Do you love studying animals? If you do, you probably know that a great way to learn about them is to observe them. You could watch what they eat, where they live, and how they act. 

 

 

 

Right now, it is hard to go see live animals in person. That's where animal cams come in! Animal cam is short for animal cameras, or cameras used to film an animal's day. Lots of zoos and animal sanctuaries have them so that people can check on their favorite animals and see what they are up to.

 

Do you like lions, tigers, and bears? Pandas? Otters? Sharks? Penguins? Chances are, there is an animal camera out there that will bring a smile to your face.

 

Here are a few of the big ones to get you started:

Explore.org has livecams showing everything from big cats like lions to tiny kittens waiting to be adopted. 

 

Monterey Bay Aquarium let's you virtually visit sea creatures and penguins. I recommend the Jelly Cam if you need something calming. They are kind of hypnotic to watch!

 

San Diego Zoo Kids lets you watch cool animals, like elephants and polar bears.

 

The Smithsonian National Zoo has a few animal cams you can watch, too! Their cheetah cubs have been pretty popular lately.

 

Tip: If you want to come back to these websites later, you can easily find them again on the Useful Links tab of the Media Center website.

 

     If you are like the kids in my neighborhood, you have been riding your bike more than ever this Spring. Not only is bike riding fun, it's also great exercise! If you can ride your bike somewhere instead of driving, it helps the planet, too. Today's round-up is all about bicycles.

 

• I shared a funny, bicycle inspired storytime in the Virtual Media Center. Never been? Check out the "How-tos" for a video showing you how to get there.

 

• As you zip around on your bike, don't forget safety! BrainPOP has a great Bicycle Safety video. 

 

• Lots of your favorite book characters have had adventures on bikes. One I love is Curious George Rides a Bike by H.A. Rey.  You can find it in BookFlix for free from the Students page on our school website. 

 

• BMX? Mountain bike? Racing bike? Whatever kind of bike you love to ride, you can read about it on MyOn or Epic!

 

Happy reading, Cardinals!

The winners are in!

 

Sunshine State Young Readers Award

 

First, here's what Cardinals thought.

 

3rd place... The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton

2nd place tie... Stella Diaz has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez and Wedgie & Gizmo by Suzanne Selfors

1st place... Bob by Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead

 

 

Here is the winner after all the votes in the state were counted:

 

 

Sunshine State Young Readers Award Jr.

 

Here's what Cardinals think:

 

3rd place tie... Good Rosie! by Kate DiCamillo and Stealing the Sword by Wendy Mass and The New Kid by A.I. Newton

2nd place... The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach

1st place... We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

 

 

The winner for the whole state of Florida is...

 

 

Did you read these books? What do you think? 

 

Poem in Your Pocket Day happens every year. It is a day to celebrate the joy of sharing poems.

 

This year, there are many ways to participate in Poem in Your Pocket Day from a safe distance. Here are just a few ideas:

• Print out a poem and illustrate it in the white space
• Make a video of yourself reading a poem
• Read a poem to your family members at home
• Email a poem to a friend, family member, neighbor or local government leader
• Share a poem in a video chat

Ready to find a great poem to share this year? Here are some great places to look:

Poets.org - Poems for Kids

Poetry Foundation - Poems for Children

The Children's Poetry Archive

Ken Nesbitt's Poetry4Kids.com

You could also listen to poems using a program like Epic! 

 

Parents might enjoy the comforting poems in poets.org's Shelter in Poems collection. 

 

What poem will you pick? I'd love to hear!

Hello Readers!

 

Did you know that the first Earth Day was celebrated 50 years ago today? That's right! April 22, 1970.

 

Enjoy this Earth Day story. It is read to you by astronaut Koichi Wakata. He's one of the few people who has been off the Earth. Isn't it neat how the book just floats when he's not holding it?

https://storytimefromspace.com/stories/the-wizard-who-saved-the-world/

 

Some other great Earth Day reads are:

• The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
• The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
• Pablo's Tree by Pat Mora
• Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp 
• Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants by Diane deGroat
• All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon
• One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul
• Hoot by Carl Hiaasen 
• Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar

 

What are your favorite books about caring for our planet?

 

Happy reading!

Hello Readers!

 

This note is especially for you fourth and fifth-grade readers, but all ages are welcome.

 

Author Rex Ogle (Free Lunch) is trying something pretty cool right now. He's writing the story of Aiden Tyler, a regular, comic-book loving, bus riding middle schooler whose life is turned upside down by the Coronavirus. Suddenly he's dealing with school closures and toilet paper shortages. Does that story sound familiar, anyone?

 

What's really cool is the way Rex is writing this story. Instead of a regular book, he's writing a real-time "serial". No, not Lucky Charms, that's cereal. A serial is a kind of story that's published in parts, not all at once. That means that Ogle is sharing Aiden's story with us as he is writing it. We might see real-life events from the news showing up as part of the story!

 

Every Tuesday at 2pm, he goes online and reads us the newest chapters. 

 

Curious? Go to the link below to check out the story so far. Then, tune in on Tuesdays to hear the latest in Aiden Tyler, Quaran-Teen!

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

-Groucho Marx

 

Who doesn't love a good laugh? Lucky for us, April is National Humor Month. In a library, joke and riddle books are usually in the 800s section, near the poetry books. Right now, many of us are choosing to #StayHome to stop the spread of COVID-19, though. So, where to find a good giggle?

 

 

Love this book? With an adult's permission, try these websites:

21 Short and Sweet Shel Silverstein Poems

or 

Shel Silverstein's website

 

Or how about reading an eBook full of jokes? Try looking up the Big Buddy Jokes series on Abdo Digital Bookshelf. You can also get to this website with the button on the Media Center's Homepage. 

 

Finally, read your favorite funny book at home! 

Take this survey to tell me what book makes you LOL (Laugh Out Loud!):

Funny Book Survey

 

When I get some good suggestions, I'll share them here on the blog!

 

Have a funny weekend, my friends! 

There's still time!

Voting for the Sunshine State Young Readers Award has been extended for another week. That means there is still time to read that last book!

 

 

Some of these books are available online to read. The public library has some of the books on the 3rd - 5th grade list ready to download, and Good Rosie, on the K - 2nd grade list is on TumbleBooks.

 

If you're in 3rd, 4th or 5th grade, all you have to do is read one of the books and pass the AR test for it to count.  Here is the list of books to choose from: 

Sunshine State books

 

For Kindergartners, 1st and 2nd graders, if you already gave me your Sunshine State paper, you are done! If you have not, no problem. Just ask a trusted adult to email me the names of the 5 Sunshine State Jr books you have read. 

Sunshine State Jr books

You have until next Tuesday, April 21st, to take your AR quiz or have your adult email me. I'll send out the voting link the next day. 

The official winners will be announced on Friday, May 1st. Which books will win???

 

Best wishes,

 

Ms. Earwood

 

P.S. Want to get a head start on next year's books? That list will be announced Thursday, April 23rd! I can't wait!

Hello Cardinals!

Boy, do I miss seeing your faces in the library! How are you keeping your minds sharp while staying at home? Here is something you could try. 

 

Have you ever heard of a Digital Escape Room? An escape room is a game where players find clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks to meet a specific goal. The goal might be to escape from a locked room. Other times, players try to get into something, like a treasure chest. A Digital Escape Room is almost the same, it is just online. 

 

This Hogwarts Digital Escape Room is perfect for Harry Potter fans. It was created by Syndey Krawiec, a Youth Services Librarian at Peters Township Public Library, in McMurray, PA. 

 

I tried it with my family over FaceTime, and it was a fun challenge. You can do it like we did, as a team. You could also call up a friend and challenge them to a race. Who will finish the challenge first?

 

 

 

Get Creative, Cardinals:

Did you like this online escape room? Why not make your own using Microsoft Forms?

 

First, log in to your ClassLink and go to Office 365.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Office 365, click All Apps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find and click on Forms and get creative.

 

You can even use Forms to make fun quizzes and surveys to share with your friends. Just remember, Forms is a school program, so make sure you follow all school rules and keep it school appropriate. 

 

If you create an online escape room, be sure to share it with me at earwoodh@leonschools.net. I can't wait to see what you creative Cardinals come up with!