Sunday, August 31, 2014

Teen Program: Angy Birds LIVE

Traditionally, the last teen program of the summer is held after hours.  This allows us to use the library space in unique ways and, since the teens basically get the library all to themselves and can make as much noise as they want, it really makes the program special for the teens who attend.  This year I was inspired by a few other libraries' success stories to try out a program that had been on my radar for awhile:  Angry Birds LIVE.

Most people are familiar with the Angry Birds game, which is an video game made popular as an app on mobile devices (iOS, Android, etc.) which, thanks to its incredible popularity, is now also available on other platforms.  The premise of the game is simple:  Pigs are positioned in/on various structures.  The player's goal is to destroy the pigs by using a slingshot to fling a variety of wingless birds at the structure, hopefully knocking it and the pigs to the ground.

Creating a "live" version of the game was actually pretty simple.  Well in advance, I asked the library's administrative assistant to set aside boxes for me as we received deliveries at the library.  In one or two months' time I had collected 60 boxes, mostly Baker & Taylor boxes of uniform size, for this project.  We then used these boxes to build structures that mimicked the levels seen in the Angry Birds game.  I also purchased some small playground balls from Oriental Trading which came printed with birds' faces on them.  Not exactly trademarked Angry Birds materials, but it was close enough to give the general idea without being too terribly expensive.  I brought bath towels from home to use as rudimentary sling shots.  The only other supply that we used, which is strictly optional but helped to set the mood, was green balloons, which were taped to paper cups and set on our structures as the pigs.  My summer helper even decorated the balloons with pig faces - they were super cute!


I had seen a number of posts from other librarians online describing their versions of such a program.  Some of the most helpful ones that I used in planning can be found here:

Teen Librarian's Toolbox
The Show Me Librarian

I more or less followed these librarians' descriptions of how to put this program together in terms of what supplies to use and how to play the game.  I did make one major change, however.  Most of the program descriptions that I came across had this event taking place in a large program room, where participants were also responsible for designing the structures themselves and then knocking them over.  This is a very good way to do it, and I love that this kind of program is creative play at its best from start to finish.  However, I really wanted to take advantage of the fact that we were in the library after hours and I wanted to use as much of the library's space as I could.  My solution was to instead design six "levels" of the game in advance.  Each level was assigned a location in the library, and the teens could wander from level to level to try their hand at the game with a different structure, kind of like a game of mini golf.  This was a little more work for me, but it was the only solution that I could come up with that let us take advantage of the library's space.




 Because we were going to be spread out all over the library, I wanted to have someone present who could be in charge of each level.  I recruited six volunteers, one for each level, to help out with this program.  Each volunteer was assigned a level, given a diagram of how it was set up, and shown where his/her level was to be located.  It was the volunteer's job to be the person in charge of the level - to make sure that it was rebuilt after it was knocked over (though I also told them to make the participating teens help out with this), help chase down the balls when they went flying, and basically be the person in charge to made sure that the teens didn't do anything stupid.  Myself and another staff person were then able to wander around from station to station, mingling with the teens, taking pictures, replacing pigs as their balloons were popped, keeping track of the time, etc.

In the end, 25 teens attended this program.  They divided themselves into six groups, and each group was given about 8 minutes to try each level before I flexed my vocal chords by yelling really loudly for them to help reset the level and move on to the next one.  We were able to go through all six levels in about an hour's time.  Since destruction is always fun the teens generally were eager to try each level multiple times, which was good because it generally only took the teens about two minutes to successfully "complete" each level. 

I had created a scorecard for the teens to use, but didn't exactly expect that they would care enough to keep score.  And I was absolutely right about this - no one kept score, and they had a great time anyway.  The big thing that they did take from the scorecard was the set of optional rules printed on the back, which basically gave each color bird a different way that it could be used and launched.  I didn't even directly point this out the teens and figured that those teens who wanted to use these rules could, and those who preferred to play the game in its most straightforward manner could do that.  The groups were split about 50-50 when it came to using these optional rules.


The only hiccup that we came across was the fact that the small playground balls that I had purchased were actually almost too small and light to pack enough force to knock the large boxes over using the typical slingshot method.  We did find throwing the balls to be a more effective technique than using the slingshot, and slinging multiple balls at once also seemed to work well.  The teens, however, had no complaints about the balls that we used.  Part of me wonders if coming up with a solution to this problem was part of the appeal.  Smaller boxes, of course, would be easier to knock over but have the drawback of making each level smaller as a whole.

All in all, this program was a tremendous hit.  It was actually pretty easy and relatively inexpensive to plan - the balls were the only real expense, and I bet that a diligent shopper could find something fairly comparable to the balls that I used for cheaper.  Even still, now that the balls our purchased we have them at our disposal for future programs.  Most importantly, it was just so much fun to give the teens a chance to play.  Yes, you can make the argument that there's a science lesson to be found in this activity and that we're promoting teamwork, etc.  But the bottom line is that they had a good time just goofing off while playing a game.  Can't beat that.

Because this program was so successful (and because one six-year-old was practically in tears when we told him that this program was only for teens) we are planning to recreate the event on a smaller scale in our Community Room for kids of all ages in November.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Teen Program: Egg Drop

This summer was pretty crazy at the library.  Summer is always crazy with extra traffic, kids desperate to report their reading and earn prizes, and programs happening every day of the week.  For myself personally, it was also hectic because I was, through a series of convoluted events that I won't get into here, forced to come back from my maternity leave just in time for summer reading to begin.  Crazy!

Fortunately, I had done a ton of planning for this year's Teen Summer Reading Program well in advance.  Good thing to, because this year we had record numbers of teens signing up to participate in our special events.

Our best-attended program of the summer was our Egg Drop, which a whopping 28 teens participated in.  This program was based on a widely popular physics project done at many middle and high schools.  The idea is to challenge the participants to construct something that will protect an egg that is dropped from a great height and prevent it from breaking.  Teens need to use a little bit of ingenuity to figure out how to displace the force of the impact using a few basic supplies.

We set up several tables for the teens to work at with four chairs at each table.  Each table was given a single egg and the teens worked together to build an egg-protecting contraption.  This was great for encouraging the teens to be social and to promote teamwork and cooperation.  We set up a supply table with a variety of objects that the teens could use to construct their contraptions.  Supplies included:  Berry baskets, styrofoam, cardboard, plastic bags, string, toilet paper tubes, craft sticks, and of course, scissors and tape.  The teens were encouraged when they signed up for the program to think about designs in advance and bring any supplies from home that they might need, but most were happy to just use what we had on hand.



We basically told the teens what the goal was, showed them a few of the supplies at the supply table, and then just let them go to town.  We gave them about 40 minutes to build their contraptions, and much of this time was also filled with socializing and snacking.  I made a point of walking from group to group to ask them about their contraptions and many were eager to show off their ingenuity.



When time was up we went over to our drop point in the library.  My library has a fairly unique two-floor construction, with a main floor on ground level and an open basement below.  There is a large open space in the center of the main floor surrounded by a rail that looks down on the lower level.  We found a spot along this rail that didn't have much that could be disturbed below it, covered it in plastic tablecloths, and marked it off as the area where the eggs and their respective contraptions would be dropped.


The teens gathered on the lower level near the drop point to observe, and groups were called one at a time to go upstairs and drop their contraptions.  The group then had to come back downstairs to open up their contraption to see if their egg survived the fall.  All in all, the dropping portion of this program took a little over 20 minutes with (if I remember correctly) 9 groups.  Yes, we were a bit noisy out in the middle of the library.  But most of the other patrons in the area were actually really interested in what the teens were doing and came by to observe.  I also think that it was nice doing a program like this out in a public place so that other people could see the teens in action doing something positive at the library.

Generally this was a very successful program.  There is only one thing that I would change if we were to do this program again:  I wouldn't include so many packing supplies on the supply table.  I might even leave the styrofoam and bubble wrap out completely.  These materials are built specifically to protect the objects inside from impact, and I think that providing these materials made building successful contraptions a little too easy.  We didn't have a single egg casualty and I would say that at least six of the nine contraptions had more or less the same secure design.  While there is something to be said for such a high success rate, it could have been nice to see more variety and to encourage a little more creative thinking.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Book-to-Movie: Divergent

This week we showed the movie "Divergent" here at the library.  The books upon which this movie was based, written by Veronica Roth, have been hugely popular - so much so that the multiple copies of the book that my library owns are always checked out, with an incredibly long hold list that ensures that we won't be seeing the book anytime soon.  It's no surprise that, in a movie market that is happy to turn successful YA books into film, this series was quickly optioned and adapted to the big screen by Summit Entertainment.  The film was released in theaters in March 2014 and came out on DVD and BluRay on August 5.

Our showing of the film here at the library was quite successful.  Thirty people attended this program and, just as when we showed "The Hunger Games" back in 2012, I was impressed at the number of adults - several parents and a few stand-alone adults - who were interested in seeing this movie with the teens.  It is exciting to see more opportunities for intergenerational programming here at the library thanks to the growing cross-appeal of YA books and movies.

Clearly, the movie is popular.  But was it actually any good?

In my humble opinion, the answer to that question is highly debatable.

When it comes to the movie's ability to translate what happens in the book onto the big screen, I would say that it did quite well.  As I was watching the movie I could think of only one event from the book that was left out of the movie, and though this scene was powerful in the book, I completely understand why this cut was made (time, lack of lasting impact on the series).  As far as my memory is concerned, watching the movie was just like reading the book when it comes to plot. This should please most fans of the book immensely.

There is actually very little significantly wrong with the film.  Fights are well choreographed.  Kate Winslet is significantly villainous as Jeanine Mathews.  I truly enjoyed being able to see the different factions and how each one is symbolized by a different color scheme and sense of design.  Yet this movie just didn't "wow" me.  It was fine.  Maybe I'm just a bit tired of the genre, but I couldn't help but feel that I'd heard this story before, only told better.

My biggest complaint will probably spark some debate since most critics seem to feel differently than I did:  I just didn't care for Shailene Woodley as Tris.  In both the book and in the movie, Four comments that fear doesn't shut Tris down; it instead wakes her up.  I frankly never really saw Tris wake up in this movie.  I saw her jump off of trains and get into fights and go through all of the brave motions she is supposed to.  But I never saw that spark in her eyes, that moment of desperation that drives her to be brave and to enjoy her new freedom.

Still, even if the movie isn't perfect, it is reasonably entertaining.  And since it does such a good job of portraying the plot of the book I'm willing to bet that the majority of fans will be satisfied.

Overall Quality of the Film:  C+
Overall Faithfulness to the Book:  A

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Don't Discount YA Literature, Part III: Books to Try

I've spent some time lately talking about books written for teens and the ways that adult readers might come to these books with some inherent prejudices.  In fact I've written two different posts on the subject (see links at the bottom of this post).

Having these sorts of inherent prejudices against books written for this age group is problematic.  There is no reason at all why Young Adult books would not be as well-written as those written for adults.  In fact, I would imagine that, when looked at by percentages, there are just as many amazing books for teens as there are for adults!

I like to think that those adults who have such low expectations of Young Adult books just have not yet stumbled upon that one amazing YA read that makes them want to explore more of the genre.  I strongly believe that just about any YA book can be enjoyed by just about any open-minded adult reader.  If you're an adult looking for the best of the best in the genre here are a few books that might get you hooked on YA:


The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Charlie is a high school freshman and he's not particularly popular.  As he writes letters to a "friend" describing his difficult life, he finds himself taken in by a few gregarious seniors and, with their help, navigates his way through a host of new experiences including sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. A powerful novel that is deeper than the sum of its parts.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Mattie is a girl with big dreams of going to college, but given her farming family's needs and low expectations that typified 1906, she has little hope of seeing them come true.  Mattie is able to take a job at the Glenmore Hotel and hopes to set aside her earnings, but an unusual request from one of the hotel's patrons leads to a mystery that Mattie never expected.  A historic setting, a true crime murder mystery, lyrical writing, and solid characters come together to create an absorbing read.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
See what all the fuss is about by checking out this book about two teens with terminal illnesses who fall in love while trying to uncover the ending of one of their favorite books.  The book will make you laugh at cry at the same time.  Is the hold list too long for your liking?  I'd actually strongly recommend any book by this widely popular author, so try Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, or Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Bobby is your typical teenage boy in Harlem.  When his girlfriend announces that she is pregnant, the two of them suddenly find themselves faced with decisions that they never thought they'd need to make. Angela Johnson's writing is poetic and lovely to read and transforms this premise from obvious to amazing.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Sam is an unassuming young adult working a dead-end fast food job.  Then one evening Douglas, a creepy and violent necromancer, wanders into the restaurant and sees plenty of potential in Sam.  That's when things start to get interesting.  This supernatural story is full of both humor and gore, and while this genre is stereotypically enjoyed by teens, adult fans of the genre will find plenty to like here.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
The two title characters meet when they find themselves sitting together on the bus, and they soon bond - and eventually fall in love - over Park's comics.  But everyone knows that first love doesn't usually last, and soon Eleanor's troubled home life threatens to tear the two apart.  Author Rainbow Rowell's voice is like a breath of fresh air as you read.  I also highly recommend another of Rowell's books, Fangirl.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Karou, an art student in Prague with fantastic blue hair, fills her sketchbooks with incredible monsters.  Little does anyone know that these monsters are real.  Karou has grown up with these chimera and is a part of their lives, traveling the world on mysterious errands to retrieve teeth for Brimstone, the monster who fills the role of her father.  Yet Karou has always felt that something was missing from her life  When the magical doors that allow for her travel are suddenly destroyed and her chimera family is killed, Karou just might find the answers she is looking for from the beautiful angel Akiva.  This fantastic novel is one part globe-trotting modern fantasy and one part heart-pounding romance, written with a grace and maturity that will make this book plenty palatable to adult readers.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Verity is a spy who finds herself captured by the Gestapo and Nazi-occupied France.  Her captors present her with two options:  Tell them what her mission was, or suffer the consequences.  She composes her story on scraps of paper, telling an intricate tale of courage, hope and friendship.  Meanwhile her best friend Maddie, who was also the pilot of the plane whose crash lead to Verity's capture, hopes to rescue her friend before it is too late.  This is a powerful story that sneaks up on a reader slowly.

The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Matt and his sisters are deeply unhappy as they try to survive under the tyranny of their abusive mother.  Matt sees a glimmer of hope when their mother begins dating Murdoch, an upstanding man that Matt hopes can save them.  But will it be enough?  Or will Matt need to take a stand on his own?  Readers will find themselves rooting for Matt and his sisters as they try their best to pick up the pieces of their lives.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Narrated by Death himself, this book set in Nazi Germany tells the story of a girl, her foster family, a Jew, and a love of books.  The unique narration (Death as the comic relief in an otherwise heavy story) makes an otherwise awesome book truly stand out in the crowd.


See Also:  Don't Discount YA Literature
See also:  DDYL, Part II:  The Dos and Don'ts of Criticism

Thursday, August 7, 2014

It's Been Awhile

Readers, it has been awhile.  I last posted to this blog way back in late February.  That's a little over five months ago.  Oops. 

I've been plenty busy during that time.  Namely, I went and had a baby.  She is, in my humble opinion, the greatest baby on the planet.  But she does keep me plenty busy, thus the lack of blog posts.  I have only returned to work full-time this week and I'm not going to lie:  Coming back to work has been very, very difficult.  It's a good thing I love my job or I'd be in some real trouble.

Lots of fun things have been happening around the library since my last post.  The Summer Library Program just drew to a close, and even though I was only a part-time librarian during this time I still have lots of fantastic stories to tell about our very successful program.  I'm optimistically hoping to have the time and the energy to go back and blog about a few of them, so watch this space for new posts soon.  In the meantime, please send me happy vibes and I balance to joys of motherhood with the joys of being an awesome librarian.