British Invasion Night

On Thursday, June 24, we had a British Invasion Night teen event. We explored all things British, including language, travel, music, books, and films. At the DJ station, people took turns playing classic and modern British music for everyone. Others stations had activities to match British and American words, explore Internet sites, plan vacation destinations, and read books by British authors. Prizes were given to Jeff for the best British accent and to Adriana for having the most correct answers on a British spelling test. However, the highlight of the evening was definitely a few Monty Python sketches shown on the big screen. (Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spammity Spam!!!)

If you missed this event, here are some websites you might enjoy:
To Experience Britain--
http://www.britainusa.com/4kids/
To Learn More Briticisms--
http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/usgbglos.html
http://www.effingpot.com/
http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blbritam.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1443007.stm
To Move Beyond Python--
http://www.cinerhama.com/britpage.html
http://www.britmovie.co.uk/
http://www.aardman.com/
To Find Out About Music--
http://www.britain.tv/entertainment_britishmusic.shtml
http://www.jaggedmusic.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/
http://slate.msn.com/?id=2065252
To Go Shopping--
http://www.everythingenglish.com/

Reading books by British authors is another excellent way to find out about our friends across the pond. Try these favorites:
***Realistic Fiction Series Authors***
Cathy Hopkins (Mates, Dates, and… series)
Anthony Horowitz (Alex Rider Series)
Katie Maxwell (Emily series)
Louise Rennison (Georgia Nicholson series)
Sue Townsend (Adrian Mole series)
Jacqueline Wilson (Girls In Love, Girls in Tears, etc.)
***Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors***
Douglas Adams (The Hitchhicker’s Guide to the Galaxy, etc.)
Joan Aiken
Brian Aldiss
David Almond
John Christopher
Susan Cooper
Kevin Crossley-Holland
Peter Dickinson
Neil Gaiman
Brian Jacques
Diana Wynne Jones
C.S. Lewis
Alan Moore
William Nicholson (Wind on Fire trilogy)
Terry Pratchett
Phillip Pullman
J.R.R. Tolkien
***Mystery Series Authors***
Fiona Buckley (featuring Ursula Blanchard at Queen Elizabeth I's court)
Colin Dexter (featuring Chief Inspector Morse of the Thames Valley C.I.D.)
Ellis Peters (featuring Brother Caedfiel)
***Nonfiction Authors***
Simon Cowell (I Don't Mean to be Rude, But... about the first two seasons of American Idol)
Lynne Truss (Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation)