OCEAN ANIMALS from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

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Do you have any books with more pictures than words? The question came to me from a 12-year-old who is more into sports than reading. I knew exactly the book to recommend. This new title from National Geographic is filled with gorgeous photographs and enough words to explain what you are looking at. Here are a few sample pages that may have you racing out to get this one:

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The 11 chapters are organized perfectly with such titles as Marine Mammals, Whales and Dolphins, Ocean Habitats, and 20 Ways You Can Protect The Ocean. These huge topics are given their proper due in the large format 9×12 inch book. Simply spectacular!

The official blurb for OCEAN ANIMALS: Who’s Who in the Deep Blue by Johnna Rizzo (ages 8-12) is an oversized book and it needs to be!  Featuring huge, stunning underwater photographs this book covers it all — from life in coral reefs to sharks and rays, to bizarre creatures of the deep and even sea birds — and all the favorites from Disney’s Finding Dory including, sea lions, octopus, beluga whales, whale sharks and of course clown fish and Dory herself — blue tangs!

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I’ll be adding this one to my Blogging Anniversary Celebration Giveaway coming up soon. Your chance to be one of three winners of a stack of MG titles and a gift card. Details coming soon!

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THE DRAKE EQUATION for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

This is a wildly imaginative story with science fiction pushing the plot forward. 26245966Noah is a boy who loves birds. He tracks them with his binoculars in hopes of adding to the list of birds he’s spotted.

Not hooked yet? Well, turn the page and before you know it Noah has found a round disk that fits in his hand. From there the mystery unfolds as to the purpose of this strange object. It’s like a weird phone or a video game with a menu of confusing words. Of course any curious kid  would try it out, and Noah’s choices bring some amazing results – both good and bad.

A believable group of friends and enemies add to the fun and intrigue. There are also several unexpected twists throughout. I couldn’t wait to reach that final page to see how all of this mayhem would get solved. My reward for finishing the story was the familiar smell of a sequel. Noah solving one problem leads to another and readers are left hanging at the end with questions.

Other than that ending, I enjoyed this one like a little kid at the movies with a big tub of popcorn. A tasty treat for sure.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2016   PAGE COUNT: 302

FULL PLOT (From AMAZON) Noah Grow is a bird-watcher. If you’re picturing some kid in a big floppy hat, peering up into trees through giant binoculars . . . well, good job. That’s exactly what he does. Right now, Noah is on a quest to find a wood duck. According to his calculations, aka the Drake Equation, the odds are good-really good-for spotting one.

That’s why he gets off the bus at the wrong stop. And that’s how he ends up running down a hill, crashing into a fence, and landing right next to a strange, glittery disk.

Noah and his best friends, Jason and Jenny, soon discover that the mysterious disk is, well, mysterious. It gives Noah peculiar powers. As things go from odd to outrageous, Noah is swept up in a storm of intergalactic intrigue and middle-school mayhem. There’s much more at stake than Noah realizes.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE DRAKE EQUATION by Bart King

  1. Noah is a likeable protagonist who catalogs everyone, both birds and humans. Each time a new character enters the story we get a look at Noah’s field notes describing the person’s appearance, voice, plumage, range, social behavior, and status. Fun to read, and I’m sure they were fun to write.
  2. Noah’s parents are quirky and so different from any other parent in the neighborhood. Their job is designing playground equipment which makes for some amusing and surprising interactions with their son.
  3. The dialog is witty especially when its between Noah and his middle school crowd. Those years as a teacher served Bart King well.
  4. Aliens, but not like ones you’ve ever experienced in print before. I’m sure kids will be smiling like I was with their appearance.
  5. The mix of contemporary issues with science fiction works well. You’ll even learn a few things about birds along the way.

FAVORITE LINES:  A thrill swept over my scalp to my toes (even my right big toe, which was sticking through a hole in my sock). Goose bumps covered my arms. I had to tell someone – anyone – about this right away.

And so another domino fell. How was I supposed to know that such a little bird would lead to such BIG trouble?

For a look into the mind of Bart King visit his blog. There are always several interesting and often hilarious videos.

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Make a comment if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them. Click on the comments link below.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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REAL OR FAKE? from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

This handy guide is filled with facts, fakes, and fun. More than 50 6302405scenarios are presented. To start things off you read the background of the event accompanied by splashy colorful pictures. The next step is to use your reasoning skills to determine whether the event was REAL or FAKE. I correctly answered on most of them but several stumped me. What do you think?

A robot hitchhiked across Canada.

Spaghetti grows on trees.

A spacecraft landed on a comet.

Elephants use their ears, feet and trunks to hear.

Once you decide on REAL or FAKE, a turn of the page reveals the truth along with a thorough explanation. What a great way to fill those bad weather days or for those car and plane trips that seem to drag on forever. You can extend the fun by going online to watch the ten episode game show also called REAL OR FAKE.

Here’s the official blurb for REAL OR FAKE? by Emily Krieger: (ages 8-12) – NEW SERIES ALERT! –  Can you mail an unpackaged coconut via the United States Postal Service? Are tiger cubs born furless and without stripes?  Did China build a secret city for 1,000 people on the sea floor? Is there really a type of bird with tiny, useless wings, hairlike feathers and nostrils at the END of its beak or is it just a hoax? Real or Fake tests your detective skills to determine which stories are real and which, in fact, are fake (oh, and yes, you CAN mail a coconut, China did NOT build an underwater city and that bird is not a hoax!  It is a kiwi!).  Also included are history’s greatest hoaxes, secrets behind a good fake, internet urban legends, and crazy headlines. 

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Shhh. I’m not age 8-12, but I sure enjoyed these truthful and untruthful facts, photos, and fibs. And that’s no fake!

I’ll be adding this one to my Blogging Anniversary Celebration Giveaway coming up soon. Your chance to be one of three winners of a stack of MG titles and a gift card. Details coming soon!

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WAITING FOR AUGUSTA for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

This year in MG has seen a flood of endearing characters that you are thankful to have spent time reading their story. Benjamin Putter is one of those characters. His father’s waiting-for-augusta-9781481448390_hrwish before he passed away was to have his ashes scattered on the famed August National Golf Club’s 18th green, home of The Master’s tournament.

Ben is determined to make that happen despite never connecting with his golf loving, barbecue obsessed dad when he was alive. He also thinks his dad never understood his own obsession of painting pictures. Still though, his dad’s wish must be fulfilled. Ben runs off with a mysterious girl carrying the urn and in a wild series of events makes his way toward his goal hundreds of miles away during Master’s golf week.

Of course golf is the backdrop for the story and lovers of the game will enjoy the references to the great players of the past and the description of Augusta National. Don’t worry if you aren’t a fan. Set in 1972 this is less about golf than it is about a father-son relationship, friendships new and old, and critical issues of the time like desegregation and racism.

Funny, heartfelt, and quirky. I’m scoring this a hole in one.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2016   PAGE COUNT: 336

FULL PLOT (From Jessica Lawson’s Web Site)

A month ago, Ben Putter’s dad died, and (crazy idea or not) Ben’s certain the lump in his throat is actually a golf ball. The lump won’t go away and it turns out Dad’s not quite gone either. Still warm in his urn, Ben’s father suddenly speaks up to ask why he’s in Alabama instead of sprinkled on Augusta National Golf Club’s 18th hole, the way he always wanted.

Ben might be going a little crazy, but escaping Hilltop, Alabama, sounds like a darn good idea (and just maybe it will make that lump go away). As he makes his way to Georgia, Ben partners up with a mysterious runaway named Noni, and they embark on a journey full of adventures at every turn.

Between Dad nagging to be put to rest, Noni keeping suspiciously tight-lipped about her past, security patrolling at all hours during the famed Masters tournament, and the lump in his throat staying put, creeping onto Augusta National may not be as easy as Ben originally thought. And letting go of a Dad who’s finally listening is going to be even harder.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: WAITING FOR AUGUSTA by Jessica Lawson

  1. Noni is a girl with a mysterious past. She is a strong companion for Ben, hilarious at times and also has unresolved issues with her dad. Noni is one you won’t soon forget.
  2. This book is intended for the 8-12 year old MG reader, but those of us years or decades older should also give it a go. It’s poignant theme will have you thinking of the  your own dad and the relationship you have or had in those early years.
  3. A touch of magic is weaved into the time period. It’s done so well you never see the twist at the end until it smacks you in the face. You wipe your eyes and know you’ve experienced something special.
  4. I never thought how the rules of golf can pertain to real life. A great theme throughout.
  5. The chapters become hole numbers in a unique way to organize the story.

FAVORITE LINE:  There’s nothing like giving your father a piggyback ride to his dream destination to make you feel like your life has gotten a little mixed up.

AUTHOR QUOTE (From Jessica’s blog):  I’m a lover of books, especially middle grade and young adult fiction. Mom and stepmother (the non-wicked kind) to 4 kiddos, author of THE ACTUAL & TRUTHFUL ADVENTURES OF BECKY THATCHER, NOOKS & CRANNIES, and WAITING FOR AUGUSTA, wannabe home owner and watcher of HGTV, current Life Satisfaction Level on a scale of 1 to 10: 9.3

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Make a comment if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them. Click on the comments link below.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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125 WACKY ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

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I can’t get enough of these great new titles from National Geographic. This one is perfect to fill those long summer days when you hear the drawn out cry from an 8-13 year-old… “I’m bored.”

The official blurb for 125 WACKY ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS: Ever since the car was invented in the late 1800’s, roadside businesses have been trying to catch the eye of behind-the-wheel consumers as they zoom past.  An underwater mailbox, “Carhenge,” walls of gum, the Paris Sewer Museum, a hotel here you sleep in an igloo, the Unclaimed Baggage Center, a brain shaped phone booth, the world’s tallest bridge and breathtaking natural wonders are just a few of the amazing destinations packed into 125 Wacky Roadside Adventures.  These bizarre landmarks from around the world are not only fun to read about, but they also tickle the funny bone and touch upon history, science and the natural world. For an added dose of inspiration, Nat Geo Young Explorer Marissa Gaiwel recently hit the highways and shares her experience of her 4000 mile trek through the United States to document and learn more about these unique destinations.

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A handy worldwide map follows the contents list and is a good spot to start. Once you find the page you want you’ll find splashy colorful pictures with a paragraph description. I had to start with the 27 foot boxing crocodile in Humpty Doo, Australia.boxingcroc Closer to home in Cottonwood, Idaho I found the DOG BARK PARK INN B&B where you can book a room right in his belly.

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I’m not the target age for this book but once I got started it was hard to look away. You’ll smile, laugh, and shake your head at the creativity and true wackiness present in our world.

I’ll be adding this one to my Blogging Anniversary Celebration Giveaway coming up soon. Your chance to be one of three winners of a stack of MG titles and a gift card. Details coming soon!

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THE TURN OF THE TIDE for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Two years ago I read the marvelous WRITTEN IN STONE by Rosanne Parry. This theturnofthetidepast spring I won a copy of this new title thanks to a giveaway from the Middle Grade Mafioso, Michael Gettel-Gilmartin. THE TURN OF THE TIDE also involves the ocean, but in a far different way.

After a a tsunami invades his community in Japan, young Kai is whisked back to the states to live with his cousins in the Pacific northwest. His parents stay in Japan to deal with the aftermath of the disaster. Kai doesn’t want to be in this strange place and feels it’s a betrayal to have left his home. Both grandparents are missing and he could help.

Kai goes on an emotional roller coaster. It’s his preparation and participation in The Treasure Island sailing race that brings him closer to cousin Jet, and together they attempt to win the race and chase away their past misfortunes.

This could have been a nice tidy plot with a predicable ending, but in the hands of this author we get so much more. There are unique twists and I learned so much about the sport of sailing. The writing is crisp and you’ll find yourself cheering these two kids on. The tide runs very high in my praise for this unique adventure of growth and understanding.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2016   PAGE COUNT: 294 pages

FULL PLOT (From Rosanne Parry’s Web Site)

Two cousins

One summer

A sailboat they both love

And a race they’d risk anything to win.

The Turn of the Tide is a story of two cousins with big ambitions who have made big mistakes. It’s about spending a summer far from home and overcoming your deepest fears. It’s about navigating the shifting currents of middle school friendship while holding a true to the woman you’d like to become. It’s about becoming a man of two worlds and remaining loyal to your whole family even when that family separated by race and an entire ocean. It’s about the split second you have to choose when lives hang in the balance and the wind could shift at any moment.  It’s about finding your own true north and setting a course for it against all odds.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE TURN OF THE TIDE by Rosanne Parry

  1. The information in the back of the book on sailing and the different components of the story were excellent. I especially appreciated the full glossary of sailing terms.
  2. Kai’s mother is Japanese and his father a Swedish American. This mixed race scenario is handled well and you understand Kai’s uncertainties about his roots.
  3. The aspect of Jet, a girl pursuing a career on a ship, makes for a great discussion starter as this career is predominately male.
  4. For those who have been to this part of the U.S. and for those who haven’t, you’ll be booking a flight based on the words coming alive on each page. Great use of setting.
  5. Middle school friendships are a tricky commodity at times. It’s expertly portrayed here.

FAVORITE LINES: Oliver came downstairs, poured himself a bowl of cereal, and picked at it with all the speed and enthusiasm of a banana slug. Oliver did not like strangers. Mom reminded him last night that he and Kai had been buddies when the family visited Japan five years ago. Oliver went to the computer, looked up a child-development website, and announced that “children do not remember things before they are three years old!” It was not the highlight of Mom’s evening.

AUTHOR QUOTE (From Rosanne’s web site):  Heartfelt thanks go to my cover artist Julie McLaughlin. I love it that she didn’t shy away from putting a biracial child on the cover, and I adore it that she crafted a cover that will appeal to boys and girls equally.

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Make a comment below if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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THE THREE FACES OF MG READERS

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

The range of MG books this or any year is immense. You’ll find literary masterpieces right next to silly bare thin plots. Both are needed. Book publishers do a good job of making sure their title list contains books for all groups.

As a teacher, mentor, and now a writer for this age group, I have observed three distinct types of readers 8 -13 years in age. Authors can take note of these categories, and if wide readership is what they’re pursuing they’d best have a fast moving story with intriguing characters.

INTENSE This reader devours books like a favorite meal. They know what they’re going 9i4A55xiEto read next and the next one beyond that and the next one beyond that. Their library card has ruffled edges and bookshelves at home are stuffed full of their favorites. They gravitate toward books with vivid descriptions and they often become emotionally tied to a character, talking about this fictional person for days on end. Length of the story is of no concern and lights out time for this reader is often a long drawn out ordeal. They just have to read one more chapter. I’d estimate 15% of MG kids fit this description.

cropped-cropped-istock_000025885857small26.jpgCASUAL This next young person enjoys reading, but it doesn’t overshadow their other activities. They’ll read a chapter or two per day, but no more. They like adventure type stories with humor but not ones that are filled with unnecessary backstory or dialog. If a story drags early they have no problem tossing it aside for something better. They follow trends and if something is popular they’re in. This category would make up the largest percentage of readers – around 75%.

ERRATIC The closest this girl or boy gets to a book is to use one for support of aPreteen Boy Expressions - Shocked wobbly table leg. They’ll only read if it is for homework or if parents make them read the dreaded one chapter per day. The book had better be funny with lots of action, drawings are a plus, and short chapters rule their world. Long descriptions will leave them bleary eyed. They can never find their library card much less want to visit one. When they do visit, their first stop is the DVD shelf. About one in ten kids fit this category… maybe more in your neck of the woods.

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I was definitely in the  CASUAL category during my growing up years. Now I read a wide variety of books to become a better writer and to find the best ones for kids. I have 8-10 books I hope to get to in July. Happy reading no matter what category you place yourself in.

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THE NINJA LIBRARIANS: SWORD IN THE STACKS for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

Last year I reviewed THE NINJA LIBRARIANS: THE ACCIDENTAL KEYHAND and enjoyed the characters and intriguing plot. Dorrie and her older brother are back in the second book in this fun series that uses a 3097870_origlibrary as the setting. My library is nothing like what unfolds at Petrarch’s.

You could certainly start with this new entry in the series, but you’d miss out on many connections to the first book. Nevertheless, author Jen Swann Downey does supply the needed background information  in the opening chapters. There’s also another sticky problem to take care of – Dorrie and Marcus’s parents have to be convinced to let their children go live at this strange place of training where no contact with them is allowed. It doesn’t seem to bother the kids as the parents aren’t mentioned again until the end. The strange classes and mystery of the evil Foundation is enough to keep Dorrie and Marcus occupied.

Full of humor, sneaky time travel passage ways, and a creepy villain, you’ll never look at that person behind the check-out desk the same way again.

PUBLICATION DATE:2016  PAGE  COUNT: 400

FULL PLOT (From Jen’s WEB SITE):

Now official apprentices of the Lybrariad, Dorris and Marcus join Ebba in the immense time-folding labyrinth known as Petrarch’s Library for the summer quarter.

Dorrie is eager to do well at her practicums, and prove her worth as an apprentice, but before she can choose between  “Spears, Axes, and Cats: Throwing Objects with Precision and Flair” and “First and Last Aid: When No One Else Is Coming”, mistakes made by Dorrie in the past cause trouble for the lybrarians.

The Foundation, once nearly destroyed by the Lybrariad, now has the means to rise from its ashes, and disappear reading and writing from the world.  To succeed, it sets in motion a dark plan to increase the power of a cruel figure from the fifteenth century.

To stop the Foundation, Dorrie, Marcus and Ebba will have to burglarize Aristotle, gather information among the suffragists and anti-suffragists of 1913 London, and risk their lives to wrest a powerful weapon out of the Foundation’s hands – all while upholding the Lybrariad’s first principle of protecting all writing, liked or not. If they fail, reading and writing aren’t the only things that will disappear.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT THE NINJA LIBRARIANS: SWORD IN THE STACKS by Jen Swann Downey

  1. The issue of intellectual freedom is brought forth for young readers to explore. Specifically to 1913 with the two sides of Woman Suffrage and the right to vote. A great discussion starter.
  2. In the back of the book is another welcome guide to the people, places, and events covered in the book. I actually read this first and learned some needed background information before beginning the real chapters.
  3. A nasty, mean nemesis by the name of Mr. Biggs. He’s focused on one goal and will do harm to anyone getting in his way. Unfortunately, Dorrie  is usually that person. Mr. Biggs is an antagonist with a capital A.
  4. 14-year-old Marcus is the older brother who cares about his sister, but who also is forging his own future. He’s lovesick over his new crush who is already taken. Lots of humorous exchanges between Dorrie and Marcus that are very lifelike. I should know with three sisters as evidence!
  5. It’s hard to be bored at this school what with crazy classes and a mystery unfolding. Time travel books get a unique addition with this series. The end produces much excitement for future installments.

FAVORITE LINES:

“It takes many lybrarians to conduct the rescue missions,” said Phillip. “The Lybrariad regularly trains librarians with an i into lybrarians with a y. If you permit Dorrie and Marcus to train as apprentices, they’ll learn research and reference skills, along with how to gain entry to a locked room, set a broken bone, ride anything with four legs, practice all seventeen uses for a flaming arrow–”

QUOTE FROM AUTHOR:

And when you’ve written a book for kids, you are specifically if subconsciously waiting for A KID to respond. For a kid to be sucked in, and feel for your characters, to laugh and go bug-eyed and gasp in all the right places. It’s that first kid who reads with gusto and love that turns your wooden puppet into a real boy (or girl in the updated version!) And it’s on the day you’ve heard that it’s happened, that your book feels truly born. From Jen’s BLOG

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Leave a comment below… I love reading all of them!

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WINNER

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

Do I really throw the names into a hat and draw one out as the winner? Oh, I’m much more scientific. As the comment entries come in I write their name in numerical order in a notebook. At the appointed time I enter the range of numbers in a random number generator (for this giveaway #1-34).

Number 8 popped up as the winner of all four National Geographic titles.

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The winner is… SUE MORRIS. You can find Sue and her wonderful reviews of children’s books at KID LIT REVIEWS. 

Congratulations Sue. These are four you should really enjoy.

I’ll be back tomorrow for another MMGM review.

 

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Summer Giveaway Day 4: THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE: RED’s BIG ADVENTURE

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

If you’re expecting (like I did) to find a bloated promotion for the recently released movie 9781426216848– this new book by National Geographic takes a much higher end approach. Sure you get doses of the angry but oh so cute colorful birds as Red tries to convince the others that angry is the best choice.

But the bulk of the 160 pages delve into exciting world facts. You’ll first explore Bird Island with the Angry birds and learn about the geography, science, and wildlife present on the island.  Next is Bird Village where interesting facts about birds are intermixed with the colorful pictures (I love those Emperor Penguins!). Search for the mighty eagle in the third section. Finally explore what goes on outside Bird Island with map making and a look at the night skies along with a few more bird species.

What a pleasant surprise! An hour zipped by as I smiled and learned at the same time.

THE OFFICIAL BLURB

National Geographic The Angry Birds Movie:  Red’s Big Adventure (ages 8+, $14.99) — The OFFICIAL nonfiction companion to The Angry Birds Movie, this title is filled with all of the facts and information that Red and the flock need to embark on their Big Adventure. Vignettes about each of the characters are paired with helpful tips about surviving and navigating in the wild, understanding island ecology and how to read maps. A unique, entertaining and engaging book for Angry Birds fans.

GIVEAWAY!

Make a comment if you would like to be in a drawing for your own copy of National Geographic The Angry Birds Movie:  Red’s Big Adventure and the three other titles I’ve reviewed this week.  One winner takes all four titles! The drawing will take place Sunday, June 26th at Noon EDT. Good luck. Comment each day and I’ll double your entries!

Warning: This is not your grandmother’s version of National Geographic. Middle grade readers will find them irresistible. (Click on the titles below if you missed them earlier this week).

MONDAY JUNE 20: ALMANAC 2017

TUESDAY JUNE 21: 100 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GROW UP

WEDNESDAY JUNE 22nd: AWESOME 8

Posted in Giveaways, Reviews | Tagged , , | 4 Comments