But anyway. Kids these days get really cool books like Pick Me Up: Stuff You Need to Know (DK 2009, 333 pp, middle grade on up). The sort of book that is full of things anyone with the least bit of curiosity wants to learn about. Take sleep, for instance--a two page spread with little paragraphical fact-filled nuggets about reasons we sleep, sleepwalking, dreaming, working the night shift...told in the signature DK style of snappy writing with tid bits of humor. You read the two pages, and voila, you know more about sleep. Or dinosaurs. Or money. Or photo-retouching. Or feminism.I would have loved it (she says, peevishly). And I bet that if, like me, you leave this book lying around your house, your nine year old will, in fact, pick it up.
The non-fiction Monday round-up is at The Book Nosher today!
(disclaimer--I received a review copy of this book from the publisher)
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As a child in the 60's and 70's encyclopedia's were the go and as much as they were three quarters stodge I lived for the twenty five percent that wasn't. The static picture and the non changing writing I found facinating. In todays world with the over load of information that changes daily, I can only guess how wonderous that is to some kids. Lucky buggers
ReplyDeleteMaureen. www.thepizzagang.com
Oooh. Wonder if mental_floss has put out something for kids like this. They've got the adult version, if you're still feeling peevish, dear.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Maureen, they really are lucky. I remember wading through a lot of imformation about agricultural technology (not my thing) in my own encyclopedia browsing...
ReplyDeleteAnd I've never heard of mental_floss, Tanita--I shall check it out!