Lives of children around the world have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were suddenly forced to reckon with virtual classrooms. Social distancing norms have demanded that they stay home, away from friends, loved ones and playgrounds. And it is books that have helped them make sense of these difficult times.
J.K. Rowling
One of the first to announce a slew of initiatives for her readers was J.K. Rowling. The best-selling author started publishing her new children’s novel “Ickabog” in a serialised manner online. The initial chapters were free to read. What’s more, Rowling asked readers to send in their drawings of the Ickabog and acknowledged the best entries on her Twitter handle. Rowling even offered free access to the first book in the “Harry Potter” series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”.
Stephenie Meyer
Young adult readers too had something to cheer for. Stephenie Meyer released “Midnight Sun” – a companion book to the bestselling “Twilight” series. The book narrated the love story between Bella Swan and the vampire Edward Cullen for the first time from his point of view.
Jeff Kinney
Not to be left behind, Jeff Kinney, author of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, visited bookstores across the U.S. in August to hand out signed copies of his new book, “Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure”, in a safe, fun, socially distant way – via a custom-made 96-inch trident.
Oh really?
Numerous children’s books and picture books have been published over the last few months in response to the global health crisis. Freely available online, these books teach children about coronavirus, and encourage them to protect themselves and others.
Our top picks include “My Hero is You! How Kids Can Fight COVID-19”, which is based on a global survey on children and adults coping with the virus, and “From My Window”, a book by United Nations about the joys of being house-bound.
Picture Credit : Google