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New York Times-bestselling author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka [𝙲𝚛𝚘𝚠-𝚜𝚊𝚞𝚌𝚎-𝚔𝚊𝚑] gives readers a look at his creative process and offers writing and drawing tutorials. JJK has published 45 books, including his wildly popular LUNCH LADY graphic novels, select volumes of the STAR WARS™: JEDI ACADEMY series, and several picture books.

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Doreen Cronin is the author of the Click, Clack series, The Duck Squad Series, the Bug Diaries, and many more books for kids and middle graders.

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Wide Open School's mission lives on at Common Sense

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Wide Open School's mission lives on at Common Sense With schools back in person, we have closed this dedicated distance-learning site designed to guide families and educators through the sudden shift to remote learning. Discover More Great Resources for Families & Educators

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Author Laurie Halse Anderson reads from her book, Fever 1793

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Author Laurie Halse Anderson reads from her book, Fever 1793

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QuarantReadLHA is my attempt to help readers, their families and their educators during this challenging time. I'll be reading chapters from all of my books ...

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TEL4u - A Universe of Free Resources for Grades K-5

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Grace Lin and Laurie Keller answer this wonderful kid question: "If you were to become a character in your book, which would it be and why?"

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Author and Illustrator Mo Willems has been awarded the American Library Association’s Caldecott Honor three times for his picture book illustration. Additionally, he is the recipient of two Theodor Geisel Medals and five Geisel Honors for his Elephant & Piggie early readers. Mo began his career as a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he garnered six Emmy Awards. His work has been exhibited around the world, including solo retrospectives at the High Museum in Atlanta and the New-York Historical Society. Over the last decade, Mo has written three musical theater works based on his books, two of which were commissioned and toured by the Kennedy Center.

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Click Clack Books | Printable Activities

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Caitlyn Dlouhy Books *Atheneum Books for Young Readers

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School Library Journal Teaching & Learning Resources

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School Library Journal Teaching & Learning Resources

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Author Grace Lin reads some of her books

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Author Grace Lin reads some of her books

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OUR WEBBY AWARD NOMINATED Podcast matches kids 6-12 with diverse and best-selling children's authors to collaborate and grow their story ideas into original stories! as A COMMON SENSE MEDIA SELECTION, our show is recognized as a great choice for kids and families for its engaging stories, valuable content, and diverse voices, characters, and messages.

#bts

Our creator
Sandhya Nankani

Sandhya is the founder of Literary Safari. She has been producing award-winning kids' content since 2004, including the literacy game HangArt, which was named a 2016 Best of EdTech app by Common Sense Media. Story Seeds was inspired by her daughter's creative spirit, and by a project she developed early on in her career-The Weekly Writer, a collaborative interactive writing project between kids and authors, including Stephen King, R.L. Stine, and Walter Dean Myers. She is a member of the Education Committee of the Museum of Arts and Design.

Betsy Bird is a powerhouse in the world of kidlit. She is a librarian, blogger with School Library Journal, book reviewer for Kirkus Reviews, and was recently elected to the American Library Association's Children's Literature Legacy Committee. Betsy is author of the forthcoming middle grade novel LONG ROAD TO THE CIRCUS, author of the picture books GIANT DANCE PARTY and THE GREAT SANTA STAKEOUT, and editor of the anthology FUNNY GIRL: FUNNIEST STORIES EVER.

Our Music Andrew VanWyngarden

Our theme song is written, composed, and performed by Andrew VanWyngarden. Nowadays, he is a real-life, Grammy-nominated musician who tours the world with the band MGMT that he co-founded while in college. Andrew started making music as a child in Memphis, Tennessee, using a Tascam four track tape machine to record. For the Story Seeds theme song, he was inspired by the magical and playful theme songs of classic children's shows he watched as a child such as Reading Rainbow, Maya the Bee, and David the Gnome.

It's Our theme song. Come sing along!

Our Webby Award-nominated podcast celebrates young people's imagination and places them at the heart of the creative process. On each episode, kids collaborate with famous, diverse authors to grow their story ideas. Then the author takes those seeds and writes an original story that you get to hear on the show! The Story Seeds Podcast is a Common Sense Media selection and has been featured on Apple Podcasts' Kids & Family curation, Spotify's Family-Friendly playlist, and more! Our companion activity book, IMAGINATION LAB, is a Wirecutter/New York Times "Best Gift for 10 Year Olds" selection.

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Our show captures the magic that unfolds when kids ages 6-12 collaborate with beloved storytellers who grow original stories inspired by their story ideas!

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Stimola Live – Live Author Events presented by Stimola Literary Studio

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Betsy Lewin - Caldecott Honor winning children's book illustrator

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Betsy Lewin has written and illustrated many children's books. She won a Caldecott Honor for "Click Clack Moo; Cows That Type".

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Resources for Learning @ Home from Joyce Valenza

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Resources for Learning @ Home from Joyce Valenza

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Here are some resources to keep us all engaged and learning during the current crisis. (Check out the special curations of digital books/stories, curated news and video resources on top!)

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Author Kate Messner:    Read, Wonder, and Learn!

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Author Kate Messner:    Read, Wonder, and Learn!

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Hello, friends! I'm Kate Messner, a former classroom teacher, forever-educator, and the author of more than three dozen books for kids. These include picture books like Over and Under the Snow, The Brilliant Deep, and The Next President; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series; the Ranger in Time historical chapter book adventures; nonfiction like Tracking Pythons and Solve This: Forensics; and novels like All the Answers, Breakout, and . I'm happy that you found your way here!

This is a library of resources for kids, families, teachers, and librarians to make sure that reading & learning can happen anywhere this spring. Some of you may be out of school as communities try to prevent the spread of a virus known as COVID-19. Here's a great page from NPR that explains what that's all about, in a kid-friendly comic. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jason Reynolds shares "How to Fight the New Bad Guy in Town," a PSA for kids, on the StorySeeds podcast here. And this excellent & important post from author Laurie Halse Anderson does a great job explaining why we're seeing closings (and why that's important) for older readers.

Below, you'll find a growing collection of resources that include everything from first-chapter and picture book read-alouds (all shared with permission!) to drawing and writing mini-lessons. Be sure to check back often, as new resources will be added every day. If you'd prefer to browse learning-at-home resources by age group, my daughter Ella has put together the pages below, with even more resources, organized by grade level. (Thanks, Ella!)

Resources for grades PreK-2 (ages 3-7)
Resources for grades 3-5 (ages 8-10)
Resources for grades 6-8 (ages 11-13)
Resources for grades 9-12 (ages 14+)

Many teachers & librarians have also reached out to ask about permission to read books aloud to your students via closed platforms like Google Classroom, Zoom, and unlisted YouTube links. Individual publishers have been sharing their own guidelines for online read-alouds, and you'll find a round-up of those here.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of THE NEXT PRESIDENT: THE UNEXPECTED BEGINNINGS AND UNWRITTEN FUTURE OF AMERICA'S PRESIDENTS, illustrated by Adam Rex. Writing challenge: After the read-aloud, write your own presidential platform. What changes would you make to your country if you were in charge?

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of OVER AND UNDER THE POND, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal (shared with permission from Chronicle Books). After the read-aloud, look out your window - or step outside if you can - and see what hidden nature you notice!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of THE BRILLIANT DEEP: REBUILDING THE WORLD'S CORAL REEFS illustrated by Matt Forsythe. After the read-aloud, check out the Coral Restoration Foundation website. Learn more about the threats coral reefs are facing from NASA's Climate Kids page, and check out this page about how kids can help our oceans. Challenge: Make a poster or drawing to teach people about how we can all help coral and other sea creatures!

OVER AND UNDER THE RAINFOREST, Kate's book with illustrator Christopher Silas Neal doesn't come out until August, but we got special permission to share an early read-aloud! After the story, check out this page with more information on the wildlife of Costa Rica, where Kate did most of the research for this book. Writing challenge: Write a short article to teach people about your favorite rainforest animal!

Tracey Baptiste, the author of The Jumbies series, shares a mini-lesson on comparative mythology. She talks through how creatures from different mythologies have traits in common and encourages kids to find those similarities in the mythologies they come across. She's also sharing some reading resources such as D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, The Element Encyclopedia of Mythical Creatures, and her own Jumbies Field Guide available at her website.

Author Debbi Michiko Florence shares a read-aloud excerpt of her chapter book JASMINE TOGUCHI FLAMINGO KEEPER, along with a writing prompt (and a peek at a real daruma doll)!

Author Leah Henderson shares a first chapter read-aloud of her middle grade novel THE MAGIC IN CHANGING YOUR STARS. Writing Challenge: Find out who Ailey Benjamin Lane is named after. (Hint: His first name comes from an African-American dancer & choreographer with the initials A.A. His middle name comes from an African-American farmer & naturalist who searches out the stars and who created an almanac in 1792. This person's initials are B.B.) Who could they be?

Author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner shares tips and techniques to help you draw ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!

Veera Hiranandani, author of the Newbery Honor winning book The Night Diary, The Whole Story of Half a Girl, and The Phoebe G. Green series offers a diary writing prompt to help you get to know your characters and create an inspired story!

Author Jason Reynolds shares a read-aloud from his MG novel, GHOST. In this chapter, the main character talks about world records, so after the read-aloud, check out this page from the Guiness Book of World Records, with some records you can try to break at home!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from TRACKING PYTHONS: THE QUEST TO CATCH AN INVASIVE PREDATOR AND SAVE AN ECOSYSTEM. After the read-aloud, you can learn more about invasive species from National Geographic and the National Wildlife Foundation. Also check out this article from New York State Conservationist Kids!

Kate also shared this article about the python scientists, with photos and infographics.

Author & illustrator Grace Lin teaches viewers how to draw a Chinese Dragon and shares some tidbits about Chinese culture! You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Author Carole Lindstrom shares a read-aloud of WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS.

Author Jo Knowles reads from the first chapter of her MG novel WHERE THE HEART IS and offers students a fun writing exercise! For more about Jo and her books, or for teachers/book group guides that go along with her books, visit her website.

Kelley McMorris, who illustrates the RANGER IN TIME chapter book series, shares a video about how she illustrates a book cover. After you watch, try using Kelley's process to design a new cover for one of your favorite books!

Author and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi shares a read-aloud of her picture book WHERE ARE MY BOOKS?, gives a drawing demo and challenges young readers to create their own imaginative squirrels, and shares a crowd-sourced "Where Are My Books?" music video. You can find lots of free, print-ready activities and other fun bonus info at https://www.debbieohi.com/wamb

Author Erin Entrada Kelly gives a peek into the notebooks for several of her novels, including HELLO, UNIVERSE. Writing challenge: What's in your notebook? Take a little time to write in it today, inspired by Erin's ideas!

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a read-aloud of the first chapters of STRANDED. Writing challenge: Choose a wilderness setting of your own - the Arctic, the desert, the rainforest - and imagine you're stranded there. How will you survive? Write an imaginary journal documenting your adventure. Check out these wilderness survival skills from Outdoor Life for ideas!

Author Nikki Grimes shares poetry selections from WORDS WITH WINGS. Writing challenge: Try writing your own poem today, in the style of one of Nikki's read-alouds! For more of Nikki's read-aloud videos and lessons, check out her YouTube Channel here.

Author Ann Braden shares a read-aloud excerpt from THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS. Note: the octopus is a pretty amazing creature, so after the read-aloud, read up on them at this page from National Geographic Kids!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. After the read-aloud, read more about helpful insects here and check out these garden activities from KidsGarden!

Author Sarah Albee shares a STEM mystery, "Did the Doctor Do It?" as part of her series exploring the science and intrigue of poison throughout history. Check out more of Sarah's Poison videos here.

Middle grade and Young adult author, Paula Chase offers a mini-writing exercise to help students build stories around their unique traits.

Author Nancy Castaldo reads some of BACK FROM THE BRINK with tips how we can all use our voices through our writing to make a difference. Here's the link to the reader's guide for more activities.

Author Debbi Michiko Florence shares an early read-aloud excerpt of her upcoming MG novel KEEP IT TOGETHER KEIKO CARTER, along with a writing prompt!

Author & illustrator Grace Lin shares the first story from her early reader, "Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same!" You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from RANGER IN TIME: RESCUE ON THE OREGON TRAIL. Writing challenge: Choose your favorite event in history and imagine how a search and rescue dog might be able to help out. Then so some research about your historical event, and write your own story about Ranger's adventures there!

Christina Soontornvat shares how she came up with the idea for her new middle grade fantasy novel, A WISH IN THE DARK. Writing challenge: Use Christina's model to brainstorm your own list of ideas for stories that might be inspired by a classic tale! And check out more videos from Christina here!

Author KA Holt reads an excerpt from her forthcoming middle grade novel-in-verse, BEN BEE AND THE TEACHER GRIEFER.

Author Mae Respicio reads a few pages from her upcoming middle grade novel, Any Day With You, and shares a quick, fun writing prompt. Writing challenge: Imagine you've been planning a beach day with your best friends. You're so excited to go but when you get there... everything goes wrong and not the way you expected it to! Describe what happens.

Author Elly Swartz shares tips on how to use the emotion in your life to create authentic characters! Writing challenge: Take a few minutes to journal about a day when you felt an especially strong emotion - joy or fear or excitement! How might you use those emotions in a fictional story?

Author Lisa Yee drinks water, reads the first chapter of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, and fumbles when she comes across a couple of lines in Latin. Writing challenge: Try rewriting a scene from this chapter from the point of view of another character!

Award-Winning author Michelle Cusolito shares a writing mini-lesson to help writers add more sensory details to their writing. You can find more resources related to Michelle's book FLYING DEEP: CLIMB INSIDE DEEP-SEA SUBMERSIBLE ALVIN here.

Author-illustrator Lita Judge shares a video about how a sketching trip inspired one of her picture books! After you watch, take your own mini-sketching trip. Go to your kitchen or your bedroom, your porch or your backyard, and sketch what you see. Observe closely!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from CHIRP, a mystery for kids that's set on a cricket farm! After the read aloud, you can learn more about entomophagy (eating insects as food!) from CBS Kids, and check out a real cricket farm's website!

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a video mini-lesson on how to create a good beginning for a story!

And another video writing workshop from Chris, called Four Elements of Character. (This is an 8-minute video where you pause & write sometimes, so the full activity will take about half an hour. Recommended for writers ages 10 and up.)

Author Aisha Saeed shares a read-aloud of her picture book, BILAL COOKS DAAL, along with a related activity!

Author Emily Jenkins shares a read-aloud of A GREYHOUND, A GROUNDHOG.

Author Lisa Schroeder shares a read-aloud excerpt from her MG novel MY SECRET GUIDE TO PARIS, along with a writing exercise!

Author Janet Fox shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of her MG novel THE ARTIFACT HUNTERS. Writing challenge: Try writing a short scene of your own in which something unexpected happens!

Author & illustrator Jess Keating shares some thoughts on where ideas for stories come from! (This is part of a series Jess shares on writing & you can find more on her YouTube channel.)

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a read-aloud of the first chapters of MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE, co-written with James Paterson.

Poet Charles Waters shares poetry from DICTIONARY FOR A BETTER WORLD (by Charles Waters and Irene Latham)

Author Abby Cooper reads the first chapter of her middle grade novel, FRIEND OR FICTION.

Author Lynn Plourde shares some tips on starting an observation notebook!

Author-illustrator James Burks shares a video lesson on how to draw Squirrel from his graphic novel series, Bird and Squirrel!

Author Kristen Larson shares an engineering design activity based on her book WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane.

Author Liz Garton Scanlon shares a video lesson on writing am ETHEREE - a ten line poem in which each line is one syllable longer than the last.

Author-illustrator Karen Romano Young shares a video doodling tutorial. You can also check out Karen's #AntarcticLog comics, a weekly series of comics about Antarctica - as well as the Arctic and anyplace where climate change is being studied.

Author KA Holt reads an excerpt from her novel-in-verse, HOUSE ARREST. Mini-lesson: listen for as many poetic devices as you can find (metaphor, simile, assonance, hyperbole, etc.)

Author Jennifer Roy shares a video read-aloud from her historical novel YELLOW STAR, along with a writing prompt about looking for symbols of hope in tough times, recommended for ages 10 and up.

Author Laurel Snyder shares some thoughts on fiction and making up stories, along with a read-aloud of CHARLIE AND MOUSE OUTDOORS.

Author Caroline Starr Rose reads her picture book, A RACE AROUND THE WORLD: THE TRUE STORY OF NELLIE BLY AND ELIZABETH BISLAND. When you've finished listening, visit the article, How to Pack Like Pioneering Journalist Nellie Bly, Who Circumnavigated the Globe in 1889 with Just a Small Duffle Bag, to see what Nellie brought on her journey. Challenge: Plan your own trip around the world. What would you like to see? Where would you like to visit? Mark these places on a map.

Author Corinne Demas shares a read-aloud of THE DISAPPEARING ISLAND.

Author Lauren Tarshis shares a read-aloud of the first two chapters of I SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC. After the read-aloud, check out this link to read about Robert Ballard, the oceanographer whose team discovered the wreck of the Titanic more than seventy years after it sank.

Author & poet Nikki Grimes shares poems about one of her favorite cakes, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, along with five steps to creating your very own poem about your favorite food! For more of Nikki's read-aloud videos and lessons, check out her YouTube Channel here.

Author Sarah Aronson shares a read-aloud of JUST LIKE RUBE GOLDBERG. And here's a FlipGrip page where kids can share their projects and ask questions.

Author Chelsea Clinton shares an excerpt from her book START NOW: YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Author Bruce Hale shares a read aloud of BIG BAD BABY.

Writing Challenge: Write about the same experience in multiple ways (letters, poems, illustrations, and screenplay).

Bonus challenge: Write positive affirmations for your family members.

Author Sayantani DasGupta shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of THE SERPENT'S SECRET.

Author Deborah Underwood reads INTERSTELLAR CINDERELLA (illustrated by Meg Hunt) and gives kids a mini-lesson on how to write their own fractured fairy tales.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT and answers questions from kids in a "Family Book Club" video recorded earlier this year (thanks to Read-Aloud Revival for making this recording publicly available for learning at home this spring!)

Author-illustrator Brian Biggs shares a read-aloud of his EVERYTHING GOES board books.

Author Jessica Young shares a read-aloud of HAGGIS AND TANK (illustrated by James Burks) with a mini-lesson on sound words.

Author-illustrator Brandon Reese shares a read-aloud of his picture book CAVE DADA. And here's a link to download a coloring page, too!

Here's a fun challenge from author Laurel Snyder ... She's written a brand new book, but doesn't have any pictures for it. Will you help? She'll read you the story of The Beastly Collective, and you'll draw your favorite animals, while she teaches you some brand new words!

Author Christine Evans shares a read-aloud of Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist, illustrated by Yasmin Imamura.

Author and illustrator Grace Lin shares a chapter from her book, The Year of the Dog. You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Grace Lin teaches families how to draw a dog from the number 5 (just like in The Year of the Dog!)

Amy Guglielmo, co-author of POCKET FULL OF COLORS shares a read-aloud of her picture book biography of Disney artist Mary Blair. Art challenge: Collect a rainbow of colorful objects inside or outside as a fun follow up activity. Take part in the "Rainbow Hunt," and draw a picture of a rainbow to post in your window for neighbors to see on their daily walks.

Author Kerry O'Malley Cerra demonstrates an easy tool students can use to summarize. This tip can also be used for writers as chapter checks!

Japanese American author, Kathleen Burkinshaw reads a chapter from her MG historical fiction, The Last Cherry Blossom based on events in her mom's life as a 12 yr old in Hiroshima during WWII. Also learn a little about her mom's favorite Japanese folk tale. You can find a Discussion Guide on her website www.kathleenburkinshaw.co

Newbery Award winning author Meg Medina shares a writing lesson on Creating Tension.

Kerry Madden shares a read-aloud of ERNESTINE'S MILKY WAY.

Author Buffy Silverman shares On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring and a little science show-and-tell.

Author Diane Zahler shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of The Marvelwood Magicians and a writing prompt.

Abigail Rayner shares a read-aloud of The Backup Bunny.

Michelle Cusolito reads aloud her book Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible ALVIN (illustrated by Nicole Wong) while Jeff Angeley of Southcoast Lessons provides live musical accompaniment. You can find more resources related to Flying Deep here.

Author Meg Fleming shares a read-aloud of her picture book, Sometimes Rain.

S.K. Ali, co-author of THE PROUDEST BLUE, shares directions for making a paper boat.

The niece and nephew of Cedella Marley read her book, Get Up, Stand Up, a picture book adaptation of one of Bob Marley's beloved songs that has a timely message for children: To counter injustice, lift others up with kindness and courage.

Author Lisa Yee talks about Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and reads passages from the book. Writing prompt for today: Do you think boys and girls can be friends?

Would you rather be an #astronaut or #aquanaut? Perhaps you need more info to decide. Check out Jen Swanson's video below. Then make your choice and draw a picture of your suit!

Author Jo Watson Hackl Shows How to Take Your Reading to the Next Level by Exploring the Natural World of Your Characters.

Author Heather L. Montgomery reads-aloud chapters from SOMETHING ROTTEN: A FRESH LOOK AT ROADKILL.

Author Heather Shumaker offers a weekly author chat called Fiction Friday. She shares tips and ideas for writing fiction, reads a short excerpt from her middle grade novel The Griffins of Castle Cary, adds in a mini writing lesson, a few corny jokes, and encouragement to young writers and readers.

Author Christina Diaz Gonzalez talks about finding writing inspiration from your own family history (video is in English and then in Spanish).

Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of HOW TO READ A STORY, illustrated by Mark Siegel & shared with permission from Chronicle Books.

Author Kimberly Derting shares a read-aloud of CECE LOVES SCIENCE with permission from HarperCollins.

Author & science teacher Anne Ruppert shares a try-it-at-home fingerprinting activity from SOLVE THIS: FORENSICS (by Kate Messner & Anne Ruppert, published by National Geographic)

Author Jacqueline West shares a read-aloud from The Shadows, volume one of her bestselling MG fantasy/mystery series The Books of Elsewhere, along with a writing activity for you (and possibly your pet!) that will help you think about character and dialogue. For more info and other videos, visit her website! www.jacquelinewest.com.

Author Carter Higgins shares a read-aloud of BIKES FOR SALE with permission from Chronicle Books.

Author Deborah Underwood reads FINDING KINDNESS, illustrated by Irene Chan (Godwin Books/Macmillan, 2019).

Author Melanie Crowder reads a chapter from her middle grade novel, Three Pennies, and shares a quick and easy craft to go with it. Writing Challenge: Think of one of your favorite books-does an animal make an appearance in the story? In Three Pennies, the author writes several chapters from the point of view of an owl (named Owl). Try to add a chapter to that favorite book you've got in mind, writing from the point of view of an animal in that story.

Author Cynthia Levinson reads The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton. Thanks to Simon & Schuster Kids for permission.

Loree Griffin Burns, author of books like Citizen Scientists and the upcoming picture book You're Invited to a Moth Ball, shares her favorite book of all time: The Flora and Fauna of Hosmer Street. It's not a book she wrote, but rather one she made with her three kids. For one year, Loree, Sam, Ben, and Cat committed themselves to getting to know their animal neighbors; what they found surprised them. In this video, Loree show listeners a few of their best finds (garter snake! walking stick! a skeleton!), what they learned (the more you look, the more you see!) and, of course, how to start creating The Flora and Fauna of Your Place.

Many people have heard of the secret network that helped many enslaved blacks escape to freedom in the North called the Underground Railroad. But how many of you have heard about the Overground Railroad? Author Lesa Cline-Ransome reads from her book, The Overground Railroad, illustrated by her husband, James Ransome.

Author Kathleen Blasi reads HOSEA PLAYS ON, which depicts a day in the life of street musician Hosea Taylor, who made his community better, with his open-hearted giving. After the read-aloud, you can take a look at the newspaper article that inspired Kathleen to learn more about Hosea Taylor and served as the research springboard for HOSEA PLAYS ON.

Author Laya Steinberg reads her picture book THE BEST SUKKOT PUMPKIN EVER and shares a seed planting activity.

Author Jewell Parker Rhodes shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of GHOST BOYS.

Roy Freeman shares a read-aloud of CORDUROY, written and illustrated by his father, Don Freeman.

Author Nancy Tupper Ling shares a read-aloud, along with a lesson on how to make a list poem about your favorite place in the world.

Author Sarah Scheerger reads her picture book, Mitzvah Pizza, and shares a story about the real-life pay-it-forward pizza place that inspired the story. Classroom activities for the story are found here.

Writing Lessons! Many families are using this time at home to work on writing projects that range from stories and poems to special interest research reports and even novels. Here are some craft lessons from authors to help with ideas & strategies!
Author Meg Medina shares a video lesson on creating tension. Author Jennifer Torres shares a mini-workshop on setting with a video and pages to download. Here's a lesson from author Paula Chase on writing dual points of view. Author Josephine Cameron shares creative writing tips about how choosing the perfect setting can help you shape the character, plot, and relationships in your story.
Additional Resources:

Want to see even more author & illustrator videos? Check out the Authors Everywhere YouTube channel, created by Susan Tan!

Check out STEM Tuesday from The Mixed of Files of MG Authors blog for weekly book lists, interviews, and activities.

Want to try writing some poetry today? Joyce Sidman shares an amazing collection of ideas to get you started.

Here's another poetry lesson from Kathryn Apel - writing a didactic cinquain!

If you're stuck at home, it's a great time to start a writer's notebook! Author & Poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater has a whole collection of posts from different writers, called "Sharing Our Notebooks." Check it out -so many ideas here!

Author Madelyn Rosenberg shares a collection of writing prompts here.

Here's a collection of video mini-lessons from nonfiction author Melissa Stewart - great for teaching informational writing, including research, text features, text structure, rich language, voice, and revision.

Author & poet Laura Shovan shares a collection of poetry mini-lessons on her website!

The folks at Middle Grade at Heart share a list of MG novels with discussions questions & related activities here.

Author Victoria Coe has a playlist of writing lessons for kids with 25 lessons.

Author Sarah Darer Littman offers short readings and writing prompts on her website.

On the Kids Ask Authors podcast, you can hear author/illustrator Grace Lin and a guest author answer a kid question! Kids can submit their own book reviews, poems or jokes! https://www.kidsaskauthors.com Subscribe to the podcast here: http://ow.ly/8OPg30qr7WD

Erica S. Perl (@ericaperl) is doing a weekly Instagram live author event called "Winging It with Erica S. Perl" featuring read-alouds, writing prompts, and occasional shakings of a tail feather. Tune in every Tuesday at 2 pm EST and wish her good cluck!

The KidLit TV team, a group of diverse children's book authors and illustrators, has created a virtual library of FREE read aloud, drawing & writing tutorials, podcasts, art activities + reading resources for kids. https://kidlit.tv

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author & illustrator, shares daily drawing lessons on his YouTube channel.

Author Kathryn Hulick invites you to investigate a ghost story as a scientist, based on her book STRANGE BUT TRUE.

New Books to Check Out!

In case you're missing your weekly trip to the library or bookstore, we also want to let you know about some new books out this spring!

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Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere - Spring 2020

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Hello, friends! I'm Kate Messner, a former classroom teacher, forever-educator, and the author of more than three dozen books for kids. These include picture books like Over and Under the Snow, The Brilliant Deep, and The Next President ; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series; the Ranger in Time historical chapter book adventures; nonfiction like Tracking Pythons and Solve This: Forensics ; and novels like All the Answers, Breakout , and .

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Abdo Digital Library PreK-6 Fiction and Nonfiction

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Abdo Digital Library PreK-6 Fiction and Nonfiction

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Storynory has over 1,000 free audio stories for children, including classic fairy tales, myths, world stories, poems, and brand new originals read by professional actors.

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Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

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A telepathic girl is the key to an unknown world and it's up to her to save it in the thrilling Keeper of the Lost Cities series.

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Can Teachers Read Books Out Loud Online? Actually, Yes. The first image many people have of school is a circle of small children, sitting cross-legged, paying attention (or not) to an adult reading a book aloud and showing pictures to the class.

Indeed, presidents and sports stars choose exactly this photo op when visiting schools. And teachers across the country reenact the scene daily-or did until a few weeks ago. As schools, teachers and families face the shock of abruptly shifting to online education, one small question has been how to shift these read alouds to Zoom, Facebook, Google Hangouts and YouTube, the spaces where many classes continue to meet.

A second question has been given almost equal importance: Is reading a book to students online even legal? Publisher Guidelines on Fair Use for Online Storytimes & Read-Alouds during COVID-19 - Kate Messner. Many teachers & librarians are reaching out to authors and illustrators to ask about permissions for sharing online read-alouds, either live or recorded, for students who are currently learning at home.

While we may be able to say "Sure, that's fine with me," we actually can't give you legal permission.

Reading and Viewing Apps from your LIBRARY! (See if your local libraries offer access to these goodies!)

Spanish Children's Stories - The Spanish Experiment. Netflix Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices. Netflix Jr (Celebrating Black Voices) COVID-19 Books for Children (Several of these require adult emails to access. Most should be read with an adult.) SLJ COVID-19 Publisher Information Directory. Epic School: Free Access for Students at Home! Internet Archive eBooks and Texts. Additional collections of scanned books, articles, and other texts (usually organized by topic) are presented here.

United States Patent and Trademark Office documents contributed by Think Computer Foundation. Topic: U.S Patent The American Libraries collection includes material contributed from across the United States. Institutions range from the Library of Congress to many local public libraries. As a whole, this collection of material brings holdings that cover many facets of American life and scholarship into the public domain. Uploads from the general users of ARCHIVE.ORG related to Islamic culture, studies and related subjects.

Free books for the&nbsp; people with disabilities that impact reading. Epic! for Educators (Free to educators) Free Reads of Young Adult & Teen Books. KidLit at HOME - KidLit TV. Featured on KidLit At HOME this WEEK: From our friends at CANDLEWICK From our friends at ABRAMS Storytime - Picture Books Storytime - Middle Grade Books.

KidLit TV - Explore the world of children's literature. Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more! BookBub: Get ebook deals, handpicked recommendations, and author updates. Storyline Online. ICDL - International Children's Digital Library. Julie Andrews' Podcast. Public Books Database (Academic titles) With university classrooms and libraries shuttered because of the COVID-19 crisis, scholars are facing disruptions not only in their teaching lives but also in their ability to access research materials.

In response, many academic presses have made hundreds of their titles freely accessible online. The Public Books Database aims to catalog such resources in a single location and to highlight titles of particular interest. We'll be updating the list regularly as additional materials are made available. * University of Arizona Press * Berghahn Books * Bristol University Press * University of Calgary Press * University of California Press * University Press of Colorado * Columbia University Press * Cornell University Press * Duke University Press * ETC Press * Fordham University Press * University of Georgia Press.

First Book. Lit2Go ETC 9 (free audiobooks) Free Online Books for Elementary Students (Daniella Smith) Picture from Pixabay I admit it.

Initially, when I noticed the cases of the coronavirus growing around the world, I did not imagine that we would begin to shut down in the United States. After all, we have been through Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Ebola, and Swine Flu. The coronavirus tops them all. We are currently readjusting our daily behaviors to save lives. As we contemplate our next moves, we know that it is essential for our youth to keep learning. Dr. Seuss Raps over Dr. Dre Beats. CommonLit.org.

The Online Books Page. Newsela. Authors Everywhere! Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere - Spring 2020 - Kate Messner. Hello, friends!

I'm Kate Messner, a former classroom teacher, forever-educator, and the author of more than three dozen books for kids. These include picture books like Over and Under the Snow, The Brilliant Deep, and The Next President; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series; the Ranger in Time historical chapter book adventures; nonfiction like Tracking Pythons and Solve This: Forensics; and novels like All the Answers, Breakout, and Chirp. I'm happy that you found your way here! This is a library of resources for kids, families, teachers, and librarians to make sure that reading & learning can happen anywhere this spring. Some of you may be out of school as communities try to prevent the spread of a virus known as COVID-19.

Below, you'll find a growing collection of resources that include everything from first-chapter and picture book read-alouds (all shared with permission!) Tracey Baptiste, the author of The Jumbies series, shares a mini-lesson on comparative mythology. S.K. COVID-19 Response - AAP. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten and disrupt lives, publishers across all sectors are working tirelessly to ensure a seamless transition experience for readers of all ages.

These publishers already offer a robust variety of high-quality books, research journals, and education solutions through an equally robust variety of print, digital, and audiobook business models. Nevertheless, as the situation around COVID-19 continues to press demand, many leaders are doing more to assist avid book readers, teachers, students, researchers and medical professionals to obtain literature and resources, including as to the novel coronavirus itself. Publishers are committed to helping booksellers (see here). If you're reading this, we encourage you to visit the American Booksellers Association website (see here) to find your local bookstores, many of which are offering home delivery and curbside pick-up. Education Publishing Cambridge University Press Academic Publishing. Sora reading app extends no cost ebooks and audiobooks to remote learners - Rakuten OverDrive.

Mackin Free Stuff. Story Pirates. Spanish Children's Stories - The Spanish Experiment. World Digital Library Home. T2 Science & Math Education Consultants. Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere - Spring 2020 - Kate Messner. Folkscanomy: A Library of Books : Free Texts : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming. Folksonomy : A system of classification derived from the practice and method of collaboratively creating and managing tags to annotate and categorize content; this practice is also known as collaborative tagging, social classification, social indexing, and social tagging.

Coined by Thomas Vander Wal, it is a portmanteau of folk and taxonomy. Folkscanomy : A collection of books and text derived from the efforts of volunteers to make information as widely available as possible. Because the... texts eye favorite 22 comment 3 A large collection of sheet music from favoritefavoritefavorite ( 3 reviews ) KidsRead2Kids. Storynory - Audio Stories for Kids. Rivet. Brightly Storytime Archives. HarperKids: Storytime Read Aloud. Worldreader app. Read Out Loud Archives - KidLit TV. KLTV Exclusive Read Out Loud THIS WAY, CHARLIE On this episode of Read Out Loud, author Caron Levis shares THIS WAY, CHARLIE, the true story of an unusual... Read more " | April 26, 2020, 8:00 am Read Out Loud THE SHOW MUST GO ON - LULU the BROADWAY MOUSE What is it like to audition for a Broadway show?

Indianapolis Public Library. When you are on vacation, running errands or just away from home, read along stories are a great way to fill what can be hours of waiting into a lot of fun.

Listed below are more than 100 video read alouds from old classics like Where the Wild Things Are to newer favorites like Little Jumbo. It's story time online! This listening library is available all day every day (and all night!) For returning to old favorites. "Read it again!" Storytime with Bill. Audiobooksync (spring/summer only) Unite for Literacy.

Khan Academy Kids. Short Stories for Children. Does your family or class have a favorite short story in the public domain? Please send your suggestions to amlit.editor@gmail.com. Fiction.US. Free public domain audiobooks. Subscription Databases: State-by-State Look (free to users) Sora app (digital books from school libraries) Libby app: digital books from public libraries. RBdigital Gateway. Tumblebooks - Read Watch Learn!

Kanopy. Kanopy. Hoopla: books, movies and more from public libraries. Digital Public Library of America. Library of Congress: Digital Collections, Available Online. Return to Full Search Results Subjects in Digital Collections. Bibliomania - Free Online Literature and Study Guides.

Week 11: Open Access Toolkit. Free public domain audiobooks. HathiTrust Digital Library. OER Commons. British Library: Subjects. Global Digital Library. Open Textbook Library. Project Gutenberg. National Emergency Library : Free Texts : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming.

1925 by Cherrington, Ernest Hurst, 1877-1950, editor texts eye favorite 0 comment 0 Includes bibliographical references Topic: Temperance favorite 1 1925 by Burgess, Thornton W. Favorite 4. ManyBooks. Welcome to Open Library. CK12: Free Online Textbooks, Math/Science Lessons & More. OASIS. Open Culture: 1,000 Free Audio Books: Download Great Books for Free. Download 3 Free Audiobooks from AudioBooks.com. HathiTrust Digital Library.

Universal School Library : Free Texts : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming. DigiLibraries.com - Free eBooks library. ChestofBooks.com: Read Books Online for Free.

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Free Digital Stories/Books/Read Alouds (Scroll down for free library access)

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Can Teachers Read Books Out Loud Online? Actually, Yes. The first image many people have of school is a circle of small children, sitting cross-legged, paying attention (or not) to an adult reading a book aloud and showing pictures to the class. Indeed, presidents and sports stars choose exactly this photo op when visiting schools.

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Destiny Discover Nonfiction Lightbox and AV2

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Destiny Discover Nonfiction Lightbox and AV2

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FREE - MUST SIGN IN  Directions: Click the link below, leave "Any Location" in the Location box, in the School box enter "Follett eLearning, McHenry, IL", click on the Log In button, Username - guest Password - follett

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Destiny Discover | Follett School Solutions | School Picker

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Search your school’s books, eBooks and digital resources in one easy place with Destiny Discover.

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When schools are closed and kids are at home, Ready-to-Read is here to help keep young minds active and engaged!

Vetted by educational experts to adhere to the latest beginning reader guidelines, our Ready-to-Read leveled readers will keep your little ones learning while they're away from the classroom. Featuring beloved classics, engaging nonfiction, and familiar characters, there's a Ready-to-Read book for every child!
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While your young reader is making their way through our vast array of Ready-to-Read titles, be sure to check out our collection of downloadable activity sheets to go along with the books. By making reading educational and fun, Ready-to-Read encourages emerging readers to reach for the stars, no matter their reading level. Explore this page and our dedicated Ready-to-Read site for more information on how to launch a reading superstar!

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When schools are closed and kids are at home, Ready-to-Read is here to help keep young minds active and engaged! Vetted by educational experts to adhere to the latest beginning reader guidelines, our Ready-to-Read leveled readers will keep your little ones learning while they're away from the classroom.

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Looking for a new way to engage your readers? Storytime videos to the rescue! At WeAreTeachers, we believe that reading aloud is powerful when it comes to building strong readers, encouraging literacy, and developing lifelong learners.

And it's not just for kindergarteners either. There are so many benefits to reading aloud in older grades-even in middle school. That's why we created our Storytime video series, featuring some of our favorite children's books, authors, and creators. Subscribe to our WeAreTeachers YouTube channel so you don't miss any!

Most of the books are read by the author, and we have a couple of amazing teacher readers as well. All videos are under 10 minutes and come with a bonus Q&A at the end. The Storytime videos are a great way to expose your students to authors and open up valuable book discussions. Enjoy!
Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!
A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars , read by author Seth Fishman

A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars won the 2018 Mathical Book Prize. It was also named a Best Book of the Year by Space.com, The Horn Book, and the Planetary Society. It takes on some of the biggest numbers in the universe, and it'll really get your students thinking about math and numbers in a new way. Learn more about Seth on his website.
GET THE BOOK >>
Watch Seth's Storytime

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtMoDq5Git0[/embedyt]

Planting Stories, read in English and Spanish by author Anika Denise

This story is about New York City's first Puerto Rican librarian, who had a huge influence in bilingual literature in the 1920s and beyond. Anika loved researching this story, and now she's excited to share it with others. We have both an English and Spanish read-aloud option. You could even do both as an added learning opportunity for your students. Learn more about Anika here.
GET THE BOOK >>
Watch Anika's Storytime

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAefwxYCydk[/embedyt]

, read by author and illustrator Arree Chung

Arree Chung is the author of many great picture books, including Ninja, and Mixed is one of his latest. This book brings a sweet message about how to get along with others and embrace differences. Arree both writes and illustrates his books, and your students will really enjoy the Q&A with him after the reading. You should also check out his activity guide, perfect to use in your classroom.
GET THE BOOK >>
Watch Arree's Storytime

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn0ep5u0kZo[/embedyt]

Sparky the Fire Dog , read by teacher Nichole Watson

Sparky the Fire Dog is a staple when it comes to learning about fire safety. He's such a cute and lovable pup, and Sparky the Fire Dog tells how it all began. We are excited to partner with Sparky Schoolhouse for this reading, and we thank teacher Nichole Watson (and her class) for sharing their read aloud with us! (For those of you interested in buying the book for your class, you can use the coupon code "Sparky19" for $9.95 in savings!)
GET THE BOOK IN BULK >>
Watch Nicole's Storytime

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9af4E1I37c[/embedyt]

Me and My Fear, read by teacher Kayla Dessert

Our teacher friend Kayla Dessert with Sweetest Teacher did this read aloud for us. This book tackles the topic of fear from the perspective of a young girl from another country who starts a new school. Kids (and adults) will be able to relate to this book. Plus, there are some amazing teacher resources available from the publisher to help encourage conversation in your classroom.
GET THE BOOK >>
Watch Kayla's Storytime

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6EiqIqwBz8[/embedyt]

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, read by author by Drew Daywalt

While Drew Daywalt is loved by many for his book The Day the Crayons Quit, this book tackles the unknown (and totally awesome) tale of Rock, Paper, and Scissors. Your students will love hearing Drew read this book himself, and his bonus Q&A sessions are entertaining, too. You can learn more about Drew here.
GET THE BOOK >>
Watch Drew's Storytime

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyxcpMhUM7M[/embedyt]

Don't forget to subscribe to our WeAreTeachers YouTube channel.
Plus, see some of our other favorite book readings available on YouTube.

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Check out Our New Storytime Video Series Featuring Children's Book Authors

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Looking for a new way to engage your readers? Storytime videos to the rescue! At WeAreTeachers, we believe that reading aloud is powerful when it comes to building strong readers, encouraging literacy, and developing lifelong learners. And it's not just for kindergarteners either. There are so many benefits to reading aloud in older grades-even in middle school.

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Junior Library Guild | School Library Books

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Welcome to Junior Library Guild, the collection development and book review service relied upon by thousands of schools and public libraries across the country.

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Access to a few of Scholastic’s digital resources – of which you can start using now through April 20th. All have been set up with the same username & password.

Username: Learning20
Password: Clifford

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Highly engaging Science and Social Studies multi-media

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AT A GLANCE

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FOR

Grades 3 and up

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PRICING

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Beautiful, authentic ebooks are enhanced with a deep and diverse reservoir of related content in a variety of text types and media-including primary sources, fiction, videos, audio clips, images, and related websites. TrueFlix® helps students improve literacy skills, build content-area knowledge, and cultivate the critical skills necessary for academic success and college and career readiness.

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Comprehend and evaluate a range of texts

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TrueFlix | Interactive Science & Social Studies Learning

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AT A GLANCE WHAT Digital Science and Social Studies Units FOR Grades 3 and up HOW Web-based, unlimited access, unlimited users TERMS One-year subscription PRICING Schools: Per Building Public Libraries: Per Population Served Beautiful, authentic ebooks are enhanced with a deep and diverse reservoir of related content in a variety of text types and media-including primary sources, fiction, videos, audio clips, images, and related websites.

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Scholastic Magazine      Learn at Home   

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Scholastic Magazine      Learn at Home   

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Kids Think, Grow, & Learn               PreK through 9th Grade

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Raise a reader by getting the best book recommendations, reading tips, and discounts delivered straight to your inbox.

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Children's Authors
Read-Alouds and Activities

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It's no surprise that authors are incredibly good at bringing their own books to life. Whether through live or pre-recorded visits, read-aloud videos, or other virtual author activities, kids will connect with books like never before! Here are some of our favorite options to try.

Pre-Recorded Virtual Author Visits

Check out these videos of presentations authors have given at schools and libraries. There are authors here that will interest students at any age.

Arree Chung

Hear Chung talk about the process of creating his book Mixed: A Colorful Story. The allegory of one color who thinks it's better than the others is meaningful at any age.

Bao Phi

Bao Phi's lovely book A Different Pond showcases the relationship between a father and his son. As they fish for the food their family needs, the father tells his son about a pond from his own childhood in faraway Vietnam.

Jasmine Warga

Author of the Newbery Honor book Other Words for Home, Jasmine Warga gives an engaging talk about how she writes.

Jennifer L. Holm

From her Babymouse graphic novels to the Sunny series and beyond, Holm writes books that middle grade readers absolutely love.

J.H. Reynolds

Do your students love the thrills and chills of the MonsterStreet series? Then they'll love seeing its author answer kids' questions about reading and writing!

J.K. Rowling

Every kid will recognize the author of the beloved Harry Potter books! See her interview with the Harry Potter Reading Club in this video.

Kate Messner

Kate Messner writes fiction, nonfiction, novels, chapter books, and picture books, so there's a good chance most kids have read at least one of her books.

Katherine Applegate

Lots of kids read The One and Only Ivan in class, and Applegate has plenty of other popular and award-winning books as well. Hear her talk about her books (and even show off her adorable dog!).

Lois Lowry

Here's another name kids will recognize. Whether they love The Giver, the Gooney Bird series, or any of her other numerous works, they'll enjoy listening to her speak and answer audience questions.

Max Brallier

The Last Kids on Earth book series is now a Netflix series too! Listen to author Max Brallier talk about his writing process and give kids a writing challenge of their own.

Live Virtual Author Visits

Want to set up a virtual author visit live for your class or school? If you have a particular author in mind, visit their website (or their publisher's) to contact them and find out if they do virtual visits. Scholastic offers virtual author visits through their catalog, so that's a great place to start.

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators has a terrific roundup of virtual author visits and writing workshops too. Here are some to consider.

Gutman has written all sorts of books for kids, and he's happy to do virtual school visits. Find his offerings and prices at his website.

Nonfiction children's author Kurtz loves to present his books to kids of all ages. His virtual offerings include readings, interviews, and concept-based workshops.

Long does both in-person and virtual author visits based on her popular books, like How I Became a Pirate. Visit her website to see her offerings and book a visit.

Biebow's colorful book about the inventor of Crayola crayons is a delight. She offers free virtual visits, plus interactive in-person workshops.

Known for Dahlia in Bloom, Koehler offers both virtual author visits and writing workshops. She does professional development workshops for teachers too.

Virtual Author Read-Alouds

When you hear authors read their own books, it gives you a whole new perspective on their works. That makes read-alouds some of our favorite virtual author activities.

Hale's YouTube channel includes a playlist called Storytime With Uncle Bruce. Hear him read about Clark the Shark and other hilarious characters.

Gutman has a whole collection of read-alouds on his Facebook page, like Miss Blake Is a Flake. Kids will love his wacky style!

Visit her YouTube channel to see the author read her book Where Are My Books? She's got a few other read-alouds too, along with drawing tips.

Fabien Cousteau is the grandson of famed sea explorer Jacques Cousteau. His book series explores his own experiences under the water, and you can watch his read-aloud on Facebook.

You'll feel inspired when you hear Byers read her heartfelt book I Am Enough.

Lin reads aloud from her picture books as well as chapters from her longer books on her YouTube channel.

Watch Knowles read the first chapter of her middle-grade novel Where the Heart Is, while giving students a fun writing exercise.

Hear Cook read a variety of books from her collection, like Wilma Jean the Worry Machine. Her YouTube channel also includes interviews, advice, and other fun virtual author activities.

Watch Messner read Fergus and Zeke and the 100th Day of School in this YouTube video.

This read-aloud of Fry Bread includes some of the author's thoughts on writing the book and the recipe he included at the end.

Listen to Henderson read the first chapter of her book The Magic in Changing Your Stars on YouTube.

The author regularly shares read-alouds of his books, like I Love You Like a Pig, on his Instagram page.

The author has added a collection of videos of herself reading from her picture books on Instagram. Titles include When We Are Kind and You Hold Me Up.

Hear readings from Shusterman's books on his YouTube channel, including excerpts and complete short stories.

The author created a Stay at Home: Story Time section on his website. Initially made during the 2020 COVID lockdown, these videos are still lots of fun to watch.

Visit Reynolds' Facebook page to see him read from some of his most popular books, like The Dot.

The award-winning author and illustrator reads from her book The Story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in this YouTube video.

The author reads his picture books on his YouTube channel, where he also has lots of drawing videos for inspiration.

Other Virtual Author Activities

So many wonderful authors and publishers have YouTube or Instagram channels! Join them as they teach you how to draw, offer writing tips, and lots more.

Kids will do more than just watch these videos. They'll write, draw, and create on their own, inspired by famous authors and illustrators.

Watch story time, Cressida Cowell's summer camp, author interviews, how-to-draw videos, and a whole lot more.

The prolific author has a robust website full of videos, activities, podcasts, and more virtual author activities to engage kids of a variety of ages.

The Lunch Lady author and illustrator has a series of videos showing kids how to draw some of their favorite characters. His YouTube channel also has cartooning tips, writing tips, pep talks, and shorts.

This YouTube channel is rich with content, including interviews, tour journals, how-to-draw tips, and so much more.

The Kennedy Center sponsored this series of videos with the beloved author of classics like Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Author and illustrator of hits like Smile and Drama shares drawings, time-lapse videos, and more on her Instagram page.

Aspiring illustrators will enjoy this series, where any kid can learn to draw creatures of every kind.

These half-hour chats with well-known middle grade authors are the perfect length to share with your classes.

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The Big List of Virtual Author Activities

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Check out live and pre-recorded author visits, read-alouds, and other virtual author activities like drawing sessions to share with students.