Teen Librarian Toolbox
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Take 5: Read about your “Mummy” (and Egypt)

May 23, 2013 by 3 Comments

Today we are going “Beneath the Surface” for the Collaborative Summer Reading program and talking about Mummies.  Earlier, we shared some movie and programming ideas. But you’ll definitely want to share some good reads as well.  For example, you can’t go wrong with a John Bellairs mystery, can you?  Here you have Johnny Dixon searching an abandoned house for a missing will . . . with the undead at his heels.  Also kicking it old school, R. L. Stine has a good mummy story with Goosebumps #5: The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb.  Tween readers STILL ask about Goosebumps and Fear Street at my library, so don’t be afraid to use them!  Speaking of Goosebumps, do check out Chris D.’s love letter to the Goosebump series.

Here are 5 more Mummy/Ancient Egypt books to share with your tweens and teens . . .

Mummy by Caroline Cooney
Emlyn plots with some co-conspirators to steal a mummy from the museum. 2000.

Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbuy
Trapped in the structured life of the pretty girl parade of a debutant in 1815 London, Agnes unwraps a mummy – and unleashes a secret that could change her destiny.  Party 1 of a series.  2011.

Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Freisner
Nefertiti was more than just a pretty face.  She was also a pawn for a power.  And a woman who tried to rise above what her world tried to make her be.  Book 2 is Sphinx’s Queen. 2009.

Lights of the Nile by Donna Jo Napoli
Kepi must travel alone to the city and stand up to the great pharoah Khufu after she and her beloved pet are captured and separated. 2011.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Dr. Kane accidentally unleashes the Egyptian god Set who banishes him to oblivion and forces his children, Carter and Sadie, to flee for their lives.  The Gods of Egypt are waking, and they have their sights set on the Kane family.  Book 1 of the Kane Chronicles. 2010.
Do you have some more titles to add to our list?  Share them in the comments.
Filed Under: Ancient Egypt, Fantasy, Historical fiction, Mummies, Reader's Advisory, Take 5

TPiB: Mummies

May 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Tweens and teens in my library are separated not only by that HUGE stretch of year (twelve going to thirteen) but by what they are interested in. My teens seem to want movie programs where they can chill, do crafts, and play games in corners and socialize, or gaming programs where we have a variety of things for everyone.


My TWEENS, however, want ACTION and ADVENTURE and EVERYTHING! I have done Angry Birds, Just Dance 4 Wii, and am actively planning my summer themes to blend the two collaborative themes: Dig Up a Good Book (the youth theme) and Beneath the Surface (the teen theme) as these patrons are stuck between the two worlds.

The first one I’m attempting is a mummy/archeology themed program, and I’ve pulled together ALL of my notes to share with you!  Follow the break to see what I’ve pulled together, and note that a lot of these can work for or be aged up to work with teens…

GAMES
Mummy Wrap:  Team up into pairs, and have one person be the mummy, and one person be the embalmer.  Take rolls of toilet paper, and on the start whistle, have the embalmer wrap the mummy from head to toe in paper.  Mummy must be completely still while the embalmer runs around the mummy.  When the mummy is done, the embalmer and mummy must cross the finish line together.

Spider, Spider: Have the players gather in a circle, and one person is designated it.  That person closes their eyes and placed in the middle of the circle.  Then another player in the circle is given a plastic spider to hide behind their back.  Everyone else then hides their hands behind their back as well.  At the signal, the spider hunter opens their eyes, and then has three chances to guess where the spider is by looking at the other players.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?:  Play exactly like Hot Potato, except with a plastic (or stuffed) snake to throw around.  Can be set to music from Indiana Jones movies or The Mummy movies, and when the music stops, the person holding the snake is out.  Those that are out go to tables to color while the rest plays.
Obstacle Course:  Using props like hoops to step in and chairs with streamers to climb under, create and obstacle course to avoid the evil bad guys.  Those with the best times will compete to see who wins the treasure!

Dance of Death:  Create a playlist (or mix CD) of music from Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and other music from mummy and archeology films, as well as those with an Egyptian theme (Walk like an Egyptian, etc.).  Set chairs around the room for the number of players that you have, minus one.  When the music beings, everyone moves around in the circle in various styles (walk like a mummy, shuffling your feet; walk like you’re sneaking past the bad guys, etc.).  When the music stops, everyone scrambles to find a chair- the last one to not have a chair is out.  They go to a table to color and watch while the rest continue. 
CRAFTS
Bendable Mummies

Gumby like mummies using simple flexible wire and muslin.  Or make it a recycle craft by using strips of old t-shirts.  Cheap, easy and full of win.  More information at Family Chic.

Binoculars

·         Materials:  hole punch, toilet paper tubes, yarn, markers, glue, self adhesive jewels
·         Punch holes into the tops of toilet paper tubes ahead of time
·         Take two toilet paper tubes and glue together.  Loop string around the ends of each side, then tie together so that they make a lanyard for the binoculars to hang off the neck.  Decorate at will with leftover materials.
Sarcophagus
·         Materials: containers (Kleenex boxes, shoe boxes, Pringles tubes, etc). Gold Construction paper. Glue. Scissors. Self adhesive gems. Markers.
·         Have tweens take safe scissors and cut an opening into the container if there isn’t one already there.  Take construction paper and cover the containers completely, gluing were appropriate.  Decorate with markers and self-adhesive gems.

Hierogrlyphics Stone Tablet

You can use salt dough or self hardening clay to make Hieroglyphic stone tablets. Complete instructions here. 

Mummify a Barbie

Visit your local thrift store and by some super cheap Barbies then allow your tweens to mummify them with this condensed process.  You can eliminate steps if you want, or go for accuracy.  There are also great instructions here.

Kits

If you don’t feel confident doing crafts on your own with scrounged materials (some don’t and that’s fine- do what’s comfortable for you), then there are always kits available at a variety of online places. Do a search for Egypt or archeology or mummys and see what comes up. I found things like these from Oriental Trading Company- see what you can order to fill out your program.

 
MOVIES
I always like having movies available to me, especially since we pay for a public performance license. With tweens it gets tricky because I really don’t feel comfortable setting them down for a PG-13 movie, yet they always assure me they’ve seen them (or R movies) all the time. I just keep telling them that because they’re under 13, I can’t show it them or I will loose my job, and that ends the discussion. You, however, can show whatever you’re comfortable with. I’ve pulled a list of movies that (generally) fit with the theme that are rated PG and are covered under the Movie Licensing USA agreement. (NOTE: If you do NOT have a public performance license, please do not show movies- it is NOT worth your job or the fines if you get in trouble).
 
Aladdin
Beetlejuice
Coraline
Encino Man
The Flintstones
The Goonies
Hercules
Holes
Hotel Transylvania
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Jumangi
The Jungle Book
National Treasure 1 & 2
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Secret of NIMH
The Corpse Bride
Filed Under: archeology, Collaborative Summer Reading Program, Mummies, Teen Program in a Box, Teen Programming, TPIB, Tweens

TPiB: Beneath the Surface Ideas for Tweens/Teens

February 5, 2013 by 4 Comments

Ah, February…  the time when every teen services specialist thinks of candy hearts, chocolate tastings, and OMG, we have HOW MANY DAYS UNTIL SUMMER?!?!??!  Do not fear!  We at Teen Librarian Toolbox have not one, not two, but EIGHT different ideas that would fit in with the 2013 Collaborate Summer Reading Program Theme (Beneath the Surface & Dig Into Reading)…

I happen to be in charge of everything (splitting the youth portion with my part time youth services librarian) and have had tremendous success with tween programs.  So for the summer I’m alternating between tween and teen nights.  However, any of these ideas can be aged up or down depending on your library, and what works for your patrons.  What works for me and mine may not work for you and yours.

Note:  All movie suggestions have been cleared through Movie Licensing USA, which is where my system gets their umbrella license.  If you do not have a public performance license, please use movies in the public domain.  Do not have the authorities pounding down your door.  Also, while the MPAA ratings are a guideline and not law, no movies suggested go above PG-13.

 

Superheros/secret identities 

  • Movie suggestions: DC Superheroes featuring Superman, Green Lantern, Batman– the first week of June Man of Steel is released in theaters so it would be a good tie in.  Marvel superheroes like The Avengers or Iron Man as Iron Man 3 will have been released in early May.

  • Craft suggestions:  create your own superhero emblem and place in a photo keychain, or utilize the system’s buttonmaker (start preparing the arm muscles), or get mask blanks and let them design their own costume piece

  • Game suggestions:  pin the cape on the superhero, name the secret identity, create your own superhero, get your own superhero name,  Marvel Monopoly

Zombies

  • Movie Suggestions: anything zombie related, like Invasion of the Body Snatchers or I am Legend (World War Z is released June 20)

  • Craft suggestions: create your own zombie heads with blank kickballs (hacky sacks for those of us who remember), or create a little felt zombie with some scraps and a house out of leftover candy tins.  Or check out Zombie Felties for a real craft project. 

 

Law enforcement

  • Movie Suggestions: The Lone Ranger comes out July 3, so you could pull in the western aspect with Wild Wild West, or go full force with S.W.A.T. or uber mysterious with Total Recall (2012)

  • Craft suggestions:  rattlesnake pulls, ID badges, finger print cards, create your own wanted poster

  • Game suggestions: Live Clue, mystery scavenger hunts, assassin

Shark week

  • Movie Suggestions: Really, what else is there but Jaws or the sequels? 

  • Craft suggestions: baby food jars plus plastic sharks=shark globes, or make your own shark teeth necklaces, design a shark bite

  • Game suggestions: shark bite tag, feed the shark (bean bag toss), shark volley


Minecraft

  • Movie Suggestion:  Wreck-It Ralph. Yes, seriously.  Yes, they are both video games, but if you have ever seen Minecraft, they build and build and build, and then take it down and tear it apart and then build and build and build.

  • Craft suggestions:  create your own Steve masks, fold your own Minecraft printables, build your own creepers

  • Game suggestions: Live Minecraft (gather boxes to build the fort, have some tweens be builders, and some be creepers and destroyers- see who wins), Creeper Bowling, after hours Minecraft gameplay

Dinosaurs

  •  Movie Suggestions:  Jurassic Park, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Godzilla

  • Craft Suggestions:  Create your own dinosaur fossils, dinosaur bones out of pasta, design your own dinosaur heads

  • Game suggestions: bean bag toss with dinosaur eggs, hot dinosaur egg (hot potato), Lava tug-o-war between the herbivores and the carnivores

Mummies

  • Movie Suggestions: The Mummy, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Hotel Transylvania, Corpse Bride, Jumangi

  • Craft Suggestions:  create your own mummies,  cardboard tube mummies, potato chip tube mummies, create your own tombs (Check out the hieroglyphics section on this Art Through the Ages TPiB)

  • Game Suggestions: Musical chairs (Walk Like an Egyptian, King Tut, etc.), Mummy wrapping, hieroglyphics codes 

Spy party

  • Movie Suggestions:  Spy Kids, Inspector Gadget, James Bond movies or the Austin Powers series

  • Craft Suggestions: recyclables to make their own gadgets, finger printing, disguise printables

  • Game Suggestions: disguise relay races, spy training obstacle courses, hide and seek, assassin

    Adapt ideas from this CSI themed TPiB

Filed Under: Collaborative Summer Reading Program, Dinosaurs, Law Enforcement, Minecraft, Mummies, Sharks, Spies, Summer Reading, Superheros, TPIB, Zombies