Difference between revisions of "Newest Children's Non-Fiction Reviews"
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| + | |author=Michelle Magorian | ||
| + | |title=Impossible! | ||
| + | |rating=5 | ||
| + | |genre=Confident Readers | ||
| + | |summary=Josie is twelve, and would much rather be a boy. She attends a stage school and we first meet her being criticised by her Headmistress for having had her hair cut short, in the hope of playing a boy’s part in a show. | ||
| + | |amazonuk=<amazonuk>190999104X</amazonuk> | ||
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|summary=The Rubik Cube is not only a great toy, but also a great brand. Why should Lego have all the fun? To wit Rubik have recently branched out into creating variations of their famous puzzle, but also into other formats including books. ''Rubik's Quest: Mission Invent'' by John Farndon is one of a new series of fun puzzle books designed for kids that combine a story with improving your knowledge; in this case, in science. Can science be fun? The answer is yes, but perhaps ''Mission Invent'' is not the best example of this. | |summary=The Rubik Cube is not only a great toy, but also a great brand. Why should Lego have all the fun? To wit Rubik have recently branched out into creating variations of their famous puzzle, but also into other formats including books. ''Rubik's Quest: Mission Invent'' by John Farndon is one of a new series of fun puzzle books designed for kids that combine a story with improving your knowledge; in this case, in science. Can science be fun? The answer is yes, but perhaps ''Mission Invent'' is not the best example of this. | ||
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781715580</amazonuk> | |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781715580</amazonuk> | ||
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Revision as of 09:43, 7 December 2014
Impossible! by Michelle Magorian
Josie is twelve, and would much rather be a boy. She attends a stage school and we first meet her being criticised by her Headmistress for having had her hair cut short, in the hope of playing a boy’s part in a show. Full review...
Paul Smith for Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry
The pig family are heading out for a picnic and – goodness – they are going to have some ride! This is the loose story line that functions as a vehicle (pun intended) to introduce a mind boggling array of ‘things that go’. In and around Ma and Pa Pig’s house there are no less than seven motors. That’s a quiet page in Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go. Prepare to be dazzled along the journey by more vehicles than you ever thought existed all illustrated and labelled. This is an American book so some of the cars, trucks and fire engines may look a little unfamiliar. However, I’m pretty sure though that I never saw a shark car, wolf wagon or pickle truck on either the M5 or the I5. Full review...
A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas and Peter Bailey
Christmas time growing up in a Welsh seaside town was magical for Dylan Thomas, always snowy and full of adventure. From attempting to extinguish house fires with snowballs to hippo footprints in the snow his childhood in the snow was a time of wonder and pure joy. Full review...
An African Princess: From African Orphan to Queen Victoria’s Favourite by Walter Dean Myers
This elegant edition of An African Princess tells of the life of Sarah Bonetta who is suddenly swept from the threat of a savage execution in 1848 only to face a brave new world under the patronage of the imperious Queen Victoria. Meticulously researched by the twice elected US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Walter Dean Myers, it is a creatively imaginative account, with an historical backbone of genuine diary entries, letters, autobiographical work, contemporary newspapers, social and anthropological studies and period photographs. Full review...
The Boy Who Lost His Bumble by Trudi Esberger
A little boy loves his garden and he particularly loves the bees that visit it each day. He is so fascinated by his buzzy friends that he gives them each names and records their habits and characteristics. Then the weather changes, it grows cold and his bees disappear. Where can they be? Will they come back? The boy is puzzled and saddened by their departure and tries hard to encourage his missing friends to return. Full review...
Deadly Pole to Pole Diaries by Steve Backshall
Dear Diary, today I really woke up on the wrong side of the bed. For most people that means waking up in a grumpy mood, but for me it literally means the wrong side of the bed. I stepped straight into a pool full of viscous fish and then I climbed out, only to be chased by a bear. I am either eating too much cheese before I go to bed or partaking on a magnificent journey from Pole to Pole visiting dangerous animals on the way. Full review...
Excavate! Dinosaurs: Paper Toy Paleontology by Jonathan Tennant, Vladamir Nikolov and Charlie Simpson
I believe that it is now an established worldwide fact that dinosaurs are awesome. I have checked the latest edition of Nature and it would appear that this is definitely the case. Dinosaurs are without doubt the coolest creatures to have roamed the Earth. Do you know what makes them really great? The fact that that left fabulous fossils and brilliant bones behind. Any kid would love the chance to dig up some old bones and build their own dinosaur. Full review...
Rattle and Rap by Susan Steggall
Apparently, back in the days of steam, every little boy used to dream of being an engine driver. The trains in Rattle and Rap are all diesel but the allure of travel still wafts strongly from the pages. This is one in a series of vehicle-themed books aimed at pre-schoolers. It’s unusual to find engaging non-fiction for the under fives. With the focus on vehicles, Susan Stegall takes a staple of many a children’s book but, unlike some other authors, she treats the subject with imagination and creativity. It’s enough to make an anthropomorphised tank engine blush. Full review...
Inventions in 30 Seconds by Dr Mike Goldsmith
My son is incredibly curious and is constantly bombarding me with questions about how things work or how things are made. It seems that the minute I have found the answer to one of his questions, another has formulated inside his head to replace it. I was delighted then, when Inventions in 30 Seconds arrived for me to review, as I saw it as a dose of much-needed respite from my endless research. Full review...
Our Amazing Planet by Jon Richards and Ed Simkins
As reference books go, this is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. Covering topics such as space, planet earth, the animal kingdom and the human body, this colourful book is a powerful tool for homework help from juniors through to early senior school, beautifully presented and easy to draw information from. Full review...
Dead or Alive? by Clive Gifford and Sarah Horne
Animals do the most amazing things, but dying is not one of them. In fact, animals dislike dying so much that over the millennia they have evolved many ingenious ways of not being dead – or as scientists like to call this not dead state; alive. What better way to avoid death than to act dead or smell so bad that no one would possibly want to eat you? Full review...
Atlas of Adventures by Lucy Letherland
The world is full of adventures.
With this inviting opening line, the Atlas of Adventures encourages young readers to travel the world from the comfort of their own sofa. Bold, bright illustrations show defining landmarks and celebrations from all around the world and each double-page spread is filled with bite-sized facts incorporated into the artwork. Full review...
Two Player Big Fun Book by Lydia Crook
My house is full of technology designed to inspire and entertain: computers, iPads, games consoles, mobile devices...yet despite this, the kids seem to constantly complain that they are bored. Maybe the problem is that we are so used to being entertained, that perhaps we have forgotten how to entertain ourselves. Lydia Crook, paper engineer, aims to change all of that by bringing out our creative and playful side in the excellent (and completely absorbing) Two Player Big Fun Book. Full review...
The Human Body in 30 Seconds by Anna Claybourne
Our body is an amazing machine, capable of performing a myriad of tasks simultaneously. Even when we are sleeping, our body is busy processing information, pumping blood, regulating temperature and filtering waste. When we are hurt, a host of repair systems jump into operation to sort out the damage. When we are invaded by a foreign body, our immune system works to repel the invaders. We are constantly making new discoveries about the wonderful way that our body works. Full review...
Big Fat Christmas Book (Horrible Histories) by Terry Deary and Martin Brown
I was reading Terry Deary before he even started writing the ‘Horrible History’ franchise. It seems that as I grew out of children’s non-fiction just as he exploded in popularity, selling millions of books in the series and even spawning a successful TV show (that I admit to watching). It has been years since the first Horrible History book, but they are still popular enough to produce an annual of sorts, but is this a case of annual horribilis? Full review...
The Paint Book by Miri Flower
Craft blogger Miri Flower challenges bored children everywhere with her lovely new series of art books, which utilise basic materials that can be found in most homes. The Paint Book outlines seventy simple projects which encourage kids to get crafty and creative with paints. It's going to get messy, so house-proud parents turn away now... Full review...
The Pencil Book by Miri Flower
Summer is almost over. Gone are the carefree days playing outdoors in the sunshine with friends. Here come the rainy days and dark evenings, heralding the inevitable cry of: I'm bored!. Author and craft-blogger Miri Flower (fantastic name!) comes to the rescue of harassed parents everywhere with her new series of art books which encourage children to utilise simple materials to create fun games and artwork. The Pencil Book sees the humble pencil takes centre stage, with seventy projects to keep kids engaged and amused. Full review...
Mad About Mega Beasts! by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz (Illustrator)
When I was small I was fascinated with things that were big; big buildings, big vehicles, big animals. However, I have recently learnt that there is a size that is bigger than big – mega. What beasts, both from now and from the past, are large enough to achieve this accolade and be welcomed into the hallowed pages of this book? Full review...
Book by John Agard and Neil Packer (illustrator)
Meet Book. I'm sure you have many times over, for otherwise you wouldn't be here. We've met well over 10,000 of them on this website over the past few years of our young life. I myself have personally reviewed over 1,000 of them in that time (gulp). Some have been completely enjoyable and spending time with them is like being entertained by a best friend; others have been the equivalent of meeting someone you wouldn't spit on if they were on fire. But even though Book has talked to me in many different ways in that time, he was yet to tell me exclusively of himself. This then is Book as historian, as entertainer and again as friend, as Book gives a summary of his own birth, history and current state of play. And I'm sure you agree he has a lot to be proud of. Full review...
Animal Lives: Giraffes by Sally Morgan
The new Animal Lives series of picture books aims to help young children become animal experts, with each book focusing on a different wild animal. The current series looks at animals of the African savannah and this time it is the turn of the noble giraffe to take centre stage. Full review...
Animal Lives: Elephants by Sally Morgan
The eye-catching image on the cover of this glossy picture book certainly encourages young readers to pick it up and start reading. Two cute baby elephants gaze confidently into the camera lens whilst sharing a trunkful of lush green vegetation. There is just something about baby elephants, isn't there? Who could resist opening the book for a closer look? Full review...
Animal Lives: Cheetahs by Sally Morgan
The first thing that struck me about this book was the excellent use of visuals. Most of the photographs in the book are for a double page spread. The images are crisp and clear and provide a great close-up view of these beautiful cats. Using the photograph as a centrepiece, each two-page section examines a different aspect of cheetah behaviour. Subjects covered include growing up, hunting, territory and cheetahs under threat. The sections have a brief introductory paragraph in large, bold print and then several smaller facts surround the main picture, sometimes including smaller photographs to illustrate the main points. Full review...
Charles Dickens: Scenes from an Extraordinary Life by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom
Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life these pages must show… Such Dickens wrote – although of course he never wrote that about himself. He did write a lot – letters, short stories, travel journals, and of course a firm dozen classic novels – but never a strict autobiography. This book for the primary school age reader gets round that by cribbing bits from here and there, and by using a good graphic eye, to tell the stories of not only his life, but many of the works too. Full review...
Explore and Draw Patterns: An Art Activity Book by Owen Davey and Georgia Amson-Bradshaw
Explore and Draw Patterns is a beautifully presented interactive workbook designed to spark creativity and imagination. The appeal of the subject matter is universal; everyone loves to doodle, so the book would be equally enjoyable for adults or children. Full review...
Top 10 of Everything 2015 by Paul Terry
The Top 10 of Everything 2015 is, as the title implies, a compilation of 'top ten' lists covering a wide variety of topics including the natural world, pop culture, sport and technology. The style of the book will appeal to its target audience of pre-teens with its use of bright colours, vibrant images, fun facts, puzzles and quizzes. Full review...
The Life of a Car by Susan Steggall
As the daughter of a car worker and the mother of a little boy who is fascinated by wheels, The Life of a Car stood out on the shelf. Part of the Busy Wheels series, this non fiction picture book illustrates the life cycle of a car from manufacture to scrapping with the help of just the odd word or two or three. Full review...
S is for South Africa by Beverley Naidoo and Prodeepta Das
Beverley Naidoo is best known for her award winning fiction for older readers but in this title in the World Alphabet series she brings her native country of South Africa to life for younger children. Starting with A for the Apartheid Museum and finishing with Zoo Lake in Jo’burg she covers many different aspects of life including traditions, food, landscape, animals, music and family life and each subject is accompanied by one of Prodeepta Das’s stunning photos. The poetic text flows and this would work well read aloud. Full review...
Rubik's Quest: Mission Invent by John Farndon
The Rubik Cube is not only a great toy, but also a great brand. Why should Lego have all the fun? To wit Rubik have recently branched out into creating variations of their famous puzzle, but also into other formats including books. Rubik's Quest: Mission Invent by John Farndon is one of a new series of fun puzzle books designed for kids that combine a story with improving your knowledge; in this case, in science. Can science be fun? The answer is yes, but perhaps Mission Invent is not the best example of this. Full review...
