It is that time of year again -- the crazy holiday shopping season. I have found that as I have gotten older, I have opted out of the after Thanksgiving sales and deals, to spend quality time with my family and friends who come into town for the holiday. It used to be fun waiting in line to get a good deal, but nowadays, I would rather be home in the comfort of my own home and not worrying about getting deals...or missing out on them. That doesn't mean I don't do a little shopping as Thanksgiving draws near. Instead of fighting crowds in stores, I find I am able to do the bulk of my holiday shopping online, and have it shipped to me. For the past few days, I have been browsing for books for my girls, to pick up. Because we are a homeschooling family, Santa knows that while toys are fun and bring enjoyment to the girls, so does new books for them to read, and for us to use in our schooling. And, when it comes to fun and entertaining reads, my girls always seem to gravitate towards National Geographic Kids Books. They love the annual almanacs and seasonal awesome facts releases. There are so many great books available right now from National Geographic Kids, I have found it hard to choose which books to put in my Amazon cart to buy for them, as they all look like so much fun to read, and offer up so many interesting facts the girls will love learning about.
Thanks to the folks at National Geographic Kids, though, I was recently sent four of their newest releases for kids 8-12 yrs. old, for me to share with my girls. I had a few of these books in my "wish list" for the girls, after stumbling upon them earlier this month when I started to do a little holiday shopping/wish list making. As soon as my girls saw the books, they were all smiles, as they love when we receive National Geographic Kids Books in the mail, as they know they are in for a fun afternoon of reading these books, and then sharing all about they learned with my husband and I.
Here are the four new books we recently received, that would make for great non-toy gift ideas for the curious kids on your holiday shopping list:
About this book:
“You don’t have to be a nerd to be captivated by this combination of Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and short form encyclopedia…..the info blurbs are fun to know and in many instances educational. A bushelful of inviting, idiosyncratic subjects” - Kirkus
“VERDICT A treat for visually oriented and information-hungry browsers.” - School Library Journal
This superstuffed alphabetical compendium of must-know facts from science, pop culture, history, and more is perfect for kids who already know the names of every single dinosaur or want to understand exactly how the Millennium Falcon works.
It's a book for grammar gurus, science snobs, music geeks, and history buffs. In short, it's a book for nerds. Inside, you'll find browsable, info-packed blurbs that'll give you the lowdown on everything from augmented reality to zydeco, with larger features that dive deep into fascinating topics like UFOs, pirates, artificial intelligence, and daring circus acts. And you'll hear from the world's most notable (and quotable) Nerds of Note from history and today."
My Thoughts:
If you had to go with one National Geographic Kids Book this holiday season, I would highly recommend Nerd A-Z. It is a reference book of sorts, that will engage kids of all ages. They will have fun reading this entertaining book, while finding themselves learning interesting things along the way. I sat down and read this book with my girls, and we found ourselves making a list of things we were reading about that we wanted to dive deeper into with our homeschooling. Some things we had learned about previously, but didn't know the interesting facts shared. And, with all the full color pictures that fill the pages of this book, it will keep even the most reluctant of readers engaged and wanting to read more and flip through the pages to see what they will learn about next. Kids will be amazed that just by reading a book like this that they will learn so much. See...learning can be fun...and National Geographic Kids knows how to make learning fun. My girls have never been disappointed with their books, and this one was an instant favorite with them!
About this book:
"Bling is all around us," the author writes. Maybe so…but rarely is the razzle-dazzle this cranked up. Should come with a cautionary note: sunglasses a must!” - Kirkus
From upscale splurges to flashy fun in nature, this treasure trove is filled with wonders that will dazzle and delight.
Read about how nature struts its stuff with tantalizing tidbits about animals, including a few that literally glitter with iridesence to confuse predators. Or maybe you'll strike it rich after reading about Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, U.S.A., where anyone can go hunt for sparkling gems. Dig into info about the world's mysterious minerals, gorgeous geodes, and ritzy rocks.
Discover extravagant expenditures like Canada's million-dollar solid gold coin. Learn all about the splendid science of diamonds that rain from the sky in space. Get the secret behind glowing bioluminescence. And go back in time to uncover palatial palaces, the riches of royalty, and other ancient treasures.
To show off the lush content in proper fashion, readers will be dazzled by hundreds of fun flashy photos throughout."
My Thoughts:
My youngest daughter really got into this book. She grabbed it from the stack of books we were sent and sat on the couch to read it. Reading it from cover to cover, she had this 192 page book read in under 2 hours. It took her longer than usual to read a book this size as she kept stopping to tell me or her sister about an interesting fact that she had just read about. She even had a sticky notepad with her, to flag pages she wanted to show us and her Daddy later, as she knew we wouldn't believe what she was telling us, and had to see the full color pictures to believe it.
This blinged out fact book touches on all sorts of topics including science, animals, space and food, so it will engage and entertain kids of all ages, with different interests. After my youngest daughter was done reading it, she passed this book off to her older sister to read. It was interesting to see which fun, weird and interesting facts my oldest daughter gravitated towards and wanted to share with us. She was more about the fun animal facts, while my youngest liked all space-related and historical figures in history facts. I still remember my youngest telling me that "George Washington once spent $5,000 in today's money on ice cream in just one summer." She knew that that was a lot of money back then, and wondered if he ate all the ice cream himself, or was sharing with his wife. :-) She loves ice cream, but could never imagine spending that much money in one summer on ice cream -- even if she had money to throw around. "George must have had a sweet tooth," she said, while giggling and smiling. :-)
There were so many head scratching facts shared that made this book a hit with my girls. Even though they both read it cover to cover, they continue to pull it from the shelf to read all about the fun and out there facts over and over again. This is one book that will never get boring, and be read time and time again.
About this book:
"This offbeat, "stocking-sized" book is like a sweet treat that will satisfy any reader's fun fact cravings.
Cranium “cavities” will be filled to the brim with 500 fascinating knowledge nuggets about numbers, fun facts, and cool trivia on all kinds of topics.
With features that dive into why potatoes and tomatoes are a dynamic duo, amazing animal tongues and how they are used to ”lick” their competition and dental care through the ages, Brain Candy is a tasty approach to feeding kids tantalizing tidbits about the world."
My Thoughts:
Even though this book is small in size (6.5 x 0.5 x 6.5 inches), it is chock full of some amazing sweet facts - 500 facts to be exact. As you and your kids flip through and read the 208 pages that make up this recent release, you will find your mind being blown with all the weird, wacky and wonderful brain candy facts, that will have you craving more. This Nat Geo Kids release is not just candy related - instead you will read fun facts about people, animals, events in history, etc. making this a must have for curious kids of all ages to read time and time again.
About this book:
"This stocking stuffer is what dreams are made of — literally! Professor of Psychiatry Dr.Allan Peterkin helps readers uncover the power of their dreams and better understand the science of sleep.
With lively text, vibrant imagery, and plenty of space for writing, it's the perfect tool to help kids remember, record, and reflect on their nighttime adventures.
Catching Z's has never been so much fun!"
My Thoughts:
My oldest daughter has been asking for a dream journal to track all the dreams she remembers, as she wants to see what they mean, and why she is dreaming about these things. So, when I saw this Dream Journal, I knew this would be perfect for her. It shares all about the science of sleep that kids will find interesting. This information will help them decipher their dreams, which they can journal all about in this hardcover book. There are dream prompts to get kids writing and thinking about their dreams. My daughter has been really getting into documenting her dreams, and learning about what they may mean. If you have a child who has been asking about what their dreams may mean, or why they can't remember what they dream about, then this is the book for them. It will answer these questions and so many more!
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These are just a handful of new releases from National Geographic Kids Books that would make for great non-toy gift ideas, for curious kids of all ages this holiday season. My girls are loving these books and are learning so many unique and fun facts that they love sharing with my husband and I at the dinner table, as well as when together with their friends. And, when their friends hear the facts they are sharing, they are amazed and curious to learn more...and, I know your kids would be, too? So, why not pick up some of these fun and interesting books from Nat Geo Kids Books to share with your kids this holiday season? Books are always fun to give, and will entertain kids far longer than those must have toys that turn into duds a short time after playing with them. Both of my girls have a shelf of National Geographic Kids Books on their bookshelf in their room, and are always pulling down these books to read on their own, or having me read with them, to learn all sorts of unique, weird and oh so interesting things. I always find myself walking away having learned something new, and finding what I had read with my girls interesting.
See all the books currently available from National Geographic Kids here: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/books/ .
I can't wait to hear which books you end up picking up to gift to your kids/grandkids this holiday season. I know whatever books you choose, they will be a hit with the kids (and you)!
Disclosure: I was sent review copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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