In Our Feeds: Spectacular libraries, kids’ drawings & Harry Potter covers from around the world

Brittany Sullivan  //  Aug 22, 2014

In Our Feeds: Spectacular libraries, kids’ drawings & Harry Potter covers from around the world

Every Friday, we share a handful of links that we found funny, provocative or just plain cool. We call it In Our Feeds. Have a great weekend!

This week, hundreds of teachers filled the halls here at Scholastic Headquarters in New York City for our annual Teacher Week! Time has flown by, and while we can’t believe that Teacher Week @ Scholastic has already come and gone, we are entering the weekend feeling inspired and rejuvenated by the passion for teaching and learning that we saw throughout the week. One thing that we all talk about a lot here at Scholastic, especially with teachers, is books!

Lia shared this interesting article about “Don’t Read Books!” A 12th-Century Zen Poem. The article’s author stumbled upon a 12th century poem by Chinese poet Yang Wanli, renouncing books as a distraction from Buddhist practices. Today, books are often viewed as an uplifting escape from the modern world—an essential component to academic development! Who knows what future generations will think?

Speaking of books, Stephanie spotted a gallery of the most spectacular libraries in the world. She noted, “Most of them are so new, fresh, and modern—quite different from how a library looked when I was younger!” The OOM team recently took a field trip to number 54 on the list, The Morgan Library in New York City. Have you had the chance to visit any of these stunning libraries?

Some other fun spots to check off on your list are the “top 10 restaurants and bars in modern literature.” Chef and author Michael Gibney examines the abundance of restaurants and bars sprinkled throughout popular literature, ranking Hotel X from Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell as the number one literary dining spot.

Also this week, Morgan noticed NPR’s article, “What Kids' Drawings Say About Their Future Thinking Skills.” Those doodles on the fridge might mean more than you thought! According to the journal Psychological Science there is a possible link between how a child draws at age 4 and his/her thinking skills later in life at age 14. Lastly, Nadia shared this amazing collection of Harry Potter covers from around the word. Warning: it’s hard to pick a favorite!

Also in our feeds this week:

  • J.K. Rowling Just Posted A New Story About A Singing Sorceress From “Harry Potter” [via]
  • 'Baby Got Class' Is the Back-to-School Anthem for Parents [via]
  • 20 Amazing Soundtracks & Songs from Movies Based on Books [via]

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!