Tips and tricks to help your reader take on the HPAS Reads Bingo Card Challenge! (And the cards themselves if you need to reprint, or your child wants to switch to a different reader level.)
Turn in your Bingo Card by November 2nd for a chance to win a prize.
Fluent Reader Resources
Confused about a square on your Bingo Card? Check out the explanations below.
Sometimes the explanation will say “Connections to Curriculum”. That means you could choose a book that would support a study unit you are going to do (or have already done). The explanation will say the grade and title of the unit.
Take the challenges at your own pace. Have fun. School work comes first. You can hand in your Bingo Card even if you don’t finish it. Hand it in by November 2nd and you will be entered in a draw for a prize.
Librarian Kelly has shared some podcast recommendations that are listed below. If you have trouble using them you can ask her, or your homeroom teacher, for help.
Happy reading!
Bingo Card
- Read an article about something that happened this week – Politics, sports, entertainment, local news … just something that went on in the world this week.
- Read outside – Almost like another free square! Enjoy some good weather and some reading at the same time.
- Read a graphic novel or manga – There are so many excellent choices. Suggestions include Persepolis, New Kid and Brave.
- Read an article about sustainability – Connection to Curriculum Grade 6 Biodiversity, Grade 7 Interactions in the Environment, Grade 8 Water Systems and Natural Resources Around the World: Use and Sustainability, Grade 4 Habitats and Communities, and more. Sustainability is a theme we come back to again and again, especially here at HPAS. From global to local systems there are lots of sub-topics to choose from.
- Read a play or screenplay – Plays and screenplays are writing with very specific formats. They can be challenging to read at first, but can also be very rewarding. One act plays are often a quick read, and there are collections of the best plays of the year at the library.
- Recommend a book to a friend, Explain why you think they will like it. – You can expand “friend” to siblings or other family, or even your teacher. If you’ve read something that made you think “Hey (fill in name here) would love this!” let them know about it.
- Read something recommended by a friend – Doesn’t have to be the same friend, but trading recommendations can be fun. If no one offers (your tastes might be mysterious, or you might read so much folks think you’ve already read what they might recommend) ask someone.
- Read a French children’s book or short article – When learning a new language getting books for kids can be a fun way to expand your vocabulary and expose yourself to more complicated word usage. Look for a book your familiar with in English (Mo Willems’ Pigeon books, Dragons Love Tacos and more are available in French) or something completely new. Boukili is a free app from TFO that has books aimed at kids 4 and up.
- Read a poem – Modern or classic, humorous or sorrowful, it‘s up to you.
- Write to a politician about something you care about – Local, Provincial or Federal, someone out there is making decisions about things that will affect your life. Write them a letter to let them know what you think, and what you want them to do. For added impact write to someone who has an obligation to represent you or your family.
- Write a note to thank someone for something they’ve done – Expressing gratitude helps us feel connected. Make someone’s day by letting them know you’re glad they did/do something.
- Read the TDSB website about high school options – This is mostly for the Grade 7/8s. If you aren’t ready to think about this quite yet, read the TDSB High Park website main page instead, and find out how your school gets described!
- Read a book, chapter or article about cells – Connection to Curriculum Grade 8 Cells, Grade 5 Human Health and Body Systems. Akane Shimizu’s manga Cells at Work! anthropomorphizes the cells of the body in the manga that follows a red blood cell trying to survive and do its job. Lots of non-fiction choices too, of course!
- Read a recipe for something you’d like to make – You don’t have to make it, just read the recipe so you know what you need to get and what you need to do, if you do want to give it a try.
- Read a book, chapter or article about a sport or game – Soccer, eSports, the history of Scrabble, or if, like me, you scratch your head as you pass by that banner on the fence at Annette and Clendenan you could search “What is Pickleball?”
- Read about North America 1718-1850 from an Indigenous perspective – Connections to Curriculum Grade 7 New France and British North America 1713-1800, Canada 1800-1850 Conflict and Challenges, Grade 3 Communities in Canada 1780-1850, Grade 6 Communities in Canada Past and Present. Book suggestions include The Birchbark House, Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner (set in 1864, but include references to history that led up to events), Talking Leaves and David A Robertson’s graphic novel Stone.
- Listen to a podcast – Librarian Kelly has some suggestions below!
- Read a how-to article on something you want to learn to do – WikiHow is a great website for this, but you can also find books, magazines and more: learn how to ice a cake, or code redstone in Minecraft, or anything you want to learn.
- Read an article about a holiday your family doesn’t celebrate – Communities in Canada celebrate pretty much every holiday in the world. Find an article (or a picture book, they often offer great overviews) about something you don’t know much about and learn about your neighbours!
- Read something written by someone your age – This doesn’t have to be your exact age, but there are very young writers out there. From Greta Thunberg to Malala Yousafzai young activists are writing about their experiences. Fiction writers like Gordon Korman and Christopher Paolini wrote their first books at 13 and 14. And there are young writers reviewing books and video games, and writing about things that matter to them. Check them out!
- Read something written by a 2SLGBTQIA+ author – So much to choose from! You could ask a student who is part of the GSA for a recommendation and get that square covered too. Suggestions include Zenobia July, Melissa (previously published as George), and I, Promise (a picture book by Catherine Hernandez).
- Make a cozy reading space, or make your space more comfy – Do you have a spot where you like to read? Does it need a cushion? A better light? Music? Or headphones for silence? Talk to your grown-ups, but see if you can make your reading space work better for you.
- Read a book, chapter or article about a specific biome – Connections to Curriculum: Grade 4 Habitats and Communities, Grade 7 Physical Patterns in a Changing World, Natural Resources Around the World: Use and Sustainability, Grade 6 Biodiversity.
- Read something again, that you might appreciate differently now – When we reread things we often notice new things, and bring everything that we have learned in the meantime to the reading. Re-read an old favourite or something you didn’t really get into the first time, but think you might connect to now.
Podcasts
World on Fire
When your backyard burns, is anywhere safe? Welcome to World on Fire, a podcast that takes us to the front lines of out of control wildfires in Canada, Australia and the United States. Hosts Adrienne Lamb and Mike Flannigan look at what it takes to find hope in the midst of record breaking heat waves, and communities burning to the ground. Hear from exhausted crews battling wildfire after wildfire and find out why experts say this is just the beginning. Wildfires cost us our health, our homes and our communities, yet people everywhere rebuild and not just survive but thrive.
The Unbelievable Disappearance of Mars Patel
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel is a scripted podcast for middle grade kids, performed by middle grade kids. It is a fun, high-quality, serial mystery that can be described as Goonies meets Spy Kids meets Stranger Things for 8-12 year olds.
Greeking Out
If you have a mythology aficionado in the house or want your kids to discover Greek mythology, check out Nat Geo Kids Greeking Out! It’s a podcast for the whole family that retells stories of Ancient Greece and beyond!
Websites
https://www.teenbookcloud.com
TeenBookCloud is an online collection of ebooks, enhanced novels, graphic novels, videos and audio books, which includes access to an amazing range of content for all reading levels.
