Harper Collins Australia
ISBN 10: 1843654466
Imprint: Pavilion Childrens – GB
List Price: 24.99 AUD
So not exactly what I would normally expect to be reviewing but how super timely at this point in time! And while I’m sort of thinking that I could gift them either as a library prize or to a small person of my acquaintance, I’m actually strongly tempted to have fun with them myself! Because they do look like very serious fun for all ages for sure!
If you have your children at home already – or just getting ready for the upcoming holidays or stay-at-home, these would make a terrific addition to your store of resources – or those moments when you’re in need of a sanity preserver. Of course, you could also team it with some research into medieval times sneaking in some great learning opportunities including studies of society and language.
These are very sturdy and will clearly withstand many hours of building and re-building in which kiddos can let their imaginations run riot. I think it would be uber-cool if you happened to have some little knights to add to a playscape as well.
Check them out in this video clip – fun fun fun!
Penguin Random House
Paperback | $17.99
Published by National Geographic Children’s Books
Mar 20, 2018 Middle Grade (10 and up)| ISBN 9781426330872
Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist/author/TV and radio personality, has been a popular identity for decades and many young readers will know his special blend of pop culture, science and comedy particularly from the National Geographic.
This is a super volume for that kid who just loves random facts – sometimes seemingly unrelated – and is a veritable smorgasbord of ‘dip in, dip out’ information on a variety of fascinating topics.
What do I pack for Mars?
How do we get water?
Where does creativity come from?
Why don’t we have flying cars yet?
These are just a sample of some of the major questions covered but the book contains so much extra with fact boxes, provocations and biographical snapshots and more. This will be guaranteed to keep your reader entertained for hours – although it’s entirely possible your own peace will be interrupted with many ‘did you know…?’ moments.
Lavishly illustrated with some stunning photography this is not only a mine of information but a visual treat. My personal favourite ‘dip in’ is the section on zombies *grin*.
Whether to put on your library shelves or as a gift for your budding geek, this is a super volume and I highly recommend it for readers with inquiring minds from about ten years upwards.