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We like to read in our house. It’s a fact. We all like to be transported to a different world through the power of books, especially during these hot summer months. My husband is a huge fan of science fiction novels as well as historical novels. As a teacher, he also likes to read books that his students might be reading to facilitate a conversation with his students or tie into one of his lesson plans. I prefer to read ‘fluff’ books. The ones with the happy endings, but have a good story along the way. I like the ones that bring the characters to life where I empathize with the main characters. My daughters like to read various styles of books and while they often pick books that are not ‘my type’ of book, I try to support their desire to read.
We recently received an eclectic selection of books from Candlewick Press to help beat our summer boredom.
To be honest, I don’t believe eclectic is a good enough term. Illusionology received the most interest from my oldest daughter. The book is not a traditional paragraph form book, but rather a collection of facts, details, or steps. The book referenced several illusionists including Harry Houdini. The book also provided the steps to perform a card “trick” or illusion.
Do you wonder how Harry Houdini performed his amazing escapes? Are you burning to learn the art of making a beautiful woman appear to levitate? Look closely, for the secrets of the world’s most famous magicians and illusionists – from the ancient Egyptians through the early twentieth century “Handcuff King” himself – are contained within! More than a fascinating history of magic through the ages, Illusionology is an indispensable guide unveiling step-by-step instructions for more than twenty-five astonishing feats. Master the classic cups-and-ball illusion! Mesmerize your friends with mindreading card tricks! Along with sundry flaps and booklets, readers will find
props for their own sleight of hand, including:
– A magical “dematerializer”
– A set of trick playing cards
– A pair of “disappearing spot” paddles
– A “levitating” card!
Can you trust your eyes? The newest discovery in the ‘Ology series amazes and thrills as the closely guarded secrets of the illusionologists are revealed!
The Scary Places Map Book is a good map-reading skills book. I found the content to be strange (again I prefer ‘fluff’ novels), but my oldest daughter enjoyed following the steps required to get from Point A to Point B.
Take a tour of seven spooky places, among them the Wicked Woods, a Ghostly Galleon, and the Western Terror-tories. Along the way, avoid booby traps, search for hidden objects, and learn basic map reading skills! A map key, items to look for, and points of interest, such as Dracula’s Castle and Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory, are included for each eerie region. Tips for touring (never take the Transylvania tour during a full moon) add to the fun. Kids who love to mix the ghoulish with the humorous will pore over the atmospheric pictures time and again, transported to strange, mysterious, very scary places.
Grab a flashlight for an after-dark exploration of seven very scary places. Giggles and goose bumps are in store!
My 4 year old thought the Where’s Waldo? book was interesting with the very busy pictures. It didn’t keep her interest for very long, but I suspect she will come back to it when she is a little older.
Spot-the-difference challenges, mazes, memory games, word games, doodles, tangled line teasers, and much more – find them all inside Waldo’s wonderful new book chock-full of fun things to do. As Waldo and his buddies look for everything from a lost key to a lost camera, his fans are invited to pick up a pencil and work their way through a treasure trove of brain-twisting activities. In true Waldo style, readers are challenged to go back and search for hard-to-find stuff when they finish each chapter, then sent through the whole book again on a final search before they’re done.
It’s a crazy compendium of puzzles! Hands-on games and teasers keep readers busy while Waldo and friends hunt for their own missing things.
The other books were well-received by my daughters as well- including
Go Out and Play!
Do you know how to draw a hopscotch grid? What’s the silliest challenge in the game of sardines? How do you keep from being “out” in SPUD? Is there any way to escape the blob? This lively, infectious guide to games runs the gamut from classic to contemporary: kick the can, freeze tag, blindman’s bluff, red light green light, four square, duck duck goose, and so many more. It’s all sparked by KaBOOM!, a nonprofit with a passion for creating outdoor play spaces nationally and around the world.
For KaBOOM!, play is serious business! So this guide also includes tips for adults on how to encourage and facilitate outdoor play as well as a wealth of resources on how to help create more play spaces in your own community.
Go outside and play! Here, at your fingertips, are how to’s for more than seventy best-loved games, all set to spread the fun of active play to kids of all ages.
Storyworld: Quests and Adventures “Create a Story Kit Story World”
Create your own action-packed adventures with this new kit from StoryWorld. The box contains twenty-eight cards that suggest all kinds of characters, places, and objects that you can use to make up your own stories. Pick a handful of cards and use their pictures, descriptions, and questions as inspiration. Discover more ideas about how to use the cards and read sample stories in The Storytelling Book that accompanies each set.
Tell daring tales of adventure with this exciting new create-a-story pack.
Maisy at the Beach
Sticker fun with Maisy!
Maisy and company have a full day of fun in Maisy at the Beach, collecting shells, building a sandcastle, and feasting on tasty snacks. Young readers join in the fun as they complete the scenes with more than 25 full-color, reusable stickers.
What’s even better than a new Maisy book?
A new Maisy book with stickers!
All-in-all, the books are fun, intriguing, and encourage creativity.
Connect with Candlewick Press for these books, plus many more selections.Also make sure to connect with Candlewick books via Facebook and Twitterto stay up to date with newly released children’s books!This review was written by Angela for The Mama Report.
I received the above mentioned products for review purposes, all opinions are my own.