Difference between revisions of "Newest Children's Non-Fiction Reviews"
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==Children's non-fiction== | ==Children's non-fiction== | ||
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| + | |author=Camilla de la Bedoyere, John Farndon, Ian Graham, Richard Platt and Philip Steele | ||
| + | |title=Discover the Awesome World | ||
| + | |rating=4 | ||
| + | |genre=Children's Non-Fiction | ||
| + | |summary=Back in 2011 I was impressed by [[Discover the Extreme World by Camilla de la Bedoyere, Clive Gifford, John Farndon, Steve Parker, Stewart Ross and Philip Steele]]. I said that In my day it would have been called an encyclopaedia. It would have had a lot more text, been rather dull – and remained largely unread by those who received it as a worthy present, but with that book you needed to start at the opposite end of the scale. It's about visual impact. A fact is linked to a picture and the more striking the better – and only then is it explained. The text is as simple as possible – clear, unambiguous wording which drives the point home as quickly as possible. The layout encourages you to move the book so that you see the pictures better and can read the words. It's fun and (say it quietly) it's educational. Now I'm not in the habit of recycling reviews (honest!) but sometimes you know that you can't say it any better as exactly the same comments apply to Discover the Awesome World. | ||
| + | |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848108559</amazonuk> | ||
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{{newreview | {{newreview | ||
|author=Steve Martin | |author=Steve Martin | ||
Revision as of 18:11, 15 November 2012
Children's non-fiction
Discover the Awesome World by Camilla de la Bedoyere, John Farndon, Ian Graham, Richard Platt and Philip Steele
Back in 2011 I was impressed by Discover the Extreme World by Camilla de la Bedoyere, Clive Gifford, John Farndon, Steve Parker, Stewart Ross and Philip Steele. I said that In my day it would have been called an encyclopaedia. It would have had a lot more text, been rather dull – and remained largely unread by those who received it as a worthy present, but with that book you needed to start at the opposite end of the scale. It's about visual impact. A fact is linked to a picture and the more striking the better – and only then is it explained. The text is as simple as possible – clear, unambiguous wording which drives the point home as quickly as possible. The layout encourages you to move the book so that you see the pictures better and can read the words. It's fun and (say it quietly) it's educational. Now I'm not in the habit of recycling reviews (honest!) but sometimes you know that you can't say it any better as exactly the same comments apply to Discover the Awesome World. Full review...
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy: Cool Ways to Remember Stuff by Steve Martin
When I look back on my school days it didn't seem terribly complicated, but when I see what my grandchildren are coping with I'm amazed at all that they have to remember. They need to have methods of jogging their memories. 'Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy' gives them lots of ways of remembering a rich variety of facts, but also shows them how they can develop their own ways of helping their memory. It's a book about mnemonics such as rhymes, acrostics, stories, grouping, linking, pictures, acronyms and wordplay. It's not just the methods of remembering that are there - there are all sorts of facts in with the methods. Full review...
Craft-A-Day: 365 Simple Handmade Projects by Sarah Goldschadt
Looking back on my childhood the most useful skill I acquired was that of making things. I was the daughter of a man who made a greenhouse out of a derelict bus, so it was inevitable that something would rub off on me. Well over half a century later it still stands me in good stead: I can see how to make things, how to solve problems and my imagination was fired up at an early stage. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a bus-to-greenhouse converter in-house, but the best start is being encouraged to make things regularly and learning that you don't always have to buy everything you need. A drum roll, please for Sarah Goldschadt's Craft-A-Day. Full review...
Ripley's Believe It or Not 2013 by Robert Leroy Ripley
You know it's getting near Christmas when you spot the annual Ripley's Believe It or Not, the celebration of all that's macabre, shocking, gruesome and frequently downright revolting - and that's just the people. Just wait until you get to the non-human items. We don't usually cover annuals at Bookbag because they've frequently gone out of fashion before too many months have passed, but these books can be read year after year and they're still going to make the average adult feel rather unwell. Yes - you're right. Kids are going to love it. Full review...
How to be Gorgeous: Smart Ways to Look and Feel Fabulous by Fiona Foden
The first point that author Fiona Foden stresses is that this is a book about how to be gorgeous, but she goes on to explain that this isn't just about having glossy hair, great skin and a wonderful dress (although she does admit that these help). It's about looking amazing, but still being you. It's about having confidence in who you are and having a positive energy about you. It's about having great friends - and being a great friend, in fact being the sort of person that everyone wants to know. She promises that most of what she suggests is not going to break the Bank - somethings are virtually, if not totally, free and it's all easy. So how does it live up to the promises? Full review...
ABC Dentist: Healthy Teeth from A to Z by Harriet Ziefert and Liz Murphy
I hope that children are not as fearful of going to the dentist as used regularly to be the case, but even those who are unworried will benefit from this useful book directed mainly at the five to ten age group, although I'm sure that older children will find it of interest too. The ABC format might suggest a younger age range, but don't be fooled! Full review...
Fantastic Mr Dahl by Michael Rosen
Reading this book is rather like curling up in a deep, squishy armchair with a cup of cocoa and some squashed-fly biscuits while a favourite uncle chats to you about books. He tells you interesting things about Roald Dahl's life, and then he discusses how those events may have affected his writing, secure in the knowledge that you already know and love the stories. Just as important, he pauses in his chat from time to time to ask your opinion — and it's clear he's really interested in your answer. Do you prefer the original version of James and the Giant Peach, or the one which was eventually published? Can you imagine how funny it would be to see your grandfather looking in through your bedroom window, like the BFG? Full review...
The Comic Strip Book of Dinosaurs by Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner
If I asked you all to put your hands up if you had a dinosaur book as a youth I'd feel the draught from here. My grander examples certainly stayed on my shelves for years and survived several readings, and I'm sure that's not unique - plus, over the intervening years science has learnt a lot of extra facts, to make the books more accurate. Here then, for the 5-9s, is a primer of prehistory, and one such as the young me never had. Full review...
Hello Kitty Dictionary by Various
The Hello Kitty Dictionary takes a concept that many young students might not find too interesting (me, on the other hand, I love books full of words) and puts a colourful and fun spin on it. Because if you’re having to look up how to spell a word, or what something means, it helps to have pages with lemon and violet and aquamarine borders, dotted with presents and hearts and stars. That’s not to say the dictionary isn’t clear and easy to read because it certainly is: the decorations don’t extend into the centre of the pages, and the entries themselves are bold fuchsia followed by neat black explanations, all neatly formatted on crisp white pages. Full review...
A Horrid Factbook: Food by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
For a horrid child our Henry has acquired a lot of facts, you know and the latest of his Horrid Fact Books is about food. It follows the usual format of quick-fire facts liberally accompanied by brilliant illustrations from Tony Ross. The book's divided into chapters which are just the right length to appeal to the emerging reader and to give a regular feel-good buzz when there's another chapter under the belt. With ninety-nine pages of text there's enough to give the sense of having read a book but without it being too much of a trial. It ticks all the boxes as an early reader. Full review...
Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders: Romans by Tony Robinson
You could be mistaken for thinking Tony Robinson had written books like this before, for he was doing 'Horrid History'-style TV programmes before the official ones were made. This series fits so well into his erudite yet family audience-friendly manner, and this second book takes us in a primary school curriculum-suiting way into the world of Rome. A lot is in these books, from trivia for all ages (I didn't know, or had forgotten, that all those Julius Caesar reliefs and statues are of him in a wig as he was bald), to the delectable gross-out (the posh man's cuisine) to the foregrounding of the obvious difference between them and us (in a word, slavery). Full review...
Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders: Egyptians by Tony Robinson
You could be mistaken for thinking Tony Robinson had written books like this before, for he was doing 'Horrid History'-style TV programmes before the official ones were made. This series fits so well into his erudite yet family audience-friendly manner, and this launching book takes us to the strangest of worlds - yet one only a museum visit away, that of the ancient Egyptians. A lot is in these pages - complete with adult stuff glossed over (just how in-bred were those Ptolemys?!), the gross-out being relished (making mummies, and some alleged Egyptian medicines) and the obvious differences between them and us foregrounded so we can empathise with them (and at the same time remember it's harder for most of us to sleep on our roofs than they would have found it). Full review...
Make and Do: Bake by Kathleen King
I love the idea of kids cooking. There's going to be mess, probably a bit of waste and you're going to have to bite your tongue an awful lot, but it really is the most amazing fun. Best of all, though - from an early age kids learn that they can go into the kitchen and make something which they can eat. They don't need to go to the shops and buy a ready meal or to a takeaway for junk food. They can make something themselves. It's a life skill. Full review...
Basher Science: Oceans by Dan Green and Simon Basher
I've often wondered why this planet is called 'earth' when three-quarters of it obviously isn't and it seems that I'm not alone. Dan Green and Simon Basher have decided to take a close look at the oceans and other bodies of water on the planet and to explain them in simple words, accompanied by Simon Brasher's illustrations which are almost - but not quite - manga. It's a style which kids are going to be comfortable with - and they're not going to associate it with something boring which they have to learn. It's fun. Full review...
The Queen by Richard Brassey
Those of us who've been around for longer than the Queen has been on the throne tend to forget that not everyone knows about her history or who-is-who in the family. Richard Brassey has set out to remedy that with this easy-read, almost comic-style book about Her Majesty and there's lots in there in the way of fascinating information, some fun facts and (I'll confess!) a few anecdotes which left me chuckling, sometimes with and sometimes... er, well, I think we'll gloss over that bit, but let me say that this book is not at all sycophantic! Full review...
Titanic: An Edwardian Girl's Diary 1912 by Ellen Emerson White
Margaret Anne Brady had been at the orphanage for several years when one of the Sisters told her that she'd been asked to accompany a lady who was crossing the Atlantic. This was a dream come true for Margaret as he only relative - her brother William - lived in Boston and he'd been trying to save up her fare so that she could join him in the USA. Mrs Carstairs is wealthy and she and Margaret will be travelling First Class - on the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic. All Margaret's dreams seemed to be coming true at once. Full review...
How to Make Money: Smart Ways to Make Millions by Christopher Edge
Most kids seem to feel that they could do with more money and short of the parentals coughing up the dosh they have to find some way of earning it for themselves. Christopher Edge has some ideas which might appeal in How to Make Money, with its particularly eye-catching sub-title Smart Ways to make MILLIONS. Now I rather thought (hoped) that the last bit might be hyperbole, fearing that the country might be over-run by a flood of teenage millionaires, but read on... Full review...
Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal
Framed by Jobs' iconic speech at a Stanford College graduation ceremony, and the three stories he told the students, about connecting the dots, love and loss, and mortality, this biography gives a succinct and balanced account of Jobs' life, his successes and his failures, his passions and his ideals, and his infamously polarized personality. The author actively annotates the backstory of Jobs with references from this speech, as well as future events, carefully chosen statistics, and Jobs' own reminiscence, giving a rich context to his story. Jobs' achievements are incredible and they're not simply down to his genius, but his attitudes towards life and his incredible charisma. Full review...
Illusionology by Emily Hawkins
If there was a prize for the most lavish book received here at Bookbag Towers for review, this would definitely be on the shortlist. A lovely large format hardback, the cover is a delight itself - with a 3D lenticular image, embossed bits, a plastic gem stuck in it... And inside there are packets of goodies to open and explore, making this more of a literary toy than a book. The book aims to introduce the cleverer child to the wonders of stagecraft and magic, and so here are props for some tricks for you to do, some instructions for other illusions of your own, and a historical guide to how the masters of their trade did it. Full review...
Best Shot in the West by Patricia McKissack, Frederick L McKissack Jr and Randy DuBurke
'We're going to do the real West, Nat. You're as real as the rest of 'em - Bat Masterson, Calamity Jane, Wild Bill, the Earps.' So says a publisher to a lowly railroad porter, Nat. But if this guy's as real as the rest of those famous names, why does his not trip off the tongue? Is it purely because as the most famous African-American cowboy, he still was not allowed to be as famous as he should? Full review...
A Horrid Factbook: Horrid Henry's Sports by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
Horrid Henry is back with another book of freaky facts and random trivia. We loved his book about Bodies and this time the lovable lad (well, I'm sure that's what his mother said...) is back with a book about sport. And in the year of the London Olympic Games, what could be more suitable? It's not just a crammer for every sport in the Games or the background to the Games themselves. This is the book which swoops into the World Cow Poo Throwing Contest and delves into the Bog Snorkling Championships. Full review...
Archie the Guide Dog Puppy: Hero in Training by Sam Hay
I don't often pick up a non-fiction book for the 7+ age group, find it riveting reading and informative about a subject with which I'm already familiar, but that was the case with Archie: Hero in Training. Archie is a puppy destined to be a guide dog for a blind person and he's just one story in a book about the pups-in-training, the working dogs, the adults who have guide dogs, or struggle to learn the techniques - or even what happens to the dogs who don't turn out to be what's needed. There's a full range as well as information about what a guide dog costs - and it's not cheap! Full review...
Predators by Steve Backshall
Many readers would probably know that on the simple count of humans they helped to dispatch, mosquitoes may be the most deadly animals ever. But did you know that if you take into account the success rate of hunts, diversity and spread, ladybirds are more successful predators than tigers? Full review...
Design by Ewa Solarz, Aleksandra Mizielinski and Daniel Mizielinski
Although this is a book for children I can imagine plenty of grown ups who would find it fascinating! It's a wonderful dip in and out book and I actually found myself keeping it in our washing basket in the bathroom so I could have a quick read whenever I needed to spend a penny! It depicts 69 objects from all over the world that were designed in the last 150 years. There's everything here from octopus-inspired lemon juicers through to sofas made to look like a pair of lips or an Ottoman that resembles a shapely lady's bottom! Full review...
The Lion Bible in its Time by Lois Rock and Steve Noon
This factual book approaches stories from the bible in a historical way, looking at the lives people would have been living at the time, the sort of homes they had and the reigning monarchs of each era. Working through from the old testament to the new testament it covers a wide range of biblical stories and is illustrated throughout with fascinating, detailed pictures. Full review...
Dragonolia by Chris Barnardo
This book is, first of all, a rather beautiful book to behold. The red cloth hardback cover with the curled-up golden dragon on the front immediately make you want to pick it up and look inside! It's also a rather unusual book, being a mix of both fiction and non-fiction, so when you begin it you're initially not quite sure what you're looking at. As you read on you discover that there's a story running throughout by Sir Richard Barons, a famous dragon hunter, and with each story he tells there is also a craft project of something related to make! Full review...
Philip Ardagh's Book of Kings, Queens, Emperors and Rotten Wart-Nosed Commoners by Philip Ardagh
If you deem a good children's historical trivia book to be one that tells you, the adult, something they didn't know about historical trivia, then this is a good example. I didn't know George V broke his pelvis when his horse fell on him, startled by some post-WWI huzzahs. I didn't know Charles VI of France nearly got torched in some drunken bacchanal. The length of time Charlemagne sat on a throne (over 400 whole years (even if he wasn't wholly whole all that time)) was news to me, as was the raffle that was held (more or less) for being the unknown soldier. Therefore this is a good book for children and the adults willing to instill some historical trivia into them. Full review...
Ripley's Believe It or Not! 2012 by Robert Leroy Ripley
Here at Bookbag we don't usually cover annuals. In our experience people either know they want them or don't bother with them and once the year is out there's not a lot of interest in them, particularly if they're based on a character which might well have gone out of fashion. Ripley's Believe It Or Not! is different. The series is about interesting facts – all of which are true - which are going to surprise the readers and will continue to surprise them years down the line. Just to test this out we had a look back at the 2010 edition and it's still as shocking, gruesome and downright compulsive as it was when we first saw it. Full review...
The Complete Philosophy Files by Stephen Law
The Philosophy Files and The Philosophy Files 2 were first published in 2000 and 2003 respectively. Now we have them combined and reissued with illustrations by the wonderful Daniel Postgate. Full review...
Great Stories from British History by Geraldine McCaughrean and Richard Brassey
Since when was History True? is the heading of the first chapter and it's one which you need to read before you buy this beautiful book, because it would be easy to assume from the title and the pictures on the cover that it's a history text book you're going to invest in. In some ways you are but what you are actually acquiring is a story book. This is a book of the great stories of British history. Some of them are (broadly) true, some have been debunked by historians and some have simply fallen into disuse – but Geraldine McCaughrean would hate to see them lost altogether. Full review...
Humphrey's World of Pets by Betty G Birney
The verb to pet means to cosset, pay loving attention to, to have loving, touching time with. It might as well mean to have in your household while spending a lot of money on, and being duty-bound and beholden to. Fish (which you can't even properly pet, of course) need a permanent power supply for their water's thermometer. Chinchillas need a special sand for their bathing in. There's even pet-friendly detergents for washing out your hamster cages. Wherever you look there's time and money expenditure in owning a pet. Full review...
