Category: Books

These are books that kids will want to read-or should read, but will enjoy doing so. Board book, picture books, kid lit, elementary school books, middle school books, high school books, all age comic books and more will be talked about here.

For pre-school girls it’s a Rainbow Rangers world, now they can read it too

If you’re a preschool girl then it’s a Rainbow Ranger world and your parents simply live in it, or occasionally interrupt it to ask you to turn off the TV. Parents like the show because it has nothing but positive themes and young girls will like it because the characters are smart, solve problems and have flying unicorns.  If you’re a literary parent then the world of Rainbow Rangers might be new to you the MacKids is out to change all of that. They’ve printed four books that will appeal to children aged one through six.

Rainbow rangers, if you have a girl in pre-school then you know

Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business review

The core of mankind’s disagreements can be summed up into those that like seaweed as a snack and those who don’t. I am firmly in the first camp and are offering it to our children every chance that we get and since there’s always some in the kitchen that’s quite often. Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business by Lyla Lee is the first in a new children’s series that kids in first through fourth grade will enjoy for a number of reasons.

Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business, for elementary aged readers or appeals to any kid who is a ‘new kid’
The perfect chapter length is key for elementary aged readers and this series has it

Franken-Sci High is STEAM based 9-14 YO life and pun fun

Franken-Sci High has the kind of book title that makes you want to kick yourself for not thinking of it sooner. If that’s the case then you can kick yourself just a little softer because that’s actually the title of the book series. It was created by Mark Young and the first release in this series, Jim Henson’s Franken-Sci High, What’s The Matter With Newton; as well as, the second one, Monsters Among Us! are out now. Depending on what your child likes to read it might be just the comfort reading food your third through seventh grader is looking for.

Left of center, sci-fi reading for ages 9 and up

Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds, fascinating reference book for the masses

Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds, 100 New Ways to See the World by Ian Wright is an unexpected time suck in the best of all possible ways.  For example, I’ve never actively thought about those countries or territories that have smaller populations than greater Tokyo. I have also never thought about how the ratio of heavy metal bands per 100 thousand people. Regarding the later query, those in Scandinavia-especially Finland, love some metal, whereas a metal group in central Africa would have a tough time finding an audience. Some of the maps in Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds are serious, some are trivial, but for curious people 10 and up they’ll all be fascinating.

This is an unexpected book that will love. It’s unique, fun to read and educational.

The Presidents, Portraits of History-education via art

One of the most remarkable things about The Presidents Portraits of History by Leah Tinari is how non-political the book is. In a time where folks can’t say the most innocuous thing without it being viewed, positively or negatively through a political lens, Tinari has created a book that respects and casts every president as human. The Presidents is a big book. On the right pages in the book readers will see large drawings of each president through 2020.  In erratic sized font around each illustration are serious or obscure facts about each person.

The Presidents, Portraits of History is art that’ll make kids want to learn

The Boy Who Became A Dragon, A Bruce Lee Story review

Early in my marriage my wife and I set a $25 limit on gifts. The first gift that she gave me under the price restrictions at that time was a Bruce Lee DVD set. That was 13 years ago and I still have the DVDs, plus I’m still married. I mention that to drive home the point that I am a Bruce Lee fan. His talent was stunning and the legacy that he had and left behind is amazing and tragic. The Boy Who Became A Dragon, A Bruce Lee Story by Jim Di Bartolo is a graphic novel that (shockingly…) I expected to enjoy. Once I was finished the book I realized that I enjoyed it for entirely different reasons than I thought that I would.   

We loved this graphic novel, but not for the reasons we would’ve thought

How to Hide a Lion at Christmas, pretend seasonal play for 4 and up

How to Hide a Lion at Christmas is logical. The title is illogical, but considering how well-and how adept Iris is at hiding him and many adventures they’re had, it makes sense. Iris is a four year-old girl who has been figuring out ways to hide her lion for several years. She’s hidden her lion at school, from grandma and others. This book, and the others by author Helen Stephens; succeed due to the book’s perspective, its timeless/charming art and the fact that everyone has pretended to hide something from someone when they were that age.

Timeless and modern, try to hide a lion at christmas will you……

Bad Kitty Searching For Santa, early elementary Christmas giggles

Wait; didn’t Bad Kitty just have Thanksgiving? Yes, she did, but it’s a Bad Kitty world and we’re just living in it. Bad Kitty Does Not Like Thanksgiving was a board book. Bad Kitty Searching For Santa gives our grumpy cat an illustrated book format and has her try to figure out is she’s been naughty or nice. For readers in elementary school the answer to that question is an easy ‘yes!’ However, in the world of Bad Kitty it’s never as simple as that.

Bad Kitty, this is the christmas illustrated book for ages 4 and up
Copy Protected by Chetan's WP-Copyprotect.