Bushel & Peck Books | Daddy Mojo

The Worst Wizard: Awkward Magic, a truth mirror for some reluctant readers

Elementary school students don’t know what a trope is. They might quickly lose interest in a story that’s played out or too familiar, but they can’t say that they weren’t interested in it due to the tired use of its trope. The Worst Wizard: Awkward Magic is reluctant reader food that flies in the face of the plot devices that are trying to drag it down. Wizards and those who don’t realize that they are yet can be an overplayed device in children’s literature. However, kids also want to read about wizards and the underdogs who might become them. You can see how the window of opportunity in capturing young readers in these books can be challenging.

Aye, ye be a reluctant reader mate?

Baseball Around the World, a vortex of America’s pastime, wherever you are

When is America’s pastime, not America’s pastime? Baseball Around the World, How the World Plays the Game addresses that question early on in the book. It also touches on the ‘boys of summer’ nickname, but thankfully skips any soft AOR songs that might reference that. Baseball Around the World is an intelligent illustrated book that looks at baseball, and how it’s done in different areas. It’s a great entry point for those who don’t know anything about the game but also provides dozens of instances where diehard fans will learn something too.

Baseball Around the World takes a look at the game through 13 countries, how it got there, famous players and more.

The diamond, boys of summer (but not just for boys), etc

The Kid’s World Factbook, the straight, smart reference book that kids need

The Kid’s World Factbook is a research book for elementary school students that’s presented in a way that those audiences might not expect. It’s also priced at a point that parents aren’t expected. Of course, the price of a book is meaningless, dependent upon whether or not kids will actually willingly read it and engage with the content. This book succeeds on both fronts, wildly surpassing the former and exceeding the first qualifier for most young readers.

The Kid’s World Factbook is a no nonsense look at every country in the world, their main stats and things kids need to know.

A smart, go-to reference for ages 10 and up

The Stories Behind The Stories, more than just history for book wonks

Back in the day, there was something on MTV or VH1 known as “a can’t miss show on cable”. Behind The Music took a look at the history of musical groups or artists and managed to do it with such an addictive flair that the Surgeon General should’ve issued warnings before the program. The Stories Behind The Stories is a book that looks at the things that inspired authors who’ve written some of the classic children’s books that people know today.

The Stories Behind The Stories looks at the people and events that created some of the children’s books that every kid in elementary school know.

It’s the worm that feeds young book worms or curious kids