Children's Book Baby Shower Game
February 6, 2012 5:28 PM   Subscribe

Baby shower game help: The theme is children's books. The game is matching characters to their book titles. Starting off easy and getting diabolical. Legion of Children's Book Nerds of Metafilter, I know you want to jump all over this.

Okay, so the theme of the shower is children's books. Starting with board books and up through, say, junior high. One of the games will be a list of things and you name the book they came from. I need you to help me come up with items. The categories are:

Main Characters (such as Laura Ingalls)
Love Interests (such as Gilbert Blythe)
Locations/Settings (such as Orchard House)
Sidekicks and Minor Characters (such as Dr. Kakofonous A. Dischord)

(You can also help me think of clever names for the categories!)

I want to start out easy so people will be like, "Oh! I know that one! I love that book!" and get to diabolical so I'll have tiebreakers because, dude, there are a lot of book nerds coming to this shower. The attendees were mostly born in the 70s, so children's books they didn't grow up reading will be harder, but there are several English and literacy teachers who will know them.

Obviously the list I've got so far is tending towards chapter books -- little kid books also wanted. About as old as I'm going is Flowers in the Attic. I'm leaning towards classics but also including (obviously) things that were widely read by girls who grew up in the late 70s and 80s. Genre is also okay. Obscure is cool, trick questions not.
posted by Eyebrows McGee to Writing & Language (23 answers total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
Ooh, this sounds fun! I have to run, but I'll start things off by suggesting First Lines (such as "Where is Pa going with that ax?")
posted by cider at 5:39 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: Babar's wife? ..................................Celeste
Encyclopedia Brown's nemesis? .......Bugs Meany
Frances's little sister? ......................Gloria
The dog in Something Queer is Going On... Fletcher (or you could do his breed: basset hound)
The little boy in red in A Snowy Day...Peter
posted by LobsterMitten at 6:03 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: Ah no, those are backward, aren't they.

What you want is like this:

CHARACTERS..........................BOOKS
Queen Celeste ....................... Babar
Bugs Meany.............................Encyclopedia Brown
Fletcher the Basset Hound.......Something Queer is Going On

PLACES......................................BOOKS
Villa Villekulla.............................Pippi Longstocking
Metropolitan Museum of Art........From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler
posted by LobsterMitten at 6:11 PM on February 6, 2012 [1 favorite]


Best answer: PLACES
An old house in Paris that was covered in vines...Madeline
The Plaza....Eloise
Zuckerman's barn...Charlotte's Web

PEOPLE
Bess Marvin and George Fayne.....Nancy Drew
Todd Wilkins....Sweet Valley High (Elizabeth Wakefield's love interest)
Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout...Where The Sidewalk Ends
Marcy Lewis...The Cat Ate My Gymsuit (or There's A Bat In Bunk Five)
Mouse Ellis...Otherwise Known As Sheila The Great
Miles J. Benedict Jr...Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (Margaret's teacher)
posted by SisterHavana at 6:25 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: Eustace Scrubb
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:30 PM on February 6, 2012


From Drujienna's Harp which is probably obscure (but shouldn't be):
Characters - Tha, Duncan, Eshone, Jipeet (a minor character)
Locations - T'pal, the Great Shophosean Mists, San Francisco

From The Diamond in the Window:
Characters - Eleanor & Eddy, Ned & Nora, Prince Krishna, Mrs. Truth (maybe a location, since she's a statue on the bannister)
Location - Concord MA
posted by Quietgal at 6:42 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: Old Dan and Little Ann (characters, canine)--Where the Red Fern Grows
Dumbwaiter (place of significance to plot)--Harriet The Spy
Pork cracklings and maple snow candy (weird food that sounded good to eat)--Little House in the Big Woods
Hacking off beautiful long hair in a fit of defiance over having to wear a Milwaukee brace (disturbing acts of self-discovery/bad beauty)--Deenie
Nosebleeds (portents of early graves )--A Summer to Die
posted by rumposinc at 6:58 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: Characters:

Snowbell, Margalo ---------------- Stuart Little
Miss Jenny, Miss Trunchbull ------------------------- Matilda
Jeff Fishkin, Bradley Chalkers -----------------------There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom
Sniff, Snuffkin, The Snork Maiden, the Hemulen ------------Finn Family Moomintroll
Jonas, Gabriel-------------------- The Giver
Howie Kemp, Beezus, Picky-Picky --------------------------------the Ramona books

Places:

aboard the Seahawk --------------------------------- True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Stoneybrook, Connecticut ----------------- the Baby-Sitter Club books
Hikueru Island -------------------------------- Call It Courage
"Clifton, Indiana" ----------------------------Running Out of Time
Two Mills, PA ---------------------------------Maniac Magee
posted by daisystomper at 7:21 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: OMG best shower game ever!

The Egypt Game, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Melanie Ross...character
April Hall...character
A-Z Curiosity Shop...place


The Cricket in Times Square, by George Selden

Chester (cricket)...character
Harry (cat)...character
Tucker (mouse)...character
Bellini's News Stand...place


Paddington Bear books

Mr. Curry...character
Portobello Road...place


Homer Price by Robert McCloskey

Homer...character
Freddy...character
Centerburg...place


Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Hazell's Wood...place
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:34 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: Q: Name the Boxcar Children
A: Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny Alden (extra credit for full names? Henry James, etc.)
posted by peep at 7:40 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: Main Characters
Sheila Tubman.....Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great
Wilbur (the pig) or Fern Arable.......Charlotte's Web
Max...........Where the Wild THings Are
Peter Warren Hatcher........Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Setting
Barn in Maine.........Charlotte's Web
Centerberg, Ohio.......Homer Price

Side Characters
Uncle Telemachus..........Homer Price
Melody Foxglove.......Hello Mrs Piggle Wiggle
Mr McGregor.........Tale of Peter Rabbit
posted by biscuits at 7:42 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: CHARACTERS
Agba (the boy) or Sham (the horse)........................King of the Wind
Mary Anne (the steam shovel; not sure if this counts?)...........Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel
Caractacus Pott.......................................Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Nicodemus (the rat)..................................Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Wart .......................................................The Once and Future King

PLACES
An upside-down house..............................Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Toad Hall ................................................The Wind in the Willows
The Hundred Acre Wood ..........................Winnie the Pooh
The town of Chewandswallow ..................Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
(aboard the boat) The Tidely-Idley ...............................Burt Dow, Deep Water Man

ROUTES/JOURNEYS
From Lake Nipigon, thru the Great Lakes, down the St Lawrence, to the Atlantic..... Paddle-to-the-Sea
From the Charles River to the Boston Public Garden.................Make Way For Ducklings
From the Doldrums through Dictionopolis, then Digitopolis, then the Mountains of Ignorance, to the Castle in the Air, and back again....................................... The Phantom Tollbooth
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:46 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: I love this idea!

A Ring of Endless Light, Madeline L'Engle

Main characters: Vicky Austin

Love interests: Adam Eddington, Zachary Gray, Leo Rodney

Places: Seven Bay Island, Grandfather's cove, the stable house

Minor characters/sidekicks: Rob Austin, Mr. Rochester, Basil, Norberta, Njord, Suzy Austin, John Austin

Dicey's Song, Cynthia Voigt:

Main characters: Dicey Tillerman

Love interests: Jeff

Place: Crisfield

Minor Characters: Gram (Ab Tillerman), Mina Smiths, Millie Tydings; James, Maybeth, and Sammy Tillerman
posted by corey flood at 7:59 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: Oh I want to go to your party! In the late 70's I read The Chocolate War. I'm not sure how obscure it is in the bigger context, but I remember having it be memorable:
Setting: Trinity High School
Main Characters: Jerry, Brother Leon
Minor(ish) Characters: The Goober, Archie, Obie, Emile

The White Mountains might be super obscure, but we read it in 5th grade in the 70's, and I think it got some acclaim, so maybe it will be memorable for someone at your party:
Original Setting: Wherton, England (but they travel to the eponymous White Mountains, though if someone actually knew the book but couldn't remember it, that might be a good tie-breaker)
Main character(s): Will, Henry, Beanpole


Also, for the younger age range, don't forget:
Corduroy
Setting: Department Store
Main character(s): Lisa and Corduroy
posted by gubenuj at 8:05 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: Daddy-Long-Legs
Characters: Judy (Jerusha) Abbott, Master Jervie
Setting: John Grier Home

Karana--Island of the Blue Dolphins

The Westing Game
Oh god, so many: Flora Baumbach, Turtle Wexler, Sydelle Pulaski, Sandy McSouthers, Otis Amber, Mr. Hoo, Judge J.J. Ford, etc. Obvious: Sam Westing
Setting: Sunset Towers (but they face east!)

Since you've probably got Little Women covered, what about Eight Cousins/Rose In Bloom?
Characters: Rose Campbell, Mac, Charlie, Uncle Alec, Phebe
Setting: Aunt-Hill

Peter Pan for the easy points: Pete, Wendy, Michael, and John Darling, Nana, Smee, Captain James Hook, Tiger Lily, the Jolly Roger pirate ship, the tick tick ticking crocodile

Betsy-Tacy
Characters: Betsy Ray, Tacy Kelly, Tib Muller, Joe Willard, Tony Markham and The Crowd
Setting: Deep Valley, the Big Hill, Little Syria, Tib's Chocolate House

And I'm sure you have all of L.M. Montgomery covered, but just in case: Emily Starr, Teddy Kent, New Moon, Dean Priest, Ilse Burnley, the Disappointed House

What a wonderful game!
posted by book 'em dano at 8:51 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: Maybe I'm really old, or maybe these are too easy:

Dr. Dolittle stories include the characters:
Jip, Dab Dab, Gub Gub, Chee Chee, Polynesia, Tommy Stubbins, Matthew Mugg

A couple of locations:
Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, Popsipetel
posted by angiep at 9:30 PM on February 6, 2012


Best answer: Too fun to resist!!

Who had one shoe, a feather in his cap, and drove an apple? Lowly worm!

You mention Gilbet Blythe, so here's some Canadiana

What eminent Canadian wrote the Secret World of Ogg? Pierre Burton

What will happen if you don't get some Alligator Pie? You're gonna die!

Who adopted Anne Shirley? Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert

Who's story, Nice Families Don't features a fart? Robert Munsch

Who wrote the Jacob Two Two books? Mordecai Richler

You may know Bruno and Boots, but who is Gordon Korman's drum playing hero who introduced pyrotechnics to the national youth orchestra? Bugs Potter

Identify the book: ""We lived in three places - the school, the church and the skating rink - but our real life was on the skating rink." (Roch Carrier's The Hockey Sweater)

Which author is known for mysteries featuring young detectives and famous Canadian locations? Eric Wilson
posted by chapps at 1:28 AM on February 7, 2012


sorry - it's Good Families Don't which features a fart.
posted by chapps at 1:29 AM on February 7, 2012


Best answer: I thought you might like some classic picture book trivia:

Main Characters
Big Anthony---------------Strega Nona
Max ----------------------Where the Wild Things Are
Brother and Sister Bear ----Berenstain Bears
Princess Elizabeth ---------Paper Bag Princess
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard-------Make Way for Ducklings
Vashti --------------------The Dot

Locations/Settings
Mr. McGregor's Vegetable Garden ---- Tale of Peter Rabbit

Sidekicks and Minor Characters:
Thing One and Thing Two ------- Cat in the Hat Comes Back
The Once-ler------------------- The Lorax
Man in the Yellow Hat ---------- Curious George
White Rabbit, Mad Hatter-------- Alice in Wonderland
posted by ceramicblue at 10:57 AM on February 7, 2012


Best answer: Drinks & Drugs:

Butterbeer - Harry Potter
Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster - Hitchhikers' Guide to The Galaxy
Frobscottle - The BFG
Melange - Dune
Moloko Plus - Clockwork Orange
Chew-Z - The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Victory Gin - 1984
posted by zamboni at 5:54 AM on February 8, 2012


Response by poster: I am working my way down the list putting together my quiz and marking best answers as I use them in my quiz, but I am slow, so it'll take me a while!

Thanks for all the help, guys!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:39 AM on February 27, 2012


Response by poster: Quiz is essentially complete with 30 main characters, 15 love interests, 25 sidekicks and minor characters, 25 locations, and 5 mind-altering substances. All name-the-book. I'm working on the formatting, trying to get on to two pages. I'll try to come back after the shower to let you know how it goes!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:59 PM on March 1, 2012


Response by poster: Oh, quiz winner gets Lizzie Skurnik's Shelf Discovery, which I reccommend as fun!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:02 PM on March 1, 2012


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