Rated By Kids

Book: Hardback
235 x 159mm
64 pages
ISBN 9780756655419
27 Oct 2009
Dorling Kindersley
8 - 17 years

From the Publisher:

More delightful fun with the Brainwaves. This time they blast off into space to bring the science to you - in fabulously fun--and funny--text. Stars, galaxies, black holes, nebulae, asteroids, and more are discussed in clear text, meant to engage and entertain readers of all ages.

The Greatest Intergalactic Guide to Space Ever (phew, that's quite the title!) is a fun, fact filled book. There are lots of little caricatures running around making funny comments (I'm going to assume they are the Brainwaves, though I couldn't really find the proper reference.)

We get to see everything from Planets, Stars, Galaxies, etc. to learning about astronomers and what the Earth is composed of. Cute factoids about the naming of planets, moons, comits, etc make it an easy learning/teaching tool for our kids.

My favourite part of the book was the section called "Space Spinoffs" which talks about things that were created for use in space but have been adapted into more common usages (next time you're holding a golf ball in your hand, just know there's something special about it and it's relationship to the space shuttle!)

The Greatest Intergalactic Guide to Space Ever is a cool gift for the want to be astronaut or astronomer but is also a good resource for learning more about our world and what's far beyond it.

ISBN 9780756655334
25 Aug 2009
Dorling Kindersley
10 - 17 years

From the Publisher:

The zany world of The New York Times Best Selling Pick Me Up comes to you in a fabulous paperback edition. This is no run-of-the-mill reference book. Graphic novels, blog sites, comic strips, and more present information on everything you can think of. All entries are cross-referenced to others, keeping readers engaged for hours. You won't be able to put it down!

Pick Me Up is divided into 8 sections - Science, technology, and space, Society, places, and beliefs, History, The Natural World, People who made the world, Arts, entertainment, and media, You and your body, and Planet Earth. What's cool about this book (beyond the actual information in it) is that on most pages you will find a reference to something which will link to another blurb within the book. When you  go to the next indicated page, you are off on a tangent learning some other fact that is loosely related to the first. You could easily get lost following the information associations forever! (And not in a bad way :-)

There are pictures, diagrams, puzzles, mind tricks, and more. Strange correlations like Ancient Greece's influence on chewing gum or guessing who would win a fight between Genghis Khan and Spiderman are some of things we get to learn about or ponder

Pick Me Up is a great way for kids to learn about the world we live in, in small amounts at a time, while hopefully piquing further curiousity into the topics. The format used to present the information is also very effective in maintaining a kid's attention. But you don't have to be a kid to enjoy this book; Pick Me Up is a great book for lovers of Jeopardy type shows or those (like myself) who love researching interesting tidbits to learn something new.

Happy Reading
Jackie

Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (Oct 1 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545030358
ISBN-13: 978-0545030359

Product Description:
One of Liz’s favorite memories of her father is the day they passed the window of Kronenberg’s department store. Daddy had bought her a very special gift something warm and wonderful to remember him by. A gift she would never outgrow. Now Daddy is back from the war, and his gift is perfect, as the two of them set out together on a cold autumn morning—first to town, where they share a special slice of cherry pie, then to the gray-green hills of the Pennsylvania farmlands, where they beckon crows from the quiet sky. Lois Lowry pairs with acclaimed artist Bagram Ibatoulline to deliver a timeless story about the power of a very special relationship.

I had tried to get Jordan to read this one a few times on her own, but she kept telling me there were too many words (hmm, not sure about that one, lol). So one day, we sat down and I read this book to her. What I found in Crow Call was a lovely, heart-touching story

Liz set's off to spend the day with her Dad, who has just returned from the war. My guess from the author's note is that it's World War 2, but I think what's going through Liz's mind, the reconnection with her father after so many years away, is still felt by many families today with mothers and fathers away fighting wars, even now. Liz seems a bit shy at first, getting to know her Dad again but quickly warms to him through some silly circumstances.

The illustrations in the book are in muted tones which very much goes along with the feel of the story. There's a certain frozen in time quality that gives it an ageless feel. There's a bit of sadness that you feel as you realize these days have probably happened to all of us but then as we grow older, we lose sight of them. It is lovely that Lois Lowry remembered this one and shared it with us.

Crow Call is a sweet peek into a memory of a special day. It's a beautiful book for all ages.

Happy Reading!
Jackie & Jordan

The Clone Codes
Scholastic
978-0-439-92983-7
By Patricia C. McKissack, Frederick L. McKissack, and John McKissack

From the Publisher:

The Cyborg Wars are over and Earth has peacefully prospered for more than one hundred years. Yet sometimes history must repeat itself until humanity learns from its mistakes. In the year 2170, cyborgs and clones are treated no better than slaves, and an underground abolitionist movement is fighting for freedom. Thirteen-year-old Leanna's entire life is thrown into chaos when the World Federation discovers her mom is part of the radical Liberty Bell Movement. As startling family secrets are revealed, Leanna must face truths about self-identity and freedom. Through time travel, advanced technologies, and artificial intelligence, this exhilarating adventure asks what it means to be human and explores the sacrifices an entire society will make to find out.

The Clone Codes is set in a futuristic world where Earth now has the technology to clone humans and create cyborgs (humans with mechanical/electronic parts). The clones' skin is shaded certain colours to distinguish their purpose and cyborgs are stamped/tattooed to indicate there difference from "humans". Both of these new life forms, though, are deemed as less than human and are restricted from some parts of society.

Leanna attends a virtual school and as we start the book, she is running with slaves, attempting to escape to the underground railroad. This actually blends in beautifully with the story as we see more about The Liberty Bell Movement and what the restrictions placed on the cyborgs and the clones truly means.

I think this is an excellent story for kids around the 9-12 age range, when they are learning alot about history, especially slavery. We see many tie-ins between America's past and this fictional future world. There is an awesome summary at the back that reinforces the historical facts while differentiating the fictional parts that are woven through the book.

The Clone Codes is a book I probably wouldn't have picked up while looking around a bookstore. It does have a cute cover but I'm not sure the premise made it as appealing as it actually is. I'm very glad now that I've read it and will be passing it on to my daughter in a year or two, when she's a bit more involved in chapter books (this is something she's just beginning with in school.) I very much enjoyed the story and actually felt an open-endedness to it that could evolve into more from Leanna's world.


Jackie