Have you heard of the four gift rule? It says parents should give their kids only four gifts: something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. With the holidays quickly approaching I want to share some fun books this week in time for you to make purchases for gifts. If your child is like mine you will be buying books for both something they want and something to read. My family has been complaining because the only things on Hazel's wish list for the most part are books. (Hard to believe when you think about all the books I get to review but they are not all of the series she loves.) Anyway, today I am going to share with books that teach something to the reader. These books are for ages 8 - 18. Most are for ages 8-12 but there is one for high schoolers. We will start with Brain Candy 2 by Kelly Hargrave.
This book is another of National Geographic Kids fun fact books. It has interesting facts about everything from animals, Earth, space and more. I was enjoying reading about hot chocolate while waiting in the school pick up line earlier. As with all National Geographic Kids books it is full of colorful photos and crazy but true facts. It will keep a kid's interest. Some of the facts will make you say "Eww" and others "Ahh" and everything in between. This book would be a wonderful stocking stuffer!
Our next book is similar but bigger. It is The Coolest Stuff on Earth by National Geographic Kids.
This book consists of nine chapters: Magnificent Marvels, Travel Unraveled, Extraordinary Animals, History's Mysteries, Shocking Science, Peculiar Planet, Spectacular Sports, Money Decoded and Epic Extremes. Just from the chapter titles you can see the range this book has. It is full of interesting things with more details about each than the previous book. This book goes into the details of science, social studies, history and more. It shares about the world's highest roller coaster and why the Leaning Tower of Pisa is leaning (and how it is still standing). There is something in this book for everyone and you will leave it knowing more than you realize.
Our next book is for the social studies lover or someone who is learning about the United States Constitution. It is The Constitution Decoded by Katie Kennedy and illustrated by Ben Kirchner. This book breaks the Constitution down for the reader. It has the original text as well as an explanation of what it means. The pages are also color coded by section.
The Amendments include the dates they were ratified. They have the original text as well as a translation of it and then examples of the Constitution in action and it is full of "Did you know" facts as well. I love the examples and how easy it is to read this book. I love that it shares the original text as well as an explanation of what it means. I also love that it gives examples of how it relates to every day life. This is a great book for any class learning about the U.S. Government as well as for kids who are interested in learning more. This book is recommended for ages 10 to 14.
Our next book is out of this world. It is Space Encyclopedia: A Tour of Our Solar System and Beyond by David A. Aguilar. I'll be honest, I have not had a chance to look at this one too much. I showed it to my space loving husband and haven't gotten it back too much. I'm going to wrap it up for him and put it under the tree this year! He said it was really good and has great information. This book is the second edition. It is full of information starting with what we know, information about our solar system, information on the stars, the chance of life elsewhere and more. The photos in the book are amazing as you would expect from National Geographic Kids. The information is up to date and interesting. As I mentioned Steve hasn't given me too much time with it. Even after he gave it back to me if he saw I wasn't reading it he would open it up. This book is perfect for any space loving person or as a reference in a space unit. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Our final book is Everything You Need to Ace Geometry in One Big Fat Notebook by Workman Publishing's Christy Needham. As a former high school geometry teacher, I can honestly say this book is amazing! This book is set up like a notebook and the notes are amazing. This book would be a student's dream. It is set up in such a clear and simple manner. The pages are colorful and full of the geometry concepts in a way that is understandable.
Geometry is a visual math and this book has the illustrations to share the different concepts and make the math easier to grasp. I also love that it deals with proofs. Some schools are doing away with the geometric proof, but it is an important concept in understanding of logic and reasoning. This book literally teaches a two column proof which is one of the concepts students struggle with the most.
They also have a section in each chapter to check your knowledge. It is not enough problems to be a text book but it gives some good examples to clarify the reader's understanding. I love this book and think it is perfect for anyone who wants clear explanations of geometry.
So if you want to add something to read that will also educate, please check out these amazing books.
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