Jen Robinson's Book Page

Reading More and Connecting More in 2021

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.

Bookworm Moments: Needing the School Library

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.

Bookworm Moments: "There are other books I want to read MORE"

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.

Links I Shared on Twitter Recently: July 11: #SummerReading, #GrowingBookworms, + #SchoolReopening Questions

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. 

Growing Bookworms Newsletter: Catch-Up Edition

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. 

Links I Shared on Twitter Recently: June 19: Catching Up on the Past Month

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. 

The Gift of a Love of Books: Revisiting Gone-Away

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.

Links I Shared on Twitter Recently: April 29: #HomeLearning, Online Resources, Virtual Field Trips + More

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. 

#BookwormMoments: The Best (Bookworm) Mommy in the World

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.

Links I Shared on Twitter Recently: April 14: Resources and Reflections on #DistanceLearning + Shelter in Place

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. 

Links I Shared on Twitter: April 4: Advice for Teachers + Parents for Managing Coronavirus Distance Learning

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. 

How We Are Managing Home Learning (or not) during the Coronavirus Quarantine

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.