"I have always imagined that Paradise will be some kind of library." ~ Jorge Luis Borges

Sunday, June 7, 2015

ReedALOUD: Book Scavenger

It's a book! It's a game! 

"Twelve-year-old Emily is on the move again. Her family is relocating to San Francisco, home of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger, a game where books are hidden all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles. But Emily soon learns that Griswold has been attacked and is in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold and leads to a valuable prize. But there are others on the hunt for this book, and Emily and James must race to solve the puzzles Griswold left behind before Griswold’s attackers make them their next target." ~ about Book Scavenger

Readers and finding and hiding copies of Book Scavenger. I found my copy of Book Scavenger outside my local library after following a picture clue I spied on Twitter.
This happened to be a day I drove to work, so I got in my car and drove to the library. I apologize for the cliché, but I drove a bit like my life depended upon it. I banged a uey in front of the library and parked in the 15 minute spot. I was worried. I might be too late. I knew there were others searching. I two-stepped to the sculpture and exhaled upon seeing the book. I took a picture and tweeted it back out. As I snatched the book off the sculpture, I turned to see a young girl watching me. I was tempted to hand her the book, but selfishness prevailed. I needed to read it first.

I brought the book on a mini break this weekend. We were heading to the lake to put the docks in and open the house. I hated to leave the book on the wall while I worked. 
There it sat, beckoning me. 

Three hours later, we had completed our chores. It was time to settle into the chairs that I brought from the second story of the garage and reward myself for my hard work. I didn't move for the next two hours. The sun dipped lower and as it neared the hilltops, I closed the book.

I pulled myself out of Emily's world and fell back into conversation with the family, knowing that this morning would bring time to read. 
I finished Book Scavenger about an hour ago and am experiencing that happy/sad aspect of finishing a book that has pulled you into it's world. That said, I am excited to re-release it into the wild for someone else to find and read.

I love this book and am excited to create book scavenger activities for my students. Jennifer Chambliss Bertman has created characters to believe in and root for. The ciphers in the story will inspire readers to learn about and create their own. I plan to buy a few more code and cipher books for my school library. I am even hoping to send some books into the wild for my students to find a read this summer.   
 
There are fifty books in fifty states, so head to the Book Scavenger website to find the current location of the book in your state. 
You can release more books in your state. The book published on June 2nd, so why not go buy your own copy, read it, and hide it? 

Look at the fun others are having:
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Go buy, or better yet, find, your copy today!


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