Stop here to see her post. [In Memoriam: Remembering Those Lost in 2025. Bird, Betsy. Fuse #8 Productions blog. SLJ. January 2, 2026.]
Click here to read her post. [In Memoriam: Remembering Those Lost in 2024. Bird, Betsy. Fuse #8 Productions. School Library Journal. January 2, 2025.]
Local public libraries and bookstores can host watch parties, and individuals can register on their own or host their own watch party. Flyers are available to share with communities here: https://greatlakesgreatread.
Great Lakes, Great Read is modeled after One Book One Community and state- or province-wide annual reading programs that choose one book for libraries, citizen groups of all kinds and the public to read and enjoy over the course of a year. Whether you live near the Great Lakes or far away, their beauty, history and significance are impossible to ignore. They’ve been home to 120 bands of Indigenous people, provided drinking water for millions, held flourishing biodiversity and 20% of the world’s surface fresh water and more. Dive into this project and deepen your connection to a system that shaped the U.S. and Canada and continues to sculpt stories today.
The Great Lakes, Great Read program features two books: “The Water Walker” by Joanne Robertson is the children’s selection, and the adult selection is “The Best Part of Us” by Sally Cole-Misch.
“The Water Walker” is the story of a determined Ojibwe grandmother, a “nokomis” named Josephine Mandamin, who walks to raise awareness of the need to protect “nibi” (water). Robertson wrote and illustrated the book, which was published in 2017.
Published in 2020, Sally Cole-Misch’s award-winning novel, “The Best Part of Us,” explores a family’s connections to an island in the Canadian waters of an inland lake just north of Lake Huron, and how those ties are tested through nature and family dynamics.
The authors are available for in-person and online conversations and presentations with libraries, book clubs and other groups throughout the region during the 2024-2025 period.
The Great Lakes, Great Read website, https://www.
This initiative is made possible by an Ideas to Action grant from WiLS in Madison, Wisconsin. In-kind support was provided by the staff with the Wisconsin Water Library at UW Madison, Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Wisconsin Library Association and UW-Parkside. Wisconsin Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute support the Wisconsin Water Library.
Several organizations, including the Wisconsin Water Library at UW Madison, Public Libraries of Saginaw, the Gail Borden Library and the Library of the Great Lakes have partnered to create and carry out the Great Lakes, Great Read program. For more information and to sign up to participate, visit https://www.
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| Byron Barton |
We are lucky to have their books to continue to share with young people.
[In Memoriam: Remembering Those Lost in 2023. Bird, Betsy. Fuse9blog, School Library Journal. Jan 2, 2024.]
Sarah French (she/her)
Programming & Makerspace Librarian
Irvin L. Young Memorial (Whitewater) Library
I'm so glad they live on in the books that they created for young people.
[In Memoriam: Remembering Those Lost in 2022. Bird, Betsy. Fuse8 blog. School Library Journal. January 2, 2023.]
They write: "This stamp honors prolific children’s book author and illustrator Tomie dePaola (1934-2020), whose extraordinarily varied body of work encompasses folktales and legends, informational books, religious and holiday stories, and touching autobiographical tales. The stamp art features a detail from the cover of “Strega Nona” (1975), the Caldecott Honor winning first book in the series. Set in southern Italy, the gently humorous story focuses on Strega Nona, “Grandma Witch,” who uses magic to help with matters of the heart and to cure her neighbors’ ills. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp with Tomie dePaola’s original art."
You can read the full press release with all the 2023 series subjects (including John Lewis) here.
As part of its programming for Virtual Children’s Day earlier this month, the Brooklyn Book Festival hosted “Spooky Stories!” via Crowdcast. The event was moderated by Max Brallier (The Last Kids on Earth series, Viking) and featuring middle grade authors R.L. Stine (Goosebumps series, Scholastic), Claribel A. Ortega (Ghost Squad, Scholastic Press), and Sophie Escabasse (Witches of Brooklyn, Random House Graphic).
Due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, the free literary festival, held from September 28–October 5 this year, ventured into the virtual space.
Click HERE to read the Publishers Weekly write-up of the event!
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| Image courtesy of Librarian Bookends |
Kids Resources YSS blog COVID-19 series:
Booksto Help Kids Cope with COVID Changes 11/22/20
Back to School Picture Books for Teaching Coronavirus Procedures 8/11/20
ALSC’s #Looktolibraries Resources 8/4/20
Curated List of Free COVID-19 EBooks for Kids 4/27/20
Infographic to Help Parents with Tech Time During COVID-19 4/2/20
Tips on Safe and Inclusive Gaming/Livestreaming for Families 4/6/20
Talking to Kids About COVID-19 3/28/20
Ear Ticklin’ Listening/Viewing for Kids at Home 3/30/20
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| Pixabay image |
Permissions (Books, Authors and Music) YSS COVID-19 series:
Virtual Storytimes YSS blog COVID-19 series:
