A lot of people have written to me over the last few days asking ways kids can continue to engage with my books in the middle of cancelled school and Skype visits. The great news is that books are the original distance learning tools! Here are a few resources I wanted to highlight:
- Video about the making of Martí’s Song for Freedom
- Martí’s Song for Freedom *bilingual* read-aloud
- Video about the characters in Silver Meadows Summer
- Free Martí activity packet
- Free *bilingual* poetry cards for #PocketPoem Day
- Follow me on Instagram: I’ll be doing some read-alouds there in the next few weeks
- YouTube videos (of past Instagram Lives)
Most importantly, keep reading! Request digital and audio books through your local library and buy books from your local independent bookstore. Here are three things you can do to support book culture right now:
- Order books from www.bookshop.org, which supports local independent bookstores. Or, check if your favorite bookstore is still processing online orders: it’s likely they are!
- Buy an audiobook from Libro.fm (also supports local booksellers)
- Use the Libby app to download e-books from your public library (but remember, your public library is the **only** place from which you should be downloading free e-books: piracy can happen even on legitimate-looking websites. Don’t fall for it–if you didn’t pay for it and it didn’t come from your library; chances are it’s a stolen book).
Thank you for being a reader. I know a lot of us are struggling to keep kids engaged and learning during these long weeks. I believe from the bottom of my heart that the best thing kids can do right now is read. There is no better way to learn.
