It’s that time of year again. The weather’s getting nippier (well, slightly). Christmas trees are for sale on every street corner. (I live in New York where this kind of thing is a real treat. “Something green and nature-like! Wow!”) Kids are getting excited to light candles on Chanukah (early this year, eh?). And hordes of shoppers are frantically spending gads of money on gifts for loved ones. Cha-ching!
This is where I come in. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been scouring the shelves for book-related gifts for your not-so-little ones. While I would love to include all the gizmos and gadgets I pawed, toyed with, gawked at, and secretly wanted for my very own, I’ve decided to just include, well, books. Why? Because they won’t break like some gadgets might. Unless, of course, you drop them in the bathtub. Or your dog . . . Right.
The good news is that there are plenty of fantastic gift-worthy books out there published in the last year. I found so many that I plan on devoting this week’s and next week’s posts to telling you about them. The theme of this week’s post is: Kit(sch).
As always, if you have suggestions for me or other "Letter Blocks" readers, please do share!
Happy soon to be holidays . . .
The Complete Magician by Joshua Jay – This magic show kit can be described in one word: AMAZING! With two decks of cards (a Paranormal deck and a Svengali deck), 4-inch metal linking rings, a false thumb (!), and more, aspiring Houdinis will literally have their hands full learning the toughest tricks of the trade. But thanks to professional magician Jay’s 288-page book that’s packed with more than 600 photos and easy to follow step-by-step instructions on things like how to pull off the illusive palm switch, how to perform the ten greatest card tricks of all time (take that Penn and Teller!), or how to make a turkey appear out of a hat (OK, it doesn’t have that trick), kids will be putting together their own magic shows in no time. As if that’s not enough, there’s even a 132-minute instructional DVD included in the kit that features Jay performing some of his stunts. Now that is what I call an Open Sesame moment.
Who Do You Think You Are? Be a Family Tree Detective by Dan Waddell – Zillions of adults research their family trees, embarking on worldwide quests to find their ancestors. But who says kids can’t join in on the fun? This super hands-on book based on the popular TV series of the same name is the perfect catalyst for such a project. Its vibrant, user-friendly design features pull-out tabs with Detective Tips; open-able envelopes containing interview questions; and expandable flaps listing genealogy jargon, suggestions on how to look for family heirlooms, ideas for making a time capsule, and more. If that’s not enough to get them (and you) going, there are also Internet Alerts that explain how to research genealogy online and Treasure Book Activities enticing kids to create their own family scrapbook. This gem of a book could very well spark the hunt of a lifetime . . . er . . . literally.
My Dog!: A Kids' Guide to Keeping a Happy & Healthy Pet by Michael J. Rosen – Sit! Stay! Roll over! For pooch lovers, this pint-sized, spiral-bound book is not only fun to flip through but also a guide to learning how to be responsible in disguise! Never preachy, this fact-filled manual teaches kids all the best secrets on how to care for, feed, and exercise the lovable canines in their lives. For prospective owners, there’s a helpful chapter dedicated to house-training and dog-proofing the home, as well as a pull-out dry-erase poster with 74 popular dog breeds on one side and a care chart on the other. With games, dog-treat recipes (Tater-and-Chicken Treats, yum!), and more, this book is a mutt-have!
My Fabulous Look Book - Fashion Drawing Made Easy by Karen Phillips – For aspiring fashionistas, this Klutz book-and-colored-pencils-combo has all the ingredients of a runway show in the making. More than 70 pages of simple traceable line-drawings of faces, waiflike bodies in poses, shoes, and tiny dogs (?), allow kids to create models from their own imaginations, adding hair, eye color, makeup, and clothing. Glittery stickers are provided as accents. When the drawings are complete, kids can paste them into brightly-designed cardboard frames, and voila! A Look Book is born. For boys (or girls) with zero interest in fashion, Draw the DC Universe allows comic buffs to trace and illustrate 27 super heroes and infamous villains like Batman and the Flash.
Are You "Normal"? by Mark Shulman – Perfect for long-car rides over the holidays, this short n’ sweet book is packed with quizzes enabling kids to see how they match up with others across America on things like their favorite sports, any languages spoken at home other than English, whether or not they bite their toenails . . . You get the picture. While ornery me takes issue with the word “normal” in the book’s title, the editors of National Geographic Kids have seemingly put in a lot of time and effort compiling facts and figures that should make kids feel part of a national community rather than like an outcast. (Although youngsters that do bite their toenails aren’t actually alone. 1 in 10 kids do, in fact. Flexible, anyone?)
Like most bookworms, Alexis Burling has loved reading since she could crawl. She has worked for over a decade in the publishing industry and has reviewed both children's and adult books for prominent media outlets such as teenreads.com, Publishers Weekly, and the Washington Post.
