Explore! - Authors, Activities, Read-Alouds, & More!
Wonderopolis: Where the Wonders of Learning Never Cease
Have a burning question? Wonderopolis is the place to wonder and discover, full of interesting questions and in-depth answers. Ask your own question or explore what others have wondered about.
Amphibian Road Crossings: Ecology & Volunteer Training w/North Branch Nature Center
(Updated March 2023) You might remember when I read to you the beautiful picture book, Salamander Sky, by Vermont author, Katy Farber. (Listen to a read-aloud here.) Now is your chance to help salamanders and other amphibians cross roads later this spring. Learn more about this super-cool opportunity and the FREE training being offered by the North Branch Nature Center HERE, or click the photo.
The Live Read-Aloud Show for classrooms and families everywhere!
Read, draw and interact live with award-winning children's authors and Storyvoice hosts - for FREE! A new author or illustrator (or both!) every Friday. Check the schedule and log in to join the fun!
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020, CLiF had to redesign their programs and launched a virtual storytelling series. Kids and families join CLiF’s talented authors, poets, and storytellers to hear their inspiring work each week. Tune in on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. EST for storytime! See the upcoming line-up and sign up here.
Story Raps on KidoodleTV - Wes Tank, aka Dr. Dre, earned quick fame during Covid for his raps of favorite Dr. Seuss stories. Now he's got his own TV show, packed with fun stories. Check him out for story time with a twist!
Susan Tan, author of several children's books, decided to help out during Covid-19 by creating a YouTube channel for kids and parents stuck at home. Authors Everywhere brings children’s book writers and illustrators together to bring you read alouds, writing workshops, exercises, writing games, art demos, and more! You’ll also find supplementary materials on her website, including activity sheets, coloring pages, games, and more, from the amazing authors and illustrators who contributed to the Authors Everywhere YouTube channel.
Story Time from Space has videos of astronauts in space reading books to the children of Earth. The videos are placed under the heading "Story Time Videos."
Children’s Author Virtual Visit: Alex McConduit - 12/16/20 @ 7pm
Author of Bloom: The Story of the World’s First Flower and Thorn in my Horn
Visit the North Branch Nature Center's website for more details. Click here for the Zoom link.
All year long you can catch stories from your favorite authors, special guests, and more on Barnes & Nobel's Youtube channel! During this holiday season, though, Barnes & Nobel Storytime is featuring some great holiday reads with fun printable activity pages to enjoy at home. Find the year-long calendar of events, along with your favorite storytime titles and activity sheets HERE.
The "Write. Right. Rite." Series with Jason Reynolds, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature
"Welcome to the “Write. Right. Rite.,” a “GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story” video series! The “Write. Right. Rite.” is meant to be an entertaining and inventive way to engage with the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jason Reynolds.
According to Reynolds, the “Write. Right. Rite.” is all about learning the ritual of “authentic”—not to be confused with “correct” or “exact”—expression. Throughout the series, he will share his passion for storytelling while discussing topics like creativity, connection, and imagination."
"VTLIB Youth Services Consultant Jonathan Clark interviews Lindsey Stoddard, author of the middle-grade book 'Right as Rain,' Vermont's 2020 Great Reads pick." Lindsey is also the author of 'Brave Like That' and 2019-2020 Vermont Middle Grades Book Award nominee, 'Just Like Jackie'.
Watch to the video by Friday, Oct.16, 2020, then enter the drawing to win a signed copy of 'Right as Rain' by filling out this quick form.
AWESOME OPPORTUNITY!!!
Earn a free 2021 Vermont State Parks Pass by completing their 2020 Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge.
All you have to do is participate in fun outdoor activities listed on the score sheet, take photos of your adventures, and earn points toward your pass. What's not to love?? Get all the details here.
The Challenge runs from March 18, 2020 - October 15, 2020, so get going!
"To encourage family engagement and a love of reading at home, PBS KIDS offers families a place to come together and read along with fan-favorites on YouTube. PBS KIDS Read-Alongs have included story-times with Brad Meltzer (XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM), Marc Brown (ARTHUR), Victoria Kann (PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC) Angela Santomero (Creator of DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD) and more. Along with story-time of a beloved book, each PBS KIDS Read-Along is designed to encourage engagement among families who tune in, with activity ideas and questions that spark conversation."
(Source: Read-Along with PBS Kids)
Love Comics and Graphic Novels?
A librarian friend put together this Choice Board for kids who love comics and graphic novels. Explore the comics in the "Read" row of the board and then experiment with creating your own using the tools in the "Create" row of the board. Ms. B and Mrs. Lecours would love to see what you come up with!
Author and illustrator of multiple books for children and teens, including the Beloved Star Wars JEDI Academy Series, JJ Krosocszka shares his talent with kids around the world. Check out his how-to videos here.
Eggciting News! - The Baby Hawks Are Here!
Back in January we read Hawk Rising by Brian Floca and we spent some time watching Big Red and Arthur building their nest, prepping to raise babies this spring. Well, the babies are here! Check out the juvenile birds on Cornell's Live Cam, or watch the highlight videos featuring egg laying, hatching, and first feedings on YouTube.
SEE MORE ANIMAL CAMS @ THE BOTTOM OF THE LIBRARY HOME PAGE!
Join Dav Pilkey to get creative and have fun with some of your favorite characters from Dog Man and Captain Underpants! Check back every Friday to discover new activities, exciting videos, and so much more! Check it out!
Many authors, illustrators, and publishers are sharing their work online.
mokc_lunch-doodles_online-resources_final.pdfLeft is a list of illustrator resources compiled by Mo Willems and the Kennedy Center to get you started. Ask a grown-up to help you access items from the list. Maybe you’ll discover a new favorite artist!
Check out Kate Messner's YouTube Channel for lots of great Read-Alouds, including her popular Ranger in Time series!
Local author, Kate Messner, has compiled a list of read-aloud resources for kids, parents, teachers, and librarians. It's pretty extensive, so plan on finding some real gems in here!
Mo Willems' Thank-O-Rama Thank You Thursdays!
May is THANK-O-RAMA month with Mo Willems! As part of the monthlong celebration, Disney Publishing Worldwide is joining the Kennedy Center for a special video series, Thank You Thursdays! Tune in every Thursday in May any time after 1 p.m. ET to see who Mo (and viewers) will thank each week. For more Thank-O-Rama ideas, visit thankorama.com or #thankorama. UPDATE: Access all of the episodes and more at the Kennedy Center website.
Celebrate launching The One and Only Bob with a talk, reading, and Q&A with Katherine Applegate!
Return to the unforgettable world of the Newbery Medal-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling novel The One and Only Ivan (soon to be a major motion picture) in this incredible sequel, starring Ivan’s friend Bob. With the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby, Bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had, and he learns the true meaning of friendship and family. WATCH THE REPLAY HERE!
Resources shared during the webcast:
"My First Book Club: Let’s read together!" for grades K-3 or 4 @ 3:00pm April 9
Everything is better together! And group reads are one of the few things we can do TOGETHER while we're all staying safely apart. Book clubs encourage early-grade readers to develop a love of books and bonding!
Join Junior Library Guild for a mini book club bash Thursday, April 9 at 3 p.m. (ET) as Bunnicula author James Howe reads aloud from his chapter-book Houndsley and Catina and Kate Messner reads aloud from Fergus and Zeke. Tune in for laughs and learning with these endearing early elementary selections! Join HERE!
Special Week-Long Read-Aloud by Jacqueline Woodson for grades 4-6 @ 10:30 April 6-10, 2020
I'm so excited to share with all of you one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors! Jacqueline Woodson writes both picture books and chapter books for kids of all ages. She's had several books nominated for Vermont book awards, including Harbor Me, on this year's DCF list. She's a pretty amazing writer and I hope you are able to tune in to her reading her award-winning memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming, this week on Facebook Live. Just click on the photo to the left. Since it's written in verse, this is an extra special treat to kick off National Poetry Month!
UPDATE: It seems you will need to use a Facebook account for this, so maybe it's a nice opportunity to listen to the book with a grown-up on their device. Also, the readings are recorded (~30 min.) and available on her page for later viewing if 10:30am doesn't work for your schedule. Maybe bedtime?
Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems!
Our beloved Mo Willems, the Kennedy Center Education Artist-In-Residence, decided to open up his studio for all of you to visit in a little video series called Lunch Doodles With Mo Willems! In the first episode (aired on Monday, March 16), Mo walks kids through a few different drawing lessons and also dives into the process of creating and publishing a book, sharing some of the drawings that went into his very first book, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003). I challenge you to draw along with Mo and see what you come up with. Mo recorded 3 weeks worth of videos, so plenty to choose from!
There's a lot going on these days, what with school closures, and social distancing, and toilet-paper conundrums. It's heavy stuff. It's worrisome stuff. And it's stuff that we're all experiencing right along with Aiden Tyler, the title character in author Rex Ogle's (Free Lunch) new & original story, AIDEN TYLER, QUARAN-TEEN. Rex is writing this creative new middle-grade offering in real-time, about our real-world predicament, and will be reading each week's newest chapter aloud on this one-of-a-kind webcast "serial"! Tune in every Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET to catch the latest in Aiden's quaran-teen'ed story--and stick around after the reading for a weekly Q&A with Rex. This is the perfect virtual get-away for students and educators looking for a fun and relatable escape from their own quarantines! There's even a fun illustration challenge that you can be part of!
Can't make the live readings? Don't worry! Every episode of this webcast serial will be recorded and available to watch on-demand.
Join Junior Library Guild (JLG) for the third and final webcast in their "Own Your Story" series, as JLG Editorial Director Susan Marston chats with Rex Ogle, author of the middle-grade memoir Free Lunch.
Rex will discuss why he committed to writing his memoir, why it is such an important story to tell, and how sharing your story can help others. This webcast is perfect for sharing with your homebound students as a live or on-demand virtual author visit.
Signed Book Giveaway: Webcast attendees can enter to win a signed copy of Rex Ogle's memoir, Free Lunch. Register today!
We usually start every Library Class with a Golden (Mindful) Moment and I think during these stressful, uncertain times, we can certainly use more mindfulness in our lives. Mindful Schools is offering FREE, online mindfulness classes for KIDS every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1:00pm-1:30pm EDT! Kids and adults can join them online – for mindful activities, mindful movement, and read-alouds – and have fun exploring mindfulness together. Sign up to get Zoom call-in instructions.