Parents have to be sneaky with their kids. They have to slip spinach into brownies so they will eat their vegetables and tell them that if they don’t behave they’ll end up on Santa’s “naughty list.” And, sometimes parents have to be sly about schooling children as well.
“Time for Kids Big Book of What?” and “Sports Illustrated Kids Big Book of Why” are two fun books pumped full of informative facts that will educate while entertaining kids. By reading these books, children will learn where the largest meteorite landed, the difference between a fruit and a vegetable (and how long they can survive without either one), where the hottest temperature was recorded, and how long they could survive in space without protection.
They’ll better understand their bodies by reading about which muscle in the body is the strongest (and a few runners-up), what it means to be double-jointed, and why it’s not always a good idea to do a lot of sretching before exercising or playing sports.
Future doctors, surgeons, and nurses can also learn what an artery is while learning about nutrition, cooking, eating bugs, and not consuming things that are poisonous. They’ll impress their teachers and classmates by knowing what Olympics sports are men-only, how to play Mancala, why tennis balls are furry, and why pitchers’ warm-up area is called the bullpen.
By delving into subjects that kids actually want to learn about, both of these books whet kids’ appetites with small bits of information that won’t cause them to lose interest. These kid-friendly, parent-pleasing books offer a wide variety of topics and plenty of pictures to keep even the most non-bookish children reading.
So before the summer ends, give your 7- to-12-year-old a scholarly jump-start on the new school year with “Time for Kids Big Book of What?” and “Sports Illustrated Big Book of Why.”
Just don’t tell them that they’re learning. That’s your little secret.
“Time for Kids Big Book of What?” [192 pages, 2012, $19.95].
“Sports Illustrated Kids Big Book of Why” [128 pages, 2012, $17.95].
Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old, and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill with two dogs and 12,000 books.
