Welcome, to Between the Lines!

Welcome to Between the Lines! Each month you will discover new themes and adventures as you complete reading challenges and beyond the book activities for grades K to 8. Track your reading for each challenge using the Beanstack App. Complete all 4 reading challenges for the month and you’ll have the chance to win a prize! Each month you can also submit your reading log for the chance to recommend your favourite book to other library customers with our Between the Lines bookmark!

Post your Between the Lines reading and adventure challenges on social media with the hashtag #MPLBTL to help other library users join in the fun. 

Let the reading adventure start now!

September Reading Challenges

1. Read a book about an endangered animal

National Wildlife Day falls on September 4 each year. This gets people thinking about the endangered species of our planet, and what we can do to help them. Learn about an endangered species by reading a book about one. To give you an idea of what animals to read about, you can go to the World Wildlife Fund Website for a list of endangered species, visit one of our library locations and find the “Animals” section in the Children’s Department, or check out some of these suggested reads:

2. Read an e-book

September 18 is “Read an e-book” day. Did you know that we have lots of different online databases and apps that you can get e-books from? 

To start with we have Overdrive. Try the Kids e-reading room, it’s loaded with great e-books. These can be downloaded from your computer or viewed using the Libby app. With Hoopla, you can download e-books right onto your computer or use the Hoopla app. Keep in mind that you can only download 10 items on this database per month. There are also Tumblebooks and Tumblebooks Library-Biblio Enfants. Both databases are full of read-along picture books, chapter books, graphic novels and more, all geared toward kids (K to 6). Download this content from their webpage. 

Have fun exploring all the different e-book resources!

3. Read a Mystery or a Mysterious book

Like suspense? Are you familiar with titles such as The Hardy Boys, Geronimo Stilton, and other series within the same genre? Fill your appetite for mystery by reading a book that will keep you guessing. Dust off that magnifying glass and use those sleuthing skills to really stimulate your mind!

4. Read a book that inspired a movie or TV show

Do you enjoy the “silver screen” but are tired of just watching and not doing? Challenge yourself by reading a book which inspired your favourite movie or TV show! This will help you get a deeper look into the thoughts of your favourite hero and understand your favourite movie or TV show even more. Allow your imagination to paint a picture for you!

Beyond Books Challenges

1. Visit an animal sanctuary or zoo

In honour of National Wildlife Day on September 4, visit a local zoo or animal sanctuary and spend some quality time with wildlife or animals this month. Some great examples in our area are:

• Markham Cat Adoption and Education Centre in the Thornhill Community Centre
• Toronto Zoo 
• Lionel’s Farm 
• Carma Farms 
• Reptilia Vaughan
• Markham Trails Project
• Markham Cycling and Trails
• Horse Therapy Centre of Canada

2. Draw your own comic strip

Are you a fan of Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman? Are you a fan of art and graphic novels but not necessarily superheroes? September 25 is National Comic Books Day and a fun way to celebrate art and stories! Draw your own comic strip and see how quickly you, too, can become a comic fanatic! 

Comic strip Template

3. Visit a Markham Festival or Fair

This September, AppleFest is making its way to the Markham Museum and the Markham Fair is on at the end of the month. Try some activities from the past, like horse rides and tractor pulls, or new welcomed additions, like visiting with the adorable farm animals at Markham Fair! You can also see one of the oldest buildings in Markham: the Hoover House at the Museum. Visit a Markham Festival or Fair and have fun learning about your community!

4. Learn one saying in Sign Language 

Infantry tactics, riding a bike on the road, playing baseball, communicating with the hearing impaired – can you guess what all of these have in common? HAND SIGNALS! For 3.2 million people in Canada, American Sign Language (ASL) is the primary way of communication. September 23 is Sign Language Day. Take the time this fall to learn a phrase in ASL to help better understand those who rely upon it and get started learning a fun and intriguing new way to communicate! 

Featured Markham Public Library Online Resource: TumbleBooks

Use this resource to find animated story books where the sounds, music, and narration help make the book come to life! All in one place, you can try read-alongs, e-books, games, and videos, plus there are multiple languages to choose from. TumbleBooks makes reading even more fun! 

TumbleBooks is also available in French as Tumble Biblio Enfants and Tumble AudioBookCloud (which has audiobooks for everyone, not just children).

Programs

Markham Public Library Programming

• • MPL’s variety of “Books and Reading” Programs
  • MPL's events for families and children

The City of Markham Programming

• • Programming for all ages. All programming requires registration. The City of Markham has a new program registration system -- create an account today: City of Markham program registration site.