Play the very fun game of Guess Who? but virtually! Begin by selecting a player in your mind (don't tell anyone who it is!), then click through the slides to see if the computer can guess your Bitmoji!
Oh no! Ms. Citrin has lost her coffee cup! Can you help her find it? HINT: Go through the steps of the Library's newest escape room!
Looking For Something To Read?
Spin the wheel to click on the genre/category of books you might want to read next! Spin here!
What happens when you send slime to space?
Thanks to the astronauts stationed at the International Space Station, they are able to answer this pressing question!
This free 15-minute virtual field trip takes students 250 miles above the earth to the International Space Station. There, you will learn along with the astronauts as they demonstrate how slime reacts to microgravity compared to how water reacts in the same environment!
Our favorite moment might be the astronauts playing ping pong with floating balls of slime!
Click here to watch the coolest video ever!
SEEKING READERS AND ILLUSTRATORS!
JK Rowling (of Harry Potter fame) has just released her latest work, The Ickabog, which is available for FREE here!
The neatest part is that Rowling will be calling on YOU to help illustrate chapters of The Ickabog! Watch for daily updates and drawing instructions directly from Rowling in the coming days!
Can you help Ms. Citrin and Ms. Townhouse escape alongside Indiana Jones? See if you can get to the very special message at the end to prove you broke out! Hint: The very feared animal is hiding somewhere near the very large object! There is also more than one valuable gold object in this Escape Room. Click on Ms. Citrin's hat to get started!
MASKED READS!
(It's just like Blind Date with a Book, but in a socially safe way!)
REQUEST A BOOK WITHOUT KNOWING THE TITLE
Just fill out the form below with your contact information (either mom and dad's email or your school email, along with your preferences (you'll need to check the boxes for genre/category of books you like), and Ms. Citrin & Ms. Townhouse will email you back some titles of interest!
Need a motivational quote today? Love puffy letters or cursive or even fancy calligraphy? Relax with some quote coloring! These sheets, which you can find here, bring inspiration and relaxation at the same time!
Can you help Ms. Citrin and Ms. Townhouse escape alongside Harry Potter? See if you can get to the very special message at the end! Hint: Crookshanks the cat appears and reappears, so you have to find a way to catch him! Click on the tie to get started!
Our joke of the week is from Raz J., and it reads:
Why can't you give Elsa a balloon?
Because she'll let it go, let it, let it go!
Submit your winning jokes to the Library here!
READ-AT-HOME BINGO!
Can you complete all the squares by reading in an unfamiliar or unexpected spot? Let us know if you fill in all the boxes!
JOKE OF THE WEEK by Ms. Citrin:
Why are seagulls called seagulls?
Because if they flew over the bay, they'd be bagels!
Your joke could be here! Submit your jokes to Ms. Citrin or Ms. Townhouse to be featured on the Library homepage! You can submit a joke for consideration here! Friends can even vote on the best joke that week, too! Don't forget to put your name on it.
MORE FREE eBooks!
Encyclopædia Britannica is offering a vast collection of non-fiction eBooks for kids for free!
Click on this link to get started:
Enter Username: freebritannica
Password: ebooks
Today is Monday, May 5th!
Did you know that Cinco De Mayo is also known as Battle of Puebla Day? In the United States, it has become a celebration of Mexican-American heritage.
Pura Belpré Award Winners! Belpré was the first Latina librarian to work at the New York Public Library, and the award, established in 1996, recognizes the best in Latino cultural experiences for children and youth. This year's winning titles can be accessed here.
Also, check out instant access to eBooks and picture books about Cinco de Mayo here.
CALLING ALL HARRY POTTER FANS!
Each week, a famous face and friends of the Wizarding World (and beyond!) will be reading through all seventeen chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone/Sorcerer’s Stone. This week, listen to actor Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in all three films, read from the very first chapter! This readaloud series is too good to miss! Begin the adventures here!
Memorial Day is Monday, May 25th, 2020
Memorial Day often marks the arrival of summer, grilling out on BBQs, public pools are finally open, and that summer vacation is almost here, but the holiday actually celebrates something much deeper: remembering those who have given their lives in service to The United States Armed Forces.
Here are nine crafts, recipes, and activities to get children into the spirit of the day.
Also, check out two picture books from Abdo Digital that are Memorial Day-themed.
100 Great Children’s Books | 100 Years
Great stories never grow old! Chosen by children’s librarians at The New York Public Library, these 100 inspiring tales have thrilled generations of children and their parents — and are still flying off the shelves at libraries all across the country. Use this list to discover new worlds of wonder and adventure!
INTRODUCING... The limited edition series of Ms. Citrin & Ms. Townhouse Bookmarks! Each week, the Library will release FOUR new bookmarks featuring Ms. Citrin and Ms. Townhouse from now until the end of the school year. COLLECT THEM ALL! These are the perfect accessory for summer reading! Print, cut, color, and read away!
Printer-friendly versions of all of the Ms. Citrin bookmarks can be accessed here!
Printer-friendly versions of all of the Ms. Townhouse bookmarks can be accessed here.
Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4th - 8th. Show your appreciation for your teachers with some word cloud art! You choose the text and image, then go through the steps and hit "visualize." The generator will whip up your words to produce beautiful works of art that can be shared with others! Click here to get started visualizing your gratitude!
Every month is poetry month!
Create magnetic poetry digitally here! Simply drag the words next to each other for endless hours of fun creating sentences that you hadn't thought of before. You can even add more words to your pile!
...or check out The Poetry Machine. It's like a blender for words! Create beautiful poems where you choose your text first, then the site does the rest! Create haikus, limericks, even poems using your own phone number! Word choices here are limitless!
Promoting Optimistic Thinking. Parent and caregivers -- here's a handy guide, published in collaboration with The Devereux Center for Resilient Children, on how to talk to your children about staying positive while staying home for an extended period of time.
Candlewick Press, publisher of more than 150 beloved authors and illustrators, has recently released virtual activities, discussion guides, educational materials, videos, and more! Check out these boredom busters here.
Please find a selection of free eBooks for children about the coronavirus. Simply click on the cover of the book to be taken right to the book!
Over 1,700 children, parents, caregivers, and teachers from around the world took the time to share how they were coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. The end result is an informative eBook entitled My Hero is You and is meant to be read together as a family. Parents and caregivers can access the link here.
At-Home Adventures for Earth Week: April 20-26th!
READ about Earth Day on apps like Hoopla, Libby, or Epic. Earth Day by Linda Lowery, Earth Day Every Day by Lisa Bullard, and Fancy Nancy: Every Day is Earth Day by Jane O’Connor are great options!
LISTEN to a story about protecting the environment. Try Wes Tank rapping “The Lorax” here or check out this list of podcasts about the Earth for inspiration!
MOVE: Play outside! Try Hopscotch, Red Light Green Light, Mother May I, or help the grown-ups in your life take care of the yard.
RELAX: Take a “Nature Bath.” Find a comfortable place outdoors to walk or rest and check in with each of your senses. What do you feel? Hear? Taste? See? Smell?
CALCULATE: Make your own scientific rain gauge courtesy of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum here.
INVESTIGATE what your recycled items become by following their journey here.
EXPLORE with a Nature Scavenger Hunt from The Nature Conservancy linked here.
CONNECT: Paint a rock for the Earth Day Rock Project here.
CREATE: Upcycle! Reduce, reuse, and recycle materials around your house or yard into something great like a new musical instrument, costume, or work of art.
LIVE FROM THE LIBRARY!
Tune in every day at 10 CST on the Chicago Public Library's Facebook page to hear your favorite stories from a guest reader.
April is National Poetry Month!
April 4th is National School Librarian Day! Thank you so much for celebrating with us!
Need to bookmark a page? Fold one of these adorable origami animals to keep your book's pages crease-free, crinkle-free, and safe!
Quote of the week: "Reading is always fashionable" -- Ms. Citrin & Ms. Townhouse
Quote of the week: "Shelter-in-books" -- Unknown.
Quote of the Month: "Be well and be well-read" -- Unknown.
Hello and welcome to the BZ Library's eLearning platform! We are feeling very lonely without your child 's presence at story time.
Here you will find everything you need to support your child's literacy needs.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us should you need assistance or suggestions:
Ms. Citrin
rcitrin@bernardzell.org
Ms. Townhouse
atownhouse@bernardzell.org
This site is a work-in-progress and will be updated weekly, so keep checking back! Scroll down to get started!
Enjoy a playlist while you read here
CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY TUTORIALS: What Your Library Card Can Do
(apply for a Chicago Public Library card online here)
Seen everything on Netflix? Check out how reciprocal borrowing privileges allow you to stream thousands of movies for free on Kanopy!
Looking for ways to keep your hands busy? Want to reignite an old hobby or maybe learn something new? Check out how your Chicago Public Library Card grants you access to thousands of FREE online art and craft classes using Creativebug!
Brush up, refresh, or learn a completely new language with your Chicago Public card!
Do you love magazines, but hate the clutter? Check out how you can seamlessly read from hundreds of subscriptions (current and back-issued) instantly with your Chicago Public Library Card!
Running out of books at home? Find out how you can borrow eBooks and audiobooks for FREE from The Chicago Public Library. Have your library card handy!