Even if you can’t make it to The Library of Congress, the LOC has some wonderful online programs that you and your children can enjoy. One such program is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure. An Exquisite Corpse Adventure may sound menacing, but it is an old game that will delight both young and old. The game works like this: one person writes a phrase on a sheet of paper, folds it over to conceal part of it and passes it on to the next player to do the same. The game ends when someone finishes the story, which is then read aloud.
The Library of Congress has created their own Exquisite Corpse Adventure and has invited many of your child’s favorite authors to help create the adventure. Jon Scieszka, the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, wrote the first episode which begins with a train rushing through the night. Scieszka has passed it on to a cast of celebrated writers and illustrators, who must eventually bring the story to an end. So far Katherine Paterson, Kate DiCamillo, and Susan Cooper have added their words to the game and every two weeks, there will be a new episode and a new illustration. The story will conclude a year from now. And kids and parents can find the biweekly episodes at The LOC’s Exquisite Corpse Adventure website.