<div dir="ltr"><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><div style="" class="gmail_default"><div style="text-align:center"><div><img height="165" width="443" alt="image.png" src="cid:ii_k8p3bodz0"><br></div></div><div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px;text-align:start">[Image depicts a bird and bee buzzing around plant leaves and flowers]</span>  <span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font color="#674ea7" size="4"><b><br></b></font></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font color="#674ea7" size="4"><b><br></b></font></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font color="#674ea7" size="4"><b>This is really fun</b></font></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><font color="#674ea7" size="4"><b>Creative juices flowing</b></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font color="#674ea7" size="4"><b>Pure poetic joy!</b></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font size="4">Contributed by: John Owen</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font size="4">Director of Maryland State Library for the Blind Physically Handicapped</font></div></div><div style=""><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt 1.25in;line-height:107%;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"></p></div></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><font size="4"><br></font></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><font size="4">LBPH challenges you to come up with your best </font><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="4">quarantine-composed </font></span><span style="font-size:large">Haiku.  What is a “Haiku”? Haiku poems celebrate an appreciation for beauty and nature. Plants, animals, water, weather, and seasons are often subjects of a haiku. These poems require the writer to count syllables instead of words. This form of poetry always uses 3 lines and 17 syllables. </span></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><font size="4"><br>Line 1: 5 syllables<br>Line 2: 7 syllables<br>Line 3: 5 syllables<br><br>Example #1<br>Green and speckled legs,<br>Hop on logs and lily pads<br>Splash in cool water.<br><br>Example #2<br>Cherry blossom buds<br>Do they hear someone coughing?<br>Better to stay shut!<br>— Marilyn Berger<br>(<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/</a>)<br><br>Resources to Visit<br><a href="https://writeshop.com/writing-haiku-poem/">https://writeshop.com/writing-haiku-poem/</a><br><a href="https://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/haiku.htm">https://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/haiku.htm</a></font></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><font size="4"><br>Send your quarantine-composed haiku to share with our readers. </font></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><font size="4">Email your poem(s) to: <a href="mailto:lashawn.myles@maryland.gov">lashawn.myles@maryland.gov</a>. </font><br></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><font size="4"><u><b><br></b></u></font></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><font size="4"><u><b>Don't forget to also Join, Read, and Vote!</b></u></font></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><font size="4"><u><b><br></b></u></font></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><b style="font-size:large;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><font color="#93c47d">JOIN  </font></b><span style="font-size:large;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">“Spring into Reading” Book Challenge. Sign up at <a href="https://marylandlbph.beanstack.org">https://marylandlbph.beanstack.org</a>.</span><br></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><font size="4"><b><font color="#93c47d">READ</font>  </b>Request books or magazines from MD LBPH, download from BARD, or use Bookshare.  It doesn’t matter, as long as you read!</font></span></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><font size="4"><font color="#93c47d"><b>VOTE</b> </font>While looking for some great books, check out the 2020 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Nominees. Students may cast one vote for the book they consider being the most outstanding in each of the categories. All votes will be tallied to determine the winners. Submit your vote by April 25, 2020</font></span><br></div><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt 1.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p style="line-height:150%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" class="gmail-MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><a href="https://forms.gle/hW6m1dihM7i6V6Ww5">Best Picture Book  <span style="color:windowtext;font-weight:normal;text-decoration-line:none"></span></a></span></b></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://forms.gle/akPSVoDpmAfLaPHAA"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:107%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Best Grades 4- 6 Chapter Book</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:107%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></b></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://forms.gle/fjDjCwf41oyAgnM68"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:107%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Best Grades 6-9 Chapter Book</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:107%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></b></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt 1.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal">





</p><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://forms.gle/884VvpJ51PrfbE767"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:107%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Best High School Book  </span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:107%;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></b></p></div><div><p style="margin:0in 0in 8pt 1.25in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><br></p></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" class="gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><table style="font-size:12.8px;border-collapse:collapse;border:none" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td style="width:76.5pt;border-top:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-right:1pt solid windowtext;padding:0in 5.4pt" valign="top" width="102"><p style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:5pt"><br></span> <img height="96" width="90" src="cid:ii_14e8cd7de7082e4b"></p></td><td style="width:175.5pt;border:none;padding:0in 5.4pt" valign="top" width="234"><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">LaShawn Myles </span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12.6667px">Youth Services Librarian</span></font></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped</span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Maryland State Library</span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:9.5pt">415 Park Avenue</span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Baltimore, Maryland 21201-3603</span></p><p style="font-size:12.8px;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><a target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" value="+14102302454" href="tel:(410)%20230-2454">410-230-2455</a> (office)</span></p><p style="font-size:12.8px;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><a target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" value="+14103332095" href="tel:(410)%20333-2095">410-333-2095</a> (fax)</span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><a target="_blank" style="font-size:12.8px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif" href="mailto:lashawn.myles@maryland.gov">lashawn.myles@maryland.gov</a><span style="font-size:12.8px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><a target="_blank" style="font-size:12.8px;color:rgb(17,85,204)" href="http://www.doit.state.md.us/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?agencycode=MSDE&SurveyID=86M2956">Click here</a><span style="font-size:12.8px"> to complete a three question customer experience survey.</span><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br></font><table style="font-size:12.8px;color:rgb(80,0,80);border-collapse:collapse;border:none" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td style="width:175.5pt;border:none;padding:0in 5.4pt" valign="top" width="234"><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px"><br></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><span></span><span></span><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>