Back in the 1970s Sword & Sorcery fiction, especially
the Conan tales, sparked the love of learning in me. That spark soon became a conflagration and I've been a voracious
reader ever since. Now, thanks to Mongoose Publishing's excellent Conan product line and a stream of donated books, mostly
through BookMooch, I am able to spark this love of learning in my local community.
Role Playing Games,
or RPGs, allow players to experience the excitement of being larger-than-life heroes adventuring in a variety of imaginative
settings. More versatile and interactive than video games, RPGs
encourage reading, socialization and teamwork as players cooperate in overcoming obstacles and solving puzzles.
Our first and most successful literacy
program, the Mythic RPG, was launched in 2005 to encourage kids to read more for recreation and to increase
their visits to our local library.
From a one-shot event the
Mythic RPG has taken root and grown into a weekly activity that regularly draws over a dozen kids to the Hawley
Public Library every Saturday morning. There are up to three games running simultaneously each session, providing
Players with a variety of gaming choices. All of our library-based games are family friendly and we encourage parental
participation.
We've been told that the kids
in our Mythic RPG program are forming more friendships, are displaying leadership skills (organizing their own games and teaching
their friends to play) and are demonstrating great passion for their shared hobby.
Some kids are now playing RPGs
with their parents and siblings. One young man re-introduced the game to his grandma (his dad used to play when
he was younger) and they occasionally adventure together.
We have been running Conan campaigns through our Mythic Literacy program since 2007. The
gaming sessions, and the Heroic Fantasy books we give away, are extremely popular with the kids.
For more information on our Conan RPG adventures, please visit our
Hyborian Campaigns site.
For more information on our Mythic RPG program, please
visit our Hercules Invictus site.
I am Thor the Barbarian and I have spoken.
