Not on the Nametag

Not on the Nametag is the collaborative project of FableVision’s Summer 2018 interns.

It’s time for a late-night bite! Join your friends Tab, Ada, Jo, and Brandon for a 2 a.m. diner run in this immersive, interactive comic. Not on the Nametag invites you to find and forge connections in unlikely places, and challenges you to stand up for what’s right.

Step through the doors of Gracie’s Diner, help yourself to a milkshake, and take a look around. You just might find something you didn’t expect…

Learn more about FableVision's internship program (and how to apply!) here.

(Editorial note: The Unity web player will not work on mobile devices. For optimal playing experience please view this interactive on the latest version of Chrome if you're experiencing issues.)

Read Outside the Margins: Chapter Three

From Vietnam, to Chile, to outer space, the third and final chapter of Read Outside the Margins is taking you to far off places! Travel across the globe with beautifully illustrated adventures, tales that will touch your heart, and stories that will show you the world as you’ve never seen it before. Grab your suitcase, take the quiz below, and get ready to explore new sights and cultures with a book just for you!

Powered by

---

The Name Jar - Yangsook Choi (picture book, preschool)
I loved reading this sweet story with my students when I worked at a preschool. When Unhei arrives at school in the U.S. for the first time, she’s surprised to find that she’s expected to pick a new American name! Unhei’s journey to find home and comfort in a new land, while still cherishing her Korean heritage, will introduce kids to concepts like immigration, culture, and identity.

---

Esperanza Rising - Pam Muñoz Ryan (chapter book, late elementary school)
I could not get enough of historical fiction when I was a kid -- there’s something magical about traveling back in time through text. Author Pam Muñoz Ryan uses her writing to tell a story inspired by her own grandmother’s past, moving from wealth and status in Mexico to poverty and hardship in a labor camp in California. Although the book has some serious themes, it remains an accessible and engaging read, and tells an immigration story that often goes untold.

---

The Boy and the Bindi - Vivek Shraya (picture book, elementary school)
My heart swelled with each beautifully illustrated page of this story. Vivek Shraya tells the story of a boy who becomes enamored with his mother’s bindi. Rather than enforcing the strict gender code that bindis carry, his mother opens up the cultural significance of the bindi, allowing him to feel connected to his history and explore his sense of self.

---

Dawn - Octavia Butler (novel, high school)
My absolute favorite kinds of sci-fi books are ones that reimagine what what aliens can be -- and Butler is the master of this kind of reinvention. Dawn takes place on a biological spaceship circling the moon where the Oankali aliens have rescued a group of humans from the crumbling earth. The book tackles complex questions of what it means to be human, how place interacts with one’s humanity, and what it means to consent in an environment of manipulation. It’s not a light read, but it will have you thinking for days after you close the spine.

---

Ten Women - Marcela Serrano (novel, middle school)
What do a nerdy teen, a middle aged social pariah, and a housekeeper have in common? It might be more than you think. Ten Women tells the stories of ten women who represent the different demographics of Chile who are brought together by their therapist to share their life stories. Through each tale, links, and threads are made between the women to paint a broader picture of the variety of unique lives of Chilean women.

---

What We All Long For - Dionne Brand (novel, high school)
I’ve never been to Toronto, but Dionne Brand brings this bustling multicultural city to life in a such a real way that I feel like I’ve lived there myself after reading this book. This haunting and heartbreaking novel follows the interconnected stories of four twentysomethings caught between cultural worlds and struggling with their immigrant identities. Brand weaves separate narratives together so skillfully that these stories will stick with you long after the cliffhanger conclusion.

---

Thank you for following us on our journey through Read Outside the Margins! If you're just joining us, the goal of Read Outside the Margins is to shine the spotlight on stories that students from all walks of life can connect with and actually want to read. You can read more about our mission here.

From growing up, to family bonds, to trips around the world, we hope that you found at least one new story to make part of your life.  

A Taste of "Gourmet Galaxy!"

This season’s batch of art, production, and marketing interns have been hard at work on an exciting new independent project: Gourmet Galaxy! As we gear up for the launch of the this delicious intergalactic game, we decided to give you just a little taste of what to expect.

Brought together by our passion for opening up educational opportunities for kids and appealing to their sense of curiosity and adventure, our brainstorm session was a salad bowl of creative ideas. After tossing together a well-blended mix of concepts, we hit on the idea of space chefs and intergalactic recipes.

Gourmet Galaxy follows Nutmeg, a space chef in training, as she explores a beautifully illustrated planet full of treats. Her mission: to gather enough ingredients to help her dad make a tasty (and healthy!) meal. Kids, you’re definitely going to want to try this at home!

We sat down with the production team to share what went on behind-the-scenes. From character creation to game design docs, we’re giving you the low-down on Gourmet Galaxy.

What was your role in the project?
Lucia: For this project I served as a producer. I worked with the team to make sure that we were aligned, on-track, organized and moving towards our big release! I also co-wrote the dialogue and was a part of determining the overall vision for the game. Nutmeg and Chef Poppyseed for the win!
Maged: I was a programmer!
Maggie: I was the artist and designer on this project. I created Nutmeg, Chef Poppyseed, all the backgrounds, and assets.
Sarah: I was the lead animator for Gourmet Galaxy. That means that I animated the walk cycles, idle animations, and pick up actions for game play. I also animated the cutscenes. I assisted in writing the script as well.
Allie: I was in charge of creating all the marketing materials for the game.

Where do you think the project really pushed you?
Maged: I have never worked with sprites as large as this, so it's been a challenge making it all work. I'm more used to pixel art and much smaller (literal) scale things.
Maggie: This project was the first time I worked in a professional environment, which was great learning experience! It really put my technical drawing skills and time management to the test. I only had about three months to design backgrounds and assets; I had never worked on a video game before, and I really learned a lot about the production pipeline.

Sarah: Making Gourmet Galaxy has pushed me to think more about organization and deadlines. I've had to think about the project and its contributors as a whole, working in a way that works best for the group at any time. I've learned to consider which animations need to come first so everyone has something to work on at any given time -- ie. I needed to get walk cycle and idle animations to our programmer (Maged) before working on a cutscene that can be added later. The production process for projects like ours is more clear to me, and I feel like I can use this knowledge in the future.

Production Designer Christina Kelly recording voiceover for Nutmeg. 

What is your favorite part of what you contributed? What is your favorite thing about the game overall?
Lucia: I was an advocate of the measuring portion of the game. Gourmet Galaxy is a whimsical adventure that ultimately leads to a tangible recipe that kids can make in real life with their families. The measuring station is important because it serves as the transition from a fictional world to a child's real kitchen. This feature contributes to math fluidity and self-confidence!  
Maged: Coming up with a smart way to do dialogue that we can quickly edit, add new character portraits, attach to music, and the like all from one simple XML file has been fun.
Maggie: My favorite thing I did was design Nutmeg and Poppyseed! I really enjoyed the challenge of trying to blend the outfits of chefs and astronauts.
Sarah: My favorite part has been storyboarding and animating the opening sequence of the game. I am drawn to narratives so this gave me the opportunity to explore the development of our main characters in a fun and expressive way. Plus, frame by frame animation is a personal passion of mine, so it was nice to have the chance to incorporate it into Gourmet Galaxy.
Allie: I really loved watching the overall project evolve. I loved seeing the deliverables from the artists. They really set the tone of the game which I loved translating into marketing materials.