YA Graphic Review: Brain Camp by Susan Kim

Brain Camp by Susan Kim
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jenna and Lucas are pains at home.  Jenna is too silly and free-spirited for her prestigious and acadademic family.  Her parents worry about her, and her younger sister doesn't even want to be seen with her.  Lucas, son of a single mom, gets horrible grades despite his intellect.  Both teens and families are surprised when a representative from Camp Fielding visits their home to invite/recruit them.

LA Noire - Finis!

I have finished LA Noire but it isn't done with me yet.
What an engaging and cinematically gratifying game!
In the same vein as titles such as Heavy Rain and The Godfather, Rockstar definitely took players to the movies with this one.  Everything about the game, down to the music was perfectly tailored to the experience of being in the troubled post-war era of 1940's Los Angeles.

YA Review: The Accidental Genius of Weasel High

The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"A Book for the Wimpy Kid who has grown into a Wimpy Teen" is the phrase written on the back of this book and it is seriously appropriate.

Fourteen year-old freshman, Larkin Pace, is writing a blog for his English class assignment. Making up this book are the entries themselves which helped him win the class coveted prize; an 100% grade.

Storytime: Father's Day/Dads

The actual theme of this storytime was Dads and Families because we do like to be cognizant of the fact that all children don't have dads. The books I found were sweet however, and had nice overarching themes that could fit any kind of family. Interrupting Chicken can also be used for a Fairytale or Bedtime theme, and Daddy is a Doodlebug was a great find for touching on how we're alike or different from our parents.

Opening Song: My Hands Say Hello
(To the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell")
My hands say hello, my hands say hello
Every time I see my friends, my hands say hello!

(Second verse, etc. my body/feet/head/etc.)
First Story: Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

FingerPlay: Counting Sheep by Susan M. Dailey(to the tune of This Old Man)

Counting Sheep, Counting Sheep
Helps My (daddy/mommy)
go to sleep.
(Stretch and Yawn)

One sheep, two sheep,
(Hold up appropriate number of fingers.)
three sheep, four--
Soon my mommy
starts to snore.
(Snore.)
(Repeat, replacing family member)

Story #2 - Daddy is a DoodleBug by Bruce Degen

Short Poem:

There are all kinds of families that I see

Some families are large. (spread arms out wide)
Some families are small (bring arms close together)
But I love my family (cross arms over chest) best of all!

Story #3 - I Love My Dad by Anna Walker

Closing Song/Rhyme - We Wave Goodbye:
(Same tune as with My Hands Say Hello)We wave goodbye like this,
We wave goodbye like this,
We clap our hands for all our friends,
We wave goodbye like this.

Craft:

Printable Necktie Bookmark

SPECIAL UPDATE: LA Noire Stories

So one of the major program thrusts I have set for this year is a gaming/literature connection.  I truly feel that games not only increase some young adult interest in reading and math, but that by highlighting the connections, we do more to increase the appreciation of games as a viable genre of entertainment.  With all that being said, Rockstar Games has just made me excited...AGAIN.

Premiering TOMORROW, June 6, 2011, Rockstar Games and Mullholland Books

Gaming: Totally Vegged on LBP 2 and Finally Got my Hands on Noire

So by sheer luck, I happened to be working on a day when someone returned Little Big Planet 2!!!  My library(and many other's) policy is that the patron on site takes precedent over patrons on hold or over the phone, so although there were a TON of holds on it, I was able to snatch it up and give it a whirl for a couple of weeks.  I must say I was very happy with it.  I'm also pulling together my first program at my new library and I FINALLY got my paws on LA Noire...

LBP2:
For those unfamiliar with LBP, you play as your fully customizable Sackperson.

Playing the different levels can earn you all kinds of outfits and accessories to personalize your look and even decorate your Pod.  Being the literal nerd that I am, I tend to dress my Sackperson up as me. LOL  So I was thrilled to see that one of the very first outfits I could find was a librarian-ish one complete with glasses. There are dozens and dozens of options, including some that you can download from private gamer sites and even the PSN store.

This game was far more interesting than the original, but only

YA Review: The Dust of 100 Dogs

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A-MAZING.
There are a good number of YA books that can crossover to Adult Fiction and cause quite a stir. This book just rose to the very top of that list. Two personalities could be a hard thing to read through but A.S. King serves up two exceptional heroines who are hard to ignore or underestimate.

In the 17th century, Emer's horrible luck and sad past has led her away from her family and one true love into piracy. When she finally comes close to returning to that life, the evil Frenchman, to whom she was once betrothed, kills her lover Seanie and when Emer takes her revenge on him, his first mate(and lover)is furious. He kills Emer, but only after cursing her to "live 100 lives as the female dog she is".