Another Virtual Book Fest

The Everywhere BookFest is happening tomorrow and Saturday, and features author appearances, panel discussions, giveaways and more! Keynote speakers are Gene Yuen Lang (American Born Chinese and Saints and Boxers) and Nic Stone (Dear Martin and Odd One Out). Many of your favorite authors will be dropping in as well. You can see the full schedule here. Stay fly, Eagles!

Free Audio Books

Starting tomorrow, the people at AudioSync are releasing two free audio books each week through July. Stay fly, Eagles!

Lunchtime Flyover

In a salute to frontline COVID responders, the Blue Angels and  Thunderbirds will be doing a flyover of our region today between noon and 12:40 pm. According to the photo below, you should start looking to the skies at around 12:20. Please remember to stay at home and socially distance when you look up. Stay fly, Eagles!

Don't Be A Wallydraigle!

One of my favorite ways to start the day is to check my morning email from the people at the Oxford English Dictionary to see what they've selected as the word of the day. But this is much more than just a definition. When you click on the word, you can see where it has appeared in various writings throughout the centuries. But even that is not my favorite part. What I enjoy the most is clicking on the audio and hearing the words pronounced with both British and American accents. Sometimes, if you're really lucky, they'll throw in a Scottish pronunciation. You can sign up for your own daily OED email by clicking this link.  You wouldn't want to be a wallydraigle, would you?  That would be quite mauvais ton. 

Happy Birthday, Library of Congress

On April 24, 1800, President John Adams approved the appropriation of $5,000 for the purchase of “such books as may be necessary for the use of congress.” The books, the first purchased for the Library of Congress, were ordered from London and arrived in 1801. On January 26, 1802, President Thomas Jefferson approved the first legislation that defined the role and functions of the new institution.


The Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. The Library’s mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people, and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. As of 2018, the vast holdings of the Library number over 168 million items.

© Library of Congress, 2020

Earth Deserves Another Day, So...

I know Earth Day was yesterday. But I have some really interesting things to share, and I didn't want to wait a whole year. 

First of all, this podcast episode talks about the environmental impact of COVID-19. Spoiler alert: It may not be bad news!

Also, this article discusses how lessons learned from COVID can help inform our approach to climate change. 

And finally, enjoy this video of animals rediscovering empty cities.

Fifty Years of Earth Day

Fifty years ago today, the first Earth Day helped to establish an environmental awareness, and changed the way we live. On this site, you can sign up to take action, or read about the history of the event, or watch newscasts reporting on the movement that swept the nation. Stay fly, Eagles!  

NOVL (sic) Couch Fest

Hey, all you YA fans! We know you are missing your book clubs, author appearances, and all the book festivals that normally occur around this time of year. The people at Little Brown feel you, and are holding a NOVL Couch Fest all week with giveaways, booktalks, author chats and more. You can get the full rundown of events here. 

Of Aubades and Villanelles

It's still April, and so it is still National Poetry Month. Words used to describe types of poetry have a certain poetry themselves. Aubade, for example, or abecedarian, or anaphora. Or triolet, or villanelle. Simply saying these words makes me want to lie on a divan and read some Emily Dickinson or Langston Hughes. Here's a glossary of more poetic terms for your enjoyment. Adieu, kind reader! Stay fly, Eagles! 

Color Me Relaxed

Coloring can reduce stress and help to boost mental clarity. Don't worry if you don't have any coloring books at home, because museums around the world have released coloring pages based on their collections that are available for you to print out. There are some truly esoteric and quirky choices, so have fun exploring, and don't worry about staying within the lines!

National Library of Medicine Coloring Book

Investigating the Assassination of President Lincoln

President Abraham Lincoln died 155 years ago today, after being shot the night before by actor John Wilkes Booth. In this online exhibit from Ford's Theatre, you can collect and analyse the evidence that brought the conspirators to justice. 

Attention All Map Aficionados

Every map tells a story, and these maps help to tell the story of contagion in 19th century. They illustrate where diseases occurred, and how they traveled. What will the maps of COVID-19 show?

Map of malaria deaths in the US in 1870. (Library of Congress)

Write a Letter to a Poet for National Poetry Month

If it's April, it must be National Poetry Month, and here's a fun way to celebrate. (I know, it's not as much fun as writing chalk poems on the sidewalk outside the school, but I look forward to doing that with you when we get back!)

The Academy of American Poets is presenting Dear Poet, an event which asks you to watch videos of poets reading their work, and then write a letter to one of them in response. All letters will be considered for publication on Poets.org next month, and poets will choose some letter to respond to. All the videos and instructions can be found here.

Have fun, and stay fly, Eagles!

Book Con Read-A-Thon

Some of your favorite YA authors will be reading live and answering questions on Saturday from 12-7:00 pm. Here's the schedule (subject to change). Watch and participate at facebook.com/BookCon. 

Stay fly, Eagles!

How To Get A Public Library Card When The Libraries Are Closed

With a public library card, you have access to free ebooks and audio books. Normally, you would have to go to the library to get a card, but while the libraries are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, you do have other options.

According to Tracy Wright, the director of the Eastchester Public Library, once you fill out the online application (select your home library from the drop down menu, and please use a parental e-mail if you are under 18), you will receive an email with your new library card number. If your email is blocked, you will receive a call. Please note that since the library is closed, the call will be coming from Johnson Chaco, not the library itself. 

Also, the New York Public Library is offering library cards to all New York State residents through the Simply E app. 

Any library card will grant you access to Hoopla or Libby, and with those apps you can "check out" ebooks or audio books. Keep reading, and stay fly, Eagles!

Newspaper Ads From the 1918 Flu Pandemic

Historians and scientists are looking back to the flu pandemic of 1918, which claimed millions of lives worldwide. Although that flu and today's coronavirus are different diseases, and there have been obvious medical advances in the past 100 years, these ads from newspapers at the time show, in some respects, how little has really changed.

You can see more ads, and read more about them, in this Time magazine article.

Stay Fly, Eagles!

Homemade Face Masks (No Sewing Required)!

Now that the CDC has recommended that everyone wear a facemask when out in public, here's a helpful video to show you how to make them.

Difficulty Concentrating? You're Not Alone!

These are tricky times, indeed. I thought I would have finished at least three books by now, since we've been closed for three weeks, but I actually abandoned one book and am only halfway through another. But I discovered this is not unique, even for people who make their living in the literary world. Everybody seems to be having more difficulty concentrating. This week, BookRiot published this helpful guide if you need some alternative ways to occupy your mind. 

Stay fly, Eagles!

International Fact Checking Day

Today is International Fact Checking Day! Now more than ever, knowing the facts can save lives. Watch this video, and then see the cartoon below. 



Take a look at this cartoon (scroll past the first page) to see some tips to help you check online information.

Stay fly, Eagles!