As virtual teaching continues and families shelter-in-place across the country, more and more publishers, authors, illustrators, libraries and individuals have put effort into creating online resources for children, teens, educators and parents. Last week and the week before we shared some of these resources; below are a few more.
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Penguin Young Readers, Sweet Cherry Publishing, Nomad Press, Macmillan and Fox Chapel Publishing all have websites up that direct readers to free educational and entertainment materials. Palmer Public Library Youth Services in Palmer, Mass., has begun posting a series of videos with author/illustrator David Hyde Costello that invite child interaction; Rakestraw Books in Danville, Calif., has posted a number of read-alouds on its Facebook page; and the PJ Library, which "sends free Jewish children's books to families across the world every month," is offering resources for quarantined families.
Authors, illustrators and voice actors are also continuing to step up and offer content: professional voice actors are leading story times on a newly created Instagram page called "voiceactorsread," in conjunction with Scholastic and the Library of Congress. Dav Pilkey is producing new content, posted Friday mornings at 8 a.m. ET, at Dav Pilkey at Home; Jason Reynolds posted a game to his Instagram to help spark creativity; and RJ Palacio is doing a weekday read-aloud of Wonder on Twitter. DC Comics has begun "DC Kids Camp" for families staying in, "an at-home activity program curated by DC middle grade authors and artists Meg Cabot, Agnes Garbowska, Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, Minh Lê, Michael Northrop, Ridley Pearson, Kirk Scroggs, and Gene Luen Yang, Among Others."
Reader can also go to the Children's Book Council webpage to find an updated list of publisher online resources. --Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness