Some schools have opened to full-day classes, hybrid classes that combine in-person instruction with online classes, while other schools will offer only distance learning.

Whatever the circumstances for your child, it’s a good idea to be prepared to help them learn at home or supplement their curriculum just in case. We’ve included a few suggested books for younger kids to help them understand this pandemic and feel more in control.

This month, we’re recommending these books to help your child stay on track:

A Little Spot Stays Home: A Story about Viruses and Safe Distancing (2020) by Diane Alber – after requests from parents and teachers to help explain to children what is happening right now, Alber wrote this book to explain to children safe distancing, staying safe, why we have to stay home, and why can’t they see their friends. Alber’s story is easy to understand, educational, and hopeful. For ages 4-8

I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids (2018) by Gabi Garcia – Mindful affirmations to help kids find their inner strength and the encouragement they need to navigate their daily environments. A diverse group of children are represented in this book. For ages 4 and up – also available in Spanish

Masked Ninja: A Children’s Book About Kindness and Preventing the Spread of Racism and Viruses (Ninja Life Hacks) (2020) by Mary Nhin and Grow Grit Press  - Kids learn the importance of handwashing, wearing masks, and socially distancing to help reduce/prevent the spread of viruses. For ages 4 & up

Blah Blah Blah Card Game (2020) by Mrs. Wordsmith - Blah Blah Blah is a fun card game for kids who are just starting to learn to read. Master decoding words using phonics with three decks of cards with increasing difficulty. Players get rid of cards by matching sounds and letters and using wild cards to trip up opponents! For ages 4 and up

Building a House (1990) by Byron Barton – In simple language, Barton goes through the steps needed to build a house – digging the foundation, pouring the concrete, building the walls, putting in the plumbing and electrical, painting so a family can move in. I selected this book to go with the books I recommended this month for adults. If you are making changes to your home, it’s fun for younger children to be involved by teaching them how houses are made, so they can understand why you can/cannot make changes to your home.  For ages 3-7

Geometry Genius: Lift and Learn (2020) by DK – this book is designed to help children understand the properties of 2-D and 3-D shapes. For ages 5-8

Storyteller's Card Game (2020) by Mrs. Wordsmith - Help your kids develop a rich, descriptive vocabulary to help them write brilliant stories. This game can be enjoyed by the whole family. This game contains 300 word-cards, with humorous illustrations and 200 story prompts to fire kids’ imaginations. For ages 7 and up

How to be Good at Math (2016) by DK – This book is designed to help young readers prepare for mathematics. Kids will learn and solve substitution sums, master multiples, and decipher fractions. For ages 7-11

A Kids’ Guide to the Periodic Table: Everything You Need to Know about the Elements Paperback (2020) by Edward P. Zovinka Ph.D. and Rose A. Clark Ph.D. – Kids learn the history and science of the 118 elements that make up everything. For ages 8-11

Bridges and Tunnels: Investigate Feats of Engineering with 25 Projects (2012) by Donna Latham – Kids 9 and up explore the innovation and physical science behind structures our world depends on. This book includes hands-on activities and projects, trivia, and fun facts about engineering ingenuity and achievements including a hands-on exploration of Newton’s Third Law of Motion and of forces that push and pull on structures. For ages 9-12

What’s the Point of Math? (2020) by D.K. – Kids learn the history of math and its many uses by exploring numbers and counting, shapes and measuring, patterns and sequences, probability and logic, and data and statistics. For ages 9-12

Math Dictionary for Kids: The #1 Guide for Helping Kids with Math (2016) by Theresa Fitzgerald – Kids (and adults) will quickly find the definitions and illustrated examples for math terms and equations to help solve math problems. This book contains more than 400 definitions, full-color illustrations, and examples. For ages 9-14

Merriam-Webster's Student Atlas, New Edition, 2020 – Student Edition, (2019) by Merriam-Webster full-color maps, photographs, and easy-to-use charts and graphs. It features up-to-date statistics and global information. Thematic maps show continental drift, ocean floor, climate, natural resources, and population density. Special Map Skills section introduces key geography concepts. For ages 10-13 - my boys loved maps and atlases as soon as they could hold books, so could be appropriate for younger kids.

Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook: The Complete Middle School Study Guide (2020) by Workman Publishing. Kids learn Computing systems, Binary code, Algorithms, Computational thinking, Loops, events, and procedures, Programming in Scratch and Python, Boolean Expressions, Web development, Cyber-security, HTML, CSS, and more. For ages 11-14

How to Use Parts of Speech, Grades 6-8 (1999) by Toni Teacher Created Resources Staff - A guide for students to use the basic units of grammar. For ages 11-14