Happy National Poetry Month, everyone!  Did you know that in one of my previous lives, I wrote poetry – lots of poetry?  I even spent a few years in a creative writing graduate program!  And though I usually find myself writing other things these days, poetry will always be my first true love.   What is there to love about poetry?  For me, there’s almost nothing more satisfying than playing with words, with the sounds they make and the images and feelings they elicit.  Getting them into just the right order, taking away the ones that aren’t necessary, finding the perfect words to recreate what I’m feeling or seeing or thinking – for me, poetry is like a puzzle.

The Academy of American Poets has created a page detailing 30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month at Home or Online (updated for today’s virtual world).  When you get to number three, watch this video, instead.  Naomi Shihab Nye has always been one of my favorite poets, and this is one of her most beautiful poems.  Her work is simple and heartfelt.  I’ve met her twice, and each time, I felt as if I were a teenager meeting a rock star.

In other news, Green Up Day has been postponed until May 30. Can you believe Green Up Day has been going strong for 50 years?  To celebrate the occasion, they’ll be providing a “birthday box” to each town.  The box will include a maple tree sapling and a granite plaque to plant in a community location, a free birthday cake coupon from Shaw’s, wildflower seeds, and a few other goodies for the town to share!

Now on to today’s resources – all for kids (and the young at heart, of course)!

BookFlix from Scholastic – What a fun site!  BookFlix pairs picture book videos with related nonfiction ebooks (that you can either read, or follow along with as they’re read to you), then adds puzzles and games.  Highly recommended for those learning to read!

Tate Kids – The Tate Museum in London has created an incredibly cool art website for kids filled with games, videos, activities, silly quizzes, and much more!  THIS is an awesome resource.

Stimola Live is a website of live stream events (storytimes, art starters, craft and illustration tutorials, writing workshops, etc.) for kids, tweens, and teens by professional authors and illustrators who are represented by Stimola Literary Studio agency.  Events are streamed live from a variety of platforms and archived on the site, as well as on the Stimola Live YouTube Channel.

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Remember, you can email me with any questions you have about anything I post – or about anything at all, really!  My job is to help you figure stuff out.  If there is something you’re trying to figure out, let me know, and I’ll see if I can be of any help. Or, if there’s something your kiddo wants to learn but you have no idea where to begin, send me an email! Just think of me as your friendly reference librarian.  As always, stay safe, stay well, and stay kind, and hopefully, we can see each other again very soon!

-Shana