National Book Month | Periscope

National Book Month is observed in October. This collection celebrates books! 

Title:
Idella Bodie | National Book Month
Idella Bodie | National Book Month
Episode 1

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Have you ever wanted to read a book set in your own hometown? Chances are Idella Bodie would like to write one for you. Many of Idella's books are set in familiar places - Charleston, Lake Murray...
Tablet from Sumer, Now Known as Iraq | National Book Month
Tablet from Sumer, Now Known as Iraq | National Book Month
Episode 1

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

A tablet might also be called a book, but it is only one or two pages. And since tablets are usually made of clay or stone, they would be pretty heavy in your bookbag. This is a tablet from Sumer, the...
A Scribe in His Study | National Book Month
A Scribe in His Study | National Book Month
Episode 2

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Did you ever wonder what the first books were like? European monks started making them many, many years ago in the Middle Ages. They did not have a printing press so each book was made by hand. The...
Anthony Fredericks: Under One Rock | National Book Month
Anthony Fredericks: Under One Rock | National Book Month
Episode 2

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Anthony Fredericks says, "Under One Rock has a lot of facts about creatures like insects that live in the soil. But I also wanted to weave a story around it so I could open up some of the mystery...
Idella Bodie's Books | National Book Month
Idella Bodie's Books | National Book Month
Episode 2

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Books by Idella Bodie: Secret of Telfair Inn A Hunt for Life's Extras: The Story of Archibald Rutledge The Mystery of the Pirates Treasure Stranded Ghost in the Capitol Whopper: A Novel South Carolina...
April Pulley Sayre: Dig, Wait, Listen | National Book Month
April Pulley Sayre: Dig, Wait, Listen | National Book Month
Episode 3

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

April and Anthony study everything around them -- the animals, the plants, the rocks, the weather, well...everything. They use their five senses and take a lot of notes. Their field notes help them to...
Betsy Byars | National Book Month
Betsy Byars | National Book Month
Episode 3

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Betsy Byars is an author of over 60 books for young people. Her book Summer of the Swans won the Newbery medal in 1971, and her works have been translated into nineteen different languages! Betsy and...
Page from the Book of Kells | National Book Month
Page from the Book of Kells | National Book Month
Episode 3

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Each book was special and took a long time to make. Sometimes a monk worked for a year or more on one book. Usually they were stories from the Bible, so the monks wanted them to be very beautiful...
13th Century Prayer Book | National Book Month
13th Century Prayer Book | National Book Month
Episode 4

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In this page from a 13th century prayer book the letter "P" changes into a man and the "E" is in a box, with flowers inside it. Photo courtesy of The Melbert R. Cary, Jr. Graphic Arts Collection
Betsy Byars' Books | National Book Month
Betsy Byars' Books | National Book Month
Episode 4

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Books by Betsy Byars: The Midnight Fox Trouble River The Summer of the Swans The House of Wings The Winged Colt of Casa Mia The 18th Emergency After the Goat Man The TV Kid The Pinballs The Cartoonist...
Let's Do Some Research! | National Book Month
Let's Do Some Research! | National Book Month
Episode 4

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Like April and Anthony, you can find the ingredients for a story right in your own backyard. Go somewhere outside - the playground, the lawn, a garden, a park, or the woods, perhaps. And don't forget...
14th Century Prayer Book - National Book Month
14th Century Prayer Book - National Book Month
Episode 5

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

This is a page from a prayer book made in England in the 14th century. Can you see how the big letter "S" has an ivy vine growing all around it? Photo courtesy of The Melbert R. Cary, Jr. Graphic Arts...
Matt Christopher | National Book Month
Matt Christopher | National Book Month
Episode 5

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Matt Christopher transformed his love for sports into the setting for his numerous books for young readers. Baseball, basketball, soccer, football, hockey, mountainbiking, snowboarding, tennis - you...
14th Century Hymnal | National Book Month
14th Century Hymnal | National Book Month
Episode 6

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

This hymnal from the 14th century has a "B" with a long tail. What else do you notice about the "B"? Photo courtesy of The Melbert R. Cary, Jr. Graphic Arts Collection
Begin Your Research | National Book Month
Begin Your Research | National Book Month
Episode 6

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Look for an interesting spot to begin your research. It might be a place where you see lots of activity -- a pond, a garden, or a bunch of flowers, for example. Or it might be a place that needs to be...
Matt Christopher's Books | National Book Month
Matt Christopher's Books | National Book Month
Episode 6

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Books by Matt Christopher: All-Star Fever Baseball Flyhawk Baseball Jokes and Riddles Baseball Pals The Basket Counts Catch that Pass Catcher with a Glass Arm Center Court Sting Challenge at Second...
15th Century Prayer Book | National Book Month
15th Century Prayer Book | National Book Month
Episode 7

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Here a border is made out of flowers. It is from a prayer book made in the 15th century. Courtesy of: The Melbert R. Cary, Jr. Graphic Arts Collection
Do As Authors & Scientists Do | National Book Month
Do As Authors & Scientists Do | National Book Month
Episode 7

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

These are some of the things authors and scientists who study the natural world do. You can do the same! Note the time, place and date of your field research. Observe the size, shape, color, texture...
Tom Feelings | National Book Month
Tom Feelings | National Book Month
Episode 7

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Tom Feelings describes himself as a "storyteller in picture form." Through his artwork, Tom allows the reader to discover diverse people, places, and events from around the world. Tom lived in Africa...
Medieval Book Cover | National Book Month
Medieval Book Cover | National Book Month
Episode 8

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Handmade books were expensive and only very rich people could afford to buy them. Because it took so long to make one book, only a few books existed. There were no bookstores and the biggest library...
Tom Feelings' Books | National Book Month
Tom Feelings' Books | National Book Month
Episode 8

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Books illustrated by Tom Feelings: Soul Looks Back in Wonder Now Sheba Sings Jambo Means Hello Moja Means One The Middle Passage Tom feelings died on August 25, 2003. Learn more about Tom feelings and...