The Internet Archive is an online library of sorts. It houses older books, videos, and audio recordings. Before you click away since it's old stuff, you should know that it's pretty fun to troll around on! The books include many that are similar to R.L. Stine from when I was a teen. And I know so many of you are enjoying his new release of the Fear Street series! You will find some teen scream books similar on here. You will also find a huge amount of older stories that you know (like The Wizard of OZ and Sleeping Beauty) that have outstanding drawings. I would argue that books from the 50's and 60's had more illustrations than we have today. And they are very pretty. Even if you don't want to read them, it's fun to load them up and check out the images! The videos also include some newer items and also WWII propaganda videos, old black and white films, and even some newer videos. However, this is an all-age site so be sure to read the descriptions before selecting what to watch so you are sure to find something that is right for you! I hope you enjoy this simple resource that gives you access to literally millions of free books. No card needed. No checkout needed (for most items). No software needed. Just click a title and most of it will load so you can read right away!
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Good almost afternoon! It's still a bit dreary from yesterday's rain. And that makes me NEED a scary story. SO BAD! I have a real affection for our scary, supernatural, and mystery sections at the library. I especially enjoy reading them when it's dark and raining. I even put on scary background music to set the tone! So today I am sharing all things scary! Below is a link to this week's book suggestion...and it's scary! It's fantastic, actually! I super suggest you grab a cup of hot chocolate, put on some scary music (see below), and get this book to either read in ebook form or listen to! About that scary music...I seriously think it's the best way to get really creeped out by a book! If you have Spotify or another streaming app (or even YouTube), I really suggest Midnight Syndicate. Have you ever been to Worlds of Fun at Halloween when they have all the haunted stuff up with the creepy music in the background? That music is done by Midnight Syndicate! Each album has a different theme (so one is a carnival, one is a haunted mansion, etc.), so you can pick which one suits your book best! And if you need a little something more background (Midnight Syndicate can be rather intense!), I suggest playing with Ambient Mixer. It can be a bit glitchy, but I think the struggle is worth it! This is true ambient music. So it's just background. You can pull up a coffee shop background where it sounds as though you are reading at Starbucks with coffee steaming and people talking and even jazz in the background. Or you can pull up a haunted house ambient to theme with a scary book. Or you can pull up one of thousands of Harry Potter ambients! Though out of season, the Christmas Hogwarts ones are particularly good. As always, you can leave a comment here for everyone to see if you find a particular playlist that goes well with this book or if there is anything else you want to say about this book! Happy reading and happy listening! I know many of you worked hard to read the Mark Twain and Truman award nominees and cast your vote! I wanted to let you know who the winners were so that you could see if the titles you voted for won! It's a bummer that we cannot have our party to celebrate, but it is fantastic that you worked hard and read these amazing novels! The winners are announced in the video linked below. This is a program that runs K-12 in the state of MO. So you will likely want to skip forward a bit to the Truman and Twain announcement. The Twain winners are announced beginning at about the 5:00 minute mark. The Truman winners are announced at about the 9:00 mark. I hope you are pleased with the winners! I am also posting the nominees for next year. I know many of you are working on the COVID-19 Book Bingo (see earlier post), so you can use the nominees for next year to get started. Remember, 5th graders can read from only the Twain list while 6th graders can read from either list (Twains are happier and lighter/Trumans are more dark and adventure/romance filled). If you are a current 5th grader, you can read from either list since you will be voting in your 6th grade year!
It's April! Well, it's the middle of April. BUT...there's still time to celebrate National Poetry Month. And before you stop reading because you "don't like poetry", you should know that this is about art and creativity as well as poetry! Typically, this month I would have had you all in the library to do blackout poetry. You can see what it looks like above in the two samples. The idea is that you take any page of an old book, newspaper, magazine, or you could even print a page off the internet! Then you make it into something new. So it's art with a message or theme. I have posted a video below of how you can do this in 5 different ways. Note that the 4th way, while cool, involves an exacto knife, so if you do that be sure to do it with an adult around! But this is so dang fun that I expect they will want to make their own poetry as well!
The second link below will take you to a site full of fun poems for kids. So you can go there and read a bit if you like! So make a hot chocolate, grab an old book and a sharpie or paint, start a playlist you love, and get to creating! Check out the video below for the first video book suggestion! I hope you give this one a try and post your thoughts in the comments below! I look forward to hearing what you think about it! It is available in ebook and audiobook form at the Mid-Continent Public Library. If you don't have a card, shoot me an email and I will send you back directions! I hope you enjoy this one! I do seriously love to eat! And when I read, I almost always try to theme my food to go with my book. I just finished a book that was set in India and I ate a copious amount of Indian food along the way! Something about reading about other cultures and places always makes me want to immerse myself in that culture as much as possible. This is especially true now that my travel is so limited. I know that, like many of you, summer travel plans have been canceled. So here is a way to feel as though you are travelling even when you are at home! I know you've heard me say it before, but reading is awesome because it allows you to go anywhere in the world you want to learn about different places.
And since we are talking about learning and being at home, let me share my favorite part of being socially isolated: trying new things! I've really amped up my workout game and my cooking variety in the last few weeks. Because this is the PERFECT time to try something new! You have a lot of time on your hands, so you may as well come out of these couple of months with some new skills! The link below will take you to 31 recipes inspired by children's books (books you have very likely read!). So grab a mixing bowl, get a parent's help if you have to use the stove or a knife, and get to learning how to be a boss in the kitchen! When you are done, you'll have a tasty treat to eat with your reading! "In the tedium and claustrophobia of the pandemic lockdown, it might be easy to forget that we are living through a historic event." We know what life was like in WWII for children in hiding largely due to Anne Frank's diary. We know about daily life in London during the Bubonic Plague due to Samuel Pepys' diary. Right now, this very day, we are living through a unique historic moment. For the first time in modern history we are socially isolated and relying on technology in a way we haven't until now. Our daily lives have changed so much. You can no longer go out and play with your friends. Go to movies or out to eat. And that's all very scary in a way. But it's also a great time to explore who we are. To learn new things. And to leave our mark on the world. That's what you, and only you, can do now! Our Corona Diary is a new project by a YA author who is collecting kids' stories to publish into a book! You don't have to work on this for years. You can start today and submissions to have your diary published will be open starting in May. Don't want to write? That's okay! Art is allowed. Scrapbook pages are allowed. Sculptures are allowed. Songs are allowed. And, of course, you CAN write diary entries if you like as well! Don't know what to write about? Don't worry! There are daily prompts you can sign up to get emailed to you! Check out the links below for how to sign up and start your diary today! Imagine how great it will be to have you experiences published for all the world to see!
HOW CAN A YOUNG DIARIST TAKE PART?
(EASY PEASY, THAT'S HOW)
Since we are all home, we have plenty of time to READ! Here is a random spring reading challenge for you. If you complete this and are a 6th grader that I will not see again, I will deliver your prizes to the middle school. If you are a fifth grader, you will get them in the fall of next year if we don't go back to school this year. The rules are easy!
Jarrett J. Krosoczka, who is the author and illustrator of the awesome series Jedi Academy is posting live videos every day at 2PM that teach you how to draw! If you love the books (or if you just love Star Wars like myself) this is a fun way for you to learn to draw your favorite characters! Think you can't draw? Don't stress over it! This is a great time to explore all the things you've always wanted to do but have been to busy for. So I encourage you to just give it a try. Even if it isn't great, keep trying every day. And in the end you will likely be surprised at how good you are! I often hear you guys saying "I can't draw" when we do projects in the library. But drawing is just like pitching a baseball or learning to do a plie in ballet. All it takes is practice. And now we have time to practice!
Can't make 2PM? No worries! You can still access any of the videos with the link below whenever you are ready! I so totally am! I am going to make some of these later today, actually! Because what's better than reading Harry Potter? Nothing. But second best is making these cool Harry Potter bookmarks! Check out this link for a video and step-by-step instructions on how to make these pretty babies. If you want to really amp up your game, try it with ribbon over cardboard so they are sturdy and will last longer! No house crests? No worries! They will still be cool and those who know your house will know who you are affiliated with! |
AuthorHi! I am Areadingwoman (otherwise known as Melissa Arenson). I just love books! I have a bachelor's degree in 9-12 English education, a master's degree in literature, and a specialist's degree in library science. Archives
January 2023
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