help!

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Tomorrow I'm giving a booktalk for The Thief to 350 sixth graders. I have two minutes, maybe three, to get them all dying to read the book. I'm not a procrastinator; I've been trying. 

It's not supposed to be a summary of the book, more like a movie trailer. It's got to grab them immediately, and leave them wanting to know more about what happens.

I could start it like this: (reads from the book) "I didn't know how long I'd been in the king's prison." Gen has been in prison for so many months he doesn't even know how much time has passed. What did he do to end up chained by the wrists and ankles to his stone bunk? Well, first he stole the king's seal. Then he bragged about it while drinking in a wineshop. "I can steal anything," he'd boasted.

Then what?

They are studying Ancient Greece and Rome right now, so I should mention the setting but make sure they understand it's a fantasy world. It has to end with a bang. 

Ideas? Anyone?

Comments

[dannybailey.livejournal.com]

That sounds so fun!

I would do a question-and-answer type thing. Ask them what they like to read about (action? mystery?) and then explain how it comes into play in The Thief.

And explain what a seal is. They might not know.

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

Um....offer a bag of sweets to whoever can find the most similarities between the world of The Thief and Ancient Greece.

Could say the thing about Gen being the master of foolhardy plans in the introduction in order to hint at the rest of the book without giving away ending.

Try Megan's website for reviews of The Thief - they certainly sell it well.

[(Anonymous)]

Random thoughts (I have no idea how to give a booktalk):
You could introduce the gods, in particular Eugenides, god of thieves, without giving away much. Perhaps tie in the fact that Hermes was the god of thieves, among other things. Look at it as a "what if" -- what if, instead of Zeus, the gods were ruled by a goddess? What does having a god of thieves say about the role of thieves in that society? If you could have a god who would be interested in you, what would his/her attributes be? (god of soccer? god of reading books? Are there Greek and Roman gods who might cover those things?) Have you ever wanted to invent your own gods, write your own myths?
Of course, my own memories of being a kid in class would support the idea that all you need to do is spend those few minutes reading the first couple of pages, and you've got them. My favorite hook-line from the beginning is when the magus asks Gen how much longer it's going to take him to break out of prison, and he tells us, "Another half an hour, I thought, but I didn't say that either."
(This is probably not helpful, but I am avoiding my own work and thus feel compelled to put in my two cents!)
Oh, and while you're at it, tell them all to go read "The Lightning Thief!"
-Philia

[(Anonymous)]

Hmm, I just reread that, and obviously that would take longer than two minutes. Oh well.
-P.

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

My favorite hook-line from the beginning is when the magus asks Gen how much longer it's going to take him to break out of prison, and he tells us, "Another half an hour, I thought, but I didn't say that either."

That would be effective, I bet! Just the sort of thing to appeal to a bunch of kids!

Off topic, I gave my 14 yr old nephew Lightning Thief for his birthday. The only books he read were Harry Potter, over and over again, and once he finally actually read LT, it became his new favorite book. Yeah! He liked the sequel too. I am also trying to get him to read Thief, but I don't think he has yet.

[fabricalchemist.livejournal.com]

Make sure you tell them that it's got a surprise ending! That it's sort of a mystery. The ending is the best part =)

[fabricalchemist.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, and tell them he's a smart-ass! and tell them about the Sounis group? Or would that not be cool?

[fabricalchemist.livejournal.com]

What's the Lightning Thief about?

[(Anonymous)]

It's about a kid who discovers that he's half Greek god (which he should have known, because of the dyslexia and ADHD -- two big clues). Has to go to Camp Half-Blood with the other demigods. Camp is run by Dionysus (aka Mr. D.). Wouldn't want to spoil it by telling more, but it's just great fun, wonderfully written, funny, and marvellously accurate about Greek mythology (or as accurate as you can be by imagining the Greek gods still hanging around in modern times).
-P.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I may not use the word "ass" in front of 12-year-olds (unless I want to use my two minutes listening to them snicker), but an Amazon review calls Gen, a "snide, quick-tempered, softhearted" hero. I like that.

I'll have to think about the Sounis info. If my sixth graders started coming here, I'd have to vacation in Pantsagonia permanently.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Question and answer can be good. Explain seal, yes. Thanks. *writes*

[fabricalchemist.livejournal.com]

Well, it would get their attention. And you'd be the Coolest Librarian EVAR! >3

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

"Master of foolhardy plans"--good idea. *writes*

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

"What if" questions--good. God of soccer--love that. *writes*

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, you get to talk to them about the books at work! And they will see your wonderful lego and think you are truly amazing!

[rowana.livejournal.com]

Everyone else seems to have come up with some great ideas, so I don't really have anything to add.

Good luck though! If a new member shows up a few weeks from now saying "My librarian plugged this to us" we'll help you hide somewhere. :)

[avian-xj.livejournal.com]

candy is ALWAYS helpful :)

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

...

*fights an inner battle*

...

*loses*

"GEN IS SMEXY. Read. Now."

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Gen is smexy. *writes* :D

[(Anonymous)]

Um, when I read this I think I was about 12, and I thought the coolest part was that he was a thief, and not really a good guy, he stole and he was rude, and he wasn't a prince or anything like that,(well, not at first, anyways) he was just the common dude who though he could do everything, and that was pretty cool. I don't know how helpful that was...

-Case

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

Um, checkers, are you actually looking at what you're writing?

These are children, you reprobate!

(Sorry... couldn't resist. ;-) :-P)

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Case, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. The things that appeal to me as an adult obviously aren't the same things that will appeal to a child reader. You make an excellent point regarding the surprise ending, too. That's why it's such a shock. We were so certain that Gen was as common as dirt, and was rude and stole and did all those cool things that appeal to the rebel in us. I know one person who was actually disappointed when they realized Gen was royalty and famous. They really wanted him to be that common-born hero who sticks it to all the upper class folks.

Luckily, he still can do anything he wants, right?

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Erm, yes. Of course I am. *erases smexy*

Can I say that by the end of the book you'll either be in love with Gen, or want to BE Gen? Although I don't think I really wrote that, it seems I read that in a review sometime. Or did fabricalchemist say that? I suppose the sixth graders won't know any differently. :)

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

If they were older, you could let the boys know that reading Thief is a great Chick Magnet.

Off topic - FINALLY my daughter has read Thief. I was taunting her with lj posts. She's re-reading it now, before going on to QoA. Then we fight of KoA, since I still have it and I am sure she will read Thief and QoA before I finish. When will it be out in paperback, anyway?!?

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but I just had to bring the library glue home and glue KoA in three different places. I'll be lucky if it lasts until the paperback is printed.

What did she think, peggy?

Thief

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

I only talked to her about it briefly - she enjoyed it, was surprised by the ending, and agreed that reading it again was a good idea. Then on to QoA. I told her she couldn't see LegoTolia until she had read all three. (8th grader eyeroll in response to that one).

She read the Puffin edition, then I showed her the new cover and we laughed over the bagel sized stone. She questioned even putting a river stone under a braid (her hair is past her waist, and she has much experience with braids! I wonder if she will try hiding things there now ...).

I should've asked her what points you should make in your talk - I'm sorry!

previous post - it should read "then we fight *over* KoA..." I hope the PB comes out soon.

OK -Grilled her

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

She said if targeting 6th graders - stress the adventure, and the travel over the ancient-Greece like landscape; awesome gods and goddesses; his reprobate attitude; and you could TOTALLY push the smexy Gen, if you were talking to just the 6th grade girls.

This is probably too late to do you any good, but for next time ... or those one-on-one consultations.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

The booktalks rocked! Thanks, everyone who made suggestions. I believe I actually used something from everyone's posts. No to smexy, though, Jade. Sorry. And I said "smart-alec" rather than "smart-ass".

They really seemed to like the description of the temple and the part about the maze being full of dead ends and the bones of thieves who had gotten trapped and died. And most chuckled when I explained that Gen was thrown in prison after stealing the king's seal, then bragging about it in a wineshop.

The best part, though, was when two boys rushed in at lunch time and zoomed over to grab two copies and check them out.

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

Well done Checkers! I'm impressed! Are you going to tell them about the comm?

Book talks

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

Yeah checkers! Good job!

The scene is now set to have Megan come in and talk to those kids ...
you KNOW you want to do it. It's practically your responsibility.

How much do you think plane tickets are from Wisc? Will the school let unknown people come in and listen to said talks?

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Well, I'll have to ponder that. I have told some older teens about it, but I haven't seen any of them here. :)

Re: Book talks

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Less than $300. Of course, anyone could come and listen. If I ever get Megan to my school, you would have to come, too. Or, we could meet in Ohio and arrange a Starbucks meeting. That would be cool! Sounis road trip! Or, there's that lawn party she's going to have for the next book. :)

Re: Book talks

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

Or, all of the above. Name a date and time - I'll be there!

Less than $300?!?! Awesome!

One thing about raising two kids - my agenda is always open for Road Trips. And there is that trip with Mariah to Alexandria, by way of Notre Dame, in January ...

Re: Book talks

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

Damn Atlantic Ocean! Wait, MWT said she was coming to the UK sometime but didn't mention when! There are Starbucks in the UK too! *wishes*

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

Maybe they're just that stealthy... ;-)

Who, me? No, I haven't been spreading my skills around. Why do you ask? :-P