Party By the Book! The invitation cover "The Birthday" by -child's name- Inside "It was a Dark & Stormy (date of party, time, etc.) Come dressed as your favorite character, bring your favorite book, and one to donate to a shelter."  Guessing identities breaks the ice, (prize for best costume) Early comers enjoy the stories that have been brought, or act them out.  Use a tale like Goldilocks and 3 Bears, substitute the characters & foods for people and foods suggested by the children, creating an Original tale of their own making. Decor- book shapes, words, letters, blocks, famous characters. Mix and match party supplies: Pooh napkins, Madeline cups, 3 Bear balloons. Activities: Color your own bookmark, which is 'laminated' between clear contact paper. Or paint/sticker/glitter your own book end (either buy metal or make an l-shape of 2x4 pieces)  Teams can race to build a tower of books (older kids, blindfold) Teams can relay, each leg carrying a book. (Older kids, an ADDITIONAL book on each leg). Teams can build book castles (like card houses, but bigger) Prizes for biggest, strongest. (Destroyed by dropping heavier and heavier books on it, naturally!) Food: A rectangular cake 'book', complete with horizontal lines scoring the sides for 'pages' and a Gummi bookworm, serving slices of ice cream pages which the kids can im"print" with cake decorators' letter guides, or title using Alphabets cereal. M&M's, Valentine's message candies, alphabet pasta, life saver candy books all make good additions. Fun pens, disappearing ink, and books for favors.