Summer Reading?

I have seen several reading lists recently and it made me think about the concept itself. Kids can be very quick to get “bored” in the summer. Personally, I hate this term; it seems like a weak excuse to put the onus on another to entertain you when you can’t bother to find something to do. Also, after the summer teachers must spend the beginning of a school year refreshing students memories on the previous year’s lessons.

So a reading list can provide ideas for things to do, it can serve as a source of entertainment, and it can help keep the brain active so its easier to get back into school after Summer break.

I see the reading list as an opportunity to catch up on reading goals. I had many books I wished to read either because I had heard good things about them or because I was familiar with the subject material or the author. A big one for me is any book which is referenced in other media or in pop culture; I want to know where it comes from so I can appreciate the reference better.

So I thought I would create a short list of books I thought everyone should read at least once. These are the books that really affected me, or gave me a comfortable impression, or a book I continue to reread once a year because they are just that entertaining. The list is almost entirely fantasy, but that is a lot of what I read.

World War Z, Max Brooks

This one drew me in because it was about zombies, but what captivated me was the depth of real human nature and engaging political analysis (not as dry as it may sound.) This one could serve as a documentary of any global natural disaster.

Red Sands, Paul B. Thompson and Tonya R. Carter
Arabian themed fantasy tale; light toned and fun. I have replaced this title in my library three times and I just can't explain adequately why this book draws me to read it at least once a year.

Empire Strikes Back, Donald F Glut

Even though my favorite movie is Return of the Jedi, this novelization is very well written; Don Glut paints pictures with language.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams

An incredibly funny classic of Science Fiction, this has been translated to live action at least twice, but you have to read it to really appreciate the humor.

Coraline, Neil Gaiman

I used this novella as my read aloud lesson when I student-taught 6th Grade. It is captivating, thrilling and fun.

Dragonlance Chronicles, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

A post-apocalyptic fantasy world with governments and religions in upheaval, idealistic characters (some of which actually die; the second book is a tearful read) and a very touching sense of humor.

Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien

THE epic fantasy series. If you have only seen the movies, you are missing some amazing language, mythology and story structure.

Belgariad, David Eddings

A five book, epic fantasy “trilogy;” this series actually covers the growth of its hero from child to man, contains fantasy “races” that are human and distinguished by their cultures (not bearded, short or pointy-eared), it also has a unique magic philosophy that really sets it apart.

The Sleeping Dragon, Joel Rosenberg

A fantasy story that challenges many of the cliches and has many mature topics regarding social behaviors.

As I said, it is a short list. I may add to it from time to time.

Better yet, give me some suggestions in the comments below! What books really affected you? Tell me why, if you want, or just give me a title and/or author. Thanks!

Her Glass Slipper was by Converse: Being an intentional Dad

Teacher, Trooper, Gamer, Dad readers ~ Join me over at Whatever Girls for this weeks post:

follow link below

Her Glass Slipper was by Converse on Whatever Girls

Another One Destined for Broadway

I only recently saw the movie Frozen. You can either stop reading now or finish your thought about why I watched it, or why I took so long.

(There will be spoilers ahead. If you haven’t seen Frozen, skip this post.)

Moving along. The movie as a whole wasn't bad. But it is definitely not for everyone. It was structured more like a Broadway musical than any other animated movie I have seen. I don’t know if it was written this way intentionally. The writer, Jennifer Lee, previously wrote Wreck-It-Ralph, which I also enjoyed (but for different reasons.)

I felt like this was written specifically to be adapted as a musical for Broadway, which seems to be a trend. More than exposition was delivered through song; a lot of dialogue was as well. In addition, every scene seemed overly “staged.” I could almost see the scenery changes designed for a live production and the emphasis on all action being clear from the singular vantage point of a live audience. There seemed to be very little use of camera angle changes to drive the visuals; it was all very dependent on the music and the character’s postures. This is not a bad thing, necessarily, it just may put some people off.

I only had two problems with the movie: Olaf’s appearance and Elsa’s resolution scene.

Olaf (the talking snowman) is, of course, a large part of the comic relief. He is very charming and dim-witted in the right places, and he has a terrific musical number about looking forward to enjoying the summer heat (remember, he is a snowman.) My complaint, a minor one, is his face. He is just a little too goofy-looking. In fact, he reminded me very much of Jar Jar Binks from The Phantom Menace. Now, I understand he needed to look unlike a generic snowman. He would not have worked if he looked like the typical, round-headed snowman. But there is a line between distinct features and “fade into the background” and I think they could have drawn him much better.

Elsa, the ice queen, had a terrific coming out scene, when she exercised her true power without restraint and created a frozen castle for herself. Her battle scenes and magic-use looked like something in an X-Men movie (very enjoyable and exciting.)

Her denouement act, however, was handled much too quickly: it seemed too simple and neat. After years of holding back, and then letting loose with raw emotion, the realization that “love will thaw” should have taken a bit more time. I don’t mean a lot of time, but a false start or two and maybe Anna encouraging, “You can do it, Elsa! I love you!” With--at most--one to two minutes of screen time, the return of summer through magic would have had dramatic, emotional impact. This was the moment that almost ruined my suspension of disbelief.

Imagine watching Tony Stark fly in the Iron Man suit if we had not seen his failed attempts first. “Yeah, I can fly.” Would seem like a much more cocky line. (As is, I feel that “YES!” moment right along with him; otherwise (without the sense of accomplishment,) I would be asking, “and?”)

On the plus side,two of the best characters were the male lead, Kristoff, and his companion: a reindeer named Sven. One of the best moments involved Kristoff singing a “duet”,as both himself and the reindeer (exaggeratedly imitating the reindeer’s voice while Sven supplied appropriate facial expressions. It was a good visual of the depth of their relationship, and very funny. I liked Kristoff and Sven much more as sweet, comic characters than Olaf.

The revealing moment of the villain, Hans was also handled well; no sinister looks, creepy music, or even a musical number illuminating his motivations until the moment we found out he was the bad guy. Finding out he was not the simple, sweet guy he seemed was not necessarily a shock, but it was a great plot point. Much more rewarding, dramatically, than the Elsa point above.

If you can get past the obsessive internet fandom, and equally obsessive detractors, around this film, and just watch it for fun, it is worth it. If you like stage plays, definitely check this one out.

Tabletop Gaming is Alive and Well

Thanks to The Save or Die Podcast for reading my email and passing along my shameless piug for this blog.

Hear the podcast at this link
http://saveordie.info/?p=1034

I mentioned back in September that I was listening to this podcast and how much it reminded me why I love my hobby. It also spurred me to become more active in creation. I have started working on a campaign world to set adventures in. My children and I have begun to play again (using a house-ruled version of the Moldvay set, despite my intent to return to my Holmes roots.) And I am working on some other ideas with an intent to publish.

The gaming hobby is so much more available now than it seemed back in the 80's. Finding a gaming store used to be a 90 minute bus ride to a hole in the wall, or a single shelf at a tiny bookstore. Now the local gaming stores have more open gaming demos, so you can try out a game before you invest in it. And finding the game you want can be as easy as typing the name into your browser. The hobby feels more alive and less secretive now.

What is your gaming experience? Do you want to start some? Give it a try; role-playing is not dress-up, and its not funny voices surrounded by dim, dark walls and flickering candles, as some of the lurid movie-versions would have many believe (I'm looking at you Tom!)

No Dodgeball in P.E. Okay. No Square Dancing?

 Students are not allowed to play dodgeball in physical education anymore. I understand that; I don’t agree with it, but I get it. Some will take the notion of throwing a ball at another person too far and people will get hurt, it will turn the class into an opportunity to fulfill someone’s vendetta against another, and the resulting adrenaline rush will take it even higher. Put aside the ridiculous idea of punishing everyone for the misguided actions of some, of making rules so that we don’t need to monitor what’s going on. Put discipline and guidance on autopilot by simply outlawing an activity which might need constant attention and clear expectations.

But square dancing?

Okay, maybe this wasn’t the result of someone swinging their partner into a wall, or dosey-do-ing a little too vigorously, but why? Square dancing is a great opportunity for learning. Focus student energy on moving in time with the caller’s mark.  The combination of two types of engagement (kinetic and audial) serves to greater cement ideas in our brain. Exercising the body and processing verbal instruction is a terrific lesson.

And if student engagement with the music is an issue, the rhythm and cadence of square dancing is not far removed from current musical styles. I think there is even a song on top 40 radio with a chorus that says: “Swing your partner, round and round.”

And there is no winner or loser. This is truly an activity where everyone deserves an award for participation: something I do not always agree with. In competition, the first competitor should be ourselves. But there is nothing wrong with being a winner. as long as you do not call someone else a loser.

You should feel happy because you accomplished something which took effort and determination. You should NOT try to compound that feeling by taunting those who didn’t quite make it.

Not everyone is going to succeed at everything they do, and we shouldn’t expect that: losing is learning. In loss, we have the opportunity to reflect on what went wrong, change it the next time, or do something else entirely. Take chess, for example. We learn more from losing than we do in victory.

And, to end on a cinematic note, one of my favorite movies made a great point about superiority complexes.

We all have different talents and abilities. Not everyone can be super at everything. “Because when everyone is super: no one will be.”

Her Glass Slipper was by Converse

Its been a long day and there's still work to do

She's pulling at me saying, "Dad, I need you
There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited
And I need you to practice my dancing, oh please, daddy, please"

Steven Curtis Chapman - Cinderella

This song, Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman, punctuated the Princess Ball my daughter and I attended last month. Coincidentally, these lyrics of the song almost perfectly describe the theme of the evening…

The Whatever Girls is an organization begun by a friend of mine and designed to provide intentional guidelines for parents and daughters about making good choices. The world has become so overloaded with options for expression and desire, that the question becomes one of discernment.

I think it is most important to talk to children, even--and especially--about the uncomfortable stuff. If you can talk, without judging, and give them your opinion without dismissing theirs, it can go a long way toward creating a situation where they will make the right choice. Often, they listen, and if they feel their thoughts are important (i.e. you didn't just tell them they were wrong, or bad,) they may make the decision you wanted them to; because you valued them, they will value you.

How do we know what is the right choice, or even the best choice? The Whatever Girls provides a forum for helping guide the decision making process. And helping parents and their children--a companion forum for boys is being discussed--talk about what might be important to both.

I hope you check it out, whether you’re a parent or not (you might be the cool aunt or uncle one day.)

The Princess Ball was a dance designed to allow dads and their daughters to share a night out together. For me and my daughter, it provided for bonding as well as time to share some proper date etiquette (she was rather annoyed with me because I didn't open her door quickly enough. Later, she waited very primly for me to pull out her seat; I hope she doesn't settle for any less when she truly starts to date.)

We talked, we laughed, we took goofy pictures, and even danced (I think my wife was a little jealous.) At the end of the evening, they played the song above and we slow danced, both of us bawling our eyes out. It was incredible, and I don’t think she will forget it.

I know I will never forget it; it was practice for that day when I will have to let her go. I know it won’t ever be easy to let her grow up, but I hope that we’ll never grow apart. And no matter how grown up she gets, I will never grow tired of hearing: “Dad, I need you…”

What Kind of World Do You Want?

By David

Once upon a time, when Dragon Magazine was still a print entity found in magazine racks, a feature series captured my attention called Dungeoncraft, penned by Ray Winninger, the series gave step by step advice to dungeon masters for creating memorable environments for their Dungeons and Dragons games. The article entries were fun to read even if you never used them in a practical sense and they occupied my bookcase--never gathering dust--for many years. I've been reading them recently to give myself a focus, or at least a starting point, in the creation of Archaborea, my new fantasy world.

The first step is to decide on a hook, the points which would define and characterize my world. I had many ideas to begin with: themes and concepts I wanted to explore and exploit, but what were the headlines? What made my world unique?

Archaborea; the essentials.

Primitive Savagery and High Adventure.
I wanted something non-standard: less Tolkien and more Burroughs (although, G.R.R Martin "politics" aren't out of the mix.)
Most of the world is undeveloped or even unspoiled by mortal hands. In the heavens, elemental powers wage an eternal war with elder beings; think Mother Nature versus Cthulhu. The collision of natural and unnatural forces result in jagged mountains, breathless jungles, sucking swamps and infernal deserts. Fell beasts and even predatory plant life abound outside civilized areas. Those who rise above daily survival to seek their fortune are truly exceptional, the stuff of myths and legends.

The Bad Guys Rule.
This one has become a standard, but it provides a good backdrop for other ideas. Also, the Evil Empire trope is near and dear to me...
A decades-old war established the domination of the Ogre Lords (somewhat of a misnomer which stuck; no one knows if the lords are actually of ogreish descent...) Conquerors rumored to have their own fearful rulers, the Ogre Lords have erected fortresses of stone to protect their slaves and subjects from the wilderness and each other. Cities and villages are few and far between existing in places where people have put down roots, determined to hold their freedom and their ground.

Metal is a rare commodity.
This played into the primitive savagery angle, and gives an extra challenge to the potential heroes. The will need to be creative and resourceful in order to arm themselves.
The Ogre Lords and their warlords, enforcers/sympathizers, attempt to control potential uprisings by controlling superior weaponry, keeping the best for their personal armies. Metal weapons and armor are seized at fortress gates and most metal mines are controlled by the Ogre Lords. Metalworking skill has been forbidden to the general populace, punishable by death. Common arms and armor are more often made of leather, wood, bone, stone, and other such materials. Because iron and steel are hard to come by legally, many have become very creative in their materials and designs for personal protection.

Religion is not about faith.
In a world where the very forces of nature are at war, fate and destiny can seem very fickle.
Faith and belief in Archaborea relies on what can be seen or felt. The majority worship primal forces and the natural elements-even if the primal spirits are often wild and vengeful. Elder beings grant power in return for subservience and sacrifice.

Arcane magic is feared, Elemental magic is revered.
I wanted to enforce the notion that magic is mysterious and powerful; I don't like magic being commonplace or expected. Again, back to pulp stories like Robert E. Howard.
Sorcerers and Magicians are viewed with awe and fear by the superstitious populace. True magic power comes from forces often grotesque or beyond comprehension. Shamans and Priests harness the power of nature or elemental forces. Devoted worship can grant the ability to create what some view as miracles.

Adaptation for survival means the term “race” is often only about physical appearance.
I don't like racial stereotypes as a rule. And I had some ideas for mixing up the traditional stereotypes of fantasy races. Why did dwarves need to be stoneworkers? What if dwarves could be "cowboys" or mountaineers?

The wars of conquest by the Ogre Lords displaced many from their traditional areas and the races of Archaborea have adapted to “non-standard” geographical locales. The race referred to as “Dwarves” are not all subterranean miners, some may be plains nomads surviving by herding, trading, or raiding; low and stout in appearance, but wayward and surprisingly quick. “Elves,” lithe and sharp in their features, are as likely to be found on a mountaintop, or lurking in the catacombs below cities, tradespeople who keep the city structures intact. Outside of the fortress walls, tribal structures are much more loose and varied racially; the masters of the Jade Forest might be composed of gnomes, fairie folk, and humans, living side by side as one.

Mr. Winninger had two basic rules he used for this process.

1. "Never create more than you must."

2. "Whenever you design a major piece of the campaign world, always devise at least one secret related to that piece." I have hinted at some potential secrets in my hooks, but I will not reveal them yet. Next comes a little basic geography and sociology to give my heroes a starting point.

In my head, the "ogre lords" look more akin to minotaurs, hence the note in The Bad Guys Rule hook...

What Kind of World Do You Want? Part 2