Though many states have begun the slow process of reopening, most schools across the country will stick with virtual learning through at least the end of the school year. Since kids and teens will continue their in-home educations, plenty of organizations, individuals and publishers have created virtual resources to educate and entertain. (You can find other kidlit coronavirus-fighting ideas here.)
This week, May 4-10, is Children's Book Week, an annual celebration of books for young people. Founded in 1919, it is "the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country." At-home celebration ideas and resources both printable and virtual can be found at EveryChildaReader.net.
American Public Media launched a storytelling podcast series, Julie's Library, starring Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Watson Hamilton. Episodes will be released weekly for the first six weeks, with more becoming available later in the year. The Bronx Is Reading will hold its third annual Bronx Book Festival virtually on June 6. Keynote speakers include National Ambassador for Young Peoples Literature Jason Reynolds and Gabby Rivera. The book festival is free for all but does require attendees to register in advance. School Library Journal has made its annual Day of Dialog, "a day-long program of author panels, in-depth conversations and keynote talks," a free virtual event to be held on May 27. While this isn't directly for kids, registration is open to librarians and educators.
Shannon Hale, Dean Hale and LeUyen Pham, creators of the wildly popular series The Princess in Black, created a "child-friendly coronavirus public service announcement," called The Princess in Black and the Case of the Coronavirus. The harrowing adventure can be downloaded here. Author Leila Sales created an interactive choose-your-own-adventure game specifically designed for the lockdown called "Ada and the Lost Horizon." Players can download "Ada and the Lost Horizon" and follow clues on Sales's Instagram to go on scavenger hunts in their own homes.
And publishers are still doing the impressive work of creating entertaining and edifying virtual events and activities for families at home. Scholastic has "reimagined" its free Scholastic Summer Read-a-Palooza program "to leverage a safe interactive digital community which aims to increase book access and ensure engaging experiences." Scholastic is also offering plenty of resources on its Scholastic Learn at Home page. Mo Willems, working with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Disney Publishing Worldwide, has announced two projects for the month of May: Thank You Thursdays!, a series that will be posted every Thursday at 1 p.m. ET, and The Yo-Yo Mo Show: An Evening of Musical Doodling with Yo-Yo Ma on Sunday, May 31, at 5 p.m. ET. Both programs are available on the Mo Willems page of the Kennedy Center website. Penguin is creating content specifically for YA readers, including a Penguin Teen Zoom Trivia Night on Friday, May 15, in which Marie Lu, Rory Power, Jo Treggiari and Katie Heaney will ask "attendees trivia questions based on the subject or theme of their most recent books." --Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness