With so many of us at home practicing social distancing, naturally folks are enjoying binge-watching. There’s so much to choose from like thrillers, comedies and documentaries, so we were surprised to hear that many are enjoying holiday movies this time of year. It’s understandable, the uplifting films bring a smile to so many faces.
If you are looking for some Christmas cheer (a couple months early), look no further than Hoopla. Here’s a list of some of our favorite Lifetime Holiday movies that are available to stream instantly.
Everywhere Niko looks, he sees “something that inspired him.” Except instead of drawing what he sees, he draws the “feeling”— not the nest, but the swirl of activity as the hardworking mother bird builds her nest.
Not the ice cream truck, but the jangly swirl of its music; not the sun, but the “warm of the sun on my face.” Not everybody understands Niko’s art, but it’s beautiful and interesting just the same.
This simple story introduces abstract art for elementary readers, and affirms the creative process. The “feelings” that Niko draws invites a prompt for children to complete an extension activity after, including drawing their own feelings or daily surroundings. Simple abstract coloring art is also adaptable for various ability and age levels. As long as a child can hold a utensil and put it to paper, they too can draw like Niko. Drawing can also be a comforting coping mechanism for uncertain times, strengthening imagination, abstract thought, fine motor skills and attention to a task.
Some prompts inspired by the book to get your young artist drawing:
Draw the sunny scene outside your window
Draw your favorite ice cream flavor
Draw a busy bird making a nest
Draw three things inside your house
Draw how you feel today.
Draw the feeling of the sun on your face
Draw how it feels to get your favorite ice cream
Draw what it feels like to be a bird
Draw three things you see outside your window
Looking for more books ideas for kids? Check out the Bonus Borrows for Read-Along Children’s eBooks section on Hooplahere.
Have you checked out the Pratt’s Lucky Day collection on Overdrive? In case you haven’t, here’s what you are missing out on! The Lucky Day collection offers many bestselling eBooks and eAudiobooks that are available to download with no holds and no renewals. That means in a matter of seconds you can read a book by your next favorite author.
Check out some of our favorite Nonfiction and Self-Help books in the Lucky Day Collection.
Prepare: If you received a letter from the Census Bureau, locate your Census ID inside. If you do not have your Census ID, that is ok, you can still fill out the census. Designate one household member to complete it.
Know everyone’s* names, date of birth, gender and race they identify with. By providing accurate, detailed information, you help decision makers meet the needs of diverse communities.
Take the Census: The public is strongly encouraged to complete the survey online at https://my2020census.gov/. You may also submit responses via phone by calling 844-330-2020 (TDD 844-467-2020). Calling will connect you with a census enumerator who will guide you through the questionnaire.
Households that have not completed the census by late May will be sent a questionnaire to mail in. More information about responding by mail may be found here.
*Who to count? Anyone residing in the residence as of April 1, 2020, including tenants, roommates, and infants. College students who typically reside in dorms will be counted by their institution and individuals in correctional facilities will be counted by the institutions they reside in. More information about who to count may be found here.
Things to remember:
You can still complete the census without your Census ID.
For the questions on gender and race, choose the response that you feel is accurate. It’s also possible to leave questions blank, but you may be contacted by an enumerator to clarify.
There are no questions about citizenship status and your responses are confidential and cannot be used against you. In fact, federal law prohibits any other government agency from accessing an individual’s response. Information can only be used to provide anonymous statistics.
Hey everyone! You’re out of school right now, but that doesn’t mean you have to let your studies slip during these strange times. Plus, it helps to have something to think about other than the news, right? Well, we are here for you!
Working on your school packet and stuck on a math problem? Trying to write a paper for English class and need help organizing your thoughts? Or just want to up your score for the SAT or GED test? We’ve got your back, and we pay for it, so you don’t have to!
Log on to the HelpNow (Brainfuse) resource on the prattlibrary.org site for free, online, and live one-on-one help from experienced and vetted tutors. All you need is your library card number. Don’t have your physical library card? Just sign up for an eCard and get instant access to all of our online resources (be sure to choose “digital” from the “your library” choices).
Students in elementary, middle, and high school (and yes, adults too!) have free access to many online study resources every day from 2pm-11:55pm.
What can HelpNow do for you?
Once you log in, you can choose which direction you’d like to go. Need one-on-one help with something? Choose the “Live Tutoring” option. Want to send in a question but you don’t need immediate help?
Choose “Send Question” and get a response from a tutor within 24 hours. Want to see how the rough draft of your paper looks? Submit it to the “Writing Lab,” and get a detailed analysis by email. Then, connect with an online tutor for further help. Want to put a study group together, but can’t because of “social distancing”? Set up a session in “MEET,” and collaborate on projects, study for tests, and more! You can also get help for all major college prep and GED tests, or just discover the right career and/or college major for you!
There is so much this resource can do, but you’ll have to see for yourself! For teens who need book recommendations (or help with anything else), please feel free to email teen@prattlibrary.org, and your Teen Librarians will help you out with that! Of course, they will need to be eBooks, or Audiobooks right now, but hey! We provide those for free too!
