What Is It Like to Write an Episode for "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?"

National Book Award Winner M. T. Anderson Discusses His Writing Experience for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure in Video Interview

In a video interview for Reading Rockets, M. T. Anderson discusses the history of the exquisite corpse art form and how he and a motley crew of 19 other celebrated authors and illustrators pooled their limitless imaginations to create The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, a 27-episode story game!

"Writing an Exquisite Corpse Adventure episode is like playing a game of hot potato, tossing the spud from person to person, passing it down a line of friends. Sure, everyone wants the potato to stay in the air. But it's also really fun if you can put some spin on it when you throw it so the next person has to really reach to grab it. The fumble and save is part of the thrill of the game."

M.T. Anderson is the author of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party, a National Book Award Winner and Michael L. Printz Honor Book. His novel Feed was a National Book Award Finalist and a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. Anderson’s most recent books include Agent Q, or the Smell of Danger! and The Suburb Beyond the Stars. He is a member of the board of directors of the NCBLA. Learn more about Anderson and his books on his website.

Watch the video now!

What Is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a progressive story just like the one many families play on road trips, at camps, at parties, at home when there is a power outage. It is a game where one person begins a story, stops at a cliffhanging moment, and the next person picks it up, continuing on until everyone in the group has the opportunity to contribute. And just like in those games, in The Exquisite Corpse, characters spontaneously erupt out of our authors’ imaginations; plot lines tumble forth, some realized, some lost; and we are often poised at the edge of a cliff with no logical solution in sight! 

 

Originally published on Read.gov as the foundation of a national reading and writing initiative created by The National Children’s Bookand Literacy Alliance and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is now available from Candlewick Press in paperback and hardcover. It is also available on audio. 

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure authors and illustrators are: M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Kate DiCamillo, Timothy Basil Ering, Jack Gantos, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Lemony Snicket, Steven Kellogg, Gregory Maguire, Megan McDonald, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, James Ransome, Jon Scieszka, and Chris Van Dusen.

Ask for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
at a library or bookstore near you!

To buy The Exquisite Corpse Adventure from the bookseller of your choice, click here.

In Case You Missed It!

Caroline Kennedy Talks About How Her Parents Shared Their Love of Reading

In an interview with Dotson Rader for Parade titled "Courage, Strength, and Dignity: A Conversation with Caroline Kennedy," Kennedy shares memories of her parents and discusses her new book Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy, to be published September 14. The book presents never-before-heard interviews with Jacqueline Kennedy following the death of President John F. Kennedy.

When asked if Jacqueline had encouraged Caroline and John to read, Caroline answers, "Yes. She made it fun, and she was always quoting things. When we’d play charades, everybody wanted Mummy on their team because she knew these quotes no one else knew. She would throw in Walter Raleigh, Yeats, and Bible verses, and she’d win every time! She mostly didn’t play, but when she did she was really a star." 

Did your parents read to you as a child? "My mom did when I was younger. I don’t remember my father reading to me, but I remember him telling me bedtime stories. I got to pick what was in them, and then he’d make them up. ... They were adventure stories. I had two ponies in them—one was black with a white star and one was white with a black star, and they were called White Star and Black Star. I could pick who rode the other one. Mostly I picked my cousin Stevie. [Now a business executive, Stephen Kennedy Smith Jr. is the son of Jean Kennedy Smith, the sister of John F. Kennedy, and the late Stephen Smith.] "

To read the entire interview, click here.

Learn MORE About America's First Families

To learn more about presidents and their families, check out the NCBLA's award-winning anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out!

Share the stories of the first presidential children to live in the White House in "High Spirits in the Lincoln White House" by Russell Freedman and learn more about White House life for the young Kennedy family in "The Kennedy White House" by Barbara Harrison. Read about the letters Theodore Roosevelt sent to his children in "Theodore Roosevelt’s Letters to His Children" by Leonard S. Marcus.

On the companion educational site OurWhiteHouse.org, you can read about each and every one of our nation's presidents and first ladies in the "Presidential Facts" and "First Lady Facts" pages. 

While visiting OurWhiteHouse.org, be sure to check out the vast array of other articles, resources, and activities that help young people connect with American history.

Our White House is a project of the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance created to encourage young people to read more about America’s rich history and culture; to think more about America’s future; to talk more about our nation’s leadership; and to act on their own beliefs and convictions, ensuring this great democratic experiment will survive and thrive. Our White House is available in both paperback and hardcover from Candlewick Press.

Ask for Our White House at a library and bookstore near you!

"The Exquisite Corpse Adventure" NOW Available from Candlewick Press

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
A Progressive Story Game Played by
20 Celebrated Authors and Illustrators

Originally published on Read.gov as the foundation of a national reading and writing initiative created by The National Children’s Bookand Literacy Alliance and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is now available from Candlewick Press in paperback, hardcover, and audio formats!

What Is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a progressive story just like the one many families play on road trips, at camps, at parties, at home when there is a power outage. It is a game where one person begins a story, stops at a cliffhanging moment, and the next person picks it up, continuing on until everyone in the group has the opportunity to contribute. And just like in those games, in The Exquisite Corpse, characters spontaneously erupt out of our authors’ imaginations; plot lines tumble forth, some realized, some lost; and we are often poised at the edge of a cliff with no logical solution in sight! 
 

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure authors and illustrators are:  M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Calef Brown,  Susan Cooper,  Kate DiCamillo,  Timothy Basil Ering, Jack Gantos, Nikki Grimes,  Shannon Hale,  Lemony Snicket, Steven Kellogg, Gregory Maguire,  Megan McDonald,  Patricia and Fredrick McKissack,  Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson,  James Ransome, Jon Scieszka, and Chris Van Dusen. 

Extensive Online Education Support Materials Available!
Discover a treasure trove of online educational support materials for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure on the NCBLA’s Exquisite Corpse Adventure Education Resource Center. Overflowing with supplemental articles, classroom activities, reading lists, art activities, discussion questions, and more, the Education Resource Center is designed for moms and dads, teachers and librarians, grandparents and guardians—all adults who live and work with young people and have a vested interest in helping kids read more, write better, and create stories and art that expand all of our universes.

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure Education Resource Center provides three categories of content:

* General interest articles explain the history of the Exquisite Corpse art form and how it is played, provide instructions for playing progressive story games, and offer tips for parents to encourage reading in their homes.

* Episodic materials include links to author and illustrator biographical information, annotated lists of recommended reading (thematically linked to each episode!), classroom activities, art activities, and discussion questions—provided and customized for each Exquisite Corpse episode.

*  Literacy resources include authoritative articles on reading and writing from the NCBLA and other literacy experts, links to informative websites and blogs dedicated to literature and literacy, and links to Exquisite Corpse Adventure contributors’ websites and video discussions.

The educational resource center was created by the NCBLA and our distinguished colleagues at the Butler Children’s Literature Center at DominicanUniversity.

Click here to visit The Exquisite Corpse Adventure Education Resource Center!

Ask for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure at a library or bookstore near you!

To buy The Exquisite Corpse Adventure from the bookseller of your choice, click here. 

In Case You Missed It!

Authors James Patterson and Rick Riordan Discuss How to Get Kids Reading

In the video titled "Inspiring Reluctant Readers" on the New York Times website,  best-selling authors James Patterson and Rick Riordan talk about the challenge of encouraging children, particularly boys, to love reading. Click here to watch the video.

Parents and guardians, for more tips on developing life-long readers and fostering a love of reading and writing in your home, check out the NCBLA'S "Parent and Guardian Handbook." 

And look for other great resources on ReadingRockets.org, such as "Hooking Struggling Readers: Using Books They Can and Want to Read," and on Jon Scieszka's website: Jon Scieszka Worldwide.

Children's Literature Festivals Scheduled in September and October

Princeton Children's Book Festival to be Held Saturday, September 10

The Princeton Children's Book Festival is an annual event each September at the Princeton Public Library and the Albert E. Hinds Memorial Plaza located at 65 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, New Jersey. The Festival will be held Saturday, September 10, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The Princeton Children's Book Festival is a celebration of the love of libraries and books that allows participants to meet authors and illustrators, listen to author discussions, and have books autographed.

Some of the participating authors and illustrators include: Cyn Balog, Lindsay Barrett George, John Bemelmans Marciano, Becky Birtha, Sophie Blackall, R. Gregory Christie, Brian Floca, Brett Helquist, and Dan Yaccarino.

Click here to see the complete list of participants and learn more about the Princeton Children's Book Festival. 

Keene State College Children's Literature Festival to be Held Saturday, October 22

The Keene State College Children's Literature Festival is an annual, one-day Saturday event held on the campus of Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. 

This long-running festival was initiated in 1978 and provides the opportunity for participants to meet and talk with widely recognized authors and illustrators of books for young people; have lunch with fellow teachers, librarians, and children's literature enthusiasts; and view the extensive collection of artwork in the Festival Gallery, which includes over 200 working drawings, finished illustrations, and the 102 Festival owl illustrations. Over 180 illustrators have work in this gallery.

Each year five speakers give a one-hour presentation. Presenting this year are: Harry Bliss, Bryan Collier, Melissa Sweet, E. B. Lewis, and David Wiesner.

Click here to learn more about this year's speakers and to register.