Summer Reading ending and Back to School planning!
It’s that time again! We’re winding down summer reading and gearing up for back to school time. I wanted to give you lots of updates, ideas and of course — all free! Enjoy!
All Things Comics
These were the buzziest panels at ComicCon At Home.
Michael B. Jordan is bringing Black Superman Val-Zod to HBO Max. (If anyone’s keeping track, this is separate from Ta-Nehisi Coates’ and JJ Abrams’ plans to bring a Black Superman to the big screen.)
Black Panther gets a new origin story with the launch of Black Panther Legends.
Mel Valentine Vargas is adapting Meg Medina’s YA novel, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass into a graphic novel.
Michaela Cole has joined the cast for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Leslie Grace is going to be the new Barbara Gordon in the upcoming Batgirl movie.
Plans are in the works to turn The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina into new comics.
The greatest seinen manga of the decade, according to Goodreads.
This Barbie comic is really, really weird.
Because You are You!
Great library displays and how effective they are.
Meet the Wind River Reservation Little Free Library.
Little Free Diverse Libraries: what they are and how you can help.
Forging more mindful connections to books.
How reading Lord of the Rings helped this reader cope with their OCD.
Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ and anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co
Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows author Justina Ireland explains why the Jedi are a little sexier
How to Sell Books on Etsy
Whether you want to start your own small business, or make a little extra income on the side, here are some tips on how to sell books on Etsy.
| #TheNewLatinoBoom: The Rise of Literature Published in Spanish in the U.S.On the rise of the New Latino Boom, a growing trend of literature published in Spanish in the U.S. in the 21st century. |
The goal of summer reading programs is to help bridge the socioeconomic gap among students of all ages. Unfortunately, it has been observed that the summer break is where the disparity often arises. Disadvantaged students do not have the same opportunities and resources available and are more inclined to fall behind compared to their peers. How do we close the learning gap?
READ NOW
Crafts!
The Best Homemade Playdough
Click HERE to check out Tropical Frida and get the free template.
Family time!
Let’s Get Ready for Back to School!
Want more back-to-school tips? [READ MORE]
“How can zoos be an educational tool for kids?”
30 Exciting Activities Families Should Try in August
15 Tasty (& Unconventional) S’mores Recipes
75 Big, Awesome Things to Do with the Kids This Summer
Just for YA!
Instagram Just Announced New Features to Majorly Upgrade Privacy For Teens
Read-alikes: The 2021 Printz Winners
By Ronny Khuri
For readers who can’t get enough of the 2021 Michael L. Printz winner and honorees, these read-alikes feature titles with similar themes, characters, or narrative styles. read more→
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman is getting a series adaptation from Amazon.
We’re also getting a young adult edition of Obama’s Dreams From My Father this fall.
Here’s the latest trailer for Dune.
Yvonne Woon shows teen readers the dark side of Silicon Valley
Kid Stuff!
| No More New Episodes of ArthurChildren’s animated series Arthur will conclude with the 25th season, but episodes will continue to be available on PBS Kids. |
A Milne estate-sanctioned Winnie-the-Pooh prequel is on the way.
Peppa Pig Is Going on a Live Adventure Tour & You’re Invited
38 Silly Summer Jokes for Kids
Stacey Abrams is publishing her first children’s book, Stacey’s Extraordinary Words, which will be out in late December.
Fend off boredom with these printables and activities featuring everyone’s favorite bespectacled wanderer and his wily friends.
Read more »
Creating a Graphic Nonfiction Collection for Kids
By Alec Chunn
Newsworthy!
6th Grade Author Helps Launch Pop-Up Library in Charlotte
Jade Watkins, the 11-year-old author of the book I AM ME, is helping to launch two pop-up library locations in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Thumbs Up Reading library initiative was established in memory of life-long Charlotte resident Clyde Albert Phifer, who was an avid reader. The initiative hopes to recognize the power of diversity in children’s literature and aims to give children and young adults access to over 1,000 books, specifically those living in historically Black and brown communities. The installation of the first Thumbs Up Reading’s pop-up library is scheduled for Saturday, July 31, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Steele Creek A.M.E. Zion Church, 1500 Shopton Road, Charlotte.
A new Little Free Library program will bring thousands of diverse books to Detroit neighborhoods.
STEM/STEAM!
Fizzy Sidewalk (Driveway) Paint
Location: GlobalCheck out the project!
Transcribe scrolls from ancient Egypt alongside scientists studying the daily lives of people thousands of years ago. Volunteers classify and decode Hebrew and Arabic writing online as they explore the Cairo Geniza.
Location: Online
Explore today!
Pore through cloud photographs citizen scientists took with the Globe Observer: Clouds project to classify the sky. Tell NASA scientists what kinds of clouds you see, where they are and what the sky looks like to help researchers understand the effect clouds are having on Earth’s climate.
Location: Online
Start gathering data!
Kitizen scientists report the cats they see in their neighborhood via a smartphone app and help organize data online to see how effective spay/neuter programs are around the country.
Location: United States
Get Meowtside!
What will astronauts eat in space? Middle and high school students can help explore space agriculture in the classroom by growing test crops in a plant habitat identical to the one on the space station, reporting their findings back to NASA. Educators, there’s still time to get your students involved!
Location: United States
Learn more!
A new augmented-reality game great for teens asks you to find “creatures” from another dimension visiting US National Parks, and as you play, the game will suggest different citizen science projects you can participate in.
Location: United States
Join now!
Wetlands matter. They’re Louisiana’s first line of defense against hurricanes, but they’re being lost at an alarming rate. You can help from anywhere in the world by participating in the online Land Loss Lookout project and identifying types of wetland loss in the Gulf of Mexico.
Starting on August 1, you can participate in Land Loss Lookout as part of Miss Louisiana Earth’s and SciStarter’s special challenge, with new data focused on climate impacts.
Credit: Eva Flis Photography
| NASA GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Photo Challenge Until August 25 NASA scientists need your photos of mosquito larvae and land cover to help prevent mosquito-borne diseases. Help them by submitting photos during this special challenge!Help NASA today! |
| Help Create an Inventory of Safe Drinking Water August 4 & August 15 Live in the United States? Join two live, online events for an introduction to citizen science, to learn about water infrastructure in your community and to participate in the Crowd the Tap project live in partnership with SciStarter and the Kenosha Public Library.Take a first step for safe drinking water! |
| Explore other citizen science projects with our Project Finder! | New blogs:As Ghost Forests Spread, Researchers Ask for Help Keeping Track via the SciStarter Blog Lessons From Citizen Science During the Pandemicvia the SciStarter Blog The Los Angeles Public Library: Make Every Walk a Nature Walk via the SciStarter Blog |
And this is funny:
Everything is funnier with cats.