Take-and-make kits; craft kits; programs to go: whatever your library calls these programs in a bag that have become a staple of no-contact offerings, one thing is fairly standard: these kits are well loved, but they take time to make. I love creating materials for kits and thinking about how a family might interact with program materials at home. I’ve introduced a new pair of kits for ages 6-11: Book Club in a Bag (also known as Leap Off the Page, since we already have book club kits at our library, and the original name became confusing). This week: Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier.
The Book Club in a Bag kits look a bit different from some of my previous kits. Instead of focusing on just one book universe, these kits each feature four characters, hopefully some old favorites as well as some new, diverse characters.
In May, these featured characters or books included (links provided as the bag contents are shared on Book Cart Queens):
- Ages 6-8
- Narwhal and Jelly (Blen Clanton)
- Sadiq (Siman Nuurali)
- Pete the Cat (Eric Litwin and James Dean)
- Zoey and Sassafras (Asia Citro)
- Ages 8-11:
- Tristan Strong (Kwambe Mbalia)
- Last Kids on Earth (Max Brallier)
- Two Truths and a Lie (Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson)
- Lumberjanes (Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters, Brooke Allen, Grace Ellis, Kat Leyh, Faith Erin Hicks)
Check out these previously featured Book Club kits:
– Elephant & Piggie (Mo Willems)
– Mindy Kim (Lyla Lee)
– Yasmin (Saadia Faruqi)
– Azaleah Lane (Nikki Shannon Smith)
– Wings of Fire (Tui T. Sutherland)
– New Kid (Jerry Craft)
– Phoebe and Her Unicorn (Dana Simpson)
– Shuri (Nic Stone)
Each bag contains some repeated resources:
- List of kit contents
- List of books in the featured series
- List of readalike books
- Discussion questions
- Swag item (button, sticker, bookmarks)
- 1-3 crafts, games, activities
Last Kids on Earth Kit
The Last Kids on Earth Kit can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. Most of this kit can be re-created simply using a printer, with the addition of extra items (like board game pieces) depending on your budget.
Want to use make a Last Kids on Earth Kit at your library? Download the PDFs at the links below, or write a comment or send an email (bookcartqueens@gmail.com) for editable files.
Last Kids on Earth Kit General Materials
Each bag contains some of the same basic materials, and the Last Kids on Earth kit is no different.
Slideshare not working? Download the PDF featuring all kit activities here.
Slideshare not working? Download the PDF listing all book titles here.
Slideshare not working? Download the PDF listing readalikes here.
The Last Kids on Earth readalikes bookmark features these titles:
- The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths
- Attack of the Not-So Virtual Monsters by Kim Harrington
- Dungeon Critters by Natalie Riess
- Fart Quest by Aaron Reynolds
- Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick
- Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat by Johnny Marciano
- Middle School Bites by Steven Banks
- Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke
- My Video Game Ate My Homework by Dustin Hansen
- Nico Bravo and the Hound of Hades by Mike Cavallaro
- The Super Life of Ben Braver by Marcus Emerson
- Trapped in a Video Game by Dustin Brady
Slideshare not working? Download the PDF listing discussion questions here.
The Last Kids on Earth Discussion Questions included:
- What do you think caused the monster apocalypse?
- At the beginning of the series, Quint wanted to stay in his house to do research in his lab. Do you think he made the right decision to go to the treehouse with Jack?
- Jack has made many improvements to his treehouse. What would you add to your end-of-the-world treehouse?
- How do Jack and his friends pass the time in the treehouse (besides fighting zombies and monsters)? What would you do if you were in Jack’s situation?
- Jack faces off against many evil villains. Would you prefer to battle against a monster, a zombie, or an evil human villain? Why?
- What advice would you give Jack and his friends before their next adventure?
This bag also included two bookmarks, printed on white cardstock.
Download the bookmarks here.
Last Kids on Earth Crafts, Games, and More
First up: Last Kids on Earth survival guide! Learn about the characters and the villains and complete simple games and puzzles to build your Last Kids survival skills.
Slideshare not working? Download the ready-to-print survival guide here.
And finally, one of my absolute favorite things I’ve designed for a program: a Last Kids on Earth board game! Players tried to move around the book the fastest, traveling to a magical portal and back to the treehouse before the other players.
The game included:
- 2 11×17 Board Games (printed on regular 11×17 printer paper)
- Instruction Booklet
- 4 Playing Pieces with stands
- 1 Die
- 16 Playing Cards
Download the game board here:
Slideshare not working? Download the PDF here.
The instructions here:
Slideshare not working? Download the PDF here.
The playing pieces here:
Slideshare not working? Download the PDF here.
And the playing cards here:
Slideshare not working? Download the PDF here.