Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Stuff

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This new series from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS is the perfect size (6.5 inches by 6.5 inches) to be enjoyed on the road, school, or at home. It’s a fun reveal for many things we take for granted. Here’s the official scoop:

Who invented pizza? Why do people shake hands? Why do we wear underwear? Ever wonder how basketball got started? Why we have birthday cakes? And why some people use forks and some use chopsticks? From familiar foods to common clothing items to bizarre beauty regimens, this book covers all the surprising backstories behind the things you use everyday, including:  who thought of that, where did that come from and why is that a thing?

It’s one of those books kids will be reading to you out loud, sharing all the wacky and weird components.Topics are arranged in ten chapters, each filled with memorable backstories and facts (After each chapter title I’ve included a few of my favorites out of the more than 90 offered):

  1. Toys and Games (Frisbee, Slinky, Pinball)
  2. Food (Hot Dogs, Sushi, Pie)
  3. Fashion (Blue Jeans, Sneakers, Neckties)
  4. Tools (Spatula, Cell Phone, Velcro)
  5. Symbols and Manners (Applause, Handshake, Daylight Saving Time)
  6. Around the House (Refrigerators, Beds, Bathrooms)
  7. Sports & Entertainment (Goalie Masks, Mascots, Skateboards)
  8. Beauty, Hygiene, & Medicine (Lipstick, Nail Polish, Deodorant)
  9. Holidays & Traditions (Fireworks, Christmas, Baby Names)
  10. Odds & Ends (Liquid Paper, Neon Lights, Tupperware)

Colorful layouts abound and you can begin with any chapter. This perfect stocking stuffer will have young readers enthralled for hours. They also will never look at these items in real life the same way, Order your copy today!

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Coming up this Monday is another edition of…

If you would like to join the MMGM parade, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book on a Monday (contests, author interviews, or anything middle grade related also count). Email me the title of the book or feature and a link to your blog at gpcolo[at]gmail[dot]com

Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and please don’t forget to say what book or author you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.

Thanks for spreading the middle grade love and for being a part of this awesome tradition begun by Shannon Messenger and carried on here at ALWAYS in the MIDDLE! (CLICK HERE FOR PAST MMGM POSTS)

*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.

About Greg Pattridge

Climbing another mountain...always striving to reach the next peak in my life and career.
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1 Response to Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Stuff

  1. I love books like this, especially for long car trips. Thanks for the heads up.

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