Chapter V - Life-Sized Clue! - Or you know you have too much time on your hands when...

Okay, I have to admit, this wasn't my idea, but it quickly became my brainchild. I was told that there was a life-sized Clue game that had been planned a while ago, but it didn't have any direction yet. I figured it would be an easy, generic bit of larger-than-life gaming.

Then I got bored.

Less than two weeks before the event, I brought up some brainstorming ideas to my YABers (the teens in the Youth Advisory Board) - we could do traditional, or we could do it as if in the library, or we could do some sort of parody. When I suggested that they take the role of the suspects - and thus tokens - they quickly decided they wanted to do the literary world. We round-robined, had a lot of ideas, and ended with six series: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Warm Bodies, X-Men, Percy Jackson, and Hunger Games. We round-robined again to take a weapon from each series, which netted us a wand, Sting, a zombie limb, charged cards, Medusa's head, and a bow and arrow set.

Their homework was to give me locations and six of them were charged with coming up with characters. Some chose characters from the series (Ron Weasley, Aragorn, and Katniss) but also made up their own color-coded names ("Counselor Orange," "Death Frost," and "Mutant Midnight"). There was some shifting of characters and people, but what matters is that in the end we had enough tokens and I had some prop help.

Then I got even more bored.

I designed a board. I did the locations (one from each, plus two from Percy and Harry Potter to make the secret passage rooms connection between same-universe areas). Then I made cards. Then I made a brand new case. Flyers went up in the children's room with a note from one Miriam Quill, a mystic librarian. She was gifted with a golden quill that brought stories to life (the six tales chosen above) - but one of the characters didn't want to return to the book, and destroyed her quill, trapping her in the storeroom of her magical library. She pleaded with children to find out who destroyed it, and to find out with what and where so her assistant could reverse the damage and free her.

Sign ups doubled after that flyer went out.

Day of, there was a lot of math, lines, and masking tape to make a board that was 25 squares by 15. The rooms were taped out, each tile in the hallways were taped out, doors were placed, each room labeled. Props for each weapon were scattered, and six of my YABers donned costumes and immersed themselves in the roles of their characters. I played the frantic library assistant aiding the children in solving the mystery.

I was expecting a turn-out of about ten, maybe. The day after the flyer, I checked sign-ups. Seventeen. We had twenty by day-of (maybe I should have put the flyer out more than two days before the game). Siblings came. Parents actually stayed to watch instead of wandering the library. All told, including my volunteer YABers, we had an attendance of fifty-two.

That number still astounds me. What astounds me more is that we kept the attention of twenty kids, mostly eight to twelve year-olds. And we kept the attention of their parents, who sat and watched it all unfold.

I am so proud of my YABers. I didn't get to give them much direction ahead of time, and they performed with the tips I was able to give them brilliantly. They put up with a lot from the kids, some more than others, and we kept attention for two hours. I'm a little proud of myself, too, I don't usually have so much control over something and have it actually be so successful. I rarely leave the assistant role - to take charge and to actually do it well was a great way to end the year. Bon temps!

Chapter IV: Tabletop RPGs - Or when fiction just isn't enough

Cooperative fiction. Interactive storytelling. Improvisational exercises. I have so many other phrases to use in place of "tabletop role-playing game." I sometimes forget that's the technical term. It tries to explain it all in one neat package - it takes place around a table, it's a game (it's fiction), and "role-playing" accurately says that participants play a role. I think "interactive storytelling" is my favorite - it seems to describe the activity much better. Game implies inherent winning and losing - but in the world of fiction, as in the world of these "games," a "lost" encounter means little more than a "won" encounter - both propel the story forward and force characters - and players - to stop and think about themselves and their respective worlds.

In fact, I've lost on purpose in games, because that's just what the character wanted to do. Okay, she didn't want to be scared stiff and still fail to overcome her crippling paranoia, but like authors know when to push their characters and when to stave off for a redeeming moment further down the line, I just knew that she wasn't ready to let go of her fear. Stare it down and say pretty words, sure, but because she was completely alone - and because she had the Aspect* of Damsel in Distress - she couldn't hold on to her conviction. The GM gave me a Fate Point** later for good storytelling when I explained to him the rationale (and proved that I had known how to "win" the encounter, but refused to for a better story). Now, is that something you typically see in a game - board, video, or otherwise?

*Aspect, **Fate Point - terms from the highly acclaimed RPG system "FATE." Aspects are character traits that can be used to help or hinder the character. Fate Points are a currency in the system that allow GMs to bribe characters to make bad choices to accelerate the plot, and that allow players to get a temporary boost to sway an encounter to their favor. The FATE system is a magnificent tool for tabletop RPGs - it is very focused on characterization and heavily story-driven, making for a wonderful story every night we play.

I realize that as I talk about things I am most passionate about - this style of gaming being one of the foremost after my reading - I will ramble and expect you to just keep up. But for those of you turning in whom I lost at "Tabletop RPG" up in the title, I invite you to read this excellent introduction to the genre by Steve Johnson. He slows down and describes it concisely (and I still don't know how to make Blogger give me page cuts to save your computer screen when you're browsing the main page).

But I hope that what I've said - and what Steve Johnson has said, if you read that article - has enticed you to learn more about the subject. Already an expert? Share what you know beyond the well-known realms of Dungeons & Dragons (don't get me wrong - I learned this game when I was eight and it was my gateway to this world, but there are so many other options out there that one D&D game is enough for me, complimenting currently The Dresden Files RPG and Vampire: The Requiem and soon, I hope, Changeling (White Wolf), Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple, Happy Birthday, Robot, Spirit of the Century, and other Evil Hat productions). Eager to know more? Give me the reason and I will talk your ear off (or write your... eye off?) about this subject for as long (or as short, you might want to make it short) as you'd like.

The next chapter might just be a supplement to this post detailing some more of the benefits of tabletop RPGs and relaying a few other good stories from the table.

Chapter III: Children's Stories - Or why to keep them to read again and again

“Many, if not most, of the best and most lasting children’s books have multiple levels, some of which are not fully accessible to their most likely readers…at least, not on their first read-through at age eight or ten or fifteen.” - Patricia C. Wrede

      I touched - manhandled, really - this subject when I discussed The Giver and its following books. They are books for children and for young adults - you can see a layer or two, sometimes more if you read looking hard enough. But you do not have the life lessons necessary to fully appreciate everything when you are eight or ten or fifteen.

       When I read ElfQuest for the first time - a graphic novel dear to my heart and certainly the subject for its own blog post soon enough - I was five. I had learned to read laughably early and comic books, while not my usual fare, kept me satisfied between library trips. ElfQuest was a simple adventure to me at that time. When I read it again at age ten, I realized bits of the social layer, the complciated dealings between elves and humans and trolls, and that I could apply it to the world I knew. I then read it again every year, yearning to learn something new. It wasn't until I was eighteen that I noticed how many tens of ways love was expressed, just in the first four books. I didn't understand until I was nineteen why the elves spent their time before war the way they did, why it mattered so much to experience life in a frenzy before dealing and facing death. Whether it's a whole new lesson or noticing one new nuance to a panel, ElfQuest treats me to a novelty every time.

       The same happens with all the children's books I read. I have shelves in my room dedicated to the books I read when I was younger, from picture books (I still learn from those) to "Independent Readers" to YA, and even the fantasy fiction I read far too early. I make a habit of rereading those when I can. The Giver gets a new reading every year, ElfQuest every two; Ender's Game makes the rounds every two years as well, while books like The Westing Game and Dealing with Dragons (by the author of that lovely quote) and its subsequent books get back into my hands every three or four years. And those are just the titles that are frequent. I've done this so many times - it's really no wonder my "to-read" shelves take so long to get any smaller.

       If you've never given yourself the pleasure of revisiting an old favorite, do so. You'll notice little things you never knew you'd missed, and maybe find a lesson or two that were hiding between the lines, waiting for you to experience just the right things in life. A book is never, ever the same twice.

Chapter II: The Giver - Or I'm so lame I steal from myself

          I'm stealing from myself. Is that hip or lame? Anyway, we're on such a YA kick that I wanted to share my thoughts about a set that did make the top 100 - The Giver and its companion books. I originally posted this on the YA blog for my library (links to the side!).

          Many young adults have been assigned the iconic novel The Giver by Lois Lowry in some grade or another. I remember my first assignment to read it back in the third grade for a gifted class. I was required to read it again in the fifth grade, and once more in the sixth, and then in my college days, I was asked in my third year while taking a creative writing class for children and young adults. But school wasn't the only time I would read this remarkable classic - after my first introduction to the novel, I read it at least once a year. Every year I would discover something a little different, and as I grew up, the book grew up with me.
          If you haven't read the book since you had to for class, give it another go. The themes are poignant and timeless and some things will have evolved in your mind - exactly what the Stirrings mean, how many different variations of love you can find in your life, the fierce impulses to protect a young life. This is a novel that can grow with its reader, and no one is too old to rediscover something beautiful about it.
            And the story doesn't end with The Giver. Many don't realize it is part of a series - once a trilogy, now an impending quartet. The second book, Gathering Blue, is a tale in a dystopian society that doesn't have the outward glamor of a utopia like the communities of The Giver. It is a society that in the face of the nameless horrors that plagued the world before chose to regress into a setting that feels like it is set in a quasi-Renaissance village. Most villagers don't know about running water or electricity. Young protagonist Kira is taken from this rough life in the village to a life of comfort within the village center. There she learns of the horrors of society before her simplistic village - bombs, fires, destruction. Like Jonas, her eyes are opened to both the wonders and the terrors of the world before - our world. While Jonas never makes an actual appearance in the novel, he is mentioned by a description that is unmistakable to any who have read The Giver.
          Following Gathering Blue is the novel Messenger. This novel ties the previous two together, whereas Gathering Blue had been a companion to the first. The main protagonist is Matty, a boy introduced in the prior novel. Kira and Jonas play supportive roles in this novel. Much more straightforward about its themes (namely materialism and how it corrupts), it reads for a much younger crowd than the other two novels. That said, Lowry's prose retains all of its magical qualities, transporting the reader to this strange village that bridges the gap between The Giver and Gathering Blue. The protagonist is not initially the same sort of quiet thinker as Jonas and Kira, but Matty finds himself more and more reflective as the novel progresses, and we learn as much from him as from his predecessors.
           I mentioned that the series is now becoming a quartet. Lois Lowry has written a fourth book to the series, Son, which will be released October 2. A more direct sequel to The Giver, set in the same place, it ties together the previous three novels. The released summary holds grand promises, and as I must wait until October 2 along with so many others, all I can do is quote it (found on both Amazon and B&N's webpages) with great excitement.

Told in three separate story lines, Lois Lowry’s Son combines elements from the first three novels in her Giver Quartet—The Giver (1994 Newbery Medal winner), Gathering Blue, and Messenger—into a breathtaking, thought-provoking narrative that wrestles with ideas of human freedom. Thrust again into the dark, claustrophobic world of The Giver, readers will meet an intriguing new heroine, fourteen-year-old Claire. Jonas from The Giver is here too, and Kira, the heroine of Gathering Blue. In a final clash between good and evil, a new hero emerges.

          I hope that if you have not had the chance to read the series that follows The Giver, you will give the rest of Lowry's world a chance. It may be dark, but the hopeful lights of the characters will give you cause to reflect on values you may have otherwise taken for granted, such as choice, acceptance, and compassion.

Chapter I: NPR's Top 100 YA Novels - Or lists aren't lame! Sometimes.

So today I learned the term is "Library Assistant" but that doesn't have the same ring for the blog title. Drats. When I learn how to edit the blog title I shall try to remedy this error.

I am not going to review the quote reference from my last post as my first book review, it seems. That reference is to the series ElfQuest and I just don't believe I have the time to dedicate to something that was so influential to me growing up. So instead I'm going to link a list I found: NPR's Top 100 YA novels.

NPR's Top 100 YA Novels

Give it a gander and then bear with me as I touch on just a few of them. (You will soon learn I make huge blog posts. Blogger needs the LiveJournal option of hiding things beneath cut links.)

I'm hardly surprised that two breakout hits from the last decade and change have dominated the list. Harry Potter impacted me heavily, and I still reread the books (and write fanfiction and cosplay the characters and wow that series is apparently huge in my life), and while I'm not the biggest fan, The Hunger Games did a great job hooking more new readers. If you liked the series - and don't mind something just a little darker - a similar novel, Battle Royale, was the reason I read this series in the first place.

I'm pleased that so many classics managed to retain footholds in this list - especially The Giver Series (11th). Giver is easily the most influential book in my life, and since I had to read it in the third grade, I've read this novel once a year, and its sequels, Gathering Blue and Messenger every few years. I eagerly await the fourth book in the series, Son, and strongly encourage anyone who has read Giver to give the other books in the series a read. They aren't as strong an impact, but still exceptional. A little further down, at 17th, I had a laugh at The Princess Bride. The movie was one of my first favorites, and the book is witty and has the same irreverent style as the film.

Then I skim a lot of the list, because I haven't quite gotten a taste for authors Stephanie Meyer or Cassandra Clare or similar novelists, and some of them dominate the teens to thirties in the list. I fully appreciate their impact, and know enough about their books to recommend them, but I have much more on my plate.

I am more than a little surprised at the few literary fiction novels (that is, bookstore speak for grownup fiction) that made their way onto the list, most notably My Sister's Keeper (43rd). It has been on my to-read list for a while, and the fact that it has so many YA fans has only solidified this want. The same holds true for number 50, The Song of the Lioness Series.

And I've been at this for a while so I want to leave off with just three selections from the final fifty on the list. Many people who knew The Last Unicorn animated movie growing up don't realize that it was based on a beautiful novel by Peter S. Beagle (73rd). I've had the pleasure of meeting this wonderful man, and he's as great a person as he is an author. The book explores so much more than the movie, and it's a great insight on humanity. The graphic novel is equally beautiful. At 84 I found a surprise - that other people knew of The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I grew up on this series, centering on a princess who doesn't want to be a normal princess, but does something most tomboys in fiction don't - she is strong and independent without being a male character in a female body. Leviathan squeaked in at 92. The novel is one of the first YA novels to introduce steampunk to the YA room, a tread I'd love to see continue.

I wish I had a fun picture to tie into this large wall of text. But I don't tonight. What books from the Top 100 are you happy or unhappy to see up there? What should have made the cut? I'd love to have more to add to my list of books to read (and by that I mean to add to the many bookshelves of books to read I own).

Preface: The Rambling Beginning - Or proof that I'm not much good at starting things

Nearly three weeks have passed with me in my new position. I'm still not quite sure what that position is. My brand new, just-got-yesterday name tag simply labels me as belonging to the Adult Services Department. I know I shouldn't use the term "librarian" because I studied English, not Library Sciences. That's about as far as I got. I wormed my way in because they needed a presence for the teen section, and the teens wanted someone young. I cemented my place with the other woman in charge of YA because the section was weak on fantasy and comics, and those are my two passions.

But otherwise, I'm still a little lost. Which is okay - finding your way is sometimes the best way to learn where you should go.

I wanted to make this post as a sort of FAQ answer - "What is this blog about?" Because blogs have become so popular, so numerous, you really need a good edge in to make it count. I doubt mine is a novel one, but I'm a young woman who loves books who learned two months ago that working at a library was a legitimate thing to do, and I'd love to share my experiences. At the same time, I want to make a place where I can expand upon this job, learn new things and share what I learn, be that new books (expect a lot of book reviews - I've always wanted to try writing those), interesting program ideas that I won't have a chance to get to for a year, and ways to connect with the teen generation that wants to experience the world through a digital mirror.

Let's see how it goes.

Shade and sweet water to you all! (Perhaps that quote reference will provide my first blogged review!) -- Samma Lynne

Prologue: Past Quotes of the Week

I really need to learn cut text soon.

Past quotes (not really of the week... more like the triweek) will appear here. Because quotes are awesome and I need to collect them. Newest first.

Have suggestions for books that need to be quoted? Share them!

--

“I liked the feeling of love,' [Jonas] confessed. He glanced nervously at the speaker on the wall, reassuring himself that no one was listening. 'I wish we still had that,' he whispered. 'Of course,' he added quickly, 'I do understand that it wouldn't work very well. And that it's much better to be organized the way we are now. I can see that it was a dangerous way to live.'...'Still,' he said slowly, almost to himself, 'I did like the light they made. And the warmth.” The Giver, Lois Lowry
--

“'This is the most important lesson you must learn about magic,' Miss Ochiba went on. 'There are many ways of seeing. Each has an element of truth, but none is the whole truth. If you limit yourselves to one way of seeing, one truth, you will limit your power. You will also place limits on the kinds of spells you can cast, as well as their strength. To be a good magician, you must see in many ways. You must be flexible. You must be willing to learn from different sources. And you must always remember that the truths you see are incomplete.'” - Thirteenth Child, Patricia Wrede

--

 

"My lady," he said, "I am a hero. It is a trade, no more, like weaving or brewing, and like them it has its own tricks and knacks and small arts. There are ways of perceiving witches, and knowing of poison streams; there are certain weak spots that all dragons tend to have, and certain riddles that hooded strangers tend to set you. But the true secret in being a hero lies in knowing the order of things. The swineherd cannot already be wed to the princess when he embarks on his adventures, nor can the boy knock on the witch's door when she is already away on vacation. The wicked uncle cannot be found out and foiled before he does something wicked. Things must happen when it is time for them to happen. Quests may not simply be abandoned; prophecies may not be left to rot like unpicked fruit; unicorns may go unrescued for a very long time, but not forever. The happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story." - The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle