2008 World Stack Up Day Wrap Up

Okay, so this post is a couple days late, sorry Allie.

On Thursday 13 November 2008, I held a program for 8-11 year olds and their families. The program was in honor of Guiness World Record Day and we were attempting to help the World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA) break the record for "The Most People Sport Stacking in Multiple Locations in One Day". My program was awesome if I do say so myself with a total of 40 people interacting with the cups that day!! I had set up a relay course for the kids and tables set up for competitions. Also on one side of the room, I had table set up for newbies to try their hand at stacking. The kids and parents LOVED the program and it was a blast!

As of 8:48 pm on Tuesday 18 November 2008, there was a record breaking number of 200,495 people who Stacked It Up!!!! Whoo HOO!!!!!! Last years record was 143,530 so we definitely helped to shatter it. Thanks to everyone who came or thought about us on Thursday.

No More Dead Dogs by Gordan Korman

Wallace Wallace (no, that's not a typo) doesn't lie. He absolutely refuses to lie. His father lies all the time to Wallace and about silly things. Since Wallace hates that his father lies constantly, he decides to NEVER lie. A decision that will get him in to a ton of trouble later, especially when he has to write a review on a book called Old Shep, My Pal (not a real book) and hates the book with a passion. His English teacher, Mr. Fogelman refuses to accept the paper and makes Wallace attend rehearsals for the upcoming school play, Old Shep, My Pal directed by the one and only Mr. Fogelman (go figure). Needless to say, this does not go very well. While on detention, Wallace Wallace can not even play football. (He was last season's hero, accidentally.) For Wallace, banishment from the team is horrible, but he refuses to jeopardize his morals to lie about a book he absolutely hated. Even when his team starts to turn away from him and someone starts to sabotage the play, Wallace sticks to his principles and refuses to lie. When the sabotage points to Wallace, he continues to tell the truth and eventually becomes the school pariah.

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No More Dead Dogs is a decent book. I have to admit, I hated 2/3 of the book, but eventually began to like it a little. I was annoyed by the constant pov shifts-- from Wallace to Rachel to Wallace to Rachel to Wallace to Trudi to Mr. Fogelman, it was excessive. The chapters were short, so by the time I was able to get into one characters head, it was time to shift to another person. I think Gordan Korman would have been better off keeping this story in one P.O.V. instead of five.

The part of this book that aggravated me the most has to be Wallace Wallace being punished for telling the TRUTH!!! Honesty is probably the most important character trait a person can have and what does this book do, it trashes honesty. First with Wallace's father lying all the time to look important to his son, then the English teacher refusing to accept an essay because he doesn't agree with it, to Wallace's team trying to get him to lie and say he loved the book. Throughout No More Dead Dogs we are shown that honesty is not as important as pleasing other people and that's wrong.

WHOO HOO!! WSSA 2008 STACK UP ALL STAR TEAM!

Just a short update to let all my one reader know that my library system has been added to the 2008 WSSA (World Sport Stacking Association) Stack Up All Star Team for the World Stack Up Day event!!! More details will come at a later date and be on the look out because on Thursday or Friday I will update about the program itself. WHOO HOO!!!

Punished by David Lubar

What do 7 oxymorons, 7 anagrams and 7 palindromes have in common? The cure to a crazy punishment.

What do you get when a child runs through the refrence section? A "pun"-ishmnet filled with horrifying bad jokes and a crazy quest. Logan Quester ends up being punished after his best friend decides to play tag. Chasing his friend causes Logan to run into Professor Robert Wordsworth and his "pun"-ishment begins.

I love this book. Kids will learn these crazy types of words in a way that a teacher might not imagine.

Who Shrunk Daniel Funk Book 1: Attack of the Growling Eyeballs by Lin Oliver

Okay, so I know this title is a little crazy. When I first saw it I didn't know what to expect. Seeing Lin Oliver's name on the cover immediatley drew me to the book because I love her work with Henry Winkler's Hank Zipper books, so I decided to pick up the book and read. I have not regretted my decision at all. Daniel Funk at first seems to be a normal boy. He's involved in sports, annoys his 3 sisters and plays video games. Very typical right down to his incredibly messy room (of which he includes a diagram). After letting out a goulash smelling burp, Daniel does something atypical for a boy. He shrinks Suddenly his sock mountain seems to be as tall as Mount Everest, and the Creature Condo with the familiy pets looks like a danger zone.

I am quickly falling in love with this story and eagerly am anticipating the next book in the series which comes out in September. Lin Oliver has shown once again that she can capture the voice of the young male and make us want to read more.

Sport Stacking @ Your Library

I have become a huge fan of sport stacking and have recently (April) introduced it to the tweens at my library. The first time I did the program, I had 48 kids show up to learn how to stack. The numbers are dwindling a little, but the group who keeps coming is learning to be great stackers.

I tried something new with them Monday. Instead of doing our normal watch the video and stack, we did relay races and I was able to watch them individually. I am getting a core group of stacking champions already. Hopefully, we will be up to competition shape by next summer.

Scavenger hunt

What do you get when you add 8 tweens and 16 crazy riddles about the library? A crazy, chaotic scavenger hunt with humerous results. Okay, I broke the 8 kids into two teams (boys + 1 girl and girls). Then I sent them to the children's department with a clue that led to one of my co-workers. From there the kids went on their hunt. Here are the clues I used for each team.

Boy's team:

1. Your adventure begins where your books are found
Becareful for many dangers abound
Your quest will begin with the one with dark hair
If you're nice to her maybe she'll share

2. A hero is in the eye of the beholder
a villain is usually someone much bolder
Here these two foes will forever remain
Go find them and their claim to fame. (Graphic Novel Rack)

3. Your next clue lies
where the nocturnal cow flies (Cow jumping over the moon)

4. Look to the land of eggs and pumpkins
You'll find a small man with a very long name (Rumplestiltskin book)

5. In search of clues-- you cannot get hotter
And your very next clue rides with Potter

6. The Settler of Old traveled in a wagon
And your very next clue will be found near the dragon (bulletin board)

7. A pop fly is what a catcher catches
but your clue lies hidden among the patches (Summer quilts)

8. Your adventures not finished this last clue remains
Go to the place where we began our game (meeting room)


Girl's clues

1. Your adventure begins where your books are found
Becareful for many dangers abound
Your quest will begin with the one with red hair
If you're nice to her maybe she'll share

2. A search through Reference will be a good duty
when you look through and find the flag of Djibouti

3. A Vampire wedding, a President's Daughter
These are the books that made summer much hotter
If you haven't read them you don't have to believe me
Just stand around and watch "As seen on T.V." (YA display case)

4. A glance near the mirror may give you a fright
When you look find Spiderwick's
Care and Feeding of Sprites

5. A black light that flashes is called a strobe
And your very next clue lies around the globe

6. If you're looking in a spot where you can't find a cable
Your next clue may be found under a table

7. This game is so long you may want to spit
You'll find your last clue in the life of Anthony Horowitz

8. Your adventures not finished this last clue remains
Go to the place where we began our game (meeting room)


It was a ton of fun and if I get brave, we may do it again.

Prince of Underwhere by Bruce Hale and Shane Hillman

Bruce Hale and Shane Hillman are potty humor geniouses! This book is about Zeke, his twin sister Stephanie, their neighbor Hector and Hector's TALKING cat. While the kids are running from two "spies" the go through a portal to the land of Underwhere. Zeke is discovered to be the Price of Underwhere and a zany adventure begins.

I loved this book. When I finished reading I was desperate to read more. Bruce Hale and Shane Hillman have begun a hilarious new series that tween boys are going to love to devour. Even some of the tomboyish girls will enjoy the bathroom humor that is literally on every page of this book. I give Prince of Underwear to big thumbs up (which equals 5 flushes on the flush scale.)

Welcome to my Tween World

Hello. I am a library associate working with the young and exciting Tween crowd. In this blog, I hope to bring fun information and programing ideas. I also will try to provide my reviews of new and classic Tween reads.