Summer Book Exchange Party

My boy's school did an End-of-the-Year-Book-Exchange.  It was a HUGE success!  There were piles and piles of books and piles and piles of kids.  My boys brought home a backpack full each of new-to-them books.  Some of them will definitely be keepers.  The rest we'll just send back next year.  I think I might have been more excited about the book exchange than my boys.  And next year I might even volunteer to help with it.  It was that cool!

A used book exchange is a brilliant idea for the summer.  I am so pleased to be a part of a school which has some amazing creativity!  The best part is that it is something anyone could  do.  So if your school doesn't do a book exchange or you just need a fresh pile of books try this idea. The concept is easy. 

Invite a good handful of friends or neighborhood kids to bring all the books they are done reading and ready to pass on to someone else to your back yard.  Then trade one for one.  It's that simple! 

Of course if you wanted to make it a little flashy you could do a book reading, add a craft, and of course, some healthy snacks.  If it were me I'd make sure I threw in a few extra books so that there were plenty to choose from.  I'm sure I could pick up some at garage sales or second hand stores.  The leftovers, if any, could be kept for the next book exchange or donated to a charity of choice.

Now doesn't that sound like a fun way to spend a summer's day!

Happy Tales!

Kristen

Story Challenge: That's Good! That's Bad!

Your Challenge:  

Tell a "That's Good.  That's Bad."  story with your children this week.  Report back by commenting on this post and tell how it went.

Story Tip:  Try this game on Christmas Eve when kids are having trouble sleeping.

Tonight at dinner we played a new story game.  It was brilliant!  We came up with it on the fly.  With two boys and one on the way dinner discussion can often be about bodily functions, body parts, or just plain fighting.  It can drive the Bug with Black Spots and I crazy.  We try to come to the table prepared with a good question or topic for discussion.  Tonight we got talking about books and somehow a story that the boys really enjoy came up.  It’s called “That’s Good, That’s Bad” by Margery Cuyler.  The boys clearly enjoy this story.  We decided to make up our own version of the story at the dinner table. 

Reading the book would be a great idea for your family.  They will get the idea much quicker with the book.  Margery Cuyler, the author, has actually made a series of these books.  Our Favorite is the original story shown below with the yellow cover and the zoo animals.  However, being that it is the Christmas season making a story similar to the "That's Good, That's Bad on Santa's Journey" would be a good tradition to start.  After you read the book make your own story using it’s format sometime when you are desperate for sanity.  I’m thinking a car trip or waiting for an appointment or even dinner in a restaurant.  Everyone can join in.  Even our four year old joined the fun.  We were a little worried about his contribution but he came up with some pretty creative things, which made it even more silly and enjoyable. 

Here’s how it goes.  Have an adult start the first game so the kids get the idea.  That adult starts the story by saying “There once was a …. (boy, girl, mom, dad, monster, bear, etc,...) Who…..(did something with a positive outcome.”  At the end of this short positive one liner everyone exclaims, “Oh! That’s good.”  The next person to go says, “No!  That’s bad.”  He or she then adds a negative line to the story that describes a bad thing that happens to the character.  At the end of this one liner everyone exclaims, “Oh!  That’s bad.”  The next person then says, “No!  That’s good!”  And on and on until the person who began the story ends it with a positive line to which everyone responds “Oh!  That’s good.”  Then the story beginner says, “No!  That’s Great!”  And the story is complete.

Enjoy!
Kristen