Trailer Tuesday Monday: Catching Fire

I totally meant to post this for this morning, but then sleep and work got in the way.  Now, without further delay...




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Hunger Games Camp 2013: Registration Open!

Between the inauguration and the BYOD parties in the library (make sure I tell you about these, eh?) and two hour delays it seems that I have totally forgotten to mention that registration is now open for Hunger Games Camp!

If you or someone you love lives in Metro DC, loves The Hunger Games and will be heading into grades 6-9 this coming fall, then Hunger Games Camp is a must.  It's a chance to geek out, have fun, make friends, and show Panem who's boss.  You don't have to be athletic, or a HG trivia master, or anything but a fan of the Hunger Games for this camp to suit your tastes.  We do a great mix of artistic, athletic, and academic activities.

This summer there will be three sessions:

Session 1: July 8-12
Session 2: July 15-19
Session 3: July 22-26

Each session is $425 (but I think the Summer Programs Office does run some special pricing options).  The camp day runs from 9am-3pm and includes two ice pop breaks (And thank goodness for that, because it is hot out there!).  Morning and aftercare are available for campers in need.

You can find out more about the camp by contacting me (for general questions, feel free to leave a comment) or you can also visit the Hunger Games Camp tab on the LibrariYAn blog.

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More Halloween Fun! Kid Lit Inspired Costumes

As you saw earlier today, I'm celebrating Waldo's 25th birthday by dressing as him for Halloween.  Did I mention that last year I was Katniss Everdeen?

Katniss and her faithful goat...er, cow.

I'm not the only one going literary this Halloween.  Check out these book-inspired costumes that were rounded up over on Apartment Therapy*.

* I swear, I don't work for or profit from Apartment Therapy.  They just seem to have a lot of kid lit posts lately.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Hunger Games Activities

A long time ago (read: fall 2011), I made a bunch of blog posts with the instructions for several of the activities that we do at Hunger Games Camp.  I received such a crazy response to my Hunger Games Jeopardy post and spent so much time emailing out my PowerPoints that I could barely keep up.  So last winter, I created a Google site where the slides were posted.  But I never kept up that site or posted any additional materials.  But today, I'm making up for all my slackage!

You can now access ALL of my Hunger Games activities, right here on the blog! Pretty fancy, huh?  All you need to do is click on the "Hunger Games Camp" tab at the top of the blog.  I don't actually have anything written up for a few of the activities (I like to wing it based off of a mental outline), but I'm planning to provide written materials for everything that is listed.  Some materials will inevitably be more helpful than others.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the materials and find them helpful, whether you're planning a library program, birthday party, or just looking for something fun to do with friends.  Don't be shy about leaving comments.  I thrive on feedback!

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Looking for Hunger Games Jeopardy?

Look no further! Well, actually, look a little bit further.  Head on over to my new website!

I've been getting a ton of requests to email the files and have kind been overwhelmed by everyone's interest, so I've decided to create a website where the files are posted and librarians can download them as needed.  Please feel free to share this link with anyone else who is interested.

I'm still working on putting the rest of the site together, but plan to upload more files for other Hunger Games activities and other fun book-type-things, like reading lists, as soon as I get some spare time. The Hunger Games Jeopardy files (and any future files) can be found on the "LibrariYAn Resources" page.  Feel free to use the PowerPoint as-is or to edit it as you see fit.  I spent way too many hours working on it, but I'm pretty proud.  I'll probably be revamping it this spring for my new crop of campers and will posted the revised files once they are available.

Enjoy!

P.S. Please note that the HG Jeopardy is meant to be viewed as a slideshow, so you'll need to view it that way to see how it works.


The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Hunger Games Camp: Hunger Games Jeopardy!

Back in the summer I posted a bunch about the activities we did at my Hunger Games camp.  These included the Reaping, the Training Center, Target Practice, Remake Center/Opening Ceremonies, Survival Skills and the Mini Bow and Arrow Craft.  Next up is Hunger Games Jeopardy!


This was a really great activity that we spread out over two days as one of our last activities of the day.  After spending the mornings of camp running around like crazy folk (hula hooping in the training center, playing Capture the Flag, etc.), I tried to schedule less physically taxing activities for the afternoon.  Trivia fit the bill.


Our trivia was played in teams of 3-4 and was Jeoprady! style (using all the same point values, rules and daily double opportunities).  In advance I spent way too much time creating two rounds of questions (plus a final wager round) in PowerPoint.  I projected the PowerPoint through an LCD projector onto a large screen.  I had originally purchased little hand-clapper toys for the campers to use to "buzz" in, but that created a crazy loud and almost uncontrollable environment, so we switched to just raising hands.  Just like in Jeopardy, campers had to wait until the question was read aloud in full (though they could see it on the screen too).


Unfortunately, I'm not able to post the PowerPoint with the questions here (because I just don't know how!).  I thought I'd be able to, but it seems not.  If you are interested in having me email you the files, just send me an email.


The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Hunger Games Trailer

Uh.Maze.Ing.

This just might inspire me to get back on the blog!

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Hunger Games Camp: Mini Bow & Arrow Craft

So, I've been recapping the activities we did at my recent Hunger Games Camp.  Thus far, I've covered the Reaping, the Training Center, Target Practice, Remake Center/Opening Ceremonies, and Survival Skills.  Next up is our Mini Bow and Arrow Craft*.

We all know that Katniss Everdeen is a force to be reckoned with when she got a bow and arrow.  This craft uses household items to create cool looking and fast/far shooting miniature bow and arrow sets.

Materials:

• Wire hanger
• Needle Nose Pliers (with snip function)
• Rubber Bands
• Coffee-stirrer (I got mine at McDonald's)
• Q-tips/Cotton Swabs
• Elmer's All-Purpose Glue
• Scissors

 Set Up:

• Use pliers to cut a wire hanger into four pieces (bottom of hanger cut in half, “arms” of hanger cut off)
• Use the pliers to curl in the ends of the wire**.  This makes the arrow look cool and protects users from the possibly sharp metal edges.  It also provides a spot for the rubber band to hook into.
• Bracing the center of the wire in two hands, bend it in half about 1/4 of the way.  Again using your hands, bend each half into kind of a rounded moon shape.  The wire should now look kind of like a letter B with no stick/back and curled in ends**.
• Lay out materials for each set.  This should include:
• 1 metal bow
• 1 rubber band
• 6 Q-tips
• 6 coffee stirrers
• glue 

 Procedure:

• Attach one end of the rubber band to one of the curled ends, give the rubber band several twists, then attach it to the other end.  The bow is complete!
• To make the arrows, cut off one end of each cotton swab.  Glue the swabinto the ends of the coffee straws.
• Cut a slight notch into the other ends of the straws.
• Use this miniature bow the same way you would a large one. Be careful where and what you shoot: the arrows will really fly!

*This craft idea was emailed to be by a fantastic librarian who hosted her own Hunger Games event.  I can't seem to find her information, but she found the craft on eHow.  Unfortunately, the link that I used to get to the tutorial just weeks ago doesn't seem to exist anymore.  Luckily, I wrote down, adapted and reorganized/clarified the directions for myself, so I can post it here for you!

**I'm still working on getting pictures.  I know they'll be helpful, and they're coming.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Hunger Games Camp: Survival Skills

While most of the activities for the week-long Hunger Games Camp were active, outdoor, run-around type things where the tributes were earning points in an effort to become the victor of the Hunger Games.  Every once in a while, though, we took some time to do more passive activities just for fun.  One such example was the Survival Skills training.  This 3-hour session was led by Bill (and Nick?) from Ancestral Knowledge, a wilderness education organization located just over the border in Maryland*.  The guys from Ancestral Knowledge definitely know their stuff, and their resourcefulness and know-how would make Katniss Everdeen proud!

During the time they were with us (one ungodly hot morning), they covered the basics for wilderness survival: find/make shelter (and stay warm), locate water, procure food and build a fire.  Because we were limited on time, they briefly went over strategies for staying warm, such as stuffing your clothes full of leaves, and how to use streams and rivers as guides to get one to safety (aka, follow the stream to the river, the river to civilization).  We mainly focused on food-related skills: making cordage (rope) from plants, knot tying, alternatives to knives and making fire!  Most of what we covered might sound a little ho-hum, but the tributes loved it!  Almost everyone was able to quickly catch on with tying the various knots, and campers added their own little spin to the activity by seeing who could not only learn the knot, but also do it with their eyes closed. Whenever someone managed to get the knot without needing to see it, they beamed with pride.

The real hit during this session (aside from seeing fire "made") was cordage.  After Bill demonstrated how to make rope using the innards of a branch of dogbane, the kids got to make their own, using raffia.  And they loved it!  It's fairly easy to do and goes quickly once you get the hang of it.  Boys were competing to see who could make the longest rope.  Girls were making necklaces and bracelets.  When one of the male tributes asked if there was a knife he could use to cut his cordage, an impromptu lesson on how to turn rocks into knives (using only rocks to form and shape other rocks) ensued.  A good time was had by all!

We closed with the Ancestral Knowledge guys showing us a couple of ways to build a fire.  Then it was time for lunch.  But a few kids stayed behind to ask questions and even got to try out throwing a spear using the atlatl.  Definitely a highlight of the day!

I definitely want to bring these guys back next time.  We'll probably mix up the skills taught, dedicating a bit more time to letting the kids try out spear throwing (why not?) and maybe adding some additional skills.

*There are tons of wilderness education organizations, so just Google around to see what's near you.  If all else fails, there may be an accomplished boy scout or boy scout leader who can come in and cover some basic wilderness skills.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Hunger Games Camp: Remake Center and Opening Ceremonies

If you're just tuning in, I'm recapping the fantastically awesome week-long Hunger Games Camp that I created and ran last week.  I've already described the Reaping, and the Training Center (obstacle course and target practice). Now it's time to head to the Remake Center and prepare for Opening Ceremonies!

Disclaimer: I danced ballet, tap and jazz from the time I was 5 until I was 18, performed in school plays starting at age 11 and had some fairly awesome Halloween costumes - all of which were stored in my parents attic.  Those costumes, plus some face paint, body glitter and colored hairspray that I picked up at a party store made this activity work.

Remake Center and Opening Ceremonies

Just as Katniss was made up for her first televised appearance in front of the citizens of Panem at the Opening Ceremonies, campers will have the opportunity to restyle and put on costumes.  Campers will style hair, makeup and dress in ways befitting their district’s primary industries.  Campers will be judged by the Gamemakers in each of the three categories, basing their rankings on the quality and appropriateness of the costume, given the tribute’s district.

Materials:

• wide variety of costume clothing
• face paint
• body glitter
• temporary tattoos
• sponges
• cups of water
• colored hair spray

Set Up:

• Three stations should be arranged: hair, makeup and costume.
• All materials available for each station should be out on display.
• One counselor should be assigned to each station and assist campers with the items available for use.

Procedure:

• Read the following excerpt from the Hunger Games:

(page 66 – Remake Center) “for the opening ceremonies, you're supposed to wear something that suggests your district's principal industry. District 11, agriculture. District 4, fishing. District 3, factories. This means that coming from District 12, Peeta and I will be in some kind of coal miner's getup. Since the baggy miner's jumpsuits are not particularly becoming, our tributes usually end up in skimpy outfits and hats with headlamps. One year, our tributes were stark naked and covered in black powder to represent coal dust. It's always dreadful and does nothing to win favor with the crowd...A few hours later, I am dressed in what will either be the most sensational or the deadliest costume in the opening ceremonies. I'm in a simple black unitard that covers me from ankle to neck. Shiny leather boots lace up to my knees. But it's the fluttering cape made of streams of orange, yellow and red and the matching headpiece that define this costume. Cinna plans to light them on fire just before our chariot rolls into the streets...My face is relatively clear of makeup, just a bit of highlighting here and there. My hair has been brushed out and then braided down my back in my usual style.”

• Divide campers into three groups.
• Send one group to each station.
• Have counselors assist campers with putting up makeup, hairspray, temporary tattoos and costumes. Tributes should dress in attire that represents their home districts.
• If more than one camper wants to wear a specific costume piece, that is okay.  Campers will be judged one at a time and can hand off costume pieces if necessary.
• Gamemakers will judge the tributes on a scale of 1-10, looking for both creativity and appropriateness, given the home district's major industry.

Opening Ceremonies

• If time allows, tributes may be interviewed by Caesar Flickerman. 
• Begin the activity by reading this excerpt from the Hunger Games:

(page 119) “The team works on me until late afternoon, turning my skin to glowing satin, stenciling patterns on my arms, painting flame designs on my twenty perfect nails. Then Venia goes to work on my hair, weaving strands of red into a pattern that begins at my left ear, wraps around my head and then falls in one braid down my right shoulder. They erase my face with a layer of pale makeup and draw my features back out. Huge dark eyes, full red lips, lashes that throw off bits of light when I blink. Finally, they cover my entire body in a powder that makes me shimmer in gold dust...The creature standing before me in the full-length mirror has come from another world. Where skin shimmers and eyes flash and apparently they make their clothes from jewels.  Because my dress, oh, my dress is entirely covered in reflective precious gems, red and yellow and white with bits of blue that accent the tips of the flame design. The slightest movement gives the impression I am engulfed in tongues of fire.”

• Have “Caesar” interview tributes, asking them questions about their strategy for the games and their home districts. No points awarded.  This is just for fun!

And I know that these activities will be a whole lot cooler with pictures, so I'm going to work on going through the hundreds (literally) that I took during the week and edit the posts to add visuals. Gimme a few days!

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Hunger Games Camp: The Training Center - Target Practice

If you're just joining us, I'm recapping the week-long Hunger Games Camp that I ran at my middle school.  I've already covered the Reaping and the Training Center Obstacle Course.  Now it's time for Katniss' favorite activity - Target Practice!

Target Practice

Katniss Everdeen is an expert hunter.  Her weapon of choice is the bow and arrow, but she also uses other weapons that require great amounts of hand/eye coordination.  In this activity, campers will take target practice using a variety of projectiles, including a bow & arrow, slingshot and rocket spears. Points will be awarded for every “hit” arrow and slingshot hit.  For the rocket spears, points will be awarded to all participants, the camper shooting the farthest receiving 24 points (or however many campers there are) and the closest receiving 1 point.

Materials:

• 2 Junior Bow & Arrow Sets (with rubber suctions at end)
• 2 Bullseye Targets (included in above set)
• 2 Slingshots
• Several smallish rocks to use with slingshots (shooting BBs is a bit too difficult)
• 20 Empty Soda Cans
• 4 Foam Finger Flyer Rockets
• 24 Cone Discs

 Set Up:

• Bow and Arrow: Hang the bullseye targets on trees and position the shooting station (bow and arrows) a few yards back.  (Do a test with campers to see how far they are able to shoot the arrows and adjust as necessary to ensure that everyone has a chance to hit the targets)
• Slingshot: Stack the soda cans into two separate pyramids (4,3,2,1) and position the shooting station (slingshots) a few yards back. (Do a test with campers to see how far they are able to shoot the arrows and adjust as necessary to ensure that everyone has a chance to hit the targets)
• Rocket Spears: Place two cones to designate the area from behind which campers should shoot the rocket spears.  Each camper will have 4 tries.  Use the cone discs (or send out the tribute, as getting hit with a foam rocket doesn't hurt) to mark the spot on the ground each tribute's farthest travelling spear landed.
• For each station (especially slingshot), ensure that there is an area where campers who are not shooting must stay.  Safety first!

 Procedure:

• Read the following excerpt from the Hunger Games:

(page 100-101) “I walk to the archery station. Oh, the weapons! I've been itching to get my hands on them for days! Bows made of wood and plastic and metal and materials I can't even name. Arrows with feathers cut in flawless uniform lines. I choose a bow, string it, and sling the matching quiver of arrows over my shoulder. There's a shooting range, but it's much too limited.  Standard bull's-eyes and human silhouettes. I walk to the center of the gymnasium and pick my first target. The dummy used for knife practice...I take my initial position and skewer the dummy right through the heart. Then I sever the rope that holds the sandbag for boxing, and the bag splits open as it slams to the ground. Without pausing, I shoulder-roll forward, come up on one knee, and send an arrow into one of the hanging lights high above the gymnasium floor. A shower of sparks bursts from the fixture. It's excellent shooting. I turn to the Gamemakers. A few are nodding approval, but the majority of them are fixated on a roast pig that has just arrived at their banquet table. Suddenly I am furious, that with my life on the line, they don't even have the decency to pay attention to me. That I'm being upstaged by a dead pig. My heart starts to pound and I can feel my face burning. Without thinking, I pull an arrow from my quiver and send it straight at the Gamemaker's table. I hear shouts of alarm as people stumble back. The arrow skewers the apple in the pig's mouth and pins it to the wall behind it. Everyone stares at me in disbelief. "Thank you for your consideration," I say. Then I give a slight bow and walk straight toward the exit without being dismissed.”

• Break campers up into three groups and take each group to a different section. A leader should go with each group to ensure safety.
• After the group completes one activity, they will rotate to the next activity
• Points are awarded as described in introduction. 

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Hunger Games Camp: The Training Center

Once we finished the Reaping, it was time to board the train to the Capitol (read: head outside) and make our way to the Training Center.  Here, tributes were given ~15 minutes to practice any of the skills they wished and then tasked with completing a timed obstacle course involving each of the skills.

The Training Center

For this activity, campers will each complete a timed obstacle course.  Campers will be given an opportunity before competition begins to practice each activity.  When the whistle sounds, each camper will go through the course one at a time.  Times will be recorded.  Points will be awarded to all participants, the fastest receiving 24 points (or however many campers there are) and the slowest receiving 1 point.

Suggested Materials:

• 6 Traffic Cones
• 4 Small Hula Hoops
• 1 Medium Hula Hoop
• 1 Large Hula Hoop
• 1 Soccer Ball
• 1 Soccer Net
• 1 Baseball/Wiffleball Bat
• 1 Football
• 2 Jump Ropes
• 1 Stopwatch
• 1 Whistle

Suggested Setup: 

(Start Line marked by two cones)          BEGIN TIMER

Distance of ~10 yards                            RUN TO HOOPS

(4 Small Hula Hoops, Staggered)           HOPSCOTCH THROUGH HOOPS

(2 Jump Ropes, placed 3 feet apart)       JUMP THE DISTANCE

(4 Cones Spaced Apart)                        DRIBBLE SOCCER BALL, WEAVING THROUGH CONES

(1 Soccer Goal)                                     KICK THE BALL INTO THE GOAL

(1 Large Hula Hoop)                              HULA HOOP FOR 10 SECONDS

(1 Football)                                            THROW BALL THROUGH THE HOOP

                                                              (have someone hold the hoop up in the air)

(1 Medium Hula Hoop)

(1 Baseball/Wiffle Ball Bat)                     TRACKER JACKER ATTACK! SPIN AROUND 3x,

                                                              RUN ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE START

Procedure:

• Read aloud this excerpt from the Hunger Game

(page 93) “The actual training rooms are below ground level of our building. With these elevators, the ride is less than a minute. The doors open into an enormous gymnasium filled with various weapons and obstacle courses…As soon as we join the circle, the head trainer, a tall, athletic woman named Atala steps up and begins to explain the training schedule. Experts in each skill will remain at their stations. We will be free to travel from area to area as we choose, per our mentor's instructions. Some of the stations teach survival skills, others fighting techniques. We are forbidden to engage in any combative exercise with another tribute. There are assistants on hand if we want to practice with a partner.”

• Give campers 15-20 minutes to try each station.  Counselors should provide assistance as needed
• Blow the whistle to bring everyone together for evaluation
• One at a time, have campers go through the obstacle course
• Award points to all participants, the fastest receiving 24 points (or however many campers there are) and the slowest receiving 1 point.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Hunger Games Camp: The Reaping

I was trying to figure out the best way to organize all of my information on the Hunger Games camp I ran last week, and I decided that the best way to do so would be to give an activity-by-activity write up in the order that we did everything.  This is easier for me, since I've already created "activity plans" for each thing we did, and I also think this organization makes it easier for others to search and find things via Google, etc..  This first activity is pretty easy, since it's The Reaping, which isn't too complicated anyway.  Here's how it went:

The Reaping

Materials:

·         1-2 Large Glass Bowls (one for boys, one for girls, or you can combine)

·         One slip of paper for each camper

·         Pink Wig (for Effie Trinket)

·         Top Hat (for Mayor Undersee)

·         Dry Erase Board and Marker

·         Copy of The Hunger Games

Set Up:

• Place the bowl and dry erase board at the front of the area
• On the dry erase board, draw a chart with three columns and thirteen rows.  Complete the chart as follows*: 

District	Tribute #1	Tribute #2
1: Luxury Goods
2: Weapons
3: Electronics
4: Fishing
5: Sports
6: Oil
7: Lumber
8: Textiles
9: Arts
10: Livestock
11: Agriculture
12: Coal Mining

*I totally made up the industries for Districts 5 and 9, but the rest are taken from the books.  I chose Sports and Arts because they were easy to costume and no other reason.  Change as necessary.

• As campers arrive, have them write their names, and a Hunger Games nickname, if they would like, on a slip of paper and then drop it into the bowl. 

Procedure:

• Once everyone has arrived, one of the gamemakers begins the session by reading aloud two brief sections from The Hunger Games which introduce the Reaping:

(page 13) “You become eligible for the reaping the day you turn twelve. That year, your name is entered once. At thirteen, twice. And so on and so on until you reach the age of eighteen, the final year of eligibility, when your name goes into the pool seven times. That's true for every citizen in all twelve districts in the entire country of Panem. But here's the catch. Say you are poor and starving as we were. You can opt to add your name more times in exchange for tesserae. Each terrerae is worth a meager year's supply of grain and oil for one person. You may do this for each of your family members as well. So, at the age of twelve, I had my name entered four times. Once, because I had to and three times because for tesserae for grain and oil for myself, Prim and my mother.  In fact, every year I have needed to do this. And the entries are cumulative. So now, at the age of sixteen, my name will be in the reaping twenty times. Gale, who is eighteen, and has been either helping or single-handedly feeding a family of five for seven years, will have his name in forty-two times.”

Page (16) “Attendance [at the reaping] is mandatory unless you are on death's door. This evening, officials will come around and check to see if this is the case.  If not, you will be imprisoned…People file in silently and sign in…Twelve through eighteen year olds are herded into the roped areas marked off by ages, the oldest in the front, the young ones, like Prim, toward the back. Family members line up around the perimeter, holding tightly to one another's hands...We all exchange tense nods then focus our attention on the temporary stage that is set up before the Justice Building. It holds three chairs, a podium and two large glass balls, one for the boys, and one for the girls. I stare at the paper slips in the girls' ball. Twenty of them have Katniss Everdeen written on them in careful handwriting.”

·        Mayor Undersee (dressed in top hat): Our great nation of Panem rose from the ashes of a place called North America. Before Panem there were many disasters that ravaged this land: droughts, storms, fires, and encroaching seas that swallowed up so much of the land.  Because of all these horrific events, our ancestors engaged in a brutal war for what little sustenance remained. After years of fighting came the establishment of Panem, a shining Capitol ringed by thirteen districts, which brought peace and prosperity to its citizens. Then came the Dark Days, the uprising of the districts against the Capitol. Twelve districts were defeated; the thirteenth obliterated. The Treaty of Treason gave us new laws to guarantee peace and, as our yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games. The rules of the Hunger Games are simple. In punishment for the uprising, each of the twelve districts must provide one girl and one boy, called tributes, to participate. If either boys or girls are not available, a district may second two of either gender.  The twenty-four tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena that could hold anything from a burning desert to a frozen wasteland. Over a period of several weeks, the competitors must fight to the death. The last tribute standing wins. The Hunger Games is a festivity, a sporting event pitting every district against the others. The last tribute alive receives a life of ease back home, and their district will be showered with prizes, largely consisting of food.  All year, the Capitol will show the winning district gifts of grain and oil and even delicacies like sugar while the remaining districts battle starvation…And now, allow me to introduce Effie Trinket!

·         Effie Trinket (dressed in pink wig - bright green pantsuit optional): Welcome to the 74^th Reaping for the Hunger Games! I am Effie Trinket, and I have come to draw the names to determine the tributes who will be competing in this year’s games.  I will draw the names one district at a time.  As your name is called, please come to the front.  We will take your photograph.  Once all tributes have been selected, we will board the train to the Capitol.  May the odds be ever in your favor!

• The names of tributes are drawn one at a time, two for each district.
• Tribute names are filled-in on the chart as names are called.
• As names are called and tributes come forward, each tribute has his or her picture taken for the end-of-camp video highlights montage.

Short and sweet!

Oh, and if you're wondering about why I included reading quotes from HG, my reasons are two-fold.  1) I wanted to show how the activity was rooted in the book and 2) I let the kids know in advance that listening carefully to the sections I read-aloud would give them a leg up in Hunger Games Jeopardy!, since the clues were directly related to the portions I read.


The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Holy Wow! Hunger Games Motion Poster

Lionsgate just released the first "motion poster" for the March 2012 release of Hunger Games.  Since I can't figure out how to get the code and post it here, you're just going to have to go over to Yahoo! Movies and see it for yourself.

Pretty awesome, huh?

You may (or may not) have noticed that I haven't been around much.  Last week was Hunger Games Camp, and the lead up and all last week was quite intense.  A splendid time was guaranteed for all, and camp delivered.  A full recap will be coming soon.

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Britney's 'I Wanna Go' Hunger Games Remix

I have never heard Britney's "I Wanna Go." But I still love this HG remix.



I just might have to figure out a way to work this into my Hunger Games camp.  Which starts on July 11.  And which still needs to be planned.

P.S. I'm at ALA in New Orleans!

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Another Good Fan-Made Hunger Games Trailer

It's been a while since I've posted about The Hunger Games, and it's not because I'm not still ridiculously excited about it and the fact that they're making a movie.  I haven't agreed with some of the casting decisions so I've decided it's better to just sit silently and wait for the movie to come together and then place judgment.  Plus, I've been busily preparing for my Hunger Games Camp!

Anyway, it's occurred to me that there are tons of really good fan-made HG trailers all over the internet, and I should probably be storing up links to these cool clips somewhere.  I saw this one courtesy of Fuse #8:



I know there are some other really good ones out there too.  Which one is your favorite?

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Hunger Games: Teens on Jeopardy Disappoint

If you're a loyal Jeopardy watcher like I am, then you were watching last night when NO ONE knew the answer the question about the title of the third book in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy.  One contestant tried, but he stumbled out "Mockingbird" before quickly adding "Jay!"  No money for him, and it's anyone's guess, so, sneaky blonde-haired-girl confidently answered "Mockingjay."  She lucked out there, but I can't believe this wasn't a question where everyone was on the clicker trying to ring in as fast as possible.  Where does Jeopardy find these kids?

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

YA in the News

The past two weeks have been newsworthy for YA lit.  First we learned that Jay Asher's novel Th1rteen R3asons Why was going to be a movie and Selena Gomez is set to play Hannah Baker.  Then Valentine's Day came around and brought us the announcement of the Cybils winners.  This morning's New York Times has an article about dystopias in YA lit, which was kind enough to separate out less-well written, but still popular works like I Am Number Four from higher quality offerings, such as Scott Westerfeld's Uglies books and Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games, but still missed the mark on YA lit (if you ask me).  And finally, in sad news, the Times also reported that Perry Moore, author of Hero, a novel about a gay superhero, was found dead in his Manhattan apartment.

Oh, and on a personal note, I'm running a week-long Hunger Games camp this summer, and more and more students are coming to me to tell me they've registered.  At the same time, more students are asking about Hunger Games and looking for the books, which makes me hopeful that there is some good word-of-mouth buzz around the camp and the books.  Gotta love peer pressure!

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

Save the Date: Hunger Games Movie to Release Marsh 23, 2012!

There's no cast yet (minor detail), but according to Entertainment Weekly, the release date for the Hunger Games movie has been set.  Mark your calendars.  Take off from work (because you know you're going to a midnight show). Get ready for the fun to begin!


The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.

A Few of My Favorite Things (Version 2010, Part One: Science Fiction)

As 2010 comes to a close I can't help but look back on the books I've read this year and think about which ones were my favorite.  With just 10 days left, my GoodReads account tells me I've read 74 books this year.  My goal was 100.  There's still time, but I don't think I'll make it through 26 books, even though I'm in the middle of at least 10.  Alas.  But I did read 74 books, and some were quite good!  Here is the first installment of my favorites.  I'll begin with my favorite science fiction read this year.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - It's the third book in the dystopic science fiction Hunger Games trilogy, and if I have to say anything more than that, you need to get yourself a copy of The Hunger Games and come back to me when you're finished.

Matched by Allie Condie - I can't remember who said it, but back in September(ish) some blog noted the recent rise of dystopian YA, citing Matched as an example.  I hadn't realized dystopias had EVER gone out of style, but perhaps?  Anyhoot, this is definitely a good one.  I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC at BEA last May and was immediately hooked by the story: It's the future (duh), and society has taken statistical analysis to the ultimate level.  All decisions - what you eat, what job you have, who you marry, and even when and how you will die - are made for you, based on data.  Coming from a background working with Teach For America, where ALL of our decisions are based on data, I found the premise enticing.  The story's twist - what happens if you play with the data in controlled experiments that involve real people - plus the romantic element, had me hooked.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver - Okay, so this one doesn't even come out until February of 2011, but this was another book that I read the ARC of over the summer and just absolutely devoured.  Another dystopia (surprise!), but in this society, love (aka delirium nervosa) is seen as a disease, and on one's 18th birthday he or she gets the procedure that prevents the illness.  It's just a few months before the main character's 18th birthday and she can't wait to get surgically altered and then matched up with her future husband.  She meets a guy, starts getting feelings for him, starts questioning her society, a page-turner ensues.

The LibrariYAn is an Amazon Associate. If you click from links on this blog to Amazon and buy something (anything!), I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.