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Check out the resources here from authors and other creative ideas. The library blog is open for you to talk about what you are reading, writing or making.

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Check out the resources here from authors and other creative ideas. The library blog is open for you to talk about what you are reading, writing or making.

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I've just finished this book which I really enjoyed having never read Mark Twain before. Although it was first published 146 years ago and the language is very different to what is acceptable today I found it was funny - a real boy's adventure story.

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Free audio books for all ages

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Ebooks and audio books from our Bluestone digital library

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Access our eLibrary anywhere, anytime, on multiple devices.

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ICDL

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ICDL - International Children’s Digital Library

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Read comics online

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Packed with activities, videos, books, comics and more, featuring your favorite Marvel characters!

Published by

Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. | Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC. | © 2023 MARVEL | StoryToys logo © 2023 StoryToys - A Team17 Company. StoryToys Limited is the publisher of the Marvel HQ app and is responsible for complying with all App Store and Google Play guidelines and legal requirements.

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The new Marvel HQ Published by StoryToys App includes games, videos, books, comics, activities, and more cool stuff featuring your favorite Marvel characters. The new Marvel HQ App is available now.

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Free Online resources from Timaru District Library including ebooks, audio books and movies. You will need a library card. Join here https://onlinereg.kotui.org.nz/forms/24

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1, 3, or 5-minute short stories are available free of charge with no need to sign in. Short Édition offers free access to short literature: poetry, short stories, and flash fiction. Many of these short stories also feature on the Timaru District Libraries' Short Story Dispenser - have you seen it yet?

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Author Kyle Mewburn reads his stories on his YouTube channel

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It's Storytime! Mostly I'll be reading my stories, including award-winning favourites like Old Hu-hu and Kiss!Kiss!Yuck!Yuck!. I'll also ...

It's Storytime! Mostly I'll be reading my stories, including award-winning favourites like Old Hu-hu and Kiss!Kiss!Yuck!Yuck!. I'll also occasionally talk about my inspirations and writing process or share stories from life on my little farmlet.

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It's Storytime! Mostly I'll be reading my stories, including award-winning favourites like Old Hu-hu and Kiss!Kiss!Yuck!Yuck!. I'll also ... It's Storytime! Mostly I'll be reading my stories, including award-winning favourites like Old Hu-hu and Kiss!Kiss!Yuck!Yuck!. I'll also occasionally talk about my inspirations and writing process or share stories from life on my little farmlet.

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Listen to an audio story every day read by David Walliams

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Join the The World of David Walliams to be the first to hear about new David Walliams books, special offers, free activities, live shows, events and more!

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Stories from RNZ

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Storytime required JavaScript to display and play our stories. You current have JavaScript disabled in your browser. Please enable it and reload the page to browse Storytime.

If you are unsure how to enable JavaScript this website has instructions for most browsers: How to enable JavaScript

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Storytime required JavaScript to display and play our stories. You current have JavaScript disabled in your browser. Please enable it and reload the page to browse Storytime. If you are unsure how to enable JavaScript this website has instructions for most browsers: How to enable JavaScript

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The big list of children’s authors doing read alouds and activities online.

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With kids at home and parents looking for educational activities, many of our favorite authors are offering online read-alouds and activities on social media. We've rounded up over 50 of the best virtual author activities below!

Read-Alouds for Elementary School Kids

These authors are offering read-alouds of their books and books by their favorite authors.

The author will be doing read-alouds on Instagram Live of her book Mae Among the Stars.

Reading one of her books each day on Facebook!

The author will be reading a book a day on Instagram Live. It does not appear that he will be adding the videos to his website at this time.

She is hosting DRAW ME MORE: a Read-Along/ Draw-Along activity on her website. She's already shared an 11 chapter, chapter book (reading level grades 2-4) called MASON & THE MEGA-NAUTS.

Author and illustrator of It Came in the Mail; Rot, the Cutest in the World; and upcoming Rot, the Bravest in the World. He has scheduled two read-aloud sessions on Facebook. March 18 (2 PM EST) and March 20 (5 PM EST).

Julia Cook, bestselling children's author, will be doing Monday and Friday readings on Facebook Live at 9:00 AM CST!

He is the grandson of famed sea explorer Jacques Cousteau, and a third-generation ocean explorer and filmmaker. He is the author of the Fabien Cousteau Expeditions, a series of graphic adventure novels for kids, the latest of which is JOURNEY UNDER THE ARCTIC. He will be doing a live Shark Story Time reading on March 23rd at 3:00 PM and will have a live Q&A on March 24th at 10:00 AM.

The author reads various Pete the Cat books daily at 12 PM EDT

Enjoy a reading of Falatko's book, Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book), by Stranger Things actor, David Harbour. This read-aloud comes with a teacher's guide.

Oprah Winfrey reads Godin's book, The Hula-Hoopin' Queen, which is accompanied by a handy teacher's guide.

The author has added a collection of videos of herself reading from her picture books on Instagram. You may also learn more about her books on her website.

Reads 3 chapters from "Miss Blake is a Flake" each day at 2:00 PM EDT, but you can also view archives!

Bruce has posted a series of writing tips videos on this page of his website and a read-aloud of my book, BIG BAD BABY, on YouTube, with more to come.

The author will be reading one book every day on Instagram Live. Can't make it? He'll also be posting the videos to his website.

Live every day at noon EDT on Instagram Live. Her stories stay up each day for 24 hours.

Activities and videos from the New York Times bestselling author of How I Became a Pirate and other amazing books.

Upcoming author Brittany Thurman reads aloud Medina's book, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy.

A former classroom teacher, Messner has written more than three dozen books for kids. She's put together a library of distance learning resources for students, families, teachers, and librarians.

Author, illustrator, and founder of FableVision. Find Peter's weekday read-aloud events on Facebook at noon EDT, Monday through Friday.

Young kids will enjoy this great read-aloud of Where Are My Books? The author also provides a teacher's guide, drawing demos and shares a crowd-sourced music video based on the book.

Follow the story of A Bad Case of Stripes as read by Lord of the Rings actor, Sean Astin. Then, work through the helpful teacher's guide.

Learn the story of The House That Jane Built as read by The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina actress, Kiernan Shipka. You may access activity guides for teachers or for parents.

She is reading a chapter a day from her book Henry and the Chalk Dragon on Facebook live!

Virtual Author Activities for Middle School

Read-alouds and reading activities from favorite authors.

The author has put together reading activities around his Cogheart Adventures. He's even created Q&A videos on YouTube.

Sarah is adding readings, mini-lessons, and prompts to her page! Follow along and get inspired to get reading and writing.

Find Daily live drawing sessions on Facebook! Tony DiTerlizzi is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator who has been creating books for twenty years. He created The Spiderwick Chronicles with Holly Black, which has sold millions of copies around the world. His highly anticipated sequel to Kenny and the Dragon, KENNY & THE BOOK OF BEASTS, releases this fall.

Listen to a read-aloud of Henderson's The Magic in Changing Your Stars and then work through the writing challenge (with hints!) listed on author Kate Messner's site: Who is Ailey Benjamin Lane named after?

This official PDF teaching guide is a great learning resource for your middle schooler to think about and discuss the beloved Diary of a Wimpy Kid series!

Watch Knowles read the first chapter of her middle grade novel, Where the Heart Is, while giving students a fun writing exercise. She's also created guides for teachers and book groups on her website.

Author of the Lunch Lady graphic novel series, Krosoczka will be hosting a daily drawing webcast on YouTube at 2 PM EDT. You can also find videos on his website. Be sure to also check out his National Book Award Finalist, Hey Kiddo.

The author behind Enginerds has created some cool worksheets that will be updated every few days to keep kids entertained and engaged. These activities may be a good addition to your distance learning resources.

The author and illustrator has taken to YouTube to provide a glimpse into Chinese culture and a guide for drawing Chinese dragons.

Author of O ne for the Murphys, Fish in a Tree, and Shouting at the Rain, she has put together several videos for readers and teachers online.

He is reading a chapter a day from Book 1 of the Wingfeather Saga, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness.

You may have to change the season or specific circumstances, but this collection of writing prompts is a great way to help your student build literacy skills, while giving them a chance to express themselves.

What better series for middle schoolers than the famous Harry Potter books? You probably loved them, and now you have the chance to introduce your children into the Wizarding World. Use this handy discussion guide that covers the first four books to bring an academic approach to your own little wizards' education.

Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens, and adults, including the Arc of a Scythe series. "With so many people working and learning from home due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), I wanted to give you all something special. Over the next few weeks, I'll be doing some readings from my short story collections: MINDQUAKES and MINDSTORMS." Available on Youtube.

The nonfiction science book author has created engaging video mini-lessons including a similes worksheet, researching skills, and more.

Mo Willems invites you into his studio every day for his lunch doodle! Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together while he chats about his characters Pigeon, Piggie, and Elephant.

Virtual Author Activities for High School & Young Adults

Even more resources for tweens and teens.

The author of The Jumbies series has created videos of mini-lessons on comparative mythology and has added valuable distance learning resources, including downloadables for teachers and parents, to her website.

Due to public health concerns, these YA authors sadly had to cancel all in-person events for the release of BETWEEN BURNING WORLDS in March, and are connecting with readers through a virtual book tour.

Emily Dickenson

High school students may have discovered the timeless magic of Emily Dickinson. This teaching guide includes multimedia and discussion questions for The Essential Emily Dickinson collection.

Fans of the author of The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns? Here's a link to some discussion questions surrounding his works. Green has also co-created Crash Course, a website that provides high-quality educational videos for high school and college-level classes. Students, parents, and teachers alike could be entertained for hours without ever leaving the site!

Looking for writing prompts? This author has put together a list of prompts to get students thinking outside of the box.

To go along with his collection of youth novels, Hobbs has created resources and activities for teachers and librarians.

Check out the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Learning Guide for Silver Sparrow by this NEA creative writing fellow.

Want to learn more about writing an etheree (a ten-line poem in which writers add an additional syllable with each line)? Scanlon has a video lesson all about them!

Ready to work on some poetry? It can be tough to know where to start, but Sidman has created a poem starters for teachers and students, and even has categories for Younger Writers or Older Writers.

Students or kids reading Thomas' The Hate U Give? You'll find some good distance learning resources for discussion questions and projects on this website.
Looking for more? We have over 130 online resources for learning at home here!

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The Big List of Children's Authors Doing Online Read Alouds & Activities

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With kids at home and parents looking for educational activities, many of our favorite authors are offering online read-alouds and activities on social media. We've rounded up over 50 of the best virtual author activities below! These authors are offering read-alouds of their books and books by their favorite authors.

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Aroha's Way - A Children's Guide through Emotions

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Plenty of ideas for home learning and fun from the MOE.

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Home

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Helping Tamariki Live Brighter!

Ngā mihi for coming to explore Sparklers. We're all about caring for all aspects of Te Whare Tapa Whā.

The easiest place to start is with our Whare Wall Display. Or you might like to head straight to the activities and

filter for what you need to help tamariki live brighter! Use Sparklers a little and often to see the effects.

You'll get weekly tips and a shortcut to Sparklers activities when you sign up for our e-newsletter.

If there is any additional support we can provide with the resources we develop then get in touch.

"We're LOVING the fab activities! Our tamariki are enjoying learning about their brain and how they have the power to change it. It really ties in with our growth mindset statements."

"There is no one child who doesn't benefit from Sparklers."

- Tamara Bell, principal at Southbridge School

"I think it's really important, with so many stressors that our children have to face, that if they have these little skills now, that we just build on every day, that they do have these skills that they can take with them throughout their lives."

- Kelly Sheppard, teacher at Shirley Primary

"I love the simplicity of Sparklers. It's all there; it tells you what to do and anyone can use it. The activities are really hands on - they're not just things for the children to listen to, they're things the children can actually do and enjoy."

- Kerri Narbey, teacher at Kaiapoi Borough School

"We got really positive change initially, but what was really cool was that they started a revolution and encouraged us to look at alternative ways to help get them ready for learning."

- Tamara Bell, principal at Southbridge School

"The activities feel nice and calm us down."

- Year 5 student, Christchurch

- Chisnallwood student (feedback on the Compliment Poster activity)

"Our tamariki really enjoy the activities. They build cultural confidence and pride, while helping tamariki get into a great headspace for learning."

- Bernice Swain, Teacher at Haeata Community Campus

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Creative arty things to do with author/artist Fifi Colston

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Creative arty things to do with author/artist Fifi Colston

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Hi there, this is a page for useful things to keep you occupied,

downloadable sheets, craft instructions, writing ideas, illustration thoughts.

All kinds of random things to get you through a pandemic and out the other side.

Enjoy, and if you felt like helping a self employed artist out, you can

Dig deep for your creativity, love ya!

Here's something you can make for ANZAC day. Your own poppies.
If you don't have green chenille sticks (pipe cleaners) improvise with a thin stick from the garden, a bamboo skewer, a strip of plastic cut from a plastic bottle or lid...look in the recycling!
Download and print out the sheet below out and make a template that you can trace around. Use scrap paper, colour it with felt tips/coloured pencils/paint.
We are fighting our own kind of war at the moment aren't we? And the best way to do that is to stay home, wash your hands, avoid the spread and... #BeKind

One sheet of paper (not toilet paper!) makes one claw or beak.
Here you go- my son taught me how to make these when he was 14 and they are super easy. No glue, tape or staples needed. You can use any sheet of A4 paper- this includes flyers from the letterbox or scrap paper. You might need to ration your printer paper, so use up anything you might throw away instead. You can paint them and add fur or feathers too!
I put these instructions in my book Ghoulish Get Ups which is now out of print, but in libraries. So when they are open again, go and check it out.
As well as claws, you can make puppet heads out of them- like this pukeko. What other animal or bird heads could you create?

I know by now you must have a few toilet roll tubes in the recycling. Right now and in the weeks to come, your love for your family will be tested as tensions rise. So here's a craft to divert you from negative feelings and remind you that being kind is a useful thing to be at these times. If you make some of these flowers, please post them to my
If your household is full of teens, the tubes will be mostly thrown from a distance at the bathroom bin, and none of them will be in it. They compliment the wet towels on the floor!
Some people have issues with toilet roll tubes, regarding their cleanliness. I would say, if you are in your bubble and you haven't wiped your bum with them (early settlers in America used corn cobs husks for that purpose I am led to believe), then I think you'll be ok. And as always pandemic or not, wash your hands!!!

facebook page, I'd love to see them!

Pots of love to you all xxx

Now here is my first offering. Below is a pencil illustration from the book
'Where's My Stick?' I wrote and illustrated with Pukeko Pictures for Book Hungry Bears.

Click on the picture of Maxie the terrier below and print it off to colour in.
Now- here's the thing, kids, add more!
I want you to draw extra things in the picture, change some of the drawing, make a new world for Maxi. Get drawing!

Something from nature: what else do you find on a beach that lives in the sea or on the shore?
Something man-made: cars, bikes, boats, fishing nets, drink bottles, rubbish?
Something to play with: what would you take to a beach?
Something silly: what would you never expect to find there?

Then write me a short story about the picture you created.
It might be something like 'Maxie was surprised that her stick was actually a rainbow unicorn horn...'
You make it up, and see what you come up with. I can't wait to get your pictures!

Send them to me at my facebook page Creative Fifi and I'll publish them for you on my page. Don't forget to put your name and age on it!

PS big kids are more than welcome to do this too ;)

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Hi there, this is a page for useful things to keep you occupied, downloadable sheets, craft instructions, writing ideas, illustration thoughts. All kinds of random things to get you through a pandemic and out the other side. Enjoy, and if you felt like helping a self employed artist out, you can Dig deep for your creativity, love ya!

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The April/May issue of Upstart Magazine has been made available for free online. It's packed with activities and competitions.

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The April/May issue of Upstart Magazine has been made available for free online. It's packed with activities and competitions.

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The April / May 2020 issue of Upstart Magazine is out April 3 and is packed with content, activities, and competitions to keep Kiwi kids bus... See More

The April / May 2020 issue of Upstart Magazine is out April 3 and is packed with content, activities, and competitions to keep Kiwi kids bus... See More

Connecting content to people.

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The April / May 2020 issue of Upstart Magazine is out April 3 and is packed with content, activities, and competitions to keep Kiwi kids busy and in the know. This issue includes: - How to stay social media savvy. - Learn NZ Sign Language with the Deaf Aotearoa alphabet poster.

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National Geographic for kids.  Explore the world.

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National Geographic for kids.  Explore the world.

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Find amazing facts about animals, science, history and geography, along with fun competitions, games and more. Visit National Geographic Kids today!

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Try doing an online jigsaw puzzle from Te Papa.

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Try doing an online jigsaw puzzle from Te Papa.

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ

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Skip to main content

Take a moment or two to relax with online jigsaw puzzles using taonga treasures Māori |

taonga noun from our collections.

Choose a puzzle below, then select your difficulty (the number of pieces) once it has opened.

Keep coming back - you may find some new ones. Or challenge yourself with more pieces. Kia ora!
Read information about the taonga in these jigsaw puzzles
Share with your friends! tepapa.nz/jigsaws

Jigsaw: Kākā

Jigsaw: Kākā

Kākā parrot ( Nestor meridionalis) - plate 17 from the book A history of the birds of New Zealand Vol. 1, after Johannes Keulemans, 1888. Te Papa (RB001178/150a)

Jigsaw: Wellington Harbour, during 1913 "Strike"

Jigsaw: Wellington Harbour, during 1913 "Strike"

Wellington Harbour, during 1913 "Strike". From the album: Wellington waterfront strike, 1913, 1913, New Zealand, by Zak (Joseph Zachariah). Te Papa (O.030463)

Collections Online

Jigsaw: 'Matariki' tukutuku panel

Jigsaw: 'Matariki' tukutuku panel

Sonia Snowden, weaver, 'Matariki' tukutuku panel, 2011, Otaki, kiekie, raupō, kakaho, pīngao. Te Papa (ME024103)

Jigsaw: Mystery location!

Jigsaw: Mystery location!

Can you guess where this is before you finish the puzzle?

(Answer is in the information page linked to in this page's intro.)

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Online jigsaw puzzles using our collections

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Take a moment or two to relax with online jigsaw puzzles using taonga from our collections. Come back frequently to find new ones!

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We are proud to announce our new Harry Potter At Home hub, a free online collection of child-friendly activities, videos, puzzles, illustrations, quizzes, creative ideas, articles and much more, that will help you bring the magic of the wizarding world into your home at this difficult time - as well as keep you all occupied for hours on end!

The whole Wizarding World family is working together to make the hub a truly inspiring place that celebrates reading for pleasure, especially when introducing children to Harry and his friends for the first time. You'll find all the latest fun and games to keep everyone occupied - from special activity kits from Bloomsbury and Scholastic, to nifty magical craft videos. We'll be updating the activities, quizzes, articles and everything else regularly to create an ever-evolving collection of new resources that are easy for parents, teachers and carers of children to find and access. And the hub will also point you to our ultimate Harry Potter experience - being sorted into your Hogwarts house.

The Harry Potter At Home hub aims to help inspire you, your family, your friends, and especially children all around the world to read for pleasure and enjoy the stories, as well as bring some magic-infused joy and entertainment to all the family. But the hub is also a place for those of you who have loved Harry Potter for decades: a place for you to feel the warmth of the fire in the Gryffindor common room or a much-needed hug from Mrs Weasley.

For over twenty years, Hogwarts has always been there to welcome you home, so whether you're starting Chapter One of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ( Sorcerer's Stone for our US readers) with your child for the first time, or you're halfway through the audiobooks, or you've just finished the seventh book (again), the Harry Potter At Home hub is here for you.

You can visit the Harry Potter At Home hub here - and keep on visiting the page whenever you like. Don't worry, it's completely free and it's quicker to visit than a swish of a wand.

For weekly Harry Potter At Home updates and so much more, we're also launching a newsletter - so we can deliver all of our latest news, activities and more, straight to your inbox in one nice package. To opt in, don't forget to click the check box when asked during registration. No owls required!
Illustration Jonny Duddle © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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Welcome to the Harry Potter At Home hub | Wizarding World

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We are proud to announce our new Harry Potter At Home hub, a free online collection of child-friendly activities, videos, puzzles, illustrations, quizzes, creative ideas, articles and much more, that will help you bring the magic of the wizarding world into your home at this difficult time - as well as keep you all occupied for hours on end!

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What is this pesky thing that's keeping us at home.

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Web comics for children and young adults.

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Looking for ways to keep your comics-loving kids and teens occupied? These free webcomics promise to eat up hours of time.

Middle Grade

Audrey's Magic Nine
Written by Michelle Wright and illustrated by Courtney Huddleston, Francesco Gerbino, and Tracy Bailey, this webcomic, now a series of graphic novels published by Farthing Press, centers on a black orphan adopted by a well-meaning but clueless suburban white couple.

Breaking Cat News
House cats Elvis, Puck, and Lupin report on such breaking news stories as "The people are missing!" and "There's a box with a towel inside it on the kitchen table." Georgia Dunn's hilarious webcomic, with its feline's-eye view of the world, is also being published by Andrews McMeel as a series of graphic novels.

Cucumber Quest
In GiGi D.G.'s video game-esque tale, adorable Cucumber the bunny and his sister Almond go up against a series of baddies. A vibrant palette, nonstop action, and a bizarre cast of friends and foes make for immersive reading. Also available as a series of graphic novels published by First Second.

Homestuck
Andrew Hussie's wildly popular webcomic follows John Egbert, who on his 13th birthday plays a video game that unleashes the apocalypse. Available in print from Viz Media.

Ozy and Millie
Two anthropomorphic foxes navigate the world in this sweetly snarky webcomic, now a graphic novel published by Andrews McMeel, by Dana Simpson, creator of the best-selling "Phoebe and Her Unicorn" series. Enjoy the archive, or check out reruns on GoComics!

Scared by the Bell
Though being the new kid is never easy, it's especially hard for Peter, an average kid whose classmates include a mummy, a pumpkinhead, and a skeleton. Creator Dylan Campbell updates this hilariously creepy webcomic every week.

Wormworld Saga
Still reeling from the loss of his mother, Jonas escapes into his vivid daydreams. After making his way through a portal in his grandmother's strange painting, he finds himself lost in a fantasy world, unable to return. Daniel Lieske's arresting comic series has also been published in print format by Lion Forge.

YA

As Per Usual
Dami Lee's self-deprecating webcomic details her quest "to be a real lady person," from dating woes to FOMO in the age of social distancing. The graphic novelBe Everything at Once, available from Chronicle, collects many of the entries in her webcomic.

As the Crow Flies
Two outsiders endure microaggressions on a Christian backpacking trip and find solace in each other. Melanie Gillman's contemplative, poignant webcomic was published as a graphic novel by Iron Circus Comics and won a Stonewall Honor in 2018.

Bird and Moon-Science and Nature Comics
Whether naturalist and science writer Rosemary Mosco is describing how to distinguish a dolphin from a porpoise, offering improvements on bird species (like hummingbirds that are 10,000% bigger), or urging readers to join the fight against climate change, her abiding passion for the natural world comes through loud and clear in this delightfully quirky webcomic. Available from Andrew McMeels asBirding Is My Favorite Video Game: Cartoons About the Natural World from Bird and Moon.

Check, Please!
When a happy-go-lucky former figure skater joins his college hockey team, hilarity ensues, but so do lasting friendships and even a burgeoning romance between protagonist Bitty and team captain Jack. Ngozi Ukazu's webcomic has garnered a loyal fan base, and the graphic novels, published by First Second, are just as popular.

Cheshire Crossing
What became of Alice, Wendy Darling, and Dorothy Gale after they returned from Wonderland, Neverland, and Oz? Though few believed their stories, the three girls meet and find kinship in one another. Andy Weir and Sarah Andersen's enchanting webcomic-turned-graphic novel (published by Ten Speed) will inspire readers to write their own fan fiction.

DeadEndia
Hamish Steele's webcomic, now a print series published by Nobrow, centers on an amusement haunted house with a mysterious portal that entices demons, ghosts, and angels.

Deep Dark Fears
Fran Krause creates mordantly funny yet tender comics based on emails submitted by readers detailing the absurd but deeply resonant fears that plague them (What if, while walking over me in bed, my cat steps on both my eyes? What if, when I take off my goggles, the suction yanks out my eyes?). Two graphic novels, Deep Dark Fears and , based on the webcomic have been published by Ten Speed.

(H)afrocentric
Now a graphic novel series published by PM Press, this raw, deeply funny, provocative webcomic from Juliana "Jewels" Smith, Ronald Nelson, and Mike Hampton follows a black revolutionary college freshman and her friends dealing with racism, gentrification, and privilege at Ronald Reagan University.

Heartstopper
Since 2016, Alice Oseman has been chronicling the burgeoning romance between Nick and Charlie, two secondary characters from her prose novel Solitaire. Her sweet, manga-flavored tale will be published in graphic novel format by Scholastic next month.

On a Sunbeam
Tillie Walden's mesmerizing, strikingly original space epic seamlessly blends romance and sci-fi. In graphic novel format, published by First Second, On a Sunbeam has racked up accolades, making its way onto numerous best books lists and being named a YALSA Top Ten Great Graphic Novel.

Space Boy
To make the long trip back home to Earth from a mining colony deep in outer space, Amy and her family must be cryogenically frozen, and when Amy returns, her friends are far older, and she's not sure where she fits in. With fluid linework and a pitch-perfect palette, this tender webcomic from Stephen McCranie, now published by Dark Horse as a graphic novel series, is ideal for sci-fi readers and newcomers to the genre alike.

Ariel Slamer Ries's webcomic, now published in graphic novel format by Lion Forge, takes place in the magical world of Hyalin, where witches' magic depends on the length of their hair. But revealing one's power can be perilous.

Mahnaz Dar

Mahnaz Dar (mdar@mediasourceinc.com) is Reference and Professional Reading Editor for Library Journal and School Library Journal and can be found on Twitter @DibblyFresh.

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19 Webcomics To Keep Kids and Teens Engaged

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Looking for ways to keep your comics-loving kids and teens occupied? These free webcomics promise to eat up hours of time. Middle Grade Audrey's Magic Nine Written by Michelle Wright and illustrated by Courtney Huddleston, Francesco Gerbino, and Tracy Bailey, this webcomic, now a series of graphic novels published by Farthing Press, centers on a black orphan adopted by a well-meaning but clueless suburban white couple.

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TVNZ on demand. Stories you know read by celebrities.

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Read It! (Parody of Beat It by Michael Jackson)

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Mind Lab is free now.

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To help kiwi kids put their energy to good use, we've expanded our Genesis School-gen programme by partnering with Mind Lab Kids. We're bringing fun experiments, challenges and lightbulb moments to get young ones creating and learning from home. Developed by educators, kids will have access to a safe online space to create, innovate and share.

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With access to libraries, classrooms and bookshops limited for many, we’ve been busy finding some of the best online storytimes for children to access freely at home. The QR codes and links lead to videos of children’s books read aloud by authors and illustrators.