Book: Just SNOW Already!
Author: Howard McWilliam
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-8

I hardly ever write book reviews anymore, and so don't request, or generally receive, review copies. Earlier this week, however, Just SNOW Already! landed in my mailbox earlier this week. My daughter spied the cover and asked me to read it aloud to her while she ate dinner. This was nostalgic for both of - I used to read to her frequently while she ate meals when she was little. Now 13 (!), she's not even littler than me. Anyway, we both LOVED Just SNOW Already!, and she asked me to blog about it on both of our behalf.

Just SNOW Already! is Howard McWilliam's debut as an author. He previously illustrated the When A Dragon Moves In and I Need My Monster series, which we also enjoyed (especially the former). Just SNOW Already! is super fun. The narrator, a small boy, is delighted when Dad tells him that "it might snow today." He keeps checking outside, but the snow doesn't come. He's dying for the snow, excited beyond words for how much fun he's going to have when it finally arrives. But every time he checks the street, there is "nothing ... happening out there." 

This deadpan observation is set against McWilliam's joyful illustrations of the many things that ARE happening out there. There are movers struggling with a couch, firefighters rescuing a cat from a tree, a letter carrier losing her letters, and much more. As the book progresses, the events happening outside from ever more madcap (monster trucks! falling cans of paint! circus monkeys! costumes!). But for the boy, waiting for the snow is "BORING". He notices nothing else, even as his sister is outside, happily playing with a friend, enmeshed in some of the various neighborhood drama. But for the boy, it's all tedium in the endless wait for ... dare we hope? ... will it happen? SNOW!

Young readers will be in on the "nothing happening" gag, even as they can't help but hope, with each page turn, that the boy's devotion to snow is rewarded. The illustrations are colorful and detailed, sure to reward rereads with new details to observe every time. 

McWilliam'a text is spare but super fun to read aloud, crying out for expressiveness. "What if it NEVER snows again?!" (in big font above a picture of the boy with huge, terrified eyes). And "It wasn't fair. I bet it was snowing where other kids lived. My day was ruined."

I only wish this book had come out about 8 years earlier. My young teen enjoyed it. But her five year old self would have cried "Again! Again!" As will other young readers. Just SNOW Already! is a delight from start to finish. Highly recommended!

Publisher: Flashlight Press
Publication Date: September 1, 2023
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2023 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

New Year's Greetings to any of you who are still following my sorely neglected blog. December 17th marked the blog's 15th birthday. I had hopes of doing a post to celebrate that, but today will have to do. I am still here, and grateful for my years of blogging and reviewing books. Sadly, however, juggling work and family responsibilities in this pandemic year has caused blogging to fall off my plate. 

I popped in today to share two things: my "one word" for 2021 and my list of books read in 2020. 

Last year, my "one word" was LESS. I intended that to mean spending less time on things I wasn't enthusiastic about, and more time on things like reading. But, as with many people's plans in 2020, that is not how things turned out. I ended up with LESS reading and much less blogging time instead. 

I read 75 books in 2020 (see below), of which 41 were audiobooks. My normal pace, through 2018, was about 150 books a year. I slowed down some in 2019 (to 123) because I was reading a greater percentage of adult books. This year, though, I think the decline was more about 2020's challenges and my own inability to focus on reading. I also listened to quite a few podcasts, which cut down on my audiobook listening time. I hope to be able to read more in 2021, but there's no telling. I intend to accept that as it comes. 

2020 also ended up meaning LESS travel to see family, and LESS time with other people closer to home. A silver lining for me of the year was how very much I came to appreciate the people that we did see in person and the people that we connected with in other ways. One of my favorite reads of the year was Vivek Murthy's Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. I closed out the year with Kate Murphy's You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters.

I've gone back and forth between choosing CONNECT and LISTEN for 2021's one word. Ultimately, I chose CONNECT. If there's one thing I learned this year it's how critically important genuine human connection is to well being. I think LISTEN is more of a skill to help me strengthen my connection to people, though it's one I intend to actively work on. But my real goal is nurturing stronger connections with the people who matter to me. What that's going to mean in terms of my blogging, I can't say. 

My wish for all of you is more human connection in 2021 AND more time for reading and listening and taking care of yourselves. Happy New Year! And thank you for listening. 

Jen's 2020 Reading List

Middle Grade Books

1. Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Gamer. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed January 9, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter from library copy.
2. Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Ninja. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed January 22, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter from library copy.
3. Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Youtuber. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed February 5, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter from library copy.
4. Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Meme. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed February 28, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter from library copy.
5. Kenneth Oppel: Bloom (The Overthrow, Book 1). Knopf Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Speculative Fiction. Completed March 8, 2020. 
6. Julia Nobel: The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Mystery. Completed March 21, 2020, on Kindle.
7. Chris Grabenstein: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Random House. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed April 11, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter.
8. Amy McCulloch: Jinxed. Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Speculative Fiction. Completed May 9, 2020, on Kindle.
9. Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Coder. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed May 13, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter.
10. Lawrence Yep: The Earth Dragon Awakes. Harper Collins Children's Books. Middle Grade Historical Fiction. Completed May 14, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter for school.
11. Julia Nobel: The Secret of White Stone Gate. Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 6, 2020, on Kindle.
12. Elizabeth Enright: Gone-Away Lake. HMH Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 8 2020, personal copy.
13. Elizabeth Enright: Return to Gone-Away. HMH Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 11, 2020, personal copy.
14. Kazu Kibuishi: Amulet (Book 1). Scholastic. Middle Grade Graphic Novel. Completed August 26, 2020, my daughter's personal copy.
15. Kazu Kibuishi: Amulet (Book 2). Scholastic. Middle Grade Graphic Novel. Completed August 30, 2020, my daughter's personal copy.
16. James Ponti: City Spies. Aladdin. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed September 18, 2020, my daughter's personal copy.
17. James Ponti: Framed. Aladdin. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed September 26, 2020, on Kindle.
18. James Ponti: Vanished (Book 2). Aladdin. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed September 27, 2020, on Kindle.
19. James Ponti: Trapped (Book 3). Aladdin. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed October 6, 2020, on Kindle.
20. Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Book Scavenger. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed October 16, 2020, on Kindle.

Young Adult Books

1. Elizabeth Eulberg: Past Perfect Life. Bloomsbury YA. Young Adult Fiction. Completed January 7, 2020, personal copy.
2. David Yoon: Frankly in Love. G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Fiction. Completed January 16, 2020, on MP3.
3. Adriana Mather: Killing November. Knopf Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Mystery/Thriller. Completed February 7, 2020, on Kindle.
4. Maureen Johnson: The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious, Book 3). Katherine Tegen Books. Young Adult Mystery. Completed February 20, 2020, on Kindle.
5. Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Deadly Little Scandals (Debutantes, Book 2). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Mystery. Completed February 25, 2020, on Kindle.
6. Karen McManus: One of Us Is Next (sequel to One Of Us Is Lying). Delacorte Press. Young Adult Mystery. Completed March 5, 2020, on Kindle.
7. Rebecca Hanover: The Similars. Sourcebooks. Young Adult Speculative Fiction. Completed August 14, 2020.
8. Rebecca Hanover: The Pretenders (Similars 2). Sourcebooks. Young Adult Speculative Fiction. Completed September 5, 2020.
9. Jennifer Lynn Barnes: The Inheritance Games. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Fiction. Completed September 10, 2020, on Kindle.
10. Adriana Mather: Hunting November. Knopf Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Fiction. Completed September 27, 2020, on Kindle.
11. John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle: Let It Snow. Young Adult Fiction. Speak. Completed December 20, 2020, on MP3.
12. Karen McManus: The Cousins. Delacorte Press. Young Adult Mystery. Completed December 21, 2020, on Kindle.

Adult Books

1. Eve Rodsky: Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live). G.P. Putnam's Sons. Adult Nonfiction. Completed January 3, 2020, on Kindle.
2. Janet Evanovich: Twisted Twenty-Six. G. P. Putnam's Sons. Adult Mystery. Completed January 3, 2020, on MP3.
3. BJ Fogg: Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Adult Nonfiction. Completed January 22, 2020, on Kindle.
4. Tom DeMarco + Tim Lister: Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams. Addison-Wesley. Adult Nonfiction. Completed January 25, 2020, personal copy.
5. Michael McGarrity: Tularosa (Kevin Kerney, No. 1). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed February 8, 2020, on MP3. The fact that this series uses the same narrator as the Walt Longmire books bothered me at first, but I soon got past that.
6. David L. Bahnsen: Elizabeth Warren: How Her Presidency Would Destroy the Middle Class and the American Dream. Post Hill Press. Adult Nonfiction. Completed February 13, 2020, on Kindle.
7. Taylor Stevens: Liar's Paradox (Jack and Jill, Book 1). Pinnacle. Adult Thriller. Completed February 15, 2020, on Kindle.
8. Michael McGarrity: Tularosa (Kevin Kerney, No. 2). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed March 1, 2020, on MP3.
9. Michael McGarrity: Serpent's Gate (Kevin Kerney, No. 3). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed March 9, 2020, on MP3.
10. Gytha Lodge: Watching from the Dark Random House. Adult Mystery. Completed March 14, 2020, on Kindle.
11. P.J. Tracy: The Guilty Dead. Penguin Random House. Adult Mystery. Completed April 11, 2020, on Kindle.
12. Suzanne Redfearn: In an Instant. Lake Union Publishing. Adult Fiction. Completed April 12, 2020, on Kindle and MP3.
13. Julia Spencer-Fleming: Hid from Our Eyes (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne). Minotaur Books. Adult Mystery. Completed April 19, 2020, on Kindle.s
14. P.J. Tracy: Ice Cold Heart. Crooked Lane Books. Adult Mystery. Completed May 2, 2020, on Kindle.
15. Michael McGarrity: Hermit's Peak (Kevin Kerney, No. 4). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed May 4, 2020, on MP3.
16. Iona Whishaw: A Killer in King's Cove. Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed May 16, 2020, on Kindle.
17. Graham Norton: A Keeper. Atria Books. Adult Mystery. Completed May 18, 2020, on MP3.
18. Michael McGarrity: The Judas Judge (Kevin Kerney, No. 5). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed May 4, 2020, on Kindle.
19. Harlan Coben: The Boy from the Woods. Grand Central Publishing. Adult Mystery. Completed May 25, 2020, on MP3.
20. Mark Greaney: The Gray Man (Court Gentry, Book 1). Berkley. Adult Thriller. Completed June 17, 2020, on MP3.
21. Madeline Levine: Ready or Not: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World. Harper. Adult Nonfiction. Completed June 4, 2020, on Kindle.
22. Victoria Thompson: Murder on Pleasant Avenue (Gaslight Mysteries, No. 23). Penguin Group. Adult Mystery. Completed June 7, 2020, on MP3.
23. D.E. Stevenson: Listening Valley. Sourcebooks. Adult Fiction. Completed June 20, 2020, personal copy.
24. Iona Whishaw: Death in a Darkening Mist. Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed July 3, 2020, on Kindle.
25. Joy Ellis: Hidden on the Fens (Nikki Galena, No. 11). Joffe Books. Adult Mystery. Completed July 7, 2020, on MP3.
26. Iona Whishaw: An Old, Cold Grave (Lane Winslow, No. 3). Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed July 12, 2020, on Kindle.
27. Iona Whishaw: It Begins in Betrayal (Lane Winslow, No. 4). Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed July 21, 2020, on Kindle.
28. Paul Doiron: One Last Lie (Mike Bowditch, No. 11). Minotaur Books. Adult Mystery. Completed July 21, 2020, on MP3.
29. Iona Whishaw: A Sorrowful Sanctuary (Lane Winslow, No. 5). Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed July 26, 2020, on Kindle.
30. Iona Whishaw: A Deceptive Devotion (Lane Winslow, No. 6). Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed August 2, 2020, on Kindle.
31. Elly Griffiths: The Lantern Men. Recorded Books. Adult Mystery. Completed August 3, 2020, on MP3.s
32. Michael McGarrity: The Big Gamble (Kevin Kerney, No. 7). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed August 24, 2020, on MP3.
33. Jen Fulweiler: Your Blue Flame. ZOndervan. Adult Nonfiction. Completed August 28, 2020, on Kindle.
34. Vivek Murthy: Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. Harper Wave. Adult Nonfiction. Completed September 5, 2020, on Kindle. 
35. Keith McCafferty: The Royal Wulff Murders (Sean Stranahan, Book 1). Adult Mystery. Completed September 8, 2020, on MP3.s
36. Louise Penny: All the Devils Are Here (Gamache, No. 16). Adult Mystery. Minotaur Books. Completed September 27, 2020, on MP3.
37. Margaret Mizushima: Hanging Falls (Timber Creek K-9, Book 6). Adult Mystery. Completed October 7, 2020, on MP3.
38. Tana French: The Searcher. Adult Mystery. Viking. Completed November 2, 2020, on MP3.
39. D.E. Stevenson: Spring Magic. Adult Fiction. Dean Street Press. Completed November 8, 2020, on Kindle.
40. Janet Evanovich: Fortune and Glory (Stephanie Plum, No. 27). Adult Fiction. Atria Books. Completed November 14, 2020, on MP3.
41. Keith McCafferty: The Gray Ghost Murders (Sean Stranahan, No. 2). Adult Mystery. Penguin Books. Completed December 1, 2020, on MP3.
42. Michael C. Grumley: The Last Monument. Adult Speculative Fiction. Audible. Completed December 31, 2020, on MP3.
43. Kate Murphy: You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters. Adult Nonfiction. Celadon Books. Completed December 31, 2020, on Kindle.

© 2021 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. Links to be books may be affiliate links, for which I receive a small commission.

My family was having a discussion about the (still undecided) question of whether my daughter's school would re-open for in-person learning in the fall. We agreed that a benefit of in-person schooling would be (I think?) access to the school library. My daughter sighed a bit over her months-long separation from the library and said:

"I need the library because I'm out of call-out books." 

My husband was perplexed by this term, but I was not. My daughter was referring to the books that "call out" to her from the shelf. She is a big believer in this method of finding her next read. [Yes, she does judge books by their cover.] That's how she found her all-time favorite books to date: The Candymakers series by Wendy Mass. That's why she started Chris Colfer's Land of Stories series with Book 3. That's the one that called out the loudest (though a recommendation from a friend who was with her helped, too, in that case).

I should add that we have a LOT of  middle grade books in our house, between my own collection, the books that I've received over the years for potential review, the books that I've purchased, and hand-me-downs from friends and neighbors. My daughter is incredibly lucky, and she knows this. But I'm not trained in organizing libraries. Our books aren't curated and organized the way the ones in the library are. Our books aren't all in one room, on shelves at kid-friendly heights. Though she does find books to read at home, she's right to miss browsing the school library for the "call out" books. 

I miss my own elementary school library, truth be told. I went through there shelf by shelf, and can still place individual authors on the right shelves in my mind. [That's me in one of my school photos that was taken in the library.] I'm sure I found many "call out" books there. I adored Mrs. Tuttle, the librarian. 

My daughter is very clear on her need for reading choice, and her own preferred methods for implementing that. I hope that she'll be able to be back in the library soon. Her preference is for her own beloved school library, but she'll take the public library as a substitute, if/when that's available. She needs those "call out" books, wherever she can find them. 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. Links to be books may be affiliate links, for which I receive a small commission.

I haven't been blogging much of late, but my daughter (now 10) has continued in her development as a reader. Today I share a small moment that may resonate with fellow book-lovers. 

My friend Jennifer Wharton at Jean Little Library recently recommended a book that I thought my daughter might enjoy: The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi. Discovering that it was available in paperback, I decided to order a copy.  I gave it to my daughter and told her why I had thought she might like it (including a mention of Jennifer's recommendation). She picked it up and gave it a careful look. Then, struggling a bit with how to put it, she said: 

"This does look like a book that I would like to read. It's just that ... there are other books I want to read MORE."

That about sums it up, doesn't it? We readers always have lots of books that we think we'll like. But usually (hopefully) there are a few that fall into the "I want to read this one MORE" category. In my daughter's case, the "books I want to read MORE" category right now includes re-reads of her three favorite books from Suzanne Nelson's Wish series (Donut Go Breaking My Heart, etc.). She's also planning a re-read of Wendy Mass' Willow Falls series, after JUST finishing book 5 (Graceful). 

This is what reading choice looks like, my friends. Part of how we grow as readers is figuring out which books are the ones we will most enjoy reading (or re-reading) at any given time.

I've said this many times but will repeat it once more for the record. If you want your kids to enjoy reading, let them read what they like. Even if you just bought them a new book. Even if (especially if) it's their third or fourth re-read of the same book. Let them choose. Then give them some quiet space and let them read. 

Maybe I'll read The Gauntlet myself. You know, if there aren't other books that I want to read more. 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. Links to be books may be affiliate links, for which I receive a small commission.

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter over the past 3 weeks @JensBookPage. Topics include #BookLists, #coronavirus, #DistanceLearning, #FreeSpeech, #GraphicNovels, #Homeschool, #HybridLearning, #JoshFunk, #JoyOfReading, #literacy, #MentalHealth, #play, #ReadingChoice, #SchoolReopening, #SummerReading, #VirtualLearning, reading, and schools. Hope you find some useful tidbits! 

Top Tweet of the Month

It's time for adults to Rewrite the arbitrary Rules of #Reading they impose on kids, says @citecitebaby @nerdybookclub http://ow.ly/Egyl30qU4am | #ReadingChoice #GraphicNovels #BookAbandonment + more

Book Lists + Summer Reading

#SummerReading 2020: A Collection of #KidLit Links from @clssrmbkshlf @ErikaDawes http://ow.ly/tWQC30qT2ee | 20+ #BookLists + Publisher Summer #Reading Initiatives

NPR #SummerReader Poll 2020: Nominate Your Favorite Books for Young Kids : @petramatic @NPR http://ow.ly/HHGX30qT2KT #PictureBooks #EarlyReaders

Themed #SummerReading #BookLists for kids seem like a good way to go to me. Here are 20 Titles for Young Gamers from @literacious http://ow.ly/qKVY30qT2l6 #kidlit #GraphicNovels #MGLit

Continuing her themed #SummerReading #BookLists, @literacious shares 20 Titles for Young Outdoor Enthusiasts http://ow.ly/qgUX30qT2nl #OutdoorPlay #MGLit

Free Speech

A Letter on Justice and Open Debate (from various authors, scholars, historians + activists) | @Harpers http://ow.ly/Zr8v30qX1MJ | I, too, am concerned we have weakened "our norms of #OpenDebate and toleration of differences in favor of ideological conformity" | #FreeSpeech

Growing Bookworms

When Is #Reading Season? asks @RaisingReal @nerdybookclub http://ow.ly/mnO130qSmvT | "Please consider treating reading habits like you would a sport." #ReadingChoice + time + celebration of milestones

Just Read This: #Literacy + #Reading News: June 2020 http://ow.ly/RkEW30qXl1I Fighting #SummerSlide, #ScreenFree activities, #DigitalLearning activities + bookish getaways from @TheReadingTub

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

A response to my recent piece from @gail_gauthier | "Gone-Away Lake" And Books As Places To Escape To http://ow.ly/P41w30qT6u7 | She wonders how 21st century kids new to the book would feel about it. My daughter was, sadly, meh on it. But that doesn't diminish my #BookLove

Tune Into Funk & Friends! New “ #KidLit Late Night Show” hosted by author @joshfunkbooks | guests inc. @Jess_Keating + @kmoorebooks http://ow.ly/ef4u30qXJIu 

When family + literary values collide. @KMcCaughrain is shocked to learn of family members who never read prologues http://ow.ly/VcOh30qXJJK | #reading @AwfullyBigBlog

Parenting + Play

At @TheReadingTub, Terry is going #OldSchool with a #CovidSummer Activities Series. In Part 1 she proposes the Family #ObstacleCourse http://ow.ly/h5Ps30qSHRS #Play

Schools and Libraries

But How Do We Build Community w/ Students? Ideas for #VirtualLearning + #HybridLearning @pernilleripp http://ow.ly/zxxJ30qXJUE | yard visits, welcome videos, postcards + more

What American Families Experienced When #Covid19 Closed Their #Schools - @EducationNext survey results http://ow.ly/Bwuv30qX1ew | Parents (+ espec. teachers) report less #learning w/ #DistanceLearning vs. in class, but parents relatively satisfied anyway

U.S. Pediatricians Call For In-Person #School This Fall - @anya1anya @MindShiftKQED http://ow.ly/nasI30qWplC @AmerAcadPeds : "schools are fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being" | #MentalHealth #DistanceLearning

#ReopeningSchools—Insights from Denmark and Finland http://ow.ly/jvUK30qXl0g | Staggered reopenings, staggered arrival times, hotlines, handwashing + more @EmiVegasV @BrookingsInst #schools

#SchoolOpenings across globe suggest ways to keep #coronavirus at bay, despite outbreaks | @GretchenVogel1 @NewsfromScience @ScienceMagazine http://ow.ly/P5zl30qX1wK | More/better research needed on various strategies

5 Radical Schooling Ideas For An Uncertain Fall And Beyond - @anya1anya @MindShiftKQED http://ow.ly/z2gA30qSmBq | Support for families + teens, individualized #learning, #homeschool co-ops + more

An encouraging article re: #Coronavirus: Kids less likely to get infected, spread to others http://ow.ly/2YbD30qXFWx "school-based transmission could be a manageable problem ... elementary school aged-children ... appear to be at the lowest risk of infection" @mercnews

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Today, I will (finally) be sending out a new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on growing joyful learners, especially bookworms.

The newsletter is normally sent out about once a month, depending on how frequently I'm able to post on my blog. However, during the COVID-19 lockdown I've found my time for blogging to be severely limited. I always work full-time from home (in a job unrelated to the blog), but doing that with my 10-year-old daughter here has been more challenging. Now that she's done with  distance learning for 4th grade, I find myself with a bit more time for blogging. I'm not sure what my motivation level will be going forward, but I'm here today. I hope that all of you where are reading this are safe and well and finding plenty to read during your unprecedented time at home. 

Newsletter Update: I'll be including one post rounding up my Twitter links for the past month or so. You can find others on my blog if you are so inclined. I also have a Bookworm Moments post about a book-inspired declaration that I am the best mommy in the world, and a post about the joy of re-reading a favorite childhood book series. I had only one other post since the last newsletter (besides the links), about home learning in the very early stages of the shutdown. I find it's a bit dated, so I'm not including it in the newsletter. 

Reading Update: I wasn't reading much early on in the shutdown. I had trouble concentrating (as others reported), and had no appetite for things that were bleak. While my concentration has improved, my reading preference has leaned toward lighter fare. Lately I've been re-reading some old favorites, and I expect that to continue. Overall I read eight middle grade and 14 adult books. I read/listened to: 

• Julia Nobel: The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Mystery. Completed March 21, 2020, on Kindle.
• Chris Grabenstein: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Random House. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed April 11, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter.
• Amy McCulloch: Jinxed. Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Speculative Fiction. Completed May 9, 2020, on Kindle.
• Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Coder. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed May 13, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter.
• Lawrence Yep: The Earth Dragon Awakes. Harper Collins Children's Books. Middle Grade Historical Fiction. Completed May 14, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter for school.
• Julia Nobel: The Secret of White Stone Gate. Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 6, 2020, on Kindle.
• Elizabeth Enright: Gone-Away Lake. HMH Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 8 2020, personal copy.
• Elizabeth Enright: Return to Gone-Away. HMH Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 11, 2020, personal copy.
• Gytha Lodge: Watching from the Dark Random House. Adult Mystery. Completed March 14, 2020, on Kindle.
• P.J. Tracy: The Guilty Dead. Penguin Random House. Adult Mystery. Completed April 11, 2020, on Kindle.
• Suzanne Redfearn: In an Instant. Lake Union Publishing. Adult Fiction. Completed April 12, 2020, on Kindle and MP3.
• Julia Spencer-Fleming: Hid from Our Eyes (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne). Minotaur Books. Adult Mystery. Completed April 19, 2020, on Kindle.s
• P.J. Tracy: Ice Cold Heart. Crooked Lane Books. Adult Mystery. Completed May 2, 2020, on Kindle.
• Michael McGarrity: Hermit's Peak (Kevin Kerney, No. 4). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed May 4, 2020, on MP3.
• Iona Whishaw: A Killer in King's Cove. Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed May 16, 2020, on Kindle.
• Graham Norton: A Keeper. Atria Books. Adult Mystery. Completed May 18, 2020, on MP3.
• Michael McGarrity: The Judas Judge (Kevin Kerney, No. 5). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed May 4, 2020, on Kindle.
• Harlan Coben: The Boy from the Woods. Grand Central Publishing. Adult Mystery. Completed May 25, 2020, on MP3.
• Mark Greaney: The Gray Man (Court Gentry, Book 1). Berkley. Adult Thriller. Completed June 17, 2020, on MP3.
• Madeline Levine: Ready or Not: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World. Harper. Adult Nonfiction. Completed June 4, 2020, on Kindle.
• Victoria Thompson: Murder on Pleasant Avenue (Gaslight Mysteries, No. 23). Penguin Group. Adult Mystery. Completed June 7, 2020, on MP3.
• D.E. Stevenson: Listening Valley. Sourcebooks. Adult Fiction. Completed June 20, 2020, personal copy.

I read Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library aloud to my daughter early on during the lockdown, and also read aloud one of the books that she was assigned for school. It turned out that reading about the San Francisco earthquake during a time of personal anxiety was a challenge. The only way I could get her to read The Earth Dragon Awakes was to read it to her. We also read the newly published book in the My Life series, My Life as a Coder. I tried to read How to Capture an Invisible Cat by Paul Tobin to her. It was a book that I had really enjoyed a few years earlier (my review was even blurbed in the paperback copy), but we ended up stopping half-way through as she lost interest. I also tried to read Gone-Away Lake aloud to her, but (sigh) she wasn't interested. We are currently between reads together, but I'm sure we'll find another one soon. My husband just started reading her The Hobbit, and I hope that one takes. 

On her own she's been reading and re-reading the Land of Stories books by Chris Colfer, the Candymakers books by Wendy Mass, and a variety of  Scholastic Wish novels, mostly the ones by Suzanne Nelson. She continues to re-read graphic and notebook novels, mostly while she's doing something else (eating, riding in the car, etc.). She's in need of her next big series, but hasn't found it yet, despite my best efforts. She misses being able to browse in her school library and pick things out for herself. The stacks of books that I hopefully pull from the stacks for her lie mostly unread. That's reading choice for you! I'm sure she'll find her next thing soon. I've been very grateful during this time that she enjoys reading. You can find her list of reads for the year here. 

That's all I have time for today. I wish you all well and hope to be back soon. Thanks for reading, and for growing bookworms! 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Here are highlights from links that I shared on Twitter over the past month @JensBookPage. Although blogging got away from me over these past two months, I did continue sharing links as I found them on Twitter. Fewer than before (I pruned my blogroll significantly due to time constraints), but still lots of good stuff. 

Below you'll find articles on #AchievementGap, #AntiRacism, #BookLists, #ClassroomLibraries, #Coding, #DistanceLearning, #EdTech, #EducationalEquity, #HigherEd, #Introversion, #JoyOfReading, #Lockdowns, #MentalHealth, #Play, #RemoteLearning, #ScreenTime, #Statistics, #SummerReading, and #writing. I went back about a month - beyond that things started to feel a bit dated. I hope that some of these links are still of interest. Happy reading and happy weekend!

Top Tweet of the Month

Why Are Some Kids Thriving During #RemoteLearning? | @NoraFleming1 @edutopia http://ow.ly/yilK30qCMfU | A sub-set of kids are benefiting from more sleep, less distraction, self-pacing, etc.  (This one had far, far and away the most engagement of anything that I shared over the past two months.)

Book Lists 

13 #ChapterBooks To Tickle Funny Bones | #SummerReading 2020 #BookList from @sljournal http://ow.ly/4I8M30qRgRI | As found in the @Scholastic #KFRR, kids love #FunnyBooks. Nurture #JoyOfReading when you can.

12 Books All About #TreeHouses – Perfect #SummerReading #BookList from #Literacious https://t.co/PhXoaPTt3c?amp=1

Here are the 2020 #EisnerAward Nominees! — @GoodComics4Kids @sljournal http://ow.ly/yrGn30qNfld #comics #GraphicNovels #kidlit

For anyone who might need them: 15 Children's Titles About Grief – #BookList from @literacious http://ow.ly/fQxC30qQTxn #MGLit #PictureBooks

Anti-Racism Resources

#Antiracist Resources and Reads: Lists for All Ages — @fuseeight http://ow.ly/ZoRe30qMCzn #Kidlit #BookLists, various links + @brownbookshelf Rally for Black Lives today on Facebook Live

Taking Stock and Taking Action to Educate Ourselves + Design #AntiRacist Curriculum | Another great, timely roundup of resources for teachers from @kegancunningham @clssrmbkshlf http://ow.ly/X6E130qMCLF

Just Read This: #Literacy + #Reading News, May 2020 @TheReadingTub focuses on how books can help kids understand #AntiRacism + #SocialJustice http://ow.ly/ec1U30qMCMT | includes sample questions for parents to spark discussion + links to #kidlit #BookLists

Events, Programs + Research

RT @TheReadingTub: “Children need to laugh, too, and to feel free to read whatever.” ~ Jacqueline Wilson, former British Children's Laureate. https://bit.ly/3cBh5tv 2020 #SummerReadingChallenge theme: focus on funny books.

Katherine Paterson shares a free short story and #SummerReading guide for kids - The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance https://t.co/8gmDvvC1l8?amp=1

J.K. Rowling Introduces #TheIckabog (a free online serialization of a children's book she wrote as a #ReadAloud for her younger kids) http://ow.ly/5Q9Q30qL32Z | @jk_rowling | My favorite part is that she's asking kids to submit illustrations for the print version

Beloved San Jose children's bookstore @Hicklebees fighting for survival, launches funding effort http://ow.ly/QuYf30qL3a1 | I met @RickRiordan + @Jon_Scieszka both here, in small group settings, back in the day + will be donating to the cause.

This is neat. The @uscensusbureau #StatisticsInSchools program uses #census data to create free learning resources. This page has #DistanceLearning activities for kids of all ages: https://t.co/lHd5InG4tE?amp=1

I missed this news when it came out last month: James Patterson Pledges $2.5 Million in Grants to #Teachers for #ClassroomLibraries | @sljournal via @ProfessorNana http://ow.ly/D2TL30qHs8H @JP_Books @Scholastic #PattersonPledge

Miscellaneous

College Inc. Faces a Sticker-Price Reckoning http://ow.ly/4eTJ30qNvia @Spencerjakab @WSJ #HigherEd | #Coronavirus + #DistanceLearning -> problems for "traditional schools because of their huge fixed costs" + business model

This resonated for me: On Realising One Might Be an #Introvert @TheSchoolOfLife via @susancain http://ow.ly/ZF0330qQjJ7  "We adore staying home... with some books"

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

The Upside of #Lockdowns: Finally Time to Read ‘War and Peace’ http://ow.ly/OCxV30qRiZk @JAVerlaine @WSJ | Not quite the same, but my husband and daughter are #reading #TheHobbit together

#Teaching for Collective Well-Being as Summer Approaches http://ow.ly/mbIf30qNKEL @kegancunningham + @KavitaTanna @clssrmbkshlf #JoyOfReading #Gratitude #Writing + more

Could #COVID19 Mark the End of the Physical #Galley? — Interesting question for book reviewers from @FuseEight http://ow.ly/l78X30qJHnU | #PictureBook #eGalleys are particularly painful.

I can relate this post from @literacious | Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons Why I Love #KidLit http://ow.ly/j6Uj30qHrVa | I especially like "My people"

Useful reminder + tips for content creators (writers, illustrators, etc.): “Pay Me” is not an offensive term http://ow.ly/dOLv30qNuTk @dawnafinch @AwfullyBigBlog

Parenting, Screen Time, Play = Mental Health

You Don’t Have To Be #ScreenFree To Be Successful as a family this summer, says @McKenzieRoss20 @HonorsGradU http://ow.ly/WaOO30qQTy5 | Me, I'm working towards my daughter spending less time on screens, but none would be unrealistic

The Toll That Isolation Takes on Kids During the #Coronavirus Era. Playing with peers has important developmental benefits + doctors worry that kids are missing out @andreaapetersen @WSJ http://ow.ly/hNcq30qQjIh #MentalHealth #Play

Save Your Kids From Covid’s Digital Deluge - @ArlenePellicane @WSJopinion http://ow.ly/McXI30qNfs5 | In my house the #lockdown induced #ScreenTime bounty has to go. My 10 y.o. is showing signs of addiction (irritability, etc.)

#Reading Before Kindergarten- Is It Really Necessary? – @McKenzieRoss20 @HonorsGradU says it's not bad, per se, but only if kids lead the way. Pushing kids to learn to read too early can destroy #LoveOfReading

Schools, Libraries + Distance Learning

In the News: The #Coronavirus Has Made It Obvious. Teenagers Should Start School Later. @EducationNext @nytimes http://ow.ly/wVYZ30qKpfo | #Schools #SleepHabits

The Results Are In for #RemoteLearning: It Didn’t Work, say many students, teachers, parents + administrators http://ow.ly/9PU930qNvjt @Tawnell + Lee Hawkins @WSJ | #LearningGaps, #Inequity + absenteeism among problems discussed

Only 1 in 5 #K12 Schools Offered 'Rigorous' #RemoteLearning, @AEI Study Says - @MarkALieberman @EdWeekEdTech http://ow.ly/HUz330qRgXw | Disparity worst in high-poverty + low-achievement districts | #EdTech challenges a factor

Survey by @educationweek finds 65% Educators Want #Schools to Stay Closed to Slow Spread of #COVID19, even as 82% of teachers think they're more effective working in a school vs. #DistanceLearning https://t.co/IDHu2gkjSU?amp=1

Interest grows in mastery-based #learning during pandemic, though evidence remains thin - @matt_barnum @Chalkbeat https://t.co/hL5R3ornXT?amp=1

#SummerReading and Learning for Teachers by @ClareLandrigan & @pennykittle @nerdybookclub http://ow.ly/fy6Z30qPcSh | The #BookLove Foundation will focus this online #BookClub on #GraciesList, honoring @AS_King's daughter

Stay-at-Home School Idea: @TheReadingTub suggests DIY Virtual #Yearbooks to capture + share this unique year http://ow.ly/31lt30qMCKi | #literacy #DistanceLearning

#AchievementGaps Increase The Longer Kids Stay In School, says @natwexler @Forbes http://ow.ly/2AWd30qH7el | Recent data on #SummerLearningLoss differs from older studies, finds gaps growing during the school year

Depressing but important: The Pandemic Sent 1.5 Billion Children Home From #School. Many Might Not Return. US + European authorities try to stop kids from #DroppingOut permanently http://ow.ly/ia2S30qNfuD @WSJ #EducationalEquity

STEAM

Encouraging More Girls (and Boys) to Explore Engineering, Technology and #Coding http://ow.ly/QTUI30qK3QR @TrevorHCairney #STEM #GirlsWhoCode #GenderGaps

Studio Spaces: #Art as a Way of Seeing, Feeling, and Sense-Making: Teaching Ideas for the Virtual Exhibit at the @carlemuseum http://ow.ly/45F130qQTA3 @ErikaDawes @clssrmbkshlf @sljournal #CarleArtInPlace

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

In these conflict-ridden times, a love of books is a gift. If you have a book that you love, no matter what happens in your regular life, you can always go back to visit. You just have to open up the book. Here are a few places I continue to visit every so often:

• Gone-Away Lake (and Villa Caprice)
• The Four-Story Mistake
• Pemberley
• Dunnian (and the town of Ryddleton)
• Hogwarts
• The Velvet Room
• Green Sky

I own most of these books in multiple formats. Just in case.

There are other places I haven't visited in a while, but I still like knowing they're there:

• Kirrin Island
• The Secret Garden
• Sara Crewe's attic room, post-transformation
• The Little House in the Big Woods
• Maida's little house, shop, and village

This week I visited Gone-Away Lake, sitting outside in stolen summer moments to re-read both books. I'm happy to report that Gone-Away is still there, still the same, and still wonderful. I took my time with both books, because reading them made me so happy. Even though I knew word for word how the second book would end, I still cried a little bit. In a good way. 

My daughter asked me how many times I had read the books, and I couldn't even tell her. Many, many times, over the past 40 years or so. I tried to read Gone-Away Lake aloud to her, but it wasn't to her taste. That's fine. She's been re-reading several Wish books by Suzanne Nelson and the two Candymakers books by Wendy Mass. Perhaps 40 years from now she'll pull them out and jump back into her own childhood. 

This is a perhaps unappreciated benefit of growing bookworms. If you raise your child to love books, some day long into the future, he or she will have beloved places to visit, too. The love of books is truly a gift that lasts a lifetime. I'm more grateful than I can say to the people who nurtured that gift in me. 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. Links to be books may be affiliate links, for which I receive a small commission.

I hope this post finds you all safe and well. I'm doing fine here. However, I haven't been blogging very much lately, as I balance work and family responsibilities. I have continued to read a few newsletters and blog posts, and I've been  sharing links that I think are useful as I find them. Here are highlights from my twitter @JensBookPage.

Topics include #BookLists, #conversation, #DistanceLearning, #HarryPotter, #HomeLearning, #Homeschooling, #IdeologicalDiversity, #JoyOfReading, #MentalHealth, #MTHAdventures, #OutdoorPlay, #Podcasts, #ReadAloud, #RemoteLearning, #SocialIsolation, #StorySeeds, #VirtualFieldTrip, #writing, events, parenting, reading, and research. 

Stay safe and keep reading, my friends!

Book Lists, Podcasts + Online Resources

#PictureBooks About Libraries - This #BookList from @housefullbkwrms has some of our family faves  https://t.co/kA4LJKDpSS?amp=1

Some appealing-looking titles here: #PictureBook Roundup #4 from @abbylibrarian http://ow.ly/dTWX30qzoOR #BookList

Here's an escapist #BookList that might appeal right now: #YALit Adaptations of Jane Austen Novels http://ow.ly/DUmT30qzoOB @momandkiddo

7 #Podcasts for Stir-Crazy Kids - @emmdib @nytimes http://ow.ly/eu8F30qB71T | Topics range from #science to #meditation to #BookClub

I've written about the fun new #StorySeeds #Podcast for Kids before. Now, learn all about it from host @FuseEight inc. new downloadable activity eZines http://ow.ly/pFUc30qAq3p @LitSafariMedia @DanGutmanBooks

This is neat! Julie Andrews’ New #Reading #Podcast Means Mary Poppins Is Leading #StoryTime - @PureWow http://ow.ly/Pa6x30qApUC via @TheReadingTub

This sounds fun: new #MagicTreeHouse Home Adventures from @randomhousekids + @MaryPopeOsborne is a virtual program to educate + entertain kids at home w/ videos, activities, crafts + games http://ow.ly/zNIA30qAE8k #MTHAdventures

This Open #BoardBook by @lorieanngrover is super-cute. It's about what preschoolers can do during #Covid19. See Color Sketches here: http://ow.ly/qjAj30qzFIV

Events, Programs + Research

It’s Time for a #VirtualFieldTrip to the #EverywhereBookFest! by Anna E. Jordan | @nerdybookclub http://ow.ly/68eu30qB7RV | Online speakers + panels will feature tons of diverse #kidlit authors + illustrators on May 1-2

Links to #COVID19 Financial Aid For Writers And Artists from @gail_gauthier, who highlights two of special interest to children's authors + illustrators http://ow.ly/Hy9m30qBqBc #writing #kidlit #EmergencyGrants

My daughter and I donated this week to the @Hicklebees Children's Bookstore & @SCCOE Keep Kids #Reading #BookDrive, which is putting books into hands of students in need during #covid19 http://ow.ly/ZJU730qyQam

Study finds male teens scored much higher than females on self-assessed intelligence, narcissism, extraversion + life satisfaction. But "there was no gender difference in objective intelligence." http://ow.ly/gK9j30qB7Ly @ResearchDigest

This is useful, I think. The Right Way to Talk across Divides - research on improving conversational receptiveness + reducing #polarization http://ow.ly/UsGR30qAEdp @sciam @francescagino #IdeologicalDiversity

On Reading + Writing

Bringing Harold Home: The Transformative Magic of #ReadingAloud by @karalareau @nerdybookclub http://ow.ly/i6xV30qzP8J | w/ #BookList of favorites + discussion of ideal #ReadAloud characteristics

Reading Joy in the Time of #Coronavirus | http://ow.ly/LppU30qypnx | @donalynbooks @sljournal has some tips for getting out of a reading funk + recapturing #JoyOfReading

Why #HarryPotter Is the Ideal Quarantine Read - @anna_russell @WSJ http://ow.ly/4fBf30qB6TN | #ComfortReads #kidlit

Could #DrSeuss Help us Deal with the #Coronavirus asks @TrevorHCairney http://ow.ly/OAsH30qypBH | What other books help kids deal w/ challenging time while growing as people?

This is useful: Steps of Teaching Young #Writers to Paraphrase @thisreadingmama http://ow.ly/htJG30qzPh1 | I'm working on just summarizing w/ my 10 y.o. right now, which is similar

Pursuing Meaningful, Authentic, Student-Centered #Writing During Precarious Times http://ow.ly/hpCD30qyCj6 | Nice roundup of resources and ideas @clssrmbkshlf #DistanceLearning

Parenting, Home Learning + Play

One family on why they opted against #RemoteLearning during #Coronavirus | http://ow.ly/dN9i30qBJzd @indyfromspace @TIME | #OutdoorPlay #IndependentLearning

This doesn't surprise me: Why some kids are happier right now @CNN http://ow.ly/ZSkK30qBgxe | Time to slow down, more free #play, less structure, more parental attention

Don't turn your home into school ... the #Lego professor of #play on #LockdownLearning for younger kids http://ow.ly/x6MR30qzOWn @DonnaLFerguson @GuardianEdu

Terry @TheReadingTub has a Stay-at-Home School Idea: Driveway Games http://ow.ly/VPjE30qBfRQ | She recaps some classics and adds curriculum fits and book suggestions | #HomeLearning #play

Stay-at-Home School Idea from @TheReadingTub : Let’s Play in the Dirt! http://ow.ly/Em8830qAgvs | Curriculum fit ideas and a #BookList

A reminder from @thisreadingmama that what parents are doing now is different from non-quarantine #Homeschooling in essential ways, and that the real thing in normal times has advantages not evident now

How Will #SocialIsolation During #COVID19 Affect Our Kids? - @hechingerreport @MindShiftKQED http://ow.ly/ZhfE30qz0Ts | There's little research on impact of taking kids away from peers + teachers, it's an experiment in progress

How Parents Can Help Their Kids While Managing #DistanceLearning - @LindaFlanagan2 @MindShiftKQED http://ow.ly/USYk30qz0Se | “This isn’t just a ‘Mom’s’ job", keep it low-key + other reminders

I like this suggestion from @momandkiddo | Making and Keeping a Hobby Book http://ow.ly/S6uL30qyQ0l | My daughter's would be about LEGO | #parenting #HomeLearning

This may resonate, my zoomed-out fellow introverts: An introvert's plea: Let me socially distance in peace - @CNN http://ow.ly/Nr5V30qxSL9 #coronavirus

Schools + Libraries

Midday Yoga, The “Mute” Button, Easier Differentiation + more sleep for teens: Silver linings from one teacher regarding #DistanceLearning - @EducationNext http://ow.ly/qQuA30qA8WV (Yes, she notes negatives, too)

Connecting Kids to Digital Books While #Library Buildings are Closed - @abbylibrarian at #ALSCBlog http://ow.ly/EL9q30qypAy #eBooks

Students will go back to school eventually. Here are 5 concrete ideas for helping them catch up, readjust http://ow.ly/meHA30qyQ2F @matt_barnum @kalynbelsha @Chalkbeat | #Schools #coronavirus

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

My daughter ran across a brand new copy of Raina Telgemeier's Smile that I had stashed on a shelf where I keep potential gifts. (You never know when  you might need a solid graphic novel for a short-notice birthday gift.) Here's the conversation that followed:

Daughter: "Can I read it?"

Me: "You already have a copy of Smile."

Daughter: "PLEASE!? I don't know where my copy is."

Me: "Fine. Go ahead."

Daughter: "You're the best mommy in the world."

Me: "That's true." (Best bookworm mommy she'll ever have anyway)

I haven't been very motivated to blog of late, but thought that readers might enjoy this small window into our coronavirus quarantine. Thanks for reading and for growing bookworms! 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. Links to be books may be affiliate links, for which I receive a small commission.

I hope that you're all safe and well and finding some silver linings in all of this coronavirus shelter-in-place craziness. I've been having trouble sticking to my regular schedule for these roundup, as I juggle my work and having my daughter at home full-time. Nevertheless, here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter recently @JensBookPage. Topics include #BookWeek2020AtHome, #coronavirus, #DistanceLearning, #EducationalEquity, #OnlineLearning, #Play, #ReadAloud, #ScreenTime, #SocialDistancing, parenting, reading, and teaching. I hope you find something useful here. Stay safe, my friends!

Distance Learning

How #Teachers Are Coping With Coronavirus #SchoolClosures http://ow.ly/xVDU30qxsPO @NPRCoryTurner @ElissaNadworny + Diane Adame shares common themes from talking w/ educators re #DistanceLearning

How Online Book #ReadAlouds Can Help Students' Literacy and Connection During Social Distancing - @HKorbey @MindShiftKQED http://ow.ly/1KPT30qxjAd @pernilleripp #JimTrelease @dollyslibrary + more

This Online/Pandemic Learning Journey (so far....) http://ow.ly/Qt1R30qxf0E | How teacher @frankisibberson is finding ways to listen to and connect w/ her students in this time of #OnlineLearning

Sigh. 4 In 10 U.S. Teens Say They Haven't Done #OnlineLearning Since Schools Closed - @MindShiftKQED https://t.co/PU1HiNaPlu?amp=1

Books as a Site for Connection and Comfort during #Coronavirus http://ow.ly/kLDa30qwlI7 @ErikaDawes @clssrmbkshlf share ideas, structures, and resources related to #ReadingTogether for #teachers

How Will the #Coronavirus Crisis Affect Children’s Learning? Unequally. @PaulvonHippel @EducationNext predicts growth in score gaps based on #EducationalInequity https://t.co/ZPjiM0WWUo?amp=1

Events, Programs + Research

2020 Children’s Book Week May 4-10 Moves to New Online Format Amid Pandemic http://ow.ly/3JAO30qwi3r #BookWeek2020atHome @PublishersWkly

The #Loneliness of the "Social Distancer" Triggers Brain Cravings Akin to Hunger - @LydiaDenworth @sciam describes results of a fortuitously timed study http://ow.ly/8BbY30qxrJJ #SocialDistancing

The Stubborn Myth of #LearningStyles - State teacher-license prep materials peddle a debunked theory @EducationNext https://t.co/z4mVqHduTS?amp=1

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

My New State of #Reading – @pernilleripp enumerates the reasons she has been unable to escape into reading during #coronavirus quarantine. I can relate to nearly all of them. Wishing her well https://t.co/VWWC6jXp7O?amp=1

#Coronavirus Has Turned Children’s Workbooks Into Bestsellers - @JeffreyT1 @WSJ http://ow.ly/xRst30qwlAm | Not surprising. My daughter dug out a @Scholastic 4th grade workbook that I had purchased last summer

Parenting + Play

Lower Your Expectations + Other #Parenting Advice For The Era Of COVID-19 | @COPublicRadio via @MindShiftKQED http://ow.ly/Av5230qvIVC | Includes advice on dealing w/ your own or your kids' #anxiety | "remember fun is the antidote to fear"

#Coronavirus Tag + Other Games Kids Play in a Pandemic - #Play is children’s language, so parents shouldn’t be concerned w/ this http://ow.ly/qy3t30qvINH @TheAtlantic via @MindShiftKQED

Agree w/ @laurenweberWSJ | My New Office Is a Bunk Bed (or How I’m Now Juggling Work and Family) http://ow.ly/75kO30qvibs "The fragile... structure that had made my hectic life workable has now collapsed. Now I’m a stay-at-home mother and a work-from-home mother at the same time"

Put Down the Phone: 100 (Nonscreen) Activities to Occupy Your Kids in Quarantine - Lots of good stuff here, but you unfortunately need to create a free @WSJ account to view it http://ow.ly/5ok630qwB8U #ScreenFree #play

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week include #ALMA2020, #BookLists, #Homeschooling, #LoveOfReading, #NationalPoetryMonth, #OnlineResources, #RemoteLearning, #Resilience, #SmallBusiness, #TomieDePaola, parenting, and writing. 

Top Tweet of the Week

A perspective: #RemoteLearning is turning out to be a burden for parents http://ow.ly/b5Iz30qu9sQ "This should be a time of baking banana bread and listening to mildly educational podcasts. This shouldn’t be a time of overscheduling" @karol

Online Resource Collections + Advice for Teachers

'One big virtual love-in': how children's book authors are creating online sanctuaries @guardian via @tashrow http://ow.ly/8FL830qv1vZ #RemoteLearning #kidlit

Resources for coping w/ stress, managing #OnlineLearning + shopping while stuck home – @larrymagid http://ow.ly/cLUX30qv1tH

Ideas for Celebrating #NationalPoetryMonth From Home from Katie Cunningham http://ow.ly/XOCZ30qutge @clssrmbkshlf @sljournal | #Poetry #Homeschool

Just Read This – March 2020 #COVID-19 edition | @TheReadingTub has retooled their monthly #literacy roundup into "a bookmark-worthy collection learning-at-home resources" http://ow.ly/zcda30qut8E | Lots of great stuff for #Homeschooling

#DistanceLearning: A Gently Curated Collection of Resources for Teachers | @cultofpedagogy http://ow.ly/9RSo30qu9gq #OnlineLearning #teaching #COVID-19

#Coronavirus / COVID-19 - 4 Free #Writing Resources for Stay at Home Parents, Kids & Writers http://ow.ly/h6YK30qtZWf @Write4Kids

Combating #SocialIsolation When Using #RemoteLearning | http://ow.ly/cwn830qtzll @Catlin_Tucker | Help students feel less alone + get them more engaged in #learning

3 Ways to Use #VideoConferencing with Students for #RemoteLearning | http://ow.ly/F0Rr30qtzks @Catlin_Tucker | Small group instruction, discussion + conferencing | #teaching

14 Crowdsourced Tips For Helping Students With Limited Internet Have #DistanceLearning - @MindShiftKQED http://ow.ly/4i0Y30qtzhZ #EducationalEquity

The New Normal… | @smithsmm argues that educators should focus on supporting families to find a home balance, vs. pushing everyone for full-time at home education http://ow.ly/J0pi30qtzeR #RemoteLearning

Advice/Perspectives on Homeschooling for Parents

Crisis Homeschooling | Great advice from @semicolonblog "you DON’T have to do all the work the public school is sending you for your child to complete" http://ow.ly/8EHX30qutme | Spend time doing things that enrich your kids, like reading + art + play

Comic: How To #HomeSchool During The #Coronavirus #SchoolClosures : @theLAJohnson @anya1anya @NPR http://ow.ly/t87g30qutaU | Don't force it if it's going to cause severe emotional distress + other advice

Ideas for 'Doing' School at Home During the #Covid-19 Virus from @TrevorHCairney http://ow.ly/d90Z30qu8KF | See especially "Tension Breakers" section, w/ suggestions for "Sure Fire Mimes" | #Charades #Homeschool

Look For The Rainbows: A Few Positives Of #COVID-19 from @McKenzieRoss20 @HonorsGradU http://ow.ly/YY9l30qu8O6 | I've been calling them #SilverLinings but it's the same idea. They are out there.

Other Bookish Links

#TopTenTuesday: 10 Signs You're a #BookLover @literacious http://ow.ly/hQFN30qu8Vk | I can claim 7 of these, how about you? My fave is the one about mispronouncing words | #LoveOfReading

Best Children's Books about #Resilience for Ages 4-12 http://ow.ly/wVft30qutf0 | #BookList from @momandkiddo | #PictureBooks + #MGLit

A Nicer Guy You Couldn’t Hope to Meet: Saying Goodbye to Thomas Anthony “Tomie” dePaola — @FuseEight http://ow.ly/hyhL30qu8Up | May he rest in peace | #kidlit #PictureBooks

A Small Way to Support #IndieBookstores during #Coronavirus http://ow.ly/cvBt30qu8IE | @StaceyLoscalzo suggests changing your Audible membership to @librofm | #SmallBusinesses

South Korean author-illustrator Baek Heena @heenastory Wins 2020 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award #ALMA2020 http://ow.ly/rB4E30qv1VS @AlmaAward #kidlit

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

I hope that you are all safe and healthy and managing coronavirus quarantines reasonably well. My sense this week is that the outpouring of online resources to help families keep kids learning has peaked (though many wonderful teachers, authors, and illustrators are continuing to produce and share wonderful resources - I'll have a link roundup tomorrow). I'm seeing a bit of a backlash among parents, who are finding that working from home and managing requirements for kids' distance learning is a challenge, to say the least.

My daughter doesn't have schoolwork formally required yet (or so she tells me), while her district works out some device and internet access issues. Her routine starts with sleeping late and reading in bed for a couple of hours before eating what's become brunch. She then spends the daytime hours, while my husband and  I are working, doing a mix of Minecraft, LEGO building, writing, drawing, iReady (a learning app that her school was already using), and Zoom sessions with friends (including some online Monopoly).

She's been typing away at an old electric typewriter, her current preferred tool for writing, and she is dabbling in a 4th grade workbook from Scholastic that I purchased last summer. She's consumed by Chris Colfer's Land of Stories series, and I have a couple of spin-offs on order (no, I still haven't given in to having her read on a device - she likes print, and I like it for her, too).  I'm also reading a couple of different books aloud to her, one of which we are discussing with friends via Zoom book club. 

My view is that all of this is more than fine for now, as we adjust to this new reality. Yes, at some point she's going to need more formal learning. But right now, spending her mornings immersed in a land of stories feels right to me. Of course every family should be able to figure out what's right for them in this difficult time. I wish you all well with the challenge! 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

I'm a day late on this post because I've been surprisingly busy, for someone confined to home with no outside social activities or trips. I'm still working, and grateful that a) my work is from home and b) my company still has business. But juggling that with keeping my daughter occupied has been keeping me occupied during the week.

I'm glad that she likes to read, that's for sure. She re-read the second Candymakers book by Wendy Mass (see this post for details about her first read), and that kept her busy for a couple of days. Apart from that she is doing a small amount of online work for school, doing virtual chats and games with friends, and playing endlessly with LEGO. This is a tough time to be an only child, but to be an only child who reads, in a house full of books, is a blessing. We are, when I can find the time, working on organizing said books. Hopefully I'll have time to write more about our journey soon. 

Meanwhile, here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week include #Audiobooks, #BookADay, #Homeschool, #LoveOfReading, #OnlineLearning, #Podcasts, #puzzles, #ReadAloud, #Resilience, #SchoolLibraries, #ScienceOfReading, #STEAM, parenting, writing.

I hope that all of you are safe and healthy and managing as well as you can  in all of this. I remain deeply appreciative of the efforts and encouragement of my (now wholly virtual) communities. 

Top Tweet of the Week

This is neat. My daughter + I are mentioned in this @nytimes piece: A #Podcast Playlist to Help Distract You (for the Most Part) http://ow.ly/px8e30qrP7V | Thanks @phoebelett | @LitSafariMedia @FuseEight @pantsonfirecast [Some recommendations for kid-friendly podcasts that we shared on Twitter were mentioned in the article. Image to the left created by @LitSafariMedia]

Home Learning Resources

Another good one-stop resource: A Roundup of Pandemic Resources for Librarians, Teachers + the Parents That We Serve — @TLT16 @sljournal http://ow.ly/v4Ct30qrrPx #COVID-19 #OnlineLearning #Storytimes + lots more

Organized List of Educational YouTube Channels for Kids - @thisreadingmama http://ow.ly/GVbX30qtn7n #OnlineLearning

This is helpful. For as long as schools are closed, @audible_com is giving kids free streaming access (no account or p/w needed) to a collection of #audiobooks in 6 languages http://ow.ly/gP4F30qraIo | Mostly classics + audible originals but some other choices, too | @amazon

Tips for Using Online Museum Resources for #Literacy Learning, w/ list of virtual tours http://ow.ly/yi9730qsB8V | @MA_Cappiello @sljournal #OnlineLearning #writing #STEAM

Google and YouTube launch new #RemoteEducation resources - @TheVerge http://ow.ly/SM4d30qsj0n #TeachFromHome #LearnAtHome

Fun resource for #GraphicNovel fans. Starting today, @CeceBellBooks will be sharing a chapter-by-chapter deep dive into the inside story of El Deafo! on video http://ow.ly/T9Kp30qrYGE | #OnlineLearning

Tips for Building #StressRelief into Your #Homeschool Schedule - @MarlaSzwast http://ow.ly/cmWk30qrYpM | Stressed out kids can't learn anyway. "5 fewer minutes of math won’t ruin your kid's chance of" anything

Dana Murphy shows how tips for encouraging #LoveOfReading in young kids at home can be extended to #Kindergarten Classrooms http://ow.ly/9IMu30qt8qL @ChoiceLiteracy | Good advice for parents, like "no book shaming"

Remember, #OnlineLearning Isn't the Only Way to Learn Remotely | Kate Ehrenfeld Gardoqui @educationweek http://ow.ly/vMT130qrYSY | 5 ideas for renewing #JoyOfLearning in kids stuck at home | via @MindShiftKQED

5 SIMPLE At-Home #Writing Help & Tips - http://ow.ly/hvAt30qsT0I @thisreadingmama I especially like: "Read good books out loud to your child"

Parenting + Play

As Children Face Disappointments due to #Coronavirus, Parents Can Help Them Develop #Resilience - Alina Dizik @WSJ http://ow.ly/q4I030qtngm #parenting | A long-term silver lining in all of this may be that our kids come out of it stronger

Slice of Life Day 24: #JigsawPuzzle to the Rescue – @literacious finds something that takes her mind off #COVID-19 | I need to get my daughter doing puzzles while listening to #audiobooks https://t.co/42TnzZAGr2?amp=1

On Reading

#Reading or Not, Here We Go: A Social Distancing #Bookaday Challenge by @donalynbooks @nerdybookclub http://ow.ly/BOBD30qrYtR | Clearly many of us are having trouble focusing enough to read. Donalyn suggests community

Why Books Are Comforting in the Era of #Coronavirus - Michelle Slatalla @WSJ http://ow.ly/YJvd30qrErY #LoveOfBooks

Schools and Libraries

If You're Going to Write About #ScienceOfReading, Get Your #Science Right | @DTWillingham challenges a new report / policy statement from NEPC, point by point http://ow.ly/9ZoW30qsjbL

Guest Post @FuseEight | Wrestling w/ #SchoolLibrary Closures by J. F. Fox — http://ow.ly/x1OA30qsja7 | "Every school deserves a library with a qualified librarian" w/ reasons why

At Schools Closed for #Coronavirus, Online Work Won’t Count - @Tawnell @WSJ on why most work at home during public #SchoolClosures is optional | #EducationalEquity = not all kids have online access + some have #LearningDifferences https://t.co/Je8wTc6UUw?amp=1

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

One of the things I've been grateful for in all of this coronavirus quarantining is knowing/following quite a few authors, illustrators, homeschooling parents, and teachers. Many of these people have been generous with their time and experience  and are offering useful resources and/or perspectives. As I have run across things that I think are interesting or useful, I've been sharing them on Twitter @JensBookPage and on my personal Facebook account. I usually round  up shared links once a week on this blog, but these are not usual times. Here are the links that I rounded up and shared  earlier in the week. Today, I have some new resources that are well worth a look. 

For what it's worth, the two online resources that my nearly 10-year-old daughter has found most useful are these two (oddly, both from people named Jarrett):

Draw Every Day with JJK - Every weekday at 2 pm ET @StudioJJK will host free webcasts to help parents get kids "creating, drawing, using their imagination" http://ow.ly/xtuW30qpMp6 - #SchoolClosures #homeschool. My daughter doesn't need me to remind her about this one - she's been asking for it every day. She participated in the first one live, and got a kick out of knowing that at least three of her friends were participating at the same time. Since then, she's been using the archived version because she's not a big fan of schedules, but she LOVES these webcasts. 

Author/illustrator @Jarrett_Lerner has posted a bunch of free activities for kids, from blank #ComicPanels to incomplete comics to story prompts. I have printed several for my daughter http://ow.ly/9ICK30qqzSF #creativity #homeschool. My daughter was hesitant about these at first, and only asked me to print out four of them. But a day later, without any prompting from me, she had me go back and print them all. She likes the incomplete comics best. 

For Parents + Teachers

This is my current favorite of the new links: A message for stressed out #parents: You Really Don't Need to Formally #Homeschool to Keep Kids Learning During #SchoolClosures | Let them read + learn via #play http://ow.ly/XwcK30qr1pF @parentsmagazine @KristiPahr

This is also very cool. For as long as schools are closed, @audible_com is giving kids free streaming access (no account or p/w needed) to a collection of #audiobooks in 6 languages http://ow.ly/gP4F30qraIo | Mostly classics + audible originals but some other choices, too | @amazon

Solid roundup of resources here: How to #homeschool during the coronavirus crisis http://ow.ly/XXtS30qqKR1 @lisatolin @TODAYshow via @litsafari | webinars, online #ReadAlouds, #podcasts + more

Suddenly #homeschooling? Don't try to make it like school. Longtime homeschool mom + author @melissawiley shares tips + encouragement http://ow.ly/I1Bf30qqKpK | Let them follow their interests, give plenty of downtime | #coronavirus

"Experts suggest keeping things simple: Invest in two 30-minute high-quality #reading sessions a day + engage in #math exercises" | Keep those skills up http://ow.ly/D8Pv30qqzLD @yoreekoh @WSJ @khanacademy #RemoteLearning #Homeschool

Some tips for Emergency #Homeschooling from veteran homeschooler @MarlaSzwast http://ow.ly/5IKF30qqzDz | #ReadAloud, find #Podcasts, give kids #ScreenFree free time, make a routine + lots more

Basic Principles for Parents Coping w/ #SchoolClosures from @McKenzieRoss20 @HonorsGradU http://ow.ly/mWaQ30qqtZw | talk, read, write, sing, and #play

RT @MrsPStorytime: I have a FREE way to entertain & educate kids too! Check out my website and YouTube channel for free stories and resources for #parents and #teachers https://t.co/f1cjCdrQWI?amp=1 [This is a great resource  that I recommend  year-round, not just now.]

Resources for teachers to share w/ parents during #COVID-19 #SchoolShutdowns – @McKenzieRoss20 @HonorsGradU http://ow.ly/5SRb30qr0Qm @The_Pigeon @ProvoLibrary + more

RT @lynchem1: You might have already seen this, Jen, but here’s a link...great place.: RT @NYWolfOrg As schools are closed to help slow the spread of #COVID19, the Wolf Conservation Center aims to do its part to help keep students engaged + learning by offering FREE distance learning programs to classes nationwide. https://t.co/xU9KMQY9Ep?amp=1

Other Stuff, including Libraries + Book Lists

Latest Hot Spot for #Coronavirus Hoarders: The Public Library - @JamesRHagerty @WSJ http://ow.ly/zj9y30qqQIu | One librarian "was relieved to find that people would rush to stock up on books, not just tuna fish and toilet paper"

Well this is good news for #libraries (and anyone checking out digital books from home): @MacmillanUSA Abandons Controversial New Release Library #eBook Embargo http://ow.ly/EkPz30qqA4j | #BookAccess #coronavirus

South Asian #Kidlit Roundup for Spring 2020 from Darshana Khiani http://ow.ly/Rurd30qr0OQ #DiverseBooks #BookLists

As #coronavirus concerns shutter #schools around the world + #homeschooling ramps up, will poor students be left behind? asks editor @L_willen @hechingerreport http://ow.ly/JFVc30qqzJa #EducationalEquity

For more, see my post from earlier in the week. 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

I shared quite a few online resources this weekend on Twitter @JensBookPage  and on my personal Facebook account. I thought it would be worth rounding them up in one place as a resource. It's great to see so many individuals and organizations stepping up to help keep kids entertained and/or learning in this challenging time. I've been looking for silver linings in all of this, and the way people are stepping up is definitely one of them. 

Topics below include #BookLists, #coronavirus, #FakeNews, #gratitude, #Homeschool, #literacy, #OnlineLearning, #puzzles, #ReadAloud, #SchoolClosures, #STEM, libraries, parenting, and writing.

Stay safe, my friends! 

Top Tweet of the Week

Draw Every Day with JJK - Every weekday at 2 pm ET @StudioJJK will host free webcasts to help parents get kids "creating, drawing, using their imagination" http://ow.ly/xtuW30qpMp6 - #SchoolClosures #homeschool [This is mostly the top one because it's the one that my own daughter is most excited about.]

Resources for Parents (Online Learning, Boredom Busters, etc.)

Worried about being cooped up with bored kids for the next few weeks? Just Get Out a Puzzle says @MarlaSzwast http://ow.ly/Niua30qq1R2 | #Puzzles exercise the brain, are good for your #MentalHealth too

For all you kids stuck at home… @terrilibenson has suggestions for #ScreenFree fun times (read, play games, go outside, etc.) http://ow.ly/GSNv30qpDvl | Plus excerpt from her upcoming #BecomingBrianna #GraphicNovel

Timely compilation of #Coronavirus Boredom Busters for kids from librarian @literacious http://ow.ly/4GYQ30qpXyA #SchoolClosures #OnlineLearning

This looks like another good resource: @Scholastic Creates Free, Open-Access Digital Hub to Help Keep Students #Learning While Schools are Disrupted by #Coronavirus http://ow.ly/rjiy30qpXST #literacy #math #science

Compilation of links to videos of #PictureBook creators #ReadingAloud their work from @pernilleripp http://ow.ly/uyp130qpXxl | #ReadAlouds can calm and bring people together

Here's a useful resource: #Coronavirus Support: Teaching Resources for K-8 #OnlineLearning http://ow.ly/kCp930qpMrN @sljournal #homeschool #SchoolClosures | Online #libraries, author/illustrator resources + more

What? #HomeSchool? @litsafari shares her prep strategy, from a #gratitude list to activities for home school orientation weekend http://ow.ly/PwBx30qpMmc #SchoolClosures #parenting

Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite #kidlit Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for #Learning Anywhere in preparation for possible school closures. Collected + hosted by @KateMessner http://ow.ly/QfGF30qoGRd | #STEM, #poetry + more

Resources for Teachers and Librarians

Keeping #Learning Going When We Aren't Gathered at the Carpet | Thoughts from @CathyMere on technology, routines + maintaining connection during this #coronavirus #homeschool time http://ow.ly/1hsT30qpMwJ

Keep Calm and Read On | #MiddleSchool #Librarian @MsYingling shares her recommendations + plans for coping w/ a #SchoolShutdown http://ow.ly/DIKg30qpxDJ | "This is an opportunity to learn about a lot of things, and read a lot of books."

Other Timely Information

Tools to help identify real vs. false online information (in general + about #coronavirus) from @larrymagid http://ow.ly/kAhJ30qpMyH @mercnews @NewsGuardRating @NewsLitProject #FakeNews #InformationLiteracy

A Few Coronavirus Cancellations In Childlit, rounded up by @gail_gauthier http://ow.ly/z8bi30qpxsJ | Sorry to see #KidLitCon cancelled, but it was inevitable

Other Links Still Worth a Look

Good Books to #ReadAloud to 12-Year-Olds and Start a Conversation! http://ow.ly/v8Wv30qqcp3 #BookList from @momandkiddo | This seems like a good time to read together if you ask me...

Ghosts of #NewberyAwards Past, Present and Future? Welcome to This Year’s Online #90SecondNewbery Film Festival — @fuseeight http://ow.ly/1GcP30qpxy4 #kidlit

What Makes a Successful Writer? One Author’s Approach to Instilling a #LoveOfWriting by @carmenoliver @nerdybookclub http://ow.ly/KzbW30qpxzN | Invite students to read a lot + write about what interests them

Help Wanted: Librarian Blogger(s) to contribute to @TheReadingTub this summer http://ow.ly/zwek30qpxvP | Share your expertise in #kidlit + #literacy + introduce parents to the wonders of today's #libraries

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week include #BookLists, #coronavirus, #Giftedness, #GirlScouts, #JoyOfReading, #LearningDifferences, #LEGO, #OnlineLearning, #play, #ReadAloud, #recess, #STEM, #Studying, and schools. Stay healthy, my friends!

Top Tweets of the Week

Good news here: How #play is making a comeback in #kindergarten classrooms http://ow.ly/UFKV30qnXnU @jackiemader @hechingerreport @NBCNews | Has the pendulum started swinging back?

I think that BLOOM, the first of a new #ScienceFiction / #thriller series for kids by @kennethoppel is going to be a huge hit. I picked it up just to check it out and couldn't put it down until I was finished. @randomhousekids https://amzn.to/2xtxRfh

Book Lists

10 #Nonfiction Children’s Books That Humanize Mathematics - @MindShiftKQED http://ow.ly/rVYg30qo9em #BookList #PictureBooks #STEM

Funny books encourage #JoyOfReading for kids. I like this #BookList of Funny Realistic Fiction Novels for Middle Grades by @ariannecostner @nerdybookclub http://ow.ly/X45s30qnWJu #MGLit

Events, Programs + Research

This warmed my heart: Teen #GirlScout is setting up hospital libraries so babies born early, as she was (+ my daughter was), can hear their parents #ReadAloud to them in the #NICU http://ow.ly/xT1i30qnQcZ @CNN

These Two Revision Strategies Can Prepare You For An Exam Much Better Than Just Restudying Your Notes – @mattbwarren @ResearchDigest http://ow.ly/VySU30qoGPb #testing #studying

Growing Bookworms

#Reading IS the Best Intervention: "our most fragile readers need to have texts of appropriate difficulty in their hands all day long" (Allington), not worksheets + short passages that kill #JoyOfReading @LRobbTeacher https://t.co/ChwiHszKE4?amp=1

What #ChapterBooks Are You Reading Aloud to Students? Survey for K-8 Educators in the US from @pernilleripp http://ow.ly/vJ1G30qpk9N #ReadAloud #JoyOfReading

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

A New #Podcast for Your Children: #StorySeeds Is Live! Host is @fuseeight http://ow.ly/IS8E30qpk7j @LitSafariMedia @litsafari | Note special PSA on #coronavirus by @JasonReynolds83 | I have subscribed

This is fun: Dutch Artists Paint Giant Bookcase On An Apartment Building Featuring Residents’ Favorite Books | @boredpanda http://ow.ly/y3aI30qnQlY #JoyOfReading

The importance of #YAF by @VanessaHarbour @AwfullyBigBlog http://ow.ly/pCvU30qpk3c | "Get out there are and write the best (non-didactic) young adult stories that can make a difference." #YA #kidlit #writing

Parenting + Play

Interesting: LEGO Is Probably The Biggest Education Company On Earth http://ow.ly/TVfF30qnXhm@Forbes #Learning through #Play @LEGOfoundation

Sounds worth trying to me: Doubling #Recess Time to Put #Play Back in the School Day - @AlysonRKlein @educationweek https://t.co/qQz0h4fZYo?amp=1

Schools, Libraries + Covid-19

#Coronavirus closing your kid’s school? One parent’s plan for #DaddySchool | @educationgadfly http://ow.ly/esoS30qnXsz | I especially like "gym" for 90 minutes/day, + keeping regular recreational #ScreenTime limits in place

Amid #coronavirus fears, the #CDC told schools to plan for #RemoteLearning. That’s harder than it sounds. http://ow.ly/8PH830qo9eN @Chalkbeat | Most aren't ready + research generally shows online instruction less effective than in-person

Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite #kidlit Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for #Learning Anywhere in preparation for possible school closures. Collected + hosted by @KateMessner http://ow.ly/QfGF30qoGRd | #STEM, #poetry + more

Letting Go of Labels, whether of #LearningDifferences or #Giftedness, that impede #Learning - @MarlaSzwast | http://ow.ly/O8GJ30qoxOk "I worry that our cultural obsession with labeling abilities gets in the way of providing sound development for our kids"

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Today, I will be sending out a new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on growing joyful learners, especially bookworms. The newsletter is sent out about once a month, depending on how frequently I'm able to post on my blog. 

Newsletter Update: I've named this the "Turning A Corner Edition" of the newsletter because I have several posts around a common theme: the fact that my daughter, after a steady diet of graphic and notebook novels, has abruptly started devouring middle grade fiction.

I first share a Bookworm Moments post about her carrying multiple books around Disney World. I next reflect on this as a Literacy Milestone: the first text-based book series that she has inhabited so completely that she finds it difficult (and sad) to leave. In my third post, I share a tale of a delightful Saturday that my daughter spent reading in bed for hours, because she simply HAD to finish a new (long) book. This last is, as you'll see, also a validation of giving kids reading choice. 

I was traveling for a couple of weeks and wasn't able to share as many links as usual, but I do have a couple of roundups of literacy and reading-related news. I've included the most recent roundup in the newsletter. The others can be found on my blog. 

Reading Update:  Since my last update, I read three middle grade, four young adult, and five adult titles (four fiction, shown, and one nonfiction title, not shown below). Cross-country travel helped, as did a cluster of exciting YA thrillers. I read/listened to: 

• Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Youtuber. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed February 5, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter from library copy.
• Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Meme. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed February 28, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter from library copy. These books are so good! I highly recommend them, especially for kids who enjoy notebook novels, but who are ready for something with not quite so many illustrations. They also make great read-together books between parents and kids, bringing up issues like bullying and peer pressure without being heavy-handed. 
• Kenneth Oppel: Bloom (The Overthrow, Book 1). Knopf Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Speculative Fiction. Completed March 8, 2020. I read this book, the first of a new speculative fiction trilogy, in a single sitting. It is suspenseful, intriguing, and filled with well-rounded characters. I think it's going to do extremely well. 
• Adriana Mather: Killing November. Knopf Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Mystery/Thriller. Completed February 7, 2020, on Kindle. This is the first of a new, suspenseful series. It skated right on the border of being too dark for me, but I will certainly be back reading when the next book comes out. 
• Maureen Johnson: The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious, Book 3). Katherine Tegen Books. Young Adult Mystery. Completed February 20, 2020, on Kindle. I found this to be a satisfying conclusion to the Truly Devious series. Now that the books are all available, this would be a great recommendation for any mystery fan, early teen to adult. 
• Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Deadly Little Scandals (Debutantes, Book 2). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Mystery. Completed February 25, 2020, on Kindle. This wrapped up the mysteries for the main character introduced in the first Debutantes book (reviewed here), but Barnes opened the door for future books based on a younger set of related characters. The ending is wildly implausible, but I still found this book a lot of fun. A perfect vacation read!
• Karen McManus: One of Us Is Next (sequel to One Of Us Is Lying). Delacorte Press. Young Adult Mystery. Completed March 5, 2020, on Kindle. McManus did a nice job here setting a second mystery in the world of One Of Us Is Lying, but featuring different (related) characters. This is one of those books that I enjoyed thinking about before I went to sleep, wondering  how the pieces were going to fit together. 
• Michael McGarrity: Tularosa (Kevin Kerney, No. 1). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed February 8, 2020, on MP3. The fact that this series uses the same narrator as the Walt Longmire books bothered me at first, but I soon got past that. This series has gotten me out of my audiobook slump, which is a relief. 
• Taylor Stevens: Liar's Paradox (Jack and Jill, Book 1). Pinnacle. Adult Thriller. Completed February 15, 2020, on Kindle. This is the first of a new thriller series, of the hyper-competent protagonist, daring escape, shady government agency, variety. The family drama takes it to another level, though. It features twins raised by a mother who is either paranoid and delusional OR a former spy trying to keep them alive. Or maybe both. I have downloaded the next book, though I don't feel the need to read it immediately. 
• Michael McGarrity: Tularosa (Kevin Kerney, No. 2). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed March 1, 2020, on MP3. 
• Michael McGarrity: Serpent's Gate (Kevin Kerney, No. 3). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed March 9, 2020, on MP3.

I'm reading This Is Marketing by Seth Godin in print, Watching from the Dark by Gytha Lodge on Kindle, and the new Joe Pickett novel by C. J. Box, Long Range on audio. For future reading, I'm in a twisty YA mystery/thriller phase, if anyone has any recommendations. Nothing too violent. I had to stop reading Lee Child's Reacher series, which I had really liked. Somewhere along the way, my appetite for violence has cooled a bit. 

My daughter and I have been reading favorite picture books since catching up on the My Life series (next book coming in April). You can see her choices here. Highlights included three from the Questioneers series by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts and two favorites from Bob Staake. I was going to start Elizabeth Enright's Gone-Away Lake the other morning, but couldn't find it (a problem when you have too many books in your house). We're giving Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein a try as a read-together instead. We've only read four chapters, but I think it might take. 

As for my daughter's own reading, you can read the posts below to see what's going on with that. I must say that this has been a satisfying period for me as a bookworm mom. This weekend she had me read a passage from Land of Stories: Book 3 that disturbed her (characters injured and in peril as a war commences). I said something like "Maybe you shouldn't read these  books, if they're going to upset you." She snatched the book away, held it her chest, and snapped "Mine! You are NOT taking this book away." And I thought: "Success." (With fingers crossed for no bad dreams.)

This journey of raising a child who enjoys books is a long one, and I know that there are pitfalls ahead (AR, dull whole class novels, time constraints, etc.). But we are in a fun phase right now and I intend to enjoy every minute! Thanks for joining me on the journey.

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

As I write this, it's 11:15 on a Saturday morning. My husband is out of town. My daughter has been awake for 3 hours. She is still in bed. Reading. There are occasional peals of laughter or cries lament ("Not the PRINCESS!") from her room. She's called out a couple of times to make me guess what chapter she is on. But the house is otherwise quiet. This is quite possibly my favorite Saturday morning ever.

She's reading the third Land of Stories book, A Grimm Warning, by Chris Colfer. She is hoping to stay in bed until she finishes. I have postponed the plans that I had to take her to library this morning. I am getting a lot done. Regular readers know that this is NOT the primary aspect of this that is making me happy, though it is a nice bonus.

[Updated to add that she took a short break for what turned out to be brunch, and then went back to her lair and read until she finished just before 2 pm. This post may need to be re-titled something like Literacy Milestone: Spending All Day Reading on a Saturday Because You HAVE to Finish. I even had to turn down a playdate. ]

Remarks are in order here about reading choice. Someone, I don't remember who, recommended this series to us. I checked out the first book from the public library a couple of months ago. My daughter had no interest, and I returned it, unread.

Last week she picked up the third book from her school library. (This story is a validation of well-stocked school libraries, too.) Book 3 was the one in stock. Her friend told her that it wasn't necessary to read the first two to follow the story. That was good enough for my kid!

She's been devouring A Grimm Warning ever since. This is the book that helped her to get back into reading after she had trouble shaking the Candymakers world from her brain. I'm grateful that there are more books in the series. We already have requests in to the public library for the next two books (which are checked out from our local branches.)

Back to reading choice, in case this wasn't obvious. My daughter had no interest in this series when I recommended it. But when she found it on her own, seconded by a recommendation from a peer ... she was all in. Sure, some of that is because even though it's only been a couple of months, she's at a different reading  stage. But I truly believe that a big part of her immersion in A Grimm Warning this weekend has to do with the fact that she chose it herself. And that is it should be. 

Parents, if you want your kids to be readers, by all means make sure they have access to books. But as much as you can, let them choose. If you do, you may one day be rewarded with a Saturday like this one. 

Thanks for reading!

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage. 

Last week I shared a "Bookworm Moments" post about my daughter toting around books in the Magic Kingdom on our recent vacation. My loyal commenter Judy thought that I had buried the lead. She said that what I should have focused on in the post title was that this was the first big, thick book that my daughter read straight through that wasn't a graphic novel. Judy is right, of course, that this was an important part of the story. But I was waiting for my daughter to finish the Candymakers series to write about that aspect of it. And I'm glad that I did.

My daughter finished The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase earlier this week. She has since declared the two Candymakers books (by Wendy Mass) her all-time favorites, giving a 2% edge to the second book. She is now distraught because there are no more Candymakers books. She's walking around saying things like:

• The Candymakers books are "clinging to my brain" and I can't focus on starting any other books.
• I wish (my friend who wants to be an engineer) could invent a "brain eraser" to that I could erase these books from my memory, and read them again for the first time.
• I MISS the Candymakers. WHY aren't there any more books in the series?
• It's so frustrating that you can't re-read mysteries, because you already know  what happens.
• And so on... 

She is unwilling to start another book (not even another Wendy Mass book), because it won't be the same.

The time came Friday morning that she had to pack up The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase to return it to the school library. She clutched it to her heart and pouted. She only agreed to return it when I said that we could check it out from the public library over the weekend. She doesn't intend to re-read it yet, mind you. She just wants to have it nearby, because she loves it so much. 

I told her that I understood. I told her that The Candymakers books will always have a special place in her heart, because they are the first books the she truly immersed herself in. Graphic novels are wonderful, but they're much quicker reads. And the pictures are, obviously, created by someone else. Falling deeply in love with some 1000 pages (over two books) of text, and creating the pictures in your own mind, is a more immersive experience. 

I also told her that it's not about this particular copy of the book. That it's the story that matters. I told her that to this day there are books that I pat on the spine when I run across them in a library or a bookstore, because they are my friends. I told her that one day, when she's grown and has children of her own, the Candymakers books will be like that for her. I believe that this is true. 

The other reason that this milestone made me happy was that this opens a door for my daughter. Although I'm happy for her to read graphic novels whenever she likes, I have really struggled to find enough of them to keep her engaged. But if she can sit down and plow through a 500 page middle grade novel over a few days, just THINK of how many other wonderful books there are for her to  choose from.

Once those Candymakers characters stop clinging to her brain, anyway, and let someone else in.  

Thanks for reading, and for caring about growing bookworms. 

© 2020 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage.