Educational board game

Abstract

An educational board game, which includes a playing surface with a defined travel path between stores where players will visit in their quest to acquire collectables as outlined on a given card. Multiple players attempt to answer questions of a various nature to receive payment throughout the game. The goal of the game is to acquire all four collectibles and receive the bonus. The subject matter of the game may be derived around a theme, such as book collecting for example.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

A board game for multiple players is disclosed, which combines the elements of conversation, strategy, change, knowledge of subject matter and calculated risks.

BACKGROUND

A board game named “Booktastic!™” was created to stimulate conversation between players based on personal experiences as they pertain to reading and literature. However, persons of all ages are also entertained and enjoy the game setting in which a person's knowledge of a particular subject other than reading and literature is challenged and the game participants receive educational benefits. There are the elements of chance and risk-taking, which adds to the competitive nature and provides entertainment to the game. To that end, the present game has been developed.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is protected by copyright. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of this patent document, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights including, without limitation, making derivative works of the material protected by copyright.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general purpose of the presently disclosed game, which will be described in greater detail, is to provide a new educational apparatus and method of play, which is not anticipated, rendered, suggested or implied by any of the prior board games, either alone or in combination. The numbers of the various items and the amounts used for prices described herein are exemplary only and it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the numbers can be changed and varied without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention of this patent.

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a board game is provided wherein each player's turn involves an element of chance, selecting a specific category of subject matter of which the player can test his or her knowledge and the acquisition of specified items.

Players travel around the board (in any direction they choose) and visit stores illustrated on the board to search for and acquire all four of the items highlighted on their collection card, to be described subsequently. The player that collects all four items receives a $200 bonus at the end of the game. Players may buy or sell their collectables with the bank that can form part of the game. Players may also buy, sell or trade collectables with other players to improve their own collection, or to thwart another player's attempt to complete their collection.

Players earn “money” each turn by answering literary questions, preferably at the beginning of their turn, before rolling the die. The questions are listed on question cards in three increasingly difficult categories. The deck of question cards is shuffled and placed to the side of the game board. The question cards have three questions per card, one question from each category. Causal Reader questions, to be described subsequently, have no wrong answers and are worth $25. The Avid Reader questions, will be described in more detail later and are more challenging (multiple choices or true and false) and a player must give the right answer to receive $50. The Collector questions are the most difficult and a player receives $75 for correct answers. The deck of question cards also include random cards that will affect the players in a positive or negative manner, such as “lose a turn” or “receive cash” etc. These cards will be described in more detail later. “Casual Reader” questions are written for players that are not familiar with books or literature and are scripted in a manner that invites pleasant conversation. The “Avid Reader” questions are geared toward the person that averages ten to fifteen books a year and ask questions that these readers will know. “Collector” questions are difficult and require an expert level of knowledge to answer. These three categories represent most people in the market.

The “purchase price”, the “market value”, and a “discount price” are listed on the “collectable” card. In the example of Booktastic! the collectable card represents a book (the collectable card for Winetastic! would be a bottle of wine, for Artastic!-the collectable card would be a piece of artwork and so on). For the purpose of this explanation, from this point on the collectables will be referred to as books and stores will be referred to bookstores.

The book cards are shuffled at the beginning of the game and three books are randomly placed face up in each of the twelve bookstores on the board. Players may sell their “books” in any store for the “discount price” listed on the book card (players may sell books to other players for any amount agreed upon). When a player sells a book in a store the book remains face up in that store until another player buys the book or until the end of the game. Acquiring a book for the purchase price and selling it for the discount price is another way for players to earn money.

The purchase price is the amount a player must pay the bank to acquire the book. The market value is the amount that the book is worth at the end of the game. The discount price is the amount that a player will receive from the bank by selling the book in a bookstore. For example, a player may buy a book in one of the bookstores that has a market value of $100 for the purchase price of $65. On the next turn, the player answers a question then rolls the die and sells the book for the discount price, or $80. By purchasing the book and holding it for a few turns, the player receives a $15 profit. If a player sells a book in a bookstore, the book remains in that store face up until another player buys it or the game ends.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that a novel board game has been disclosed which includes several elements of gaming together with entertainment aspects and entertainment value that together have heretofore been unappreciated. The above-mentioned features and advantages of the disclosed game will be appreciated by those skilled in the art after reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are detailed views on a larger scale of the die and the moving tokens used in conjunction with the game board.

FIG. 3A, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the game, is a plan view of the game board for the disclosed game.

FIG. 3B is a color depiction of the game board.

FIGS. 4 is a plan view of the front and back of an exemplary selection of cards with questions and answers for the game.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary view of one page of the “Noteworthy Books” or could also be referred to as “Collection Card” in another variation of the game.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary view of the collectable cards or “Book Cards.”

FIG. 7 is an exemplary view of the Score Card, as it relates to the scoring of the game.

ATTACHMENTS 1 through 3 give further detailed examples of questions and answers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The drawings included are not necessarily to scale and certain elements are shown in schematic or generalized form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. In the description which follows, the elements are marked with the specification and drawing with the same reference numerals respectively.

The game board may for example, without limitation, use as a theme, a local town square or outside shopping area. By way of example, the stores would be bookstores as illustrated in FIG. 3A. The game board is a flat surface with graphic depiction of stores where players will make purchases. For the sake of describing an exemplary game, the remainder of this discussion will refer to “stores” which will be understood to represent the places where transactions take place.

Referring further to FIG. 3A, the game board provides a travel path that represents a sidewalk for players to move between stores. Green squares on the sidewalk represent the entrances to the bookstores and mark where players enter the store (for clarity, the green squares are not represented in FIG. 3A but are seen FIG. 3B). In FIG. 3B the blue spaces represent open sky, more clearly seen in FIG. 3B.

Twelve stores each have three books for players to purchase, in our example. Players may travel in any direction on the board and may change direction at any time. Players do not need to roll on the die the exact number of spaces to enter a store. Once a player lands on the green in front of a store space they are free to enter the store. Stated another way, if a player is, say, three steps away from a store, the rules can be such that the player does not have to roll a “three” on the die to enter the store. The player could roll a “five” or a “six,” for example, and can then enter the store. As another example, and regarding the green squares, if a player is three steps away from a green square in front of a store and rolls a “three” and lands on that green square in front of the store, the player is free to enter the store rather than wait for the next turn to roll a “one.” This can be used as a rule to speed up the game, allowing players to get into stores more quickly.

The game also includes a die as represented in FIG. 1. The color and shape of the die is exemplary and may take other forms or color combinations. The player rolls the die, seen in FIG. 1, during player's turn to advance their token that number of spaces along the travel path. The path is divided into multiple spaces whereon players will advance their token, illustrated in FIG. 2, the number of spaces depicted on the die. If occupied by a token, another token may also occupy the same space; in other words, more than one token may occupy one space. The number of tokens per square is unlimited.

Players of the game keep track of their position along the path by using one of the tokens. The configuration of tokens in FIG. 2 is purely exemplary and the tokens may take many various forms and colors or other design elements.

A further aspect of this board game is the utilization of question cards illustrated in exemplary form in FIG. 4. A player selects a category from which to answer a question; the “Casual Reader” question, or the “Avid Reader” question, or the “Collector” question. A player chooses the category of question he/she would like to answer based on their knowledge of books and literature or the level of risk that makes them comfortable. The player whose turn it is first chooses a category of question, the other player picks up the next card on top of the stack and reads the appropriate question from the three listed on the card. Examples of these questions are listed in ATTACHMENT 2. By way of example, there are three questions per card, one in each category. There are no wrong answers for the Casual Question category and each player is awarded $25 for giving an opinion. Examples of Casual Reader questions are given in ATTACHMENT 1.

Also included randomly throughout the deck of question cards are “chance” cards. These cards do not list any questions, but instead have positive or negative consequences. These cards add an element of “luck” to the game. Examples of negative consequences would be that a player would miss a turn or have to pay a fine. Positive consequences would be that a player would be able to advance to any store or receive money.

If a player receives a random chance card from the stack, the consequences (positive or negative) must be carried out by the player. For example, a player may be required to move their token, or pay money or receive money as described on the card. See ATTACHMENT 4 for examples of random chance cards.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is illustrated by way of example, a set of questions by subject matter for Avid Readers. The questions are each associated with multiple answers of which only one is correct. A player other than the one answering can read the question aloud and see that the correct answer is given. Correct answers are printed on question cards. Therefore a player trying to answer the question should read the card without learning the answer. The answering player must answer correctly to receive $50.

Referring again to FIG. 4, there it is illustrated by way of example, a set of questions by subject matter for Collectors. The questions are each associated with an answer. A player other than the one answering reads the question aloud and sees that the correct answer is given. Answers are printed on question cards so a player trying to answer the question cannot read the card without also learning the answer. Collector questions are difficult and no choices or hints are given. A player must answer correctly to receive $75. ATTACHMENT 3 illustrates examples of Collector questions.

The question selection process is subjective. The player answering the question chooses a category and the player reading the question takes the top card from the stack of cards and reads the question from the category selected. In other words, Player A decides which question category he/she would like to answer. Player B picks up the top card (or, alternatively, a random card in the appropriate stack) from the stack and reads the question from that category and verifies the answer given by Player A. (Only Avid and Collector answers need to be verified, since the Casual Reader questions have no wrong answer).

The intent of the questions in the game is threefold. First, the questions are scripted to encourage a comfortable environment for friendly conversation. Second the game is designed to promote interest in books and reading. Third, the game is designed to teach basic elements about collecting and collectables.

To add another dimension to the game, players may decide to use only certain categories of questions. For example, if the play group is not interested in collecting, they may opt to not use those questions or if the play group is focused on collecting and want to improve their collection knowledge, they may elect to not use the “Casual Reader” questions and so on. This option will enable each playgroup to personalize the game to that particular setting.

After a player has had the opportunity to answer a question, regardless of the outcome, the player then rolls the die and advances his or her token that number of spaces on the game board. A player must be in a “store” to initiate a transaction. One transaction per turn is allowed. Once a player is inside a bookstore, he/she may initiate a transaction with another player. Players are free to buy, sell or trade their books for any amount that is acceptable to both parties. The transaction between players is only allowed if the player initiating the deal is in a store. This exchange between players is considered the one transaction allowable per turn, so that a player selling a book to another player cannot then buy a book from the store he/she is in on the same turn. It is not necessary for a player to leave a store before making another purchase, as long as he/she waits until the next turn. If a player decided to stay in a store, the player will choose a question on his/her next turn, answer the question, and then receive money if appropriate. The player would then not roll the die but declare that they are staying in the store to initiate another transaction.

Each turn can have up to three steps:

• • 1) Player answers question and receives money or not, based on answer (also may have consequences based on a random chance card).
  • 2) Player rolls the die and moves pawn.
  • 3) If player enters a store they may initiate a transaction with another player or by buying a book or by selling a book if in the appropriate store.

After a player completes his or her turn the play passes to the next player and the game process is carried out as described.

The basic rules of play for the board game are carried out by initiating play through the roll of the single die by each player. The player with the highest number begins play followed by the player to the right. Players may select another process for the order of play. A question reader may be selected or players may take turns reading questions for each other. A “banker” may be selected by any method acceptable to the group.

Referring to FIG. 5, before the play commences, each player chooses a “Noteworthy Book Card” (or “collection” card), which lists the collection the player will be trying to acquire during the play. Players may select a Noteworthy Books card or the Noteworthy Books cards may be shuffled and dealt to each player. Players may select another process for the collection card distribution. The collection cards (Noteworthy Book Card for this example) are placed in front of each player so all players are aware of each other's objectives.

Another aspect of the game involves FIG. 6, which illustrates in an exemplary manner, the books or the collectibles to be acquired during play. These cards representing books are to be shuffled before play and distributed cards face-up in the stores. Three book cards are placed in each of the twelve stores where the players will visit to acquire books on their lists.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing description that a major game strategy pertains to a player manipulating the player's position on the game board by looking at the availability of the books on the game board and tailoring the direction of movement towards those goals. A player may alter their direction of travel around the board based on which books are available in which store since the book on the top card of the book card stack will be visible.

Referring again to FIG. 6, the book cards, which are illustrated in an exemplary manner, have three values listed, the “purchase price”, the “market value” and the “discount price”. The purchase price is the amount a player must pay to acquire the book, the market value is the amount the book is worth at the end of the game and the discount price is the amount at which a player may sell the book during a turn in one of the stores.

An example of a player's strategy is as follows. A player may purchase a collectable (a book, in this example) from one store during a turn and hold the item until being able to enter another store and sell the collectable to earn money and improve the player's buying capabilities. A player may also wish to purchase a book that an opponent is trying to acquire to stop that player from receiving the bonus. These types of purchases would encourage transactions between players.

Basically, the winner of the game is the player who has the highest monetary value in collectables (books) and cash combined. A scorecard for this is seen in FIG. 7. The player that has collected all four collectables as described on their collection card of FIG. 5, receives a bonus of $200 from the “bank” at the end of the game. When a player has acquired all four books (collectables) that player announces that the game will be ending and the other players have one more turn to improve their collections. Other ending sequences can easily be envisioned. As an example, another way to end the game would be to set a time limit for play.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the foregoing description that a major strategy pertains to a player buying collectables to improve their collection, or buying a collectable to thwart an opponent trying to achieve the same objective.

In the event that it is not possible for one player to obtain all four collectables listed on the collection card, it is permitted for one player to call the game over and each player will have one more turn to improve their collection before the game ends. For example, if one player has purchased a book that will prevent his opponent from acquiring all four books on his list and that player is unwilling to negotiate a trade or a sale, it would be impossible to complete the collection and call the game over. Or, if one player runs out of money and is unable to build up enough cash reserves to purchase more books then it is permissible to call the game over. Scoring is the same except no player will receive the bonus. The winner will have the most cash and the most valuable book collection without the bonus.

The foregoing describes an entertaining and educational board game. The subject matter or theme of the board game may vary and may be based on one of many categories of subject matter. The “book collecting” aspect of the exemplary embodiment of the game described above is primarily for purposes of illustration of the basic features of the game. The structural components may vary depending on manufacturing processes. Moreover, the advantages and elements and the rules of play described herein are believed to be set forth in sufficient detail as to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Further, various substitutions and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention. Hence, the proper scope of the current invention should be determined only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all such modifications.

Rules and Method of Play

In order to better understand the disclosed game, a version of the rules that incorporate the major concepts of the game are stated below. It is understood that the rules may be modified without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention.

Object

The object of the game is to amass the most valuable collection of books and cash.

Recommendations:

• • 2-6 players (or teams)
  • The more players, the more difficult it may be to collect all four book cards from their Noteworthy Book card, so players may wish to utilize a “timed play” scenario to end the game. For example, the game ending may be announced after a specific amount of time (i.e. 60 minutes) or after a specific amount of turns per player (i.e. 10 turns). Once it is announced that the game is ending, each player will have one more turn to improve their collection. Contents
  • One game board.
  • One die.
  • Nine Noteworthy Books cards.
  • Thirty-six book cards.
  • Over 800 questions (Casual Reader, Avid Reader and Collector).
  • Four moving pieces. Setup
  • Place three book cards in random order face up in ten bookstores.
  • Shuffle the stack of question cards and place face down next to game board.
  • Each player chooses one Noteworthy Book card, that they will be collecting to.
  • Each player chooses a moving pawn and places it on START area of the board.
  • Each player receives $220 to begin.
  • Each player rolls the die and the person with the highest number will go first followed by the person on the right and so on. Playing
  • Players can move in any direction on the board and may change direction at any time.
  • A player must land on the colored square outside a bookstore's door to enter.
  • Players are allowed one transaction (purchase, sell or trade from bookstores or with other players) per turn. Taking Turns
  • At the beginning of each turn, prior to rolling the die, a player chooses a question category.
  • Another player should read the question card to prevent the player whose turn it is from seeing the answers. Question cards contain more than one question and the player reading the question will read the question from the chosen category.
    • A Casual Reader question has no wrong answer and the player receives $25 for answering.
    • An Avid Reader question is worth $50 if answered correctly.
    • A collector question is worth $75 if answered correctly.
  • If a player answers a question correctly, he/she receives $25, $50 or $75 as explained above.
  • Regardless of answering correctly, a player rolls the die and moves their pawn the correct number of spaces.
  • When a player enters a bookstore, he/she is allowed to look at all the books available in the bookstore, and can leave the books in any order face up when he/she leaves the bookstore.
  • A player may sell a book in any bookstore for the discount price (this amount is printed on all book cards).
  • When a player has all four books that are highlighted on his/her Noteworthy Book card, he/she announces the game is ending and each player has one more turn to improve their collection. Scoring
  • The first player to collect all four books from their Noteworthy Books card and announce they are going out receives a $200 bonus.
  • Each player totals the market value for all books in their possession.
  • Each player totals all remaining cash. Winning

The player with the most valuable collection of books and cash at the end of the game wins.

Game Alternatives:

The game may be played with a large number of people (such as a book group or in a classroom situation) by choosing teams and having several players use one token. Suggestions for playing in teams include taking turns within the team to answer questions or teams may answer a question collectively or they may have discussions and agree on the answer to be given. The team can do likewise when selecting the book to buy. If there is a disagreement about an answer or a purchase, a vote can be taken within the group and majority rules.

A second alteration would be to shuffle the book cards and distribute one book to each player before the game begins so that each player has one book to start the game. This alteration shortens the length of the game if time is a consideration. The group could also decide to only collect two books on the collectable card. Any of these alterations are acceptable.

Game Variations:

Booktastic! was created to provide an opportunity for players to discuss and learn more about books and each other. The same principles can be applied to a game about wine, Winetastic! Players travel around the board to visit various wine shops or vineyards and collect vintage wines based on type, (i.e. chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet, etc.) or region (i.e. California, France, Spain, etc.). The players broaden their knowledge base by discussing different aspects of wine collecting and different experiences related to wine tasting. The game also lends itself well to a game about collecting art. Players visit art shops and museums to buy artwork and complete their collections. Art related questions and facts are the topic of conversation in Artastic! Another variation for the game is Traveltastic! Players travel around, whether the world, the U.S., or a specific country or region looking for specific souvenirs while answering different travel-related questions. Showtastic! provides players the opportunity to discuss various Broadway shows they have seen while visiting theaters to collect ticket stubs. Tunetastic! includes questions about the music industry and musical artist while the players hunt for and collect music memorabilia in the various stores on the board. These are just some of the ways the game can be adapted to different areas of interest. The list is not complete.

Attachment 1

Examples of Casual Reader Questions:

• • 1. Name a song title that you think would make a good book.
  • 2. Which city that you have visited would make an interesting setting for a murder mystery?
  • 3. Have you ever attended a book signing?
  • 4. Would you rather attend a book signing or an artist reception at a local gallery?
  • 5. Why do you think so many people read before they go to sleep?
  • 6. Do you ever take a book to work and read on your lunch hour?
  • 7. Do you enjoy keeping books that you have read even though you may have no intention of reading them again?
  • 8. Do you find bookstores appealing? Why or why not?
  • 9. Name a title of a book that you think would make a good song.
  • 10. How many times do you visit a bookstore in a year?
  • 11. Would you prefer to receive a gift certificate to a bookstore or to a music store?
  • 12. When you visit a bookstore, how long do you usually stay?
  • 13. Do you prefer shopping for books with a friend or by yourself?
  • 14. What is the one image on a book jacket that will dissuade you from buying a book?
  • 15. In your opinion, are there certain books that should be banned from schools?
  • 16. Was there a book you were required to read in school that you now wish you had paid more attention to at the time?
  • 17. Do authors change their writing style?
  • 18. Name a book that you read when you were younger that had a different impact on you because you were older when you read it again.
  • 19. Have you ever read a book that seemed to mirror your life?
  • 20. Before turning his attention to writing, Michael McGarrity was awarded the New Mexico Social Worker of the Year in 1980 and then was honored with the Santa Fe' Police Officer of the Year in 1987. What might we assume about his character?
  • 21. Do you know your child's or your parent's favorite author?
  • 22. Can you recommend a book to the group that everyone might enjoy reading?
  • 23. In 1992, when Martha Grimes published her first novel out of the Jury series The End of the Pier her fans and editors objected and she began receiving hate mail. If you were in Martha's position, would you have continued writing books outside the popular 18 book series?
  • 24. When a book review says that a mystery is “tightly woven” what do you interpret that to mean?
  • 25. Could you ever see yourself as a book reviewer for a profession?
  • 26. If a book receives a bad review does that stop you from reading it?
  • 27. Which sections of the Sunday paper do you never skip?
  • 28. Do you consider yourself to be a good speller?
  • 29. Do you consider yourself to have good grammar?
  • 30. If you had your own talk show, which author would you most like to interview?
  • 31. Would you enjoy a subscription to Book Magazine?
  • 32. When was the last time you wrote a letter?
  • 33. Which book do you own that you consider your most interesting?
  • 34. What is the first thought that comes to mind when you hear the word literature?
  • 35. Which author are you embarrassed to admit that you like and read?
  • 36. Lilian Jackson Braun writes a mystery series about cats. She says, “As subjects for mysteries, cats are clever, funny, independent, subtle, wily, profound, inscrutable and—yes—mysterious. And there are no two alike.” Do you agree or disagree?
  • 37. The Movie When Secrets Kill was based on the novel Mother's Day. Which title do you prefer?
  • 38. Do you enjoy “coffee table” books?
  • 39. Would you rather read a book on antiques or a gardening book?
  • 40. What is the scariest book you've ever read?
  • 41. What is the longest book you've ever read?
  • 42. What is the last book you read?
  • 43. Do you prefer romance books or adventure stories?
  • 44. Did you ever read a series of books as a child?
  • 45. Would you choose a western or historical novel to read?
  • 46. In your opinion, what is the importance of a historical novel?
  • 47. What is the funniest book you've ever read?
  • 48. What is the saddest book you have ever read?
  • 49. Do you think reading is relaxing?
  • 50. In your opinion, which requires more creativity—writing or painting?
  • 51. Which is more frightening—a scary book or a scary movie?
  • 52. Do you see a value in travel books?
  • 53. What would you do to improve your local library?
  • 54. Name a character in a book you've read that would be your ideal mate.
  • 55. If you were to write a book, what would the name of your main character be?
  • 56. Who is the most memorable character you have met in a book?
  • 57. Name the worst sequel you've ever read.
  • 58. Do you like sequels that continue with the same characters?
  • 59. What is the best series of books you've ever read?
  • 60. Name a book that has inspired you.
  • 61. Have you ever read the same book more than once? Which one?
  • 62. To which book would you change the ending?
  • 63. Can you name a book that made you cry?
  • 64. Do you like reading books that are set in the future?
  • 65. When was the last time you did any volume of writing?
  • 66. If you had to choose between a romance novel and a western, which would you chose?
  • 67. Does it bother you to read aloud in a group?
  • 68. Did your parents read to you when you were young?
  • 69. What's the book you remember reading in elementary school?
  • 70. If you wrote a book about your career, what would the title be?
  • 71. If you were trapped in an impossible chase scene, which author would you want to write you out of the situation?
  • 72. Use one of the following three titles to describe your week: Insomnia, Paradise, or Crazy Ladies.
  • 73. If you inherited a bookstore would you keep it or sell the business and do something else?
  • 74. James Michener said he wants to be remembered by the row of his books resting on library shelves throughout the world. How would you like to be remembered?
  • 75. Who would you like to publish your book? Why?
  • 76. Name a scary book that you would like to read, but haven't
  • 77. Are any of your favorite movies based on novels?
  • 78. James Michener wrote almost 40 novels and each was nearly 1,000 pages. Do these in-depth, epic novels appeal to you?
  • 79. When sorting through old paperbacks what are your criteria for keeping or discarding books?
  • 80. What's the worst name for a villain you can imagine?
  • 81. Name a character from a book that you most want to be like.
  • 82. Who's the worst character from a book that you can remember?
  • 83. Which title best describes your family holidays: a) Clear & Present Danger b) One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest c) Visions of Sugar Plums
  • 84. Louis L'Amour said, “I think of myself in the oral tradition—as a troubadour, a village tale-teller, the man in the shadows of the campfire. That's the way I'd like to be remembered—as a storyteller. A good storyteller.” How would you like to be remembered?
  • 85. Mary Higgins Clark sold her first short story to Extension Magazine in 1956 for $100, after six years and forty rejection slips. “I framed that first letter of acceptance,” she recalls. Would you have kept on trying at that point, or would you have given up? Attachment 2 Examples of Avid Reader Questions:
  • 1. Jeffrey Euginese won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for his second book, Middlesex. Can you name his first book? A. The Virgin Suicides
  • 2. Who wrote Under the Color of Law? a) Michael McGarrity, b) Deepak Chopra c) Judith Jance. A. a
  • 3. Michael McGarrity was nominated for an Anthony Award for his first book. Can you name the book? a) Tularosa b) Talking God c) B is for Blackmail. A. a
  • 4. Martha Grimes taught English at a community college for 15 years and describes the event as: a) meaningful work, b) a rewarding experience or c) an awful job. A. c
  • 5. Martha Grimes wrote The Horse You Came In On. True or False? A. True
  • 6. Shoot Don't Shoot, and Kiss Of The Bees were written by; a) J. A. Jance, b) Sue Grafton, c) Lilian Jackson Braun. A. a
  • 7. J. A. Jance is the abbreviations for: a) Jerry Andrew Jance, b) Josh A. Jance or c) Judith A. Jance. A. c
  • 8. Lilian Jackson Braun began her cat mystery series with a short story a) after the death of her beloved cat Koko, b) when her first child was born c) when she received a cat as a Christmas gift. A. a
  • 9. The Cat Who Tailed A Thief was written by: a) Eve Brunting, b) Laura Ingalls Wilder, c) Lilian Jackson Braun. A. c
  • 10. Alison Wright compiled a book of photographs of children that she had taken from all over the world. The book is entitled Faces of Hope. Alison was in a bus accident and was told that she would never walk again. Not only is Alison walking now, but she recently climbed which mountain? a) Kilimanjaro, b) Mt. Shasta, c) Mt. Everest. A. a
  • 11. Sandra Brown and Warner Books share one of the most successful partnerships in publishing history. True or False? A. True
  • 12. Sandra Brown began her career with the publication of Mirror Image in 1991. In the past 13 years she has written ______ New York Times best selling novels. a) 25 b) 50 c) 75. A. b
  • 13. Who wrote Fat Tuesday? a) Janet Evanovich b) Sandra Brown c) Patricia Cornwell. A. b
  • 14. Who wrote Dead in the Water and Swim to Catalina? a) Stuart Woods b) Dean Koontz c) Steven Coonts. A. a
  • 15. Michael McGarrity's debut novel Tularosa was nominated for an Anthony Award, a Dilys Award and a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America, and was selected as one of the best books of the year by “Publishers Weekly”. True or False? A. True
  • 16. Laura Hillenbrand wrote Seabiscuit in 2001. At the end of 2003 a first edition was selling for as much as $1,500. True or False? A. True
  • 17. The Da Vinci Code was written by a) Dan Brown b) Dan Quayle c) Dan Simmons. A. a
  • 18. Patriot Games was Tom Clancy's third book. It was published in 1987. True or False? A. True
  • 19. Stephen King began his writing career in 1974. True or False? A. True
  • 20. James Michener was abandoned as a baby and cared for by a kind widow. True or False? A. True.
  • 21. Which book WAS NOT written by James Michener? a) South Pacific b) Space c) Poland d) Montana. A. d
  • 22. James Michener died in 1997 and is considered one of the greatest philanthropists of the 20^th century. During his life he donated approximately: a) 10 million b) 20 million c) 40 million d) more than 50 million. A. d
  • 23. Who said, “Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.” Amy Tan or James Michener? A. James Michener
  • 24. Toni Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for which of her famous books? a) Paradise b) Sula c) Beloved. A. c
  • 25. Who starred in the movie based on Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved? a) Oprah Winfrey b) Halle Berry c) Toni Morrison. A. a
  • 26. Anne Perry began writing her first book, Come Armageddon, in her early twenties. How long was it before the book was published? a) 6 months b) 10 years c) 20 years. A. c
  • 27. Anne Perry has a series of novels about medieval monks. True or false? A. False
  • 28. Anne Perry was born in London, England. True or False? A True
  • 29. Nora Roberts has approximately how many books in print? a) 10,000 b) 1,000,000 c) 200,000,000. A. c
  • 30. Who wrote Key of Valor? a) Tom Clancy b) Nora Roberts c) Toni Morrison. A. b
  • 31. On average, more than 10 Nora Roberts books are sold every minute. True or False? A. True
  • 32. Fill in the blank: Since 1999 every Nora Roberts book has been ______: a) controversial b) on the NY Times Best Seller List c) banned in the US. A. b
  • 33. Tony Hillerman was awarded which medal for his contributions in WWII: a) Silver Star b) Bronze Star c) Purple Heart d) all. A. d
  • 34. The Blessing Way is Tony Hillerman's first book and it was printed in 1970. True or False? A. True
  • 35. Sacred Clowns was written by a) Martha Grimes b) Dick Frances c) Tony Hillerman? A. c
  • 36. Robert B. Parker completed his Ph.D. in 1971. Was that before or after he released his first book? A. before
  • 37. Robert B. Parker was recently named grandmaster for lifetime achievement by Mystery Writers of America. True or False. A. True
  • 38. Who's novel inspired the ABC-TV series “Spencer: For Hire”? a) Tom Wolfe b) Robert B. Parker c) Stuart Woods. A. b
  • 39. Sue Grafton worked in Hollywood writing screenplays for several years. True or False? A. True
  • 40. Sue Grafton's first book came about as a result of a bitter divorce. True or False? A. True
  • 41. Sue Grafton writes a series of mystery novels that has a cat in the title of every book. True or False? A. False
  • 42. James Patterson worked at Walter Thompson and became the youngest executive creative director and youngest chief executive officer in the company's history. True or False? A. True
  • 43. James Patterson debut novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, was published by Little, Brown in 1976 after being turned down by more than two dozen other publishers. Which award did this novel win? a) the Edgar Award b) the Anthony Award c) Pulitzer Prize. A. a
  • 44. Who wrote Kiss the Girls: James Patterson or James North Patterson? A. James Patterson
  • 45. In his thirty-year career, how many books did Louis L'Amour write? a) 20 to 30 b) 50 to 75 c) more than 100. A. c
  • 46. Who was the only novelist in America to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, both of which were awarded by President Ronald Regan? a) Louis L'Amour b) Tom Clancy c) Michael Crichton. A. a
  • 47. Who does this describe: In 1953 he published his first novel, Hondo, and thereafter consistently produced three novels a year until his death in 1988. a) Ken Follett b) Louis L'Amour c) Clive Cussler. A. b
  • 48. Mary Higgins Clark was made a Dame of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, an honor bestowed by the pope. She is also a Dame of Malta and a Dame of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. Can you name one other award she has received? a) Women of Achievement Award b) the Irish Woman of the Year award from the Irish-American Heritage c) the Gold Medal of Honor from the American-Irish Historical Society d) these and many more. A. d
  • 49. Michael Chabon won the Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. True or False? A. True
  • 50. To date, Anne Rice has sold over 100 million books. True or False? A. True
  • 51. Several publishers rejected John Grisham's first novel, A Time To Kill, before his second book made him a huge “overnight” success. True or False? A. True
  • 52. Patriot Games was Tom Clancy's first book. True or False? A. False
  • 53. Amy Tan has written a children's book. True or False? A. True
  • 54. Michael Connelly wrote Blood Works, which was made into a movie starring Clint Eastwood. True or False? A. True
  • 55. Who wrote the Notebook? a) Nicholas Sparks b) James Michener c) James Clavill. A. a
  • 56. Alice Sebold wrote The Lovely Bones. This was her first book. True or False? A. False
  • 57. Sue Kidd Monk wrote The Secret Lives of Bees, which is a story about a race car driver. True or False? A. False
  • 58. Who wrote She's Come Undone? a) Patricia Cornwell b) Wally Lamb c) Tami Hoag. A. b
  • 59. Janet Evanovich has written a mystery series. Her first book was a) A Is For Alibi b) The First Deadly Sin c) One For The Money. A. c
  • 60. The Perfect Storm was based on true events? True or False? A. True
  • 61. Larry McMurtry won the Pulitzer Prize for The Last Picture Show. True or False? A. False
  • 62. Tuesdays With Morrie was on the best seller list for more or less than one year? A. more.
  • 63. The Nanny Diaries was written by two young women that had been nannies in New York. True or False? A. True
  • 64. The Devil Wears Prada was written to give a man's perspective of the fashion industry. True or False? A. False
  • 65. Who wrote Hawaii? A) Stephen King b) James Michener c) Michael Connelly. A. b
  • 66. The First Wives Club was written by Olivia DeHaviland. True or False? A. False
  • 67. Who wrote the Harry Potter books? a) J. D. Salinger b) J. R. R. Tolkien c) J. K. Rawlings. A. c
  • 68. Who wrote Whip Hand? a) Sidney Sheldon b) Carla White c) Dick Frances. A. c
  • 69. Stephen King averages a best seller every ______ months. a) 3 b) 7 c) 18 A. b
  • 70. Tom Clancy has developed several board games based on his books. True or False? A. True
  • 71. Anne Rice also writes under the name of a) A. N. Roquelaure b) Anne Rampling c) both. A. c
  • 72. John Grisham was born in Arkansas. True or False? A. True Attachment 3 Examples of Collector Questions:
  • 1. Margaret Attwood won the Booker Prize for which book? A) The Blind Assassin
  • 2. The Hugo Award, also known as the Science Fiction Achievement Award, is given annually by the World Science Fiction Society. True or False? A) True
  • 3. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman, Fast Times at Fairmont High, by Jack Williamson, and The Dog Said Bow-Wow, by Ted Chiant all won which award in 2002? A) The Hugo Award
  • 4. Which prize did Booker McConnell found in 1969? This prize is administered by Book Trust in the United Kingdom, and this prestigious award is given to the best full-length novel written in English by a citizen of the U.K., the Commonwealth, Eire, Pakistan, or South Africa. A) The Booker Award
  • 5. Define the term “completist.” A) A “completist” is a collector who focuses on acquiring the entire group of works produced by one author.
  • 6. Define the term “point” and how it relates to book collecting. A) The “point” in a book is one way to identify the book as a first edition. Before publishers began numbering their printings, a collector would identify a first edition by finding certain mistakes that were not caught before the printing began.
  • 7. For which novel did Anne Tyler win the Pulitzer Prize? A) Breathinq Lessons.
  • 8. What do Lee Harper and Margaret Mitchell have in common? A) They each wrote only one novel. Lee Harper wrote To Kill A Mockingbird and Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone With The Wind.
  • 9. For which novel did Patricia Cornwell win both the Anthony and Edgar Awards in 1991? A) Postmortem.
  • 10. What is the difference between an inscribed book and a signed book? What effect does this difference have on value? A) An inscribed book is an inscription from the author to a specific person. A signed books is the author's signature only. Often a signed book is considered more valuable, unless the relationship between the author and the recipient of the book is notable. This relationship may make an inscription quite valuable.
  • 11. Vintage Books has a series identified as Vintage Contemporaries. Describe this series. A) The Vintage Contemporaries series are first editions published in paperback originals with pictorial wrappers published by Vintage Books.
  • 12. How does Harcourt Brace identify a first edition? A) Since the 1930s, first editions are identified by the number 1 under the copyright notice. However in late 1982 or early 1983 all trade first printings are identified by the letter “A” in addition to the number notation, so a true first must have the letter A and the number one.
  • 13. If a copy of a book were described as having “glue discoloration in the gutter between the title and half title pages,” what would you expect to see? A) Likely the seam between the title page and the half-title page would have a slight brownish or greenish tinted discoloration.
  • 14. What is an author's “magnum opus”? A) Magnum Opus is an author's masterpiece or masterwork.
  • 15. Why is it not a good idea to wrap one's collectible books with newspaper? A) Newspapers are printed on highly acidic paper and the acid will stain when it seeps into the books.
  • 16. Which Don DeLillo novel was nominated for the National Book Award? A) Americana.
  • 17. How much is the annual award given by the National Book Foundation for best fiction? A) $10,000.
  • 18. William Gaddis won the National Book Award in 1976 and again in 1994. Can you name the book for which he won this award in 1994? A) A Folic Of His Own.
  • 19. A description of a book in which you are interested says, “sentimental gift inscription f.e.p. else in fine condition.” Is this a major blemish? A) This is not a major blemish and should not detract from the book's value. It would likely say something like, “With Love, Aunt Betty.”
  • 20. How can you be sure that you have found a first edition of a Putnam published book? A) Putnam identifies their printings with a series of numbers on the copyright page. All their first editions include a number 1.
  • 21. Who started the Wild Trees Publishing company? A) Alice Walker started the company in 1984.
  • 22. How does Viking Press identify their first editions? A) First Editions would state First published by Viking in (year) or Published by Viking in (year).
  • 23. The Franklin Center publishes the Franklin Library. For whom? And Why? A) Franklin Library publishes at the request of the members of the First Edition Society. These are true first editions, and customarily are bound in full leather with gilt edges and have a ribbon marker.
  • 24. How much does the winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award receive? A) $7,500.
  • 25. Where must a book state that it is a “First Edition” if it is a book that has been published by Doubleday? A) First Edition must be stated on the title page above the copyright or else it is a subsequent printing.
  • 26. What is a Granta 20 novelist? A) Granta is a writer's magazine. The magazine editors have selected your writers whose work shows significant talent
  • 27. When is a book considered a rare book? A) When the demand exceed its availability. Attachment 4 Examples of Random Cards:
  • 1. Lose a turn to attend Book Faire in San Francisco.
  • 2. Signed letter found inside one of your books!! Receive $50.00 from the bank.
  • 3. Go to the Book Cafe to relax and look at your new purchases. Spend $5.00 for a mocha.
  • 4. Pay $15.00 to have a book appraised.
  • 5. Tough break . . . neighborhood kid comes to visit and colors in one of your books! Return a book to the bottom of book stack.
  • 6. Engaged in LONG conversation with a book collector. Miss a turn.
  • 7. You may move your token to the park where you notice a fundraiser has been set up. Donate $5.00 to a charity and take the next book from the stack.
  • 8. Move to the Coffee Shop to retrieve your lost wallet. Lose a turn.
  • 9. Pay $20 to buy plastic book covers.
  • 10. Receive $50 for book appraisal.
  • 11. Unfortunate water damage done to book jacket. Value of book decreases by $25.00.
  • 12. Meet author in bookstore and have new book signed. Increase value of any book by $25.00!
  • 13. You must leave this store immediately and dash to the Coffee Shop to retrieve your lost wallet. Lose a turn
  • 14. Pay $20.00 to buy mylar book covers.
  • 15. Spend $25.00 for new subscription to AABA newsletter.
  • 16. As a goodwill gesture, give one book of your choosing to the player on your left.
  • 17. Because of your charity work, you may take the next book from the book bank.
  • 18. Receive $25.00 finder's fee for helping friend locate rare book.
  • 19. Receive $25.00 for finishing repairs on antique book
  • 20. Due to current trends in book collecting, all players increase books by $10.00.

Claims

1. An educational board game for collecting collectables comprising: a game board, including a playing surface with a travel path for one or more play tokens arranged between “stores” with a start space along said path; a plurality of game tokens, each token being adapted to be placed on a space on the game board travel path; and at least one die.

2. The educational board game of claim 1 further including: a set of collection cards that list the collectables to be acquired.

3. The educational board game of claim 1 further including: a set of cards listing the collectables that will be sought and collected.

4. The educational board game of claim 1 further including: a plurality of questions associated with said game, said plurality having no wrong answers.

5. The educational board game of claim 1 further including: a plurality of questions that has multiple choice and true and false answers.

6. The educational board game of claim 1 further including: a plurality of questions that are difficult and the answers to which are provided.

7. The educational board game of claim 1 including: a plurality of random cards with positive and negative consequences.

8. The educational board game of claim 1 further including: the opportunity to earn money by the means of buying and selling collectibles based on a monetary strategy.

9. The educational board game of claim 1 further including: the winning of the game by completing the collection of collectables or by having the most money and the most valuable collection.