Children's Authors Pitch in During the Pandemic up Close with the World

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Children’s authors pitch in during the pandemic Heard of Coro’liens? Well, here is an easy way to learn From J.K. Rowling and Neil Gaiman to Elisabetta Dami and Cressida Cowell, about the novel coronavirus. popular children’s authors are connecting with fans through free books, online readings and fun activities The recent COVID19 pandemic has brought the entire world to a WHAT’S IN STORE grinding halt and conned people to You can access free audiobook of their homes. In these dark times, “Harry Potter and the popular children’s authors are Philosopher’s Stone”, puzzles and spreading some cheer among their word search activites in the new young fans through online readings, ‘Harry Potter at Home’ section on free books and fun activities. Here’s wizardingworld.com. what they are doing: Read free short stories and comics Harry Potter at Home on Neil Gaiman’s website Having recovered from a neilgaiman.com. The author has suspected bout of COVID19 also posted his writer’s notes, after two weeks of illness, essays and tidbits about his life author J.K. Rowling has and work. made an online comeback Children’s author Ann Harth has to comfort her fans. Rowling published her books online so launched a new section Author Neil Gaiman. that they can be read for free. titled ‘Harry Potter at Home’ PHOTO THE NEW YORK TIMES on the Wizarding World Moe Willems oers drawing website. To help children also been showing o her baking tutorials on the Kennedy Center overcome boredom during skills and sharing adorable pictures website. the lockdown, it features a of her dogs on social media! plethora of exciting activities and giveaways, Free stories from Gaiman Read the world including a free audiobook Author Neil Gaiman too has come to The World Health Organization is of “Harry Potter and the the rescue of his young readers. On helping young readers through its Philosopher’s Stone,” the his ocial website (neilgaiman.com), #ReadtheWorld initiative launched rst in the sevenpart series the bestselling author has uploaded on April 2, International Children’s about the boy wizard. some of his short stories and comics Book Day. As part of the initiative, Publishers Bloomsbury that can be read for free. The most popular children’s authors including and Scholastic have also notable among his oerings is his Elisabetta Dami, creator of Geronimo oered articles, puzzles Hugoaward winning short story “A Stilton and Cressida Cowell, author of and videos. What’s Study in Emerald”, which is an “How to Train Your Dragon”, read more, Rowling has adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. There extracts of their books to millions of is also a video of Gaiman reading his children and young people currently Author J.K.Rowling. popular children’s books “The living in isolation amid the COVID19 PHOTO AFP Graveyard Book” and “Coraline.” pandemic.

A LEISURE CORNER c A QUEST c Catch the Up close with the world of Science podcasting From learning about black holes come down to Earth to ﬁnd out why dogs pant... Black holes Have you observed dogs bug Do black holes closely? swallow stars and Ever seen a dog pant? Wondered Feeling bored at planets? Why are whether it is a sign of friendliness? they invisible to us? Well, here’s the answer. Dogs pant home? It’s time to A black hole is not to keep cool. They can’t cool o by pick up a new a hole or opening in sweating like we humans do. We space, nor is it a have sweat glands all over the hobby. This week, voracious whirlpool body, so we sweat all over. As the we look at sucking in planetary sweat evaporates, it takes away podcasting... bodies for miles some heat from the body, lowering its temperature in the around. A black hole PHOTO: NASA via AP process. Dogs have sweat glands in their paws, and in some is a great mass compressed into a tiny space. If Earth were other areas not covered by fur. So they cannot produce enough Staying at home during the compressed to half its size without reduction in its mass, the sweat to create a cooling mechanism for the body. Their cooling coronavirus lockdown can gravity at its surface would increase fourfold. A black hole, once system is activated by panting. Panting is rapid, shallow certainly get boring. So if you a gigantic star, has been compressed to a pinpoint so its breathing with mouth open and tongue hanging out. This are looking for a way to keep gravitational pull is massive. If a star comes too close, the facilitates evaporation of moisture from the tongue, mouth and yourself busy as well as stay gravitational pull of the black hole draws it into its own body. upper part of the respiratory tract. Whether it is sweat or connected with your friends, If light approaches it, the gravitational force prevents it from moisture that is evaporating, the end result is the same a drop podcasting could be the perfect leaving. As the light is not reected away, we cannot see the in temperature of the body. Inhalation of cool air and choice. Podcasting can also help black hole, it remains invisible to us. The term ‘black hole’ was exhalation of heatladen air in the process of panting, also you express yourself and pick coined by the physicist John Wheeler in 1967. contributes to the lowering of the temperature of the dog’s body. up new skills. (Content provided by Amrita Bharati)

What it is podcasting? A podcast is an audio programme in the form of a series of episodes focussed on a India’s rst Olympic medal in badminton particular topic or theme. Podcasts can be streamed or REMEMBER THIS? downloaded on a browser or A c an application. Listeners can subscribe to it and listen to the Here, we will sharpen episodes whenever they like. our sports quotient by How it works? taking a look at one Don’t fret, podcasting is not iconic moment from rocket science. Free audio sporting history. Let’s software such as Audacity have made podcasting easy to do take a look at Saina from the comfort of your home. Nehwal’s bronze medal Choose any topic on which you would like to talk. It could be winning performance anything from the daily news, from 2012 London sports, hobbies to even audio Saina Nehwal (second from right in left) seen comforting China's Wang Xin after their drama productions. You can Olympics... bronze medal playo match and celebrating on the podium (right). PHOTOS: AFP, AP also invite your friends as guests on your podcasts You might know India as a force to Dutch Yao Jie and Denmark’s Tine DID YOU KNOW? remotely. reckon with in badminton now, Baun put Saina within a victory of but it wasn’t always the case. We’ve the summit clash. Saina, however, Did you know after recently Even though India had top quality had top players before, but we had lost her seminals against top seed recovering from COVID19, Prince players to boast about earlier as well, to wait until 2012 to get our rst Wing Yihan of China, who nished Charles too is picking up Saina Nehwal’s bronze was the country’s medal in the competition at the with a silver medal. podcasting? So keep those rst badminton medal at the Olympics. recorders rolling! Olympics. The credit for that goes to In the bronze medal playo Saina Nehwal. against China’s Wang Xin, Saina India has won two medals in Useful tips: Ranked fth back then, Saina Nehwal was trailing after she lost badminton at the Olympics so far, one ** Stick to a conversational qualied for the 2012 London the opening game 1821. Luck, bronze and one silver. Both these medals format Olympics and sailed through to the however, was on her side as Wang were won by women. knockout stages with straight Xin was forced to retire after ** Download copyright free After Saina’s bronze in 2012, P V Sindhu music or create your own games victories over Switzerland’s twisting her knee while going for Sabrina Jaquet and Belgium’s an acrobatic smash in the second went one better at the 2016 Rio jingles Olympics, nishing with a silver medal. ** Link the podcast to your Lianne Tan. game. Saina thus nished with a social media page and blog Wins against Chineseborn bronze medal.

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