each number corresponds to a different arrangement of panels on the page. Print out a few of each, or a bunch of one kind, and make your own comic!

Special Activities

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the Introduction to Hand-Lettering sheets!

Click HERE to download the above Thank You activities!

Click HERE to download the above Haiku Diary activity!

Click HERE to download the above Thank You activities!

Click HERE to download the above Earth Day activities!

Click HERE to download the above Earth Day activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

Click HERE to download the above Halloween activities!

"Finish This Story!" Story Starters

Click HERE to download the above "Finish This Story!" activities!

Click HERE to download the above "Finish This Story!" activities!

"How to Draw..." Instructions

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

Click HERE to download the above "How to Draw..." activities!

"Finish This Comic!" Comics

Below you will find a collection of comics that are incomplete. Look closely at the pictures, then figure out what you need to add to complete the comic!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Click HERE to download the above incomplete comics!

Drawing/Writing Prompts

Below you will find some drawing prompt activity sheets. Completed drawings can also be used as creative writing prompts.

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheets!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above activity sheet!

Click HERE to download the above Spanish version activity sheets!

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The activities below are available for free download, and are to be used in educational and/or private settings. They may not be used elsewhere or for other purposes (such as for profit) unless explicit permission is granted. Below will find: Blank Comic Book Pages, Special Activities, "Finish This Story!"

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Do you know the American Sign Language hand signs for all of the letters of the alphabet? I used to know them, but needed a refresher. Watch this video to learn all of the signs. Learn how to sign your name!

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EASIEST way to learn your ASL ABCs | Slowest alphabet lesson

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Try your hand at Digital Blackout Poetry. Choose your own book, article, or website, and get your creative juices flowing!  Be sure you are signed in to your school Google account. Then check out the easy directions here. Thanks to Mrs. Vann at Four Oaks MS for this fun idea! Love it!

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Super cool views of active volcanoes in what some say is the most beautiful state in our nation. Visit Hawaii without even having to leave your house. If you like it, do some research on how much it would cost to actually travel there non-virtually next time.

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Join me at the Virtual Everywhere Book Fest! Meet authors and illustrators, and hear about amazing new books. There will be games and lots of excitement. It will be all day today and tomorrow. Letś GO!

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Everywhere Book Fest is a virtual gathering of kidlit authors, illustrators, and books that will bring the book festival experience to young readers everywhere.

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Click the link to learn all about fun things you can do on May Day to make other people happy and make yourself happy in the process. I wish you an amazing May Day!

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May Day (May 1) is a holiday rich in history and folklore, celebrating the return of spring! Learn about some of the fun traditions, from May Day baskets to dancing around the maypole. Here are 10 ways to "bring in the May."

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Origins of May Day

Did you know that May Day has its roots in astronomy? It's the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice! In ancient times, this was one of the Celtic cross-quarter days which mark the midway points between the (four) solstices and equinoxes of the year.

As with many early holidays, May Day was rooted in agriculture. Springtime festivities filled with song and dance celebrated the sown fields starting to sprout. Cattle were driven to pasture, special bonfires were lit, and doors of houses as well as livestock were decorated with yellow May flowers. In the Middle Ages, the Gaelic people celebrated the festival of Beltane. Beltane means "Day of Fire." People created large bonfires and danced at night to celebrate.

May Day has a long history and tradition in England, some of which eventually came to America. Children would dance around the Maypole holding onto colorful ribbons. People would "bring in the May" by gathering wildflowers and green branches, weaving of floral hoops and hair garlands, and crowning a May king and queen. Such rites originally may have been intended to ensure fertility for crops and, by extension, for livestock and humans, but in most cases this significance was gradually lost, so that the practices survived largely as popular festivities.

When Is May Day?

This one is easy to remember: May Day occurs annually on May 1! See which day of the week May Day falls in coming years:

The Maypole Dance

Did you ever dance around the Maypole as a child? Wrapping a Maypole with colorful ribbons is a joyous tradition that still exists in some schools and communities.

Originally, the Maypole was a living tree chosen from the woods with much merrymaking. Ancient Celts danced around the tree, praying for good crops and fertility. For younger people, there was the possibility of courtship. If a young woman and man paired by sundown, their courtship continued so that the couple could get to know each other and, possibly, marry 6 weeks later on June's Midsummer's Day. This is how the "June wedding" became a tradition.

In the Middle Ages, all villages had Maypoles. Towns would compete to see who had the tallest or best Maypole. Over time, this Old English festival incorporated dance performances, plays, and literature. People would crown a "May Queen" for the day's festivities.

The strict Puritans of New England considered the celebrations of May Day to be licentious and pagan, so they forbade its observance, and the springtime holiday never became an important part of American culture as it was in many European countries.

Interestingly, from the late 19th century through the 1950s, the Maypole dance and festivities became a rite of spring at some U.S. colleges. Seen as a wholesome tradition, this celebration often included class plays, Scottish dancing, Morris dancing, a cappella concerts, and cultural dancing and music displays.

In the 1960s and 1970s, interest waned; the May Queen and her court became more of a popularity contest. Today, the Maypole dance is mainly celebrated in schools (from elementary though college) as a fun spring activity.

Making a May Basket

Ever heard of the May baskets? People would leave a paper basket or cone containing spring flowers and sweets on each other's doorsteps, usually anonymously.

This tradition was popular through the 19th and 20th centuries, especially with children or sweethearts. The custom was to knock on the door, yell "May basket!" and then run. If the recipient caught the giver, he or she was entitled to a kiss.

Louisa May Alcott wrote about May Basket Day in the late 1800s. In the 1920s, some bold schoolchildren hung a May basket on the White House door for First Lady Grace Coolidge.

The May Day basket is still a cherished tradition for some Americans, although it's not well known today. To make a simple May basket, fold a piece of colored paper into the shape of a cone. Then fill with wildflowers! If you don't have colored paper, roll up and secure (with tape or a staple) a paper plate. Draw on the plate with spring colors and fill with flowers!

You could also fill a real basket with little gifts such as flower seed packets, baked cookies, candies, and pretty trinkets. If you don't have a basket, an empty milk carton or seed pot would also do the trick. Just cover in colored paper or pretty streamers and fill with tissue paper!

First lady Grace Coolidge receives a May basket from young children. Credit: Library of Congress

10 Ways to Celebrate May Day

Why not celebrate May Day? Here are some joyful May Day traditions marking the return of spring and the renewed gift of life.

1. Among the many superstitions associated with May Day was the belief that washing the face with dew on the morning of May 1 would beautify the skin and bring good luck. We say go ahead! Walk outside and sprinkle your face with morning dew (or snow!).

2. On May 1, people in Britain welcome spring by "Bringing in the May," or gathering cuttings of flowering trees for their homes. Bring in branches of forsythia, magnolia, redbud, lilac, or other flowering branches in your region!

3. Make that May Day Basket of flowers! Get the kids involved. We like this little fellow's homemade basket which he's probably leaving for mom (shhh!).

Credit: Suzanne Tucker.

4. May 1 in Hawaii is called "Lei Day," and people make pretty leis. Leis are garlands or wreaths that are often made with native Hawaiian flowers and leaves. These days, leis are given as a symbol of greeting, farewell, affection, celebration, or honor-all in the spirit of aloha. Make a lei or a garland for your yourself or your mother!

5. Kids would go barefoot on May Day for the first time. Whatever your age today, walk barefoot in the morning dew (or snow?). Encourage the kids to do the same!

6. In parts of Ireland, people would make a May bush; typically this was a thorn bush or branch decorated with flowers and ribbons. Create your own May bush or tree! Just decorate with colored ribbons!

7. Beekeepers traditionally moved bees on May 1. Want to get involved in beekeeping? Check out our series on starting a honeybee hive!

8. Fishermen expect to catch fish on May Day. Find our Best Fishing Days here.

9. Traditionally, farmers planted turnips on this day. See our Planting Calendar to find planting dates for your area.

10. The Kentucky Derby starts off the month of May (the first Saturday of the month).

What Does "Mayday!" Mean?

Here's a fun fact: The term "Mayday!" is not related to the "May Day" spring festival, but instead comes from the French phrase M'aidez!, which means "Help me!" If you hear " Mayday!" repeated three times, realize that it is an urgent distress call. (To signal that you need help but are not in a life-threatening situation, repeat the phrase "Pan-pan!" three times when calling for assistance.)

So, now you know all about May Day! As colts and calves kick up their heels, seedlings seek the Sun, and birds call for mates, we humans may join their revels for one day: during spring's "May Day" festival! Even serious-minded folks can put work aside to enjoy Nature's exuberance!

Do you celebrate May Day? Share your traditions in the comments below.

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May Day (May 1) is a holiday rich in folklore, celebrating the return of spring! As a child, many of us remember our grandparents or parents leaving delightful little May Day baskets, and dancing around the Maypole at school. Learn more about May Day.

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Enjoy this tribute to Star Wars quotes loved by Star Wars fans worldwide. Keep the celebration going by finding ways to insert these quotes into your conversations all day, watching some Star wars movies , and texting some quotes to your friends. May the fourth be with you all!

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MAY THE 4TH - Iconic Star Wars Quotes: 2016 - Star Geek

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Create 2D & 3 D with Smithsonian Open Access

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Create 2D & 3 D with Smithsonian Open Access

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Go exploring here to see what you can discover and or create. There is a fantastic collection of images you won't find anywhere else. I wish we could explore them together, but since we can't I would love to hear what surprised you so I can check it out myself. Send me an email, anytime.

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Welcome to Smithsonian Open Access, where you can download, share, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian's images-right now, without asking. With new platforms and tools, you have easier access to more than 4.5 million 2D and 3D digital items from our collections-with many more to come. This includes images and data from across the Smithsonian's 21 museums, nine research centers, libraries, archives, and the National Zoo.

What will you create?

#SmithsonianOpenAccess

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Smithsonian Open Access | Smithsonian Institution

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Learn more about Smithsonian Open Access

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Who celebrates this day, how, and why? If it's a mystery to you, solve it by watching this enjoyable video. Then have fun celebrating with your family. Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone! Buenos dias!

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Race with a friend over facetime, zoom, or some other video connection to complete two silly but difficult challenges. Or you can do a face-to-face challenge with your family members. If you try this, let me know who wins!

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I would really love to visit Kenya in Africa one day, but until then I can go on this virtual field trip with PBS Learning Media. You can, too. See African animals in their native environment, and see the people and things that make Kenya a special place in this world. Let's go!
P.S. Giraffes and elephants are two of my favorite animals. What are yours?

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Virtual Field Trip Video: Africa | Nature Works Everywhere | PBS LearningMedia

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Experience a virtual field trip to Africa to learn how locals are working together to restore forestlands, protect wildlife, and promote ecotourism, hosted by PBS LearningMedia, The Nature Conservancy, and field scientist Charles Oluchina. This event was originally recorded on Thursday, February 5, 2015. Find a teacher's guide here to accompany this field trip.

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Look out into the depths of space to see unbelievable videos from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). Explore this site to find amazing stories about space exploration, astronauts, and all of the incredible things happening right now that you may not even know about.

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NASA live launches, landings, and events. Watch live broadcasts from NASA Television and NASA’s social media channels, and a schedule of upcoming live events including news briefings, launches and landings.

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"Have you ever wondered how theme parks come to life? Disney Imagineers from hundreds of career disciplines around the world share how they use a wide range of skills – from story development and conceptual design, to math, physics and engineering –. . . Imagineering in a Box allows you to explore different aspects of theme park design, from characters to ride development, as you design a theme park of your very own."

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If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

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About this unit

Have you ever wondered how theme parks come to life? Disney Imagineers from hundreds of career disciplines around the world share how they use a wide range of skills - from story development and conceptual design, to math, physics and engineering - that all come together to create immersive experiences. Imagineering in a Box allows you to explore different aspects of theme park design, from characters to ride development, as you design a theme park of your very own.

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Imagineering in a Box | Storytelling | Arts and humanities | Khan Academy

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Have you ever wondered how theme parks come to life? Disney Imagineers from hundreds of career disciplines around the world share how they use a wide range of skills - from story development and conceptual design, to math, physics and engineering - that all come together to create immersive experiences.

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You can help! Play games online with the United Nations World Food Programme. "The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and building a better future for people driven into hunger by conflict and the impact of climate change." Quiz yourself in any one of these 8 areas: Corona Virus, Global Goals, English, Geography, Humanities, Foreign Languages, Math, or Science. This is fun and you can help just by playing games. I am working on Geography and I need lots of practice! To find the categories, just click on the 3 lines at the top left on the home screen.

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Read this colorful, beautifully written and drawn, digital graphic novel by author Daniel Lieske. It's digital so you can read it online.
I have read the first chapter and I am hooked! . . . Let me know what you think.

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The Wormworld Saga - A Digital Graphic Novel by Daniel Lieske

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Follow Jonas Berg on his fantastic adventures inside the Wormworld in this next generation digital graphic novel. Reading the Wormworld Saga online is free and many translations are available.

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Watch this video to learn 3 tricks that will astound your family and friends! They will not know how you found their card! This student is a great teacher. I have had fun learning these tricks and trying them out on my family. I hope you have fun with them, too. All you need is a deck of cards...or two. Shhhhh!!!

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"Need something to keep ... busy this summer?... make the most of (your) break with interactive camps taught by expert instructors. Each camp consists of five sessions, starting on Monday and ending on Friday. Sign up for one camp, or all of them! We're adding new camps every day so be sure to check back often."

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Junior Geologists Camp

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GOLDIEBLOX

Is your kid interested in volcanoes, gems, and weird rock formations? In this camp they'll join other young geologists, uncover terrestrial secrets, and work on the included GoldieBlox Crystal Growing Kit.

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GOLDIEBLOX Is your kid interested in volcanoes, gems, and weird rock formations? In this camp they'll join other young geologists, uncover terrestrial secrets, and work on the included GoldieBlox Crystal Growing Kit.

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See our brand new NJMS reading Online webpage! I am beyond excited to share these sites with you. So many companies have opened their hearts to our students by offering free access to their eBooks. Exciting books to read, free on your device! Go read! Right now. Are you still here?

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A Special Collection for NJMS students in response to COVID-19

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Listen to Harry Potter read by Celebrities!

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Listen to Harry Potter read by Celebrities!

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"Daniel Radcliffe will be the first of many exciting contributors to help us read through the first Harry Potter book, as he introduces the Dursleys, who don’t like anything mysterious. Enter a cat reading a map, owl-filled skies and whispers about the Potters. So, get comfy and enjoy! You can register with the Harry Potter Fan Club to get all the latest updates on further video readings too."

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A trip down memory lane with Harry Potter At Home | Wizarding World

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This year, we brought Hogwarts to you with a very special campaign called Harry Potter At Home. As the year comes to a close, we take a look back at some of our favourite moments.

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How do soap and hand sanitizer help keep us safe from the Cotrona Virus? Which one is better? Watch this TED-Ed Animation video to learn the best way to protect yourself and your family.

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The statement, "wash your hands," has been in the mainstream media these past few months. Why should you wash your hands so often, and exactly how effective is this habit at preventing the flu and the coronavirus? Hand sanitizer is often an alternative to hand washing with soap and water. Which process is more effective? How does this all work?

There are many ways that germs can spread. It is always a good idea to get a quick review of different ways germs can get left behind and potentially affect another person. Watch this TED Ed lesson: How do germs spread, and find out how you can prevent sharing your germs with another person.

Still want to learn a bit more on how exactly soap kills the coronavirus? This lesson will give your more information.

Does all this coronavirus talk cause you anxiety? There are ways to combat that nervousness and it helps to remember that you are not alone in this. Visit this blog post and find out some methods to alleviate some of that stress.

Would a video on exactly how to wash your hands help? Watch this Hand -washing Steps using the WHO Technique.

Chemistry is really cool. How can soap actually kill the coronavirus? It's science! Watch this video: Can Soap REALLY Kill the CoronaVirus?

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Which is better: Soap or hand sanitizer? - Alex Rosenthal and Pall Thordarson

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Your hands, up close, are anything but smooth. With peaks and valleys, folds and rifts, there are plenty of hiding places for a virus to stick. If you then touch your face, the virus can infect you. But there are two extraordinarily simple ways you can keep that from happening: soap and water, and hand sanitizer.

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The Zoomquilt is a hypnotic, infinitely zooming image and website created by Berlin artist Nikolaus Baumgarten and a team of illustrators that weaves together a patchwork of different fantasy paintings into a single, seemingly endless shot. The work, which was inspired by the ongoing Gridcosm project. Look it up!

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The infinitely zooming image.

Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate.

A project by Nikolaus Baumgarten created in 2004.

Illustrators: Andreas Schumann, Eero Pitkänen, Florian Biege, Jann Kerntke, Lars Götze, Luis Felipe, Marcus Blättermann, Markus Neidel, Paul Painter, Oliver Schlemmer, Sonja Schneider, Thorsten Wolber, Tony Stanley, Ville Vanninen.

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The infinitely zooming image. Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate. A project by Nikolaus Baumgarten created in 2004. Illustrators: Andreas Schumann, Eero Pitkänen, Florian Biege, Jann Kerntke, Lars Götze, Luis Felipe, Marcus Blättermann, Markus Neidel, Paul Painter, Oliver Schlemmer, Sonja Schneider, Thorsten Wolber, Tony Stanley, Ville Vanninen.

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You and your family can win some sweet prizes playing breakout games. Games are played everyday at 11AM and 2PM. Check your calendar and see when you can sign up to play, Good Luck!

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How to invite your students to Breakout EDU LIVE? - Breakout EDU

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Breakout EDU LIVE is free for anyone to tune in and play to play go to BreakoutEDU.com/live at 11AM PT / 2PM ET There is no login required If a student wins the game they'll be prompted to complete this form so we can send the prizes to their parents AND teacher.

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One of the most popular books at our Jaguar library is our Guinness Book of World Records. Now you can check out world records online. Click the link for some very impressive record breakers!

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Take a look at the latest videos from Guinness World Records, from dogs doing a conga line to Rubik's cube juggling! We've got videos of all kinds of records from all over the world, including sport, animals, science, tech and a whole host of extraordinary and unusual records.

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Take a look at the latest videos from Guinness World Records, from dogs doing a conga line to Rubik's cube juggling! We've got videos of all kinds of records from all over the world, including sport, animals, science, tech and a whole host of extraordinary and unusual records.

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If you love the Avengers, check out this fun workout. Come on, get off the couch and show us what you can do! Be an avenger!

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Choose from several settings to search and find all of the hidden objects. I played the Medieval Castle game and did NOT win...YET!
The power of YET works with schoolwork and when we are just having fun. I am not giving up. How about you? Are you up to the challenge? Click the link and get started.

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Get up close and personal with our national bird, the Bald Eagle. This huge nest in Decorah, Iowa is currently occupied with at least one young eagle. Watch daily as the parent(s) teach the young eagle. Did you know eagle's usually keep the same nest from year to year? Here's some info from www.nationaleaglecenter.org
"The average bald eagle nest is 4 to 5 feet in diameter and 2 to 4 feet deep. Each year the adult pair will add 1-2 feet of new material to the nest. The largest recorded bald eagle nest, located in St. Petersburg, Florida, was 9.5 feet in diameter, 20 feet deep and weighed almost 3 tons."

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Visit the National Aquarium at Baltimore to look through the LIVE CAM! Welcome to Blacktip Reef, where you'll find blacktip reef sharks darting at the water's surface while brilliantly colored fish weave throughout intricate corals and graceful rays skim the sandy floor in a recreation of a delicately balanced Indo-Pacific reef. How many residents of Blacktip Reef can you find on the coloring page section of our activity page?

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Enjoy a piece of the National Aquarium from home with our livestreams of our Blacktip Reef, Jellies Invasion and Pacific Coral Reef exhibits.

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Watch these short videos to learn about weird, but true random facts about the world around us! For example, did you know that Star Wars creators designed Yoda to look like Albert Einstein?

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From animals to geography, take a look at these amazing-and slightly strange-facts about our world.

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What Happened to North Carolina's Lost Colony?

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What Happened to North Carolina's Lost Colony?

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"The Lost Colony of Roanoke has been a mystery for years, and little information has come forward to help scientists solve the suspicious case. In today's video we try and crack what actually happened to the settlers of Roanoke, what the theories are and why is this still a mystery!"

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How Did A Whole Village Disappear? (The Lost Colony of Roanoke Mystery)

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Have fun trying to fool the Akinator! He sometimes gets it and sometimes doesn't. Will he be able to guess your character, or will you be the one who can fool him? ...Find out now. Oh, and NO DOWNLOAD required and DON"T Deactivate your adblocker. Just close out of that message.

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Akinator can read your mind and tell you what character you are thinking of, as if by magic. Think of a real or fictional character, answer few questions, and Akinator will try to guess who it is. Will you dare challenge the genie?

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I've been stung before, have you? It is NOT fun. Watch this video to find out exactly how it happens, and maybe you can prevent it from happening to you. Stay safe in the water this summer!  While a jellyfish sting won't kill you, it will sure make you very uncomfortable for a few days.

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Jellyfish aren't actually fish at all but are invertebrates in the phylum cnidaria, named after their stinging cells. See their stinging cells in action in this videomicrograph.

The largest jelly, the lion's mane, was suspected of stinging 150 people on the same day. Jellyfish aren't aggressive towards humans but use their stinging cells as a defense mechanism. Each cell can only fire once so they don't release nematocysts at every object that crosses their path. The cnidocytes have both mechanical and chemical receptors that control discharge. Hair cells detect touch while chemoreceptors sense chemicals released by predators and prey. When the jellyfish encounters something that doesn't have the appropriate chemical scent the nematocyst doesn't fire. This adaptation ensures that they don't sting themselves! Lycra bodysuits have become the first line of human defense against jellyfish stings because they block chemical detection of human skin which prevents nematocyst discharge.

In most cases a vinegar rinse is recommended to prevent nematocyst discharge but it is important to know what type of jellyfish you may encounter before entering the ocean to prepare for proper first aid. Recent research has stirred controversy about the use of vinegar, however, authorities assert that findings are not strong enough to change public safety guidelines and more research is necessary. Those stung by the Australian box jellyfish will likely need CPR. Learn how its venom, the world's deadliest, damages blood cells and about the discovery of a promising new treatment.

Some jellyfish are harmless to humans either because their nematocysts can't penetrate the skin or their venom is too weak. In Palau's Jellyfish Lake, visitors can swim safely surrounded by golden jellyfish. There's a common myth that this species has lost its ability to sting but if its tentacles graze delicate areas, such as lips or eyelids, the nematocyst encounter might cause a tingling sensation.

Recent research has revealed that moon jellyfish ephyrae, their flower shaped larvae, can rearrange their bodies after injury to reestablish symmetry. Learning about the mechanisms driving this form of self-repair may help inform engineers trying to build self-healing robots in the future. Jellyfish research is also advancing the medical field with studies underway on the suitability of using nematocysts as needles for drug delivery.

Check out the amazing mouth of the leatherback turtle, with backwards pointing spines called papillae, and the ocean sunfish's gill arch teeth. Both the sunfish and turtle use these adaptations to feast on jellyfish. Sometimes these animals mistakenly eat indigestible plastic bags because they look very similar to jellyfish underwater. This can lead to intestinal blockage, starvation and death. We can help keep them safe by keeping litter out of the ocean. Make sure waste gets into the proper receptacle, recycle, or replace plastic bags entirely with reusable shopping bags.

Learn more about how nudibranchs steal the jellyfish's stinging cells and store them in their cnidosacs.

See a slipper lobster hitch a ride on a jellyfish! Many organisms associate with jellyfish for protection, transportation or to have a meal.

What's it like to be stung by a jelly? Check out Diana Nyad's firsthand account of extreme swimming with the world's most dangerous jellyfish.

Due to overfishing and climate change, jellyfish populations are on the rise. Lisa-ann Gershwin discusses the implications of jellyfish dominated oceans.

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How does a jellyfish sting? - Neosha S Kashef

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You're swimming in the ocean when something brushes your leg. When the tingling sets in, you realize you've been stung by a jellyfish. How do these beautiful gelatinous creatures pack such a painful punch? Neosha S Kashef details the science behind the sting.

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This book is one of THE MOST POPULAR books in the Jaguar Library Media Center. In fact, it is checked out right now! However, you can still read it by listening to author Lauren Tarshis read it aloud, one chapter at a time. She recorded it for you because she knew you were stuck at home. That was very cool of her and if you haven't been able to check it out from our library, here's your chance to see why it is SO POPULAR! Listen to chapter one and you will be hooked! Happy reading, Jaguars!

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Author Lauren Tarshis reads I Survived The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912, chapters 1 & 2

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Take off on a virtual field trip to China. See and hear about animals native to China's forests. Find out what is happening with their environment and efforts to sustain their habitats. In addition, view some exciting Chinese architecture, and if you learn something along the way. . . . well that's a bonus!

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Virtual Field Trip Video: China's Great Forests | Nature Works Everywhere | PBS LearningMedia

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Join our expert scientist Yue Wang, a conservation planning officer for The Nature Conservancy, on a virtual field trip across the world to two stunning provinces in China-Sichuan and Yunnan-where we will explore majestic forests, towering mountains, and other iconic landscapes.

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Okay, all you Fortnite players, this is for you! I'm challenging you! Do you have the moves? . . . Find some space. Get your family involved. Show us what you've got!  Ready player one? . . . GO!

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The Fortnite Dance Workout (5mins) #GETKIDSMOVING

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Click the link for all things Harry Potter! Listen to celebrities read the chapters aloud. Create HP crafts and ace challenge quizzes and games! The first one of you to email Mr. Turnage and or Mrs. Nicol about this site being on the Daily Distraction Padlet board will win a prize from Mrs. Pettigrew! Mr. Turnage and Mrs. Nicol, when you see this, let me know who told you first.

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Join Harry Potter and journey into the wizarding world with our new site! Discover puzzles, quizzes, crafts and more to guide you through the very first book.

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Mystery Lovers will thrill listening to these 6 minute episodes! Scroll all the way down to get to the first episode. Listen to one episode each day or binge listen to as many as you like. These will not disappoint! Find your earbuds, or listen with the whole family. Will you be able to figure out what happens next?

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Six Minutes: Discover the most downloaded family audio drama in history. Eleven-year-old Holiday is pulled from the icy waters of Alaska with no memory of who she is or where she comes from. And when she begins to develop incredible abilities, she’ll soon learn she’s not alone in the world.
From Pea…

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How do you learn best? Maybe you like to take notes, draw pictures, create a table, talk it out with a partner, or a combination of these things.. Use whatever method works best for you to solve this challenging riddle. Then, challenge your friends!

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Can you solve the fish riddle? -  Steve Wyborney

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The evolution of dance from 1950 to 2019. Have fun watching this video and then watch it again with your grandparents and parents. You may be surprised to see which dance moves they remember doing. How many of these do you know how to do? Thanks to the talented Ricardo Walker's Crew for creating this enjoyable video.

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The Evolution of Dance - 1950 to 2019 - By Ricardo Walker's Crew

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"Welcome to Earth School! We’re embarking on a month of daily adventures – or Quests – that will help you understand and celebrate our natural world, while learning about how dependent we are on our planet. Now more than ever, we need to protect, nurture and care for Earth – so join us to learn something amazing every weekday between Earth Day (April 22nd) and World Environment Day (June 5th). Within each lesson, you’ll find fascinating resources compiled by Earth experts and ideas for getting involved in ways that count. Join us to learn more, create, act and share your journey (#EarthSchool) towards a cleaner and greener life."

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Earth School - The information and inspiration we need to get to net-zero by 2050.

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How much do you already know about the basics of climate change?

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Did you know that Diary of a Wimpy Kid books have been printed in 64 different languages? This series is not only popular in our Jaguar Library; it is loved all over the world! Check out the website to find out about the newest book coming soon, as well as other surprises by author Greg Kinney.

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In order to receive the best web experience with our website, please use Microsoft Edge or another browser other than Internet Explorer.

We use website cheesiest cookies to ensure you enjoy our site.

Accept!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid was first published in 2007 and introduced readers around the globe to Greg Heffley, his family, his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, and the dreaded CHEESE TOUCH!

Woohoo! Woohoo!

Snowed in for the holidays.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever, an all-new adventure is streaming December 8 only on Disney+!
Disney+ subscription required. © 2023 20th Century Studios.

Get ready to ROCK!

Make some noise for Löded Diper!

Cabin Fever

(Special Disney+ Cover Edition)

Get in the holiday spirit in the lead up to Christmas Cabin Fever coming soon to Disney+ with this exclusive cover edition!
© 2023 20th Century Studios.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid author, Jeff Kinney, didn't grow up wanting to be a children's author. His dream was to become a newspaper cartoonist, but he wasn't able to get his comic strip syndicated.

Learn More!

Check out the Awesome Friendly Classroom Kit for lots of fun in-school activities!

Explore!

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Wimpy Kid · Official Website for Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid

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In order to receive the best web experience with our website, please use Microsoft Edge or another browser other than Internet Explorer. We use website cheesiest cookies to ensure you enjoy our site. Accept! Diary of a Wimpy Kid was first published in 2007 and introduced readers around the globe to Greg Heffley, his family, his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, and the dreaded CHEESE TOUCH!

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Check out this symbaloo created by Mrs. Pettigrew! You will find links to so many amazing websites, including different series, places to read, games, and other fun activities. Bookmark this in your web browser so you can find it whenever you want to use it again, or share it with a friend!

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Students and parents will love this animated role-playing game from Common Sense Media. Students, you will make decisions based on your knowledge of internet safety and digital citizenship. When you make decisions for the characters, you change what happens in the game. Choose wisely, or you may end up in a bad situation. Ready to play? Let's go!

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Digital Compass can only be used on desktop or laptop web browsers.

Digital Compass by Common Sense Education teaches students the fundamentals of digital citizenship through a choose-your-own-path interactive game, designed for grades 6-8.

Teachers, this way to the Educator Guide to Digital Compass!

Get resources

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Common Sense Digital Compass™ | Educational games for kids to help teach digital citizenship and digital literacy skills.

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Check out this list of titles recommended by middle schoolers!
Make your own bucket list and then find them at NJMS Reading Online. Remember to cross them off the list as you read.  Give yourself a small reward each time you finish one!  If you finish the list, give yourself a big reward. Ask your parents to help. Keep in touch with me via email. I would love to hear about what you picked to read!
cindipettigrew@johnston.k12.nc.us

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I didn't want to let a global pandemic stand in the way of gathering the titles of the amazing books my 7th graders loved this year. This is the fifth year that my students have gathered what they deem the very best books that they read this year and shared their recommendations with the world. As always we have favorites that seem to pop up every year, but this year we also had a lot of new titles join the mix.

As always, I loved seeing what made the cut because I simply could not do the work I do without the help of these incredible books. Some of these are fine for all 7th graders, some are more mature, I am including them all so that you can make your own decision. All parents are informed of the range of books that are present in our classroom library so that students can choose something that speaks to them. Not all of these books are in my library but are books that the students have found and read independently.

It was interesting to see just how many of these books I myself had read and book-talked, as well as how many have been favorites two or more years in a row. There were also many of these books that were book-talked by more than one student such as Until Friday Night, Yummy, Scythe, and the Mortal Instruments. Yet this also seemed to be the year where students continued to read about stories that they may not be familiar with themselves, however, despite my book talks, there are still certain gaps in what our students are loving. I hope you find their recommendations helpful. This year, they created a slide to speak about their choice. Scroll down to see the list.

Other things I noticed were:

The most requested book was Long Way down by Jason Reynolds, followed closely by any of Angie Thomas' books, Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, and the whole Scythe series by Neal Shusterman.

High school drama books that had a romantic twist were in heavy rotation.

So were free verse books and graphic novels.

Social justice books continue to carry a deep impact and are passed from hand to hand.

Kids reading interests range widely, some students gravitated toward more traditional literature this year while others solely devoured lighthearted middle grade - this shows the incredible need for a broad and inclusive selection for all of our students.

To see the list from 2016 go here To see the list from 2017 go here To see the list from 2018, go here To see the list from 2019, go here
I have gathered the list for shopping purposes at Bookshop.org - a fantastic website that partners with independent booksellers and pays them a higher percentage for anything they sell than Amazon. So please consider using them when ordering books.

Without further ado, here they are as reported by my 74 seventh graders this year

The Call of the Wild is a short adventure novel by Jack London published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named Buck. The story opens at a ranch in Santa Clara Valley, California, when Buck is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska. He becomes progressively feral in the harsh environment, where he is forced to fight to survive and dominate other dogs. By the end, he sheds the veneer of civilization, and relies on primordial instinct and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the wild.

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least win her first battle. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri's got massive shoes to fill.

But it's hard to get your come up when you're labeled a hoodlum at school, and your fridge at home is empty after your mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral . . . for all the wrong reasons.

Bri soon finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesn't just want to make it-she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be.

Insightful, unflinching, and full of heart, On the Come Up is an ode to hip hop from one of the most influential literary voices of a generation. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young black people, freedom of speech isn't always free.

Jason tumbles into a quest to save a magical in this #1 New York Times bestselling start to Brandon Mull's Beyonders fantasy series.Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable-until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

For seventh grader Mila, it starts with an unwanted hug on the school blacktop.

The next day, it's another hug. A smirk. Comments. It all feels...weird. According to her friend Zara, Mila is being immature, overreacting. Doesn't she know what flirting looks like?

But it keeps happening, despite Mila's protests. On the bus, in the halls. Even during band practice-the one time Mila could always escape to her "blue-sky" feeling. It seems like the boys are EVERYWHERE. And it doesn't feel like flirting-so what is it?

Mila starts to gain confidence when she enrolls in karate class. But her friends still don't understand why Mila is making such a big deal about the boys' attention. When Mila is finally pushed too far, she realizes she can't battle this on her own-and finds help in some unexpected places.

In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke, an illegal third child, has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm in this start to the Shadow Children series from Margar.

Kek comes from Africa. In America he sees snow for the first time, and feels its sting. He's never walked on ice, and he falls. He wonders if the people in this new place will be like the winter - cold and unkind.

In Africa, Kek lived with his mother, father, and brother. But only he and his mother have survived, and now she's missing. Kek is on his own. Slowly, he makes friends: a girl who is in foster care; an old woman who owns a rundown farm, and a cow whose name means family in Kek's native language. As Kek awaits word of his mother's fate, he weathers the tough Minnesota winter by finding warmth in his new friendships, strength in his memories, and belief in his new country.

For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their ancestors. But the warrior code has been threatened, and the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger. The sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying-and some deaths are more mysterious than others.

In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary housecat named Rusty... who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does-or does not-say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

One touch is all it takes. One touch, and Juliette Ferrars can leave a fully grown man gasping for air. One touch, and she can kill.

No one knows why Juliette has such incredible power. It feels like a curse, a burden that one person alone could never bear. But The Reestablishment sees it as a gift, sees her as an opportunity. An opportunity for a deadly weapon.

Juliette has never fought for herself before. But when she's reunited with the one person who ever cared about her, she finds a strength she never knew she had.

Brooklyn, 1998. Biggie Smalls was right: Things done changed. But that doesn't mean that Quadir and Jarrell are cool letting their best friend Steph's music lie forgotten under his bed after he's murdered-not when his rhymes could turn any Bed Stuy corner into a party.

With the help of Steph's younger sister Jasmine, they come up with a plan to promote Steph's music under a new rap name: the Architect. Soon, everyone wants a piece of him. When his demo catches the attention of a hotheaded music label rep, the trio must prove Steph's talent from beyond the grave.

As the pressure of keeping their secret grows, Quadir, Jarrell, and Jasmine are forced to confront the truth about what happened to Steph. Only, each has something to hide. And with everything riding on Steph's fame, they need to decide what they stand for or lose all that they've worked so hard to hold on to-including each other.

Magnus Chase, a once-homeless teen, is on a death-defying quest across the Norse realms, literally. As a resident of the Hotel Valhalla, this son of the god Frey is now one of Odin's chosen warriors. Magnus and his friends, Hearthstone the elf, Blitzen the dwarf, Samirah the Valkyrie, and other heroic characters must use all their wits and special talents in order to defeat fearsome giants, lethal creatures, and meddlesome gods in order stave off Ragnarok.

Can you love someone you can never touch?
Stella Grant likes to be in control-even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn't care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he'll turn eighteen and then he'll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.Will's exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn't feel like safety. It feels like punishment.What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them.all at once? Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved-five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

How hard do you have to shake the family tree to find the truth about the past? Fifteen year-old Rae Kerrigan never really knew her family's history. Her mother and father died when she was young and it is only when she accepts a scholarship to the prestigious Guilder Boarding School in England that a mysterious family secret is revealed. Will the sins of the father be the sins of the daughter? As Rae struggles with new friends, a new school and a star-struck forbidden love, she must also face the ultimate challenge: receive a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday with specific powers that may bind her to an unspeakable darkness. It's up to Rae to undo the dark evil in her family's past and have a ray of hope for her future.

Twelve-year-old Hope's life is turned upside down when her older sister, Lizzie, becomes an elective mute and is institutionalized after trying to kill herself. Hope and Lizzie have relied on each other from a young age, ever since their dad died. Their mother, who turns tricks to support her family, is a reluctant and unreliable parent-at best. During the course of this lyrical and heartbreaking narrative, told in blank verse from an exceptionally promising YA voice, readers will discover the chilling reason why Lizzie has stopped speaking-and why Hope is the only one who can bring the truth to light and save her sister.

One choice can transform you. Beatrice Prior's society is divided into five factions-Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice must choose between staying with her Abnegation family and transferring factions.

Her choice will shock her community and herself. But the newly christened Tris also has a secret, one she's determined to keep hidden, because in this world, what makes you different makes you dangerous.

When snow shuts down Greg Heffley's middle school, his neighborhood transforms into a wintry battlefield. Rival groups fight over territory, build massive snow forts, and stage epic snowball fights. And in the crosshairs are Greg and his trusty best friend, Rowley Jefferson.It's a fight for survival as Greg and Rowley navigate alliances, betrayals, and warring gangs in a neighborhood meltdown. When the snow clears, will Greg and Rowley emerge as heroes? Or will they even survive to see another day?

Two teens must learn the "art of killing" in this Printz Honor-winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life-and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe-a role that neither wants. These teens must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the chilling sequel to the Printz Honor Book Scythe from New York Times bestseller Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology.

The Thunderhead cannot interfere in the affairs of the Scythedom. All it can do is observe-it does not like what it sees.

A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent.

As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the "new order." But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change.Will the Thunderhead intervene?Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?

When Ada's clubfoot is surgically fixed at last, she knows for certain that she's not what her mother said she was-damaged, deranged, crippled mentally as well as physically. She's not a daughter anymore, either. Who is she now?World War II rages on, and Ada and her brother, Jamie, move with their guardian, Susan, into a cottage with the iron-faced Lady Thorton and her daughter, Maggie. Life in the crowded home is tense.

Then Ruth moves in. Ruth, a Jewish girl, from Germany. A German? Could Ruth be a spy?As the fallout from war intensifies, calamity creeps closer, and life during wartime grows even more complicated. Who will Ada decide to be? How can she keep fighting? And who will she struggle to save?

Twelve-year-old Shayla is allergic to trouble. All she wants to do is to follow the rules. (Oh, and she'd also like to make it through seventh grade with her best friendships intact, learn to run track, and have a cute boy see past her giant forehead.)

But in junior high, it's like all the rules have changed. Now she's suddenly questioning who her best friends are and some people at school are saying she's not black enough. Wait, what?

Shay's sister, Hana, is involved in Black Lives Matter, but Shay doesn't think that's for her. After experiencing a powerful protest, though, Shay decides some rules are worth breaking. She starts wearing an armband to school in support of the Black Lives movement. Soon everyone is taking sides. And she is given an ultimatum.

Shay is scared to do the wrong thing (and even more scared to do the right thing), but if she doesn't face her fear, she'll be forever tripping over the next hurdle. Now that's trouble, for real.

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Lena has her killer style, her awesome boyfriend, and a plan. She knows she's going to make it big. Campbell, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her head down and get through the year at her new school.

When both girls attend the Friday-night football game, what neither expects is for everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together.

They aren't friends. They hardly understand the other's point of view. But none of that matters when the city is up in flames, and they only have each other to rely on if they're going to survive the night.

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf-her wolf-is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human-or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England-until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight.Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young, handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's student, and they join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear.

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.
Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.

They have always scared him in the past-the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied. . . .

Everyone in Fairview knows the story.Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.

Thirteen-year-old Teddy Youngblood is in a coma fighting for his life after an unspecified football injury at training camp. His family and friends flock to his bedside to support his recovery-and to discuss the events leading up to the tragic accident. Was this an inevitable result of playing a violent sport, or was something more sinister happening on the field that day?

To twelve-year-old Molly Nathans, perfect is:

-The number four
-The tip of a newly sharpened No. 2 pencil
-A crisp white pad of paper
-Her neatly aligned glass animal figurines

What's not perfect is Molly's mother leaving the family to take a faraway job with the promise to return in one year. Molly knows that promises are sometimes broken, so she hatches a plan to bring her mother home: Win the Lakeville Middle School Poetry Slam Contest. The winner is honored at a fancy banquet with white tablecloths. Molly is sure her mother would never miss that. Right...?

But as time passes, writing and reciting slam poetry become harder. Actually, everything becomes harder as new habits appear, and counting, cleaning, and organizing are not enough to keep Molly's world from spinning out of control. In this fresh-voiced debut novel, one girl learns there is no such thing as perfect.

They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie's Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Ryn has one unread text message on her phone. And it's been there for almost a year.She hasn't tried to read it. She can't. She won't. Because that one message is the last thing her best friend ever said to her before she died.But as Ryn finds herself trapped in the Denver International Airport on New Year's Eve thanks to a never-ending blizzard on the one-year anniversary of her best friend's death, fate literally runs into her.And his name is Xander.When the two accidentally swap phones, Ryn and Xander are thrust into the chaos of an unforgettable all-night adventure, filled with charming and mysterious strangers, a secret New Year's Eve bash, and a possible Illuminati conspiracy hidden within the Denver airport. But as the bizarre night continues, all Ryn can think about is that one unread text message. It follows her wherever she goes, because Ryn can't get her brilliantly wild and free-spirited best friend out of her head.Ryn can't move on.But tonight, for the first time ever, she's trying. And maybe that's a start.

Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable-more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn't turn up for the first day of school, Claudia's worried.

When she doesn't show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn't just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone. Not after last year's rumors and not with her grades on the line. Now Claudia needs her best-and only-friend more than ever. But Monday's mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday's sister April is even less help.

As Claudia digs deeper into her friend's disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she's gone?

Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun. . . .In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What's going on?

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive-and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills-and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit-he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him - something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

"Speak up for yourself-we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. In Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.

A cannon. A strap.
A piece. A biscuit.
A burner. A heater.
A chopper. A gat.
A hammer
A tool
for RULE

Or, you can call it a gun. That's what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That's where Will's now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother's gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he's after. Or does he?

As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that's when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn's gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn't know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck's in the elevator?

Just as Will's trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck's cigarette. Will doesn't know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES.And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END...if Will gets off that elevator.

Manor Farm is like any other English farm, expect for a drunken owner, Mr Jones, incompetent workers and oppressed animals. Fed up with the ignorance of their human masters, the animals rise up in rebellion and take over the farm. Led by intellectually superior pigs like Snowball and Napoleon, the animals how to take charge of their destiny and remove the inequities of their lives. But as time passes, the realize that things aren't happening quite as expected. Animal Farmis, one level, a simple story about barnyard animals. On a much deeper level, it is a savage political satire on corrupted ideals, misdirected revolutions and class conflict-themes as valid today as they were sixty years ago.

Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox-the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!

Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She's thrilled that her own name is a homonym, and she purposely gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose's rules of homonyms, is very special. Not everyone understands Rose's obsessions, her rules, and the other things that make her different-not her teachers, not other kids, and not her single father.

When a storm hits their rural town, rivers overflow, the roads are flooded, and Rain goes missing. Rose's father shouldn't have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search.

Other Books Heavily in Rotation this Year:

The two-time Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt delivers the shattering story of Joseph, a father at thirteen, who has never seen his daughter, Jupiter. After spending time in a juvenile facility, he's placed with a foster family on a farm in rural Maine. Here Joseph, damaged and withdrawn, meets twelve-year-old Jack, who narrates the account of the troubled, passionate teen who wants to find his baby at any cost. In this riveting novel, two boys discover the true meaning of family and the sacrifices it requires.

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I'm allergic to the world.I don't leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black-black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can't predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It's almost certainly going to be a disaster.

To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he's battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton's life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn't spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn't draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.

As West's pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father-so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won't tell anyone else.

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn't control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own-or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn't ever let her go...

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn't just a game-it's a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships-only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she's going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game's creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year's tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika's whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she's only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers-especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mami's determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school's slam poetry club, she doesn't know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can't stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Emily Lonergan's best friend died last year.

And Emily hasn't stopped grieving. Lizzie Porter was lively, loud, and fun - Emily's better half. Emily can't accept that she's gone.

When Lizzie's parents and her sister come back to town to visit, Emily's heartened to see them. The Porters understand her pain. They miss Lizzie desperately, too.

Desperately enough to do something crazy.

Something unthinkable.

Suddenly, Emily's life is hurtling toward a very dark place - and she's not sure she'll ever be able to return to what she once knew was real.

Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend-but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.

Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up- way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.

"With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander.

Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.

If you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page. I offer up workshops and presentations both live and virtually that are based on the work I do with my own students as we pursue engaging, personalized, and independent learning opportunities. I also write more about the design of my classroom and how to give control of their learning back to students in my first book, Passionate Learners.

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The Best Books for Middle School According to My Students 2020

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I didn't want to let a global pandemic stand in the way of gathering the titles of the amazing books my 7th graders loved this year. This is the fifth year that my students have gathered what they deem the very best books that they read this year and shared their recommendations with the world....

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Don't know :D

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Here are some tips to help you get started on your family time capsule .

1. Step 1: Choose Where You'll Hide Your Time Capsule. ...

2. Step 2: Pick Your Time Capsule Container. ...

3. Step 3: Decide What To Include. ...

4. Step 4: Set a Time Frame. ...

5. Step 5: Seal It and Set the Date!

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Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds. Here are some tips to help you get started on your family time capsule . Step 1: Choose Where You'll Hide Your Time Capsule. ... Step 2: Pick Your Time Capsule Container. ... Step 3: Decide What To Include.