Educational Resources – Reading and other book-related activities
Free ebook & audiobook collectionsRead-alongsLots of ideas for book-related activities you and your kids can do at homeOffline resources are flagged
The All-Important Disclaimer: I have not personally vetted all of these resources. There just isn’t enough time right now to do that. So if something looks interesting to you, be sure to check it out first to make sure it will work for you and your child.
Free ebook and audiobook collections
JLG@Home from the Junior Library Guild
The Junior Library Guild is offering free access to their JLG Digital Platform to students and teachers affected by their community’s school closures and social distancing rules. The platform includes curated collections of ebooks and audiobooks for elementary, middle school, and high school readers. (Thanks for the tip, Amy R.!)
Learn more about JLG@Home.
New York City Public Library
Readers in New York City can download any of the New York City Public Library’s 300,000 ebooks for free using the SimplyE app.
Learn more about the SimplyE service
Not in New York City but want to access free ebooks and audiobooks anyway?
Many public libraries offer access to their collections through smartphone applications like Libby and Overdrive. In most cases, you will need a library card to access the collection. Check your local library’s website to see what is available in your area.
Book-Related Activities
PenguinClassroom
PenguinClassroom continues a wide range of discussion guides, activities, state-by-state recommended reading lists, virtual author/book talks, and more to engage readers of all school ages.
Teachers, Librarians, and Booksellers — Penguin recently announced that they are temporarily granting you permission to use their titles in your virtual classrooms, to create a virtual story-time or read-along experiences for your students affected by the school closures. They do ask that you notify them via email when you use one of their titles.
Explore the resources available to you through PenguinClassroomRead Penguin’s announcement and review the reporting requirements
Kate Messner’s Online Resource Library
Kate Messner, author of more than three dozen kids’ books is compiling/has compiled an online library of resources for kids, families, teachers, and librarians to help support learning during the COVID-19 outbreak. Resources include a kid-friendly comic explaining why things have been closing unexpectedly this spring, first chapter and picture book read-alouds from various authors, and lessons in drawing and writing.
View Kate Messner’s ever-expanding Read, Wonder, & Learn library
Take an Online Writing Workshop from Lindsay Currie
Lindsay Currie, author of The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street, has posted a free online writing workshop for 3rd – 7th graders interested in writing their own spooky stories.
Visit Lindsay Currie’s Spooky 101 Toolbox
Write a First-hand Historical Account of the Pandemic
(Instructions are online, but activities can be done offline.)
Beth Vrabel, author of The Newspaper Club, has suggestions for encouraging your child to document their experiences during the pandemic as if they were a journalist.
“What is your family doing to prepare? How is your community coming together? Write. It. Down.”
Middle School Reading Guides by Beth Vrabel
(Instructions are online, but activities can be done offline.)
In case you are looking for a more traditional middle school reading guide, Beth Vrabel has also posted a series of study guides for parents and educators to use in conjunction with her middle grade books, including The Newspaper Club and Pack of Dorks.
Review Beth Vrabel’s guides
Have your kids make a book trailer
If you want to feel better about letting your kids read whatever they want during this time, you can have them pick a book and create a book trailer for it.
How to help your middle schooler create a book trailer
Mo Willems’ Lunch Doodles
Mo Willems invites your child to join him at 1 p.m. ET every day to draw, doodle, and explore new ways of telling stories. Episodes are archived and available through the Kennedy Center website.
Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems
Seussville
A website filled with activities, games, and videos based on the Dr. Seuss picture books.
Visit Seussville
Read-alongs
Storyline Online
A library of videos of various actors reading picture books for kids.
Visit Storyline Online
Storytime with First Lady Donna Edwards
Donna Edwards, the First Lady of the state of Louisiana, is hosting live read-alongs on her Facebook page on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. Central Time. So far, she appears to be archiving the readings on her Facebook page for folks who missed the live feed.
Donna Edwards’ Facebook page
Kate Messner’s Ranger In Time Read-along
Kate Messner is busily working her way through an online read of her Ranger In Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail book.
Find past chapters and join her for live readings here
Audible.com’s free streaming collection of stories for kids
Audible has made a ton of children’s stories available for free streaming through its website. The collection includes old favorites like Beatrix Potter and Winnie the Pooh, as well as newer tales from Ransom Riggs and Obert Skye. (Multiple languages are available.)
Browse the audiobook collection here
Find a resource I’ve missed?
I’ll add more resources as I find them, but this list will be much better with your input too. You’re inevitably going to come across things I’d miss. If you do, please let me know about them, either by dropping a comment below or finding me on Twitter (@shalahowell).
Also, although I hope this won’t happen, I could easily add something to this list that either doesn’t exist anymore or really shouldn’t be on here. If you see something like that, please let me know.
Thank you and good luck!
