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Our librarian Charles wrote a review of the board game King of Tokyo!

In this game for 2-6 players, monstrous, robotic, and alien kaiju (think Godzilla) battle to be the last one standing. A fast-paced and easy to learn dice rolling mechanic fuels this family friendly brawl, and with a little help, even early readers can enjoy a taste of glory when they become the King of Tokyo. 

Players can win the game in one of two ways. The first is to be the first monster to accumulate 20 victory points. These points can be earned by occupying Tokyo City or rolling matching number sets with the dice. The other way to win is by being the last monster left alive, with each monster starting at 10 health and dealing damage by rolling the Smash symbol on the dice. Upgrades can be purchased throughout the game to enhance either strategy, but really, what self-respecting monster is going to try to win with points instead of their claws? 

The dice mechanic will feel familiar to people who have played the classic game Yahtzee. Each turn, players roll 6 dice, set aside what they would like to keep, and reroll the remaining dice. They can roll 3 times total on each of their turns, then they read the symbols to resolve the effects of their turn. Once you have learned the 6 potential results on each die, the game is simple enough that I have been playing with my son since he was 4, and it is our go-to game for the family.  

The cartoonish art style lends a lighthearted air to what is otherwise a game largely about combat, and the special powers add a unique element that you will see more of each time you play. For fast fun and its high replayability value, King of Tokyo is a game I recommend checking out next time you play.  

If you'd like to learn and play games like this, join us at an upcoming Tabletop Games event! Details and dates here.

Our librarians will be featuring King of Tokyo at the following Table Top Games events at Blue Valley on April 5!

Come play some games with us, friends and family!

Table Top Recommendation Party – Tuesday, Nov 9 , 6 – 7:15 p.m.  

With so many different board game options, it can be difficult to choose. Celebrate International Games Week with us: Join local board game experts to hear their favorite recommendations, find out what games are popular, and learn about board game styles. There will be board game giveaways!

The Past is Prologue: Japanese Internment Camps – Tuesday, Nov 9 , 7 – 8 p.m.  

Join Sam Mihara to hear about his experience with Japanese Internment camps and this dark time in our history.
When Sam Mihara was 9 years old, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entered World War II. Shortly after, Sam and his family were forced from their San Francisco home by armed military guards and sent to the Heart Mountain prison camp in Wyoming. They would live crowded into a single 20 x 20 square foot room for the next 3 years. 

Español a la carta – Thursday, Nov 11, 6:30 – 8 p.m.  

For Spanish-language learners: this is an online class for intermediate and advanced students of this beautiful language. In this class, we will talk about Latin American countries, culture, history, literature and much more. We will discuss articles together with helpful native speakers and advanced students. In addition, we will have some grammar tips that will enhance our skills to be more confident in a conversation using Spanish. Third quarter 2021/Semester.

City Center Live: The Wires – Saturday, Nov 13, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.  

The Wires are an alternative exploration in string sound. Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, The Wires compose and perform original music for violin and cello. Inspired by a myriad of genres and eclectic sounds, The Wires are not your typical strings group. The project encompasses a blend of wide-ranging styles, from tango and jazz to rock, and is infused with the precision of classical form. Created, composed and performed by Laurel Morgan (violin) and Sascha Groschang (cello). Bring the whole family and enjoy a free, live performance at the Community Forum auditorium located in Lenexa City Hall. 

And much more happening this week »

Also, check out our always-available programs OnDemand.

Board games have brought family and friends together for years, and we are now in a golden age of game choices! Join us online to enjoy virtual games, meet new friends and have new adventures. You can feed a hungry panda in Takenoko, build a dinosaur zoo in Draftosaurus or compete for the best collection of chameleons in Coloretto. All ages welcome.

Register for Table Top Games
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 6 - 8 p.m.          

September Featured Table Top Games

Join us Wednesday at 6 p.m. for our monthly virtual Table Top Games event! Each month, we gather in Zoom and on Board Game Arena to play games, make friends, and have adventures. Here’s what we’re playing this month:

Potion Explosion: Channel your inner mad scientist! Choose your potion ingredients carefully to make them explode. The bigger the explosions, the faster you’ll brew your potions.

Libertalia: Where do pirates go when they retire? To Libertalia, of course. Battle to become the richest pirate so you can build this utopian pirate retirement colony.

Kingdom Builder: Take advantage of the terrain and buildings available to your fledgling kingdom to construct settlements, win objectives, and amass piles of gold.

Welcome To (Your Perfect Home): Play the role of a 1950s residential developer! Everyone gets the same resources; can you arrange yours into the most enviable housing estates with fancy pools and luxurious parks.

Dragonwood: The enchanted forest of Dragonwood contains many menacing creatures. Stomp on some fire ants, shriek at a grumpy troll, or strike the menacing orange dragon with a magical silver sword—you’ll need to vanquish your foes to emerge victorious.

This week at the Library, you can join us for:

Reminder: The Johnson County Library will be closed July 4 and 5.

Walk and Read – Daily, All Week, (The library will be closed July 5 but you can still enjoy this program.)

“Take a walk and read a book.” Not normally sound advice, but that is exactly what Johnson County Library is suggesting families do this week at Gezer Park, (13251 Mission Rd, Leawood, KS) and at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, (West 87th Street Parkway and Lackman Rd., Lenexa).   Walk and Read creates a family reading experience in the great outdoors! Families who participate will read two stories posted around the path, one going each direction. When you finish one story, you can flip around to the other side of the sign and begin the next story, which will lead you back around the path. 

Kids Summer Food Program  – Monday, July 5, 11 AM – Noon

Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas will distribute free meals for ALL children 18 & under in the Central Resource Library parking lot. Parents and caregivers welcome! No cost! No sign-up required.

Table Top Games -  Wednesday, July 7, 6 – 8 PM

Board games have brought family and friends together for years, and we are now in a golden age of game choices! Join us online to enjoy virtual games, meet new friends and have new adventures. You can feed a hungry panda in Takenoko, build a dinosaur zoo in Draftosaurus or compete for the best collection of chameleons in Coloretto. All ages welcome.

Antioch Library Replacement Project: Information and Listening Session – Wednesday, July 7, 6 – 7:30 PM              

Antioch Library is relocating to the Merriam Community Center campus, and we want to hear from you. In this open-house style session, you will meet the architects, learn about the project, and ideate about your future library. 

Ask-A-Maker Session – Thursday, July 8, 5 – 5:30 PM

If you have a question about a Maker-related project you are working on (with hand tools, software or equipment) then register here to get one on one help with a MakerSpace Facilitator live via Zoom.

And much more …

Summer is here and our Table Top committee has game recommendations that tie into our summer reading theme of Tails and Tales! There are so many different games to choose from, so we put together some lists to help you find a new favorite, whether you’re looking for a kids’ game, something for the whole family, or a more complex, strategic game. 

We also encourage you to attend one of our evening Table Top Game events this summer on the first Wednesday night of each month. We are also offering a Take Home Game Kit, where you can get some fun animal-themed print and play games good for the whole family! There are opportunities to play the games in the kit online with other people on July 17. 

Best Animal Themed Kids’ Games:

• Animal Upon Animal - See who can stack all their animals first 

• Dragon’s Breath- Help some young dragons collect jewels by predicting what will fall next 

• Sequence for Kids- Collect animal cards to try to get 4 in a row 

• The Tortoise and the Hare- Try to collect cards to push your favorite animal to victory 

• Hoot Owl Hoot-Work together to get the baby owls back to their nest by dawn 

• Orchard-Harvest the fruit before the Raven can snatch it away 

• Outfoxed!- Gather clues with your detective pals to catch that crafty fox before it skips town! 

• Feed the Kitty- Roll the dice but don't lose your mice! 

• Rhino Hero-Help Super Rhino stack buildings as tall as you can 

• Snail Sprint-Race magnetic snails along a metal playing board  

• Ice Cool-Flick penguins around to collect fish and to catch other penguins 

Best Animal Themed Family Games:  

• Camel Up- Bet on camel racing craziness 

• King of Tokyo - Smash monsters in a battle for the city 

• Takenoko - Grow bamboo to feed an adorable, hungry panda 

• Hey, That’s My Fish - Compete between penguins to grab as many seafood snacks as possible 

• Cat Lady-Collect the most cats. The trick is feeding them all to collect the points.  

• Hive - Feels a bit like playing chess, but all the pieces are bugs 

• Scooby Doo Betrayal at Mystery Mansion - Team up with some meddling kids to stop the monsters from getting away with their dastardly plans 

• Coloretto- Surprisingly competitive chameleon collecting 

• Gods Love Dinosaurs - Create a delicately balanced successful ecosystem... so dinosaurs can eat everything! 

• Pass the Pig - Throw pigs and score points for how they land! 

• Dinosaur Tea Party - Ask questions to deduce the identity of your fellow dino partygoers 

• Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small - Two-player competitive animal husbandry, with strategic decisions 

• Kariba - Fast-paced card battle between animals for a thirst-quenching drink 

Best Animal Themed Strategy Games:

• Wingspan-Create the best bird sanctuary by creating a habitat that works together 

• Everdell- Use resources to build a village of critters and constructions in this woodland game 

• Root- Decide the fate of the forest as woodland factions fight for contrasting goals.  

• Isle of Cats- Rescue as many island cats as you can before Lord Vesh comes to destroy their home. 

• Mice & Mystics- After being turned into mice, a prince and his allies experience giant-sized stories. Great first role playing game! 

• Bärenpark- Build your own bear park by carefully placing polyominoes. 

• Mariposas- Guide monarch butterflies on their journey along eastern North America 

• Bunny Kingdom- Adorable bunnies build cities, harvest carrots, and go on missions to be "Big Ears!" 

• Calico-Create the right quilt pattern combinations to attract cats to your quilt