Showing posts with label book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book. Show all posts

Thursday, June 13, 2024

Book Discussion: The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel



Colossal Labs aims to introduce mammoth genes into the Asian Elephant for conservation purposes. The project claims: "The return of the Woolly Mammoth to the Arctic tundra it roamed thousands of years ago has significant benefits for combating climate change. Mammoths will stir up the icy surface of the landscape, stomp out-thick, low-oxygen trees, and expose healthy, carbon-trapping grasses. That action can restore the tundra, which in turn protects the climate and balances greenhouse gasses."
  • Dialog is clunky and unbelievable. All three female characters have the same voice and personality. 

Eve’s and Vera’s young lives involve constant travel: “They had grown up on the road, on the move, in countries all over the world. They had been brave, or else they had had no choice.”

What does this nomadic life give to Jane and Sal’s daughters, and what does it take away?
Consider how the family functions when they are abroad versus when they are home in Berkeley. Which lifestyle do you think is better for them as individuals or as a family?
Jane is the only female scientist on her research team. In what ways does her gender hold her back? Do you think this phenomenon is limited to science? What does it mean that Jane’s daughters observe this kind of sexism in action? Do you think Jane would make the same daring choices in response to it all if her daughters weren’t in the picture?


How would you describe Eve and Veras relationship to each other. What do each of them desire in life?

How do Eve and Veras vision of the future differ?

In what ways does Jane fail and succeed at parenting the girls?
  • Jane is a woman achieving alongside her family, not in spite of it
  • When Pearl is born why isn't Jane documenting anything. Is this a science experiment or just a wild, fun adventure for her?
  • On page 121 why all of the sudden does Jane give the girls a pass for drinking but reacts so strongly about Eve being sexually active?
  • When Pearl is born Jane is totally unprepared. Has no idea what to feed her.
  • Jane is constantly texting Helen about Pearl when Helen is in the hospital with George. She texts as if she is the priority.
  • When Jane sends the girls out to get baby formula and coconut milk why didn't she think to tell them to get a bottle too!
  • pg 211 the girls escape from the boat with a hole convinced Helen is trying to kill them all only to then go their mom and ask if they can leave her there alone and go find the place their dad died. If they were so concerned why on the next page are they trying to leave their mom alone with perceived danger?
  • Jane avoids ever asking for her husbands police report of his death. Why?
Okay WTF is up on page 123 with Eve artificially inseminating herself with caveman DNA. Was that believable?

Also WTF is up on page 180 when Jane instinctually tried to breast feed Pearl?

Describe Vera’s relationship with Lars. In what ways does this teenage romance point to shifting dynamics between Eve and Vera? Jane’s reaction to learning that they are dating causes Vera to do something very unusual with the remnants of her father’s research. What do you think she is trying to prove to her mother—and more importantly, to herself?


For a nonspeaking character, Pearl plays an essential role in this story. What did Pearl make you feel? What did she symbolize for you? What do Eve’s and Vera’s reactions to Pearl show us about their feelings toward their mother and their status in the family?


Do you think Helen was trying to kill the girls by sending them out on a boat with a hole in it? What motives would she have?


What events lead Eve and Vera to start becoming distrustful and suspicious of Helen and george?


Did The Last Animal make you think at all differently about the history or future of the planet?

What do you think of the idea of bringing back extinct species? What might happen if science takes gene editing more into its own hands?

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Book Discussion: The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer

On page 241-242 Greta confronts the readers and asks "why is it impossible to be a woman?" She states that men are always free to be themselves and asks "When has a woman ever been forgiven?" In our modern society how does it differ between a man or a woman receiving forgiveness? Is one gender easier to forgive? Is one gender more permanently harmed from making mistakes?

Did Dr. Cerletti's electroconvulsive therapy work on Greta? In the beginning he tells her "what they are trying to do is bring her back."

If you were able to transmigrate to two other versions of yourself in a time before our own, which two time periods or years would you travel to?

What do you think drove Greta to continue the treatments and travel back in time? What was she trying to accomplish?

Where there any discrepancies in the science of the time travel in this book that bothered you or took away from your enjoyment of it?

In the beginning of the novel on page 8 Felix asks a neighbor who was reprimanding him and Greta  "When you were a little girl, madam," he said, gesturing to her, "was this the woman you dreamed of becoming?" How did this foreshadow other events in the novel?

Friday, August 12, 2011

Insanewiches

As the title of the book "Insanewiches: 101 ways to think outside the lunchbox" by Adrian Fiorino suggest this book is insane! I cannot wait to do a teen or kids program around this book. This book is 222 pages of sheer joy. From sandwiches that look like severed hands to painting pallets there is a sandwich for everyone in here. Similar to the book "Hello, Cupcake" many of these designs are not practical for everyday lunch boxes but boy oh boy will your kid be the coolest in school if he/she whips one of these out at lunchtime!






Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Hunger Games Teen Program

The way this Hunger Games program was run was breaking our teens into Districts of 2 people. I had about 4 teams total. Each activity let the tributes gain points and at the end of the party we tallied up the points and had a winning district.

Links to Library Hunger Games Programs:

Highland Park Public Library
Bethany Media Center
Hunger Games LARP
Cardigan Nation

Hunger Games Read-a-likes:

Feed by M.T. Anderson
The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
The Declaration by Gemma Malley
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Shooting Gallery Using a Nerf gun teens will shoot items off of a shelf, each item is worth a certain amount of points.

Peetas Bakery Have the teens decorate their blank cupcake with beautiful frosting in the style of Peeta.

Face Painting Set out a variety of face paints and let the teens either paint their face in camouflage to blend in the woods, or to blend in as a resident of the capital. The girls will perhaps be more attracted to the fun colors of the Capital face paints.

Tribute Costumes Give your teens a bunch of old craft supplies, paper, tape, pom poms, you name it and they have to dress one member of their team to compete in a fashion competition.

Hunger Games Fear Factor Have tributes eat a disgusting food similar to the TV show "Fear Factor." Nothing dead though most likely a weird fruit or food from a foreign country would do the trick.

Hunger Games Jeopardy Start the program off with a little friendly competition. Using our big projector and the laptop we played Hunger Games Jeopardy. No double Jeopardy or final Jeopardy. Here is the template for the game

Trivia Questions (many thanks to the Bethany Media Center who wrote these)

1. What is Prim’s cat’s name? Buttercup
2. Katniss, her family and Dale all live in a poor section of District 12 called the ___________? Seam
3. How did Katniss’s father die? In a mine explosion
4. What did Katniss learn from her father? How to hunt and use a bow and arrow
5. What is the name of the Capitol City? Panem
6. What is the “reaping”? The day 2 names are picked from each district to be in the Hunger Games.
7. What is Katniss’s mother’s occupation? She makes medicines from plants and herbs.
8. Why was Katniss so surprised when they called Prim’s name at the reaping? This was her first year and she only had her name in on one slip.
9. What memory does Katniss have of Peeta when they were younger? Peeta threw loaves of burnt bread out to her.
10. What is “tesserae”? Why is it good and bad? A year’s supply of grain and oil for one person. To get it, your name is added to the reaping list again.
11. What does Katniss mean when she says to her mom, “don’t clock out again!” before she leaves for the Capitol. Don’t go getting all depressed again and abandon your children, namely Prim.
12. How does Prim help the family? She has a goat and sells milk and cheese
13. Why does Peeta’s father come to see Katniss before she leaves the district for the Hunger Games? He tells her that he will keep an eye on Prim and her mother and be sure they are eating.
14. What does Madge give to Katniss before she leaves? A gold circular pin of a bird, a mockingjay
15. The Capitol is in a place that was once called _______? The Rockies
16. District 12 was once called ________ ? Appalachia
17. What do Peeta and Katniss do that proves to Haymitch they might actually be good contenders in the Hunger Games? Peeta shatters Haymitch’s glass of liquor and Katniss throws a knife between his fingers.
18. What is the main function or industry for the following districts: #1, #3, #4, #11, #12, #13 (now destroyed) 1= luxury items for the Capitol, 3= factories to make autos, explosives, etc. 4= fishing, 11= agriculture, 12=coal mining, 13= mining graphite (worth 5 points)
19. Katniss thought her opening ceremony costume would be ? Her body naked and covered with coal dust.
20. What is the name of the leader of the Capitol? President Snow
21. Who are the stylists for Katniss and Peeta? Cinna and Portia
22. What is an “avox”? A person who commits a crime and the Capitol cuts their tongue out and makes them a slave.
23. Why is it so hard for Katniss to let Peeta become a friend? She knows she may have to kill him.
24. What are Career Tributes? People trained as tributes in the wealthier districts
25. Rue is from what which district? What is she good with? District 2, slingshot
26. Katniss is the last tribute to show her talents to the Gamemakers during the training. They are ignoring her because they are more interesting in their food. What does Katniss do? She shoots an arrow into the apple in the mouth of the roasted pig. Then she storms out of the room.
27. How does Katniss’s relationship with Gale develop? They both go in the forbidden woods and hunt. Also, they both lost their fathers to mine explosions.
28. What does Peeta say in his interview before the games start that stuns the audience? The girl he wants is the girl that will be with him.
29. What is Haymitch’s final advice for Katniss and Peeta when they first arrive at the Corucopia? Run and put as much distance between you and the others. Then find a source of water.
30. Katniss meets Peeta on the roof the night before the games. What is his goal for the Hunger Games? He does not want to change into a monster, to show the Capitol they don’t own him.
31. How long can the tributes stand on the metal circles when they first are in the Hunger Games and what happens if they don’t move within that time limit? 60 seconds and then a land mine blows
32. What does the Cornucopia look like and what is in it (name at least 3 items)? It is a giant golden horn about 20 ft. high, & has food, containers of water, plastic, weapons, medicine, firestarters, silver sheath and bow and arrows, tent.
33. What does Katniss get from the Cornucopia?A piece of plastic, bread, and a bright orange backpack with a sleeping bag, a pack of crackers, a pack of dried beef strips, a bottle of iodine, wooden matches, coil of wire, night-glasses, and a plastic water bottle.
34. Who tries to kill Katniss first and what does she get from her? The girl from district 2, and gets her knife
35. Why are the cannons shot? To declare a tribute has died
36. How does the wire help Katniss? To make snares to catch rabbits and other animals
37. Where does Katniss find it is best to sleep? Up in a tree
38. Why do the Careers let Peeta into their gang? To lead them to Katniss
39. At one point, Katniss is so dehydrated that she lies down to die. What stops her? Her fingers dig into the earth and she realizes it is muddy. Mud means water is near! She crawls to the pond.
40. What is the first major catastrophe that the Gamemakers cause for Katniss? A huge, moving wall of fire and endless smoke
41. Katniss gets hit by a fireball on her leg and is in great pain. She knows she should not show her pain. Why? The sponsors are more likely to send gifts if they admire you.
42. Katniss hold up high in a tree so the Careers cannot get to her. What does Rue warn her about? The wasp nest further up in the tree
43. Why are these wasps so dangerous? The are made by the Capitol, mutations called “tracker jackers”, causes huge swelling, hallucinations and then death
44. What does Katniss do with the “tracker jacker” nest?Hits it to fall down on the Careers
45. What does Katniss take from Glimmer after she has swollen up from the wasp stings and is dead?The sheath of arrows and the bow
46. Katniss originally thinks that Peeta is buddies with the Careers. What causes her to change her mind?Peeta stays with Katniss until she recovers from the tracker jacker stings at his own risk.
47. Who becomes a major ally of Katniss even before Peeta?Rue
48. How do Rue and Katniss signal each other?With a special mockingjay call
49. Why did the Careers let the boy from District 3 live?He knew how to make and use explosives to protect their supplies
50. What is Rue’s request of Katniss as she is dying? To hold her and sing to her
51. Katniss makes a vow to Rue after she dies. What is it?To win the Hunger Games to avenge Rue’s death.
52. Katniss tried to find Peeta and followed the water going down the stream until she sees some blood on a boulder. How is Peeta hiding?He camouflages himself lying in the mud and with leaves.
53. What is Peet’s injury when Katniss finds him and why is it going to be so bad?He has a very deep cut in his thigh, and most likely an infection (blood poisoning) will set in
54. Haymitch sends a pot of broth as a gift while Peeta and Katniss are in the cave. Why does he do this and what does it mean?Katniss kissed Peeta, and she should continue the kissing and the romance
55. Katniss tells Peeta a story while they are in the cave. What is it about?How Katniss got a goat for Prim
56.Claudious Templesmith offers a Feast backpack at the Cornucopia for each tribute with things they really need. Peeta threatens to follow Katniss if she goes. What bargain does Katniss make with Peeta for her not to go?Peeta has to drink all his water, eat all his soup, and wake Katniss up at the right times.
57. Why does Haymitch send a parachute to Katniss with a vial of sleeping syrup?To put Peeta asleep for a good length of time so Katniss can go to get the backpack at the feast
58. What important things does Katniss do before she leaves Peeta in the cave to get the Feast backpack? 3 thingsa)she camouflages the opening to the cave, b) she gets all her weapons and clothes together, c) she kisses Peeta goodbye
59. Which ear is Katniss deaf in from the explosion?Her left ear
60. What kind of wound does Clove give Katniss?A knife stab on her forhead
61. Why does Thresh pull Clove off of Katniss when she is about to slice up her face?He hears Clove bragging that she killed Rue from his district. Also, he owes one to Katniss for helping Rue.
62. What weapon did Thresh use to kill Clove?A large rock
63. What did Thresh take before he left the Cornucopia for the Feast?Cato’s and Clove’s backpacks
64. Haymitch said that one kiss between Katniss and Peeta equals what?a pot of broth
65. Why doesn’t Katniss trust her mother? because when her father died in the mines, her mother became depressed and did not help or take care of Katniss and her sister.
66. When did Peeta’s crush for Katniss start?The first day of first grade when she knew how to sing the Valley Song
67. What did Katniss’s mother love about her father?his singing; even the birds would stop to listen
68. Why do Katniss and Peeta stay in the cave so long when they are starving?the endless hard rain
69. If a tribute wins the Hunger Games where do they live afterwards?in a beautiful home in their district built by the Capitol
70. If you win the Hunger Games, what is one of your jobs in your district?to be a mentor to the following tributes
71. After clove, who was the next tribute to die?Thresh
72. Why does Katniss believe she will never have children of her own?She does not want her children to have their names put in the reaping and possibly die in the Hunger games.
73. What were the two good things about the four day rain storm?It gave Katniss and Peeta time to heal and rest, and it washed away any evidence or trail of where their cave was.
74.Why do Peeta and Katniss have to split up while they are hunting?Peeta makes too much noise walking with his injured leg.
75. How does Foxface die?Peeta gather berries and leaves them in a pile. Foxface eats them while he is away from the pile, neither knowing they are poisonous berries.
76. Why does Katniss think that Cato hates her so much to distraction?During the training she out-scored him
77. How do the Gamemakers drive Peeta, Katniss, and Cato to the lake for the final show down?They drain the the streams and the ponds. The lake is the only source of water.
78. The creatures that run after Cato, Katniss, and Peeta resemble ferocious wolves, but also part human. They are really what?Mutations of the tributes that have already died in this Hunger Games
79. Why do Peeta and Katniss hear Cato moan at the bottom of the Cornucopia for hours?The mutants are slowly attacking and eating him.
80. Why doesn’t Katniss want Peeta to go to sleep while they are on the top of the Cornucopia?His leg is wounded very badly, and she is afraid he will not wake up if he falls asleep?
81. What weapon does Katniss use to help Peeta’s leg bleed less, and what does she make with it?She uses her last arrow to make a tourniquet.
82. How do Katniss and Peeta trick the Gamemakers so that both of them can live and be victors of the Hunger Games?They pretend that they are both going to eat the poisonous berries at the same time. They know the Capitol needs at least one victor alive.
83. What warning does Haymitch give Katniss just before the Victor’s Ceremony?The Capitol is furious with Katniss and Peeta showing them up in the arena. The Capitol rulers are the joke of Panem. Katniss needs to make it look like she and Peeta are so madly in love, that they could not help their actions.
84. What does Katniss learn about Peeta when they finally sit down to talk.His leg that was injured is an artificial one.
85. What is Peeta upset with Katniss at the end of the story?Peeta realizes that Katniss was being so affection and love to protect them, because Haymitch told her about the great anger of the Capitol
86. What is Katniss's score from the Gamemakers when she shows them her archery skills? 11
87. What kind of berries does Foxface eat, causing her to die? Nightlock Berries
88. What job does distrist 8 have? Textiles/Clothes


Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Program

Kids at my library really seem to respond to book themed parties and programs.  In the past we held a very successful Fancy Nancy Tea Party and Fashion Show and a Twilight Party.   I am planing on doing this program during kids February break from school as this seems to be a time when we get high attendance for programs.

Since these books are most popular with grade 5-about 7 or 8 this should be geared towards older Elementary kids and middle school students.  Most likely some younger kids will be interested in participating as well.


Some General ideas:
  • Trivia Game with teams where the winning team gets a prize.  Some trivia questions can be found in this Event Kit.
  • The Cheese touch game
  • Book read-a-likes
  • Discussion of favorite moments
  • Have kids decorate a small notebook cover
  • Kids fill in and create their own comic strip on their own
  • Play Make Your Own Comic
  • Personality Game
  • Give a copy of one of the books away as a door prize
Read-a-likes:

1. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Eleven-year-old Harriet keeps notes on her classmates and neighbors in a secret notebook, but when some of the students read the notebook, they seek revenge.
2. Dork Diaries (Series) by Rachel Renee Russell
Follows eight grader Nikki Maxwell who chronicles through text and sketches her move to a snooty new school.

3. Dear Dumb Diary (Series) by Jim Benton

Make Your Own Comic
Get kids into groups of 5 (can vary dependent on how many cells you have in your blank comic).  Beforehand create a generic sheet of paper with 5 text boxes made to look like blank comic strips.  Give each child a pencil and here are the directions.  Each person gets a sheet and they have 30 (or 60 to start) seconds to draw something in the first square.  Encourage them to write word bubbles not just pictures if they choose.  Then pass it to the person on your left.  You now have 30 seconds to draw the next box in your neighbors story.  Continue like this until you get your own back then go around the room and see what people wrote.  These are usually hilarious and kids and t(w)eens get a huge kick out of them.  If you have an especially active group invite some of them up front to act out their comic (so long as it's not too violent!)
  • Here are two blank comic pages I  created #1 and #2 
The Cheese Touch Game (From DWK Event Kit):



What you’ll need: A small piece of paper or Post-it Note for everyone who wants to play, and a hat or bowl.
Setting up: Draw a small piece of Swiss cheese on a single slip of paper. Fold all of the little slips of paper in half.
Group size: Best for a group of ten to twenty. If you have more than that many kids at the event, it might be best to break them up into smaller groups.
How to play: Players sit in a circle, facing one another. Each player takes a slip of paper out of the hat or bowl. Everyone unfolds their piece of paper and looks at it privately. The player who gets the picture of the Cheese has the Cheese Touch, but this must be kept a secret. The object of the game is for the person with the Cheese Touch to pass it along to as many other people as possible. The person with the Cheese Touch does this by winking at a victim. When a victim is winked at, they have to silently count to five, and then announce to the group that they have the Cheese Touch. That person is now out of the game.The other players are trying to catch the person who has the Cheese Touch in the act of winking. If a player catches the person who has the Cheese Touch, the game is over. Tally up the number of “victims” the person with the Cheese Touch successfully knocked out.When the game is over, the slips of paper are collected again and putmback in the hat or bowl, and players draw again. This game should be played in three or four rounds. The winner can be either the person who passed the Cheese Touch to the greatest number of people, or the person who caught more than one “winker” in the act.


Trivia:
Q. In the book Dog Days what was the name of Greg and Rowley's lawn care service?
A. V.I.P Lawn Service

Q. Who is Rowley's favorite singer?
A. Joshie


Q. What is the name of Greg's least favorite comic?
A. Lil Cutie


Q. What is Rowley's last name?
A. Jefferson


Q. Who does Greg have a crush on in The Last Straw?
A. Holly Hills

Q. What word does Fregly use to let people know he has to pee?
A. Juice


Q. What is Manny's nickname for Greg?
A. Bubby


Q. What does Manny call his blanket?
A. Tingy


Q. What would Greg rather do instead of swim team?
A. Water Jazz


Q. What did Marty Porter have in the second grade?
A. Head lice


Q. Who wins the talent show?
A. Leland


Q. Who's idea was it that Greg start a diary?
A. Mom


Q. What role did Greg play in the Wizard of Oz?
A. A tree


Q. What position on the student government did Greg want to win?
A. treasurer 


Q. What did Uncle Charlie give Greg for Christmas?
A. A Picture of Uncle Charlie


Day of the event schedule:
1. Book discussion about our favorite moments from the book
2. Make Your Own Comics activity
3. Cheese Touch Game
4. Personality Game
5. Trivia
6. Read-a-likes
7. Decorate notebooks
8. Cash in mom bucks

Links: