General Books

The Daring Book for Girls

Andrea J. Buchanan, Miriam Peskowitz

Amazon Price: $17.79 List Price: $26.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Collins Amazon Marketplace: 79 new & used starting at $12.18

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 146 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great for June Beaver 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 24 people found this review helpful.

Too boring. Promotes the 1950s stereotypes of girls' interests and does little to broaden their horizon or foster a want to escape those stereotypes. The only redeeming parts were the "occult" and "Satanic" sections. Don't know why others would be so critical of them, when the Bible is no less scary or gruesome...much more so in the macabre and graphic details, in fact. Just look at Christ nailed to the cross oozing with blood. Those who deny this charge have not read both Old and New Testaments.

Regardless, people still read the Bible to their children...Ever wonder why the children grow up to be paranoid, God-terrified adults?

Editorial Review:

The Daring Book for Girls is the manual for everything that girls need to know—and that doesn't mean sewing buttonholes! Whether it's female heroes in history, secret note-passing skills, science projects, friendship bracelets, double dutch, cats cradle, the perfect cartwheel or the eternal mystery of what boys are thinking, this book has it all. But it's not just a guide to giggling at sleepovers—although that's included, of course! Whether readers consider themselves tomboys, girly-girls, or a little bit of both, this book is every girl's invitation to adventure.

The New Way Things Work

David Macaulay

Amazon Price: $21.98 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books Amazon Marketplace: 68 new & used starting at $15.04

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Is it a fact--or have I dreamt it--that, by means of electricity, the world of matter has become a great nerve, vibrating thousands of miles in a breathless point of time?" If you, like Nathaniel Hawthorne, are kept up at night wondering about how things work--from electricity to can openers--then you and your favorite kids shouldn't be a moment longer without David Macaulay's The New Way Things Work. The award-winning author-illustrator--a former architect and junior high school teacher--is perfectly poised to be the Great Explainer of the whirrings and whizzings of the world of machines, a talent that landed the 1988 version of The Way Things Work on the New York Times bestsellers list for 50 weeks. Grouping machines together by the principles that govern their actions rather than by their uses, Macaulay helps us understand in a heavily visual, humorous, unerringly precise way what gadgets such as a toilet, a carburetor, and a fire extinguisher have in common.

The New Way Things Work boasts a richly illustrated 80-page section that wrenches us all (including the curious, bumbling wooly mammoth who ambles along with the reader) into the digital age of modems, digital cameras, compact disks, bits, and bytes. Readers can glory in gears in "The Mechanics of Movement," investigate flying in "Harnessing the Elements," demystify the sound of music in "Working with Waves," marvel at magnetism in "Electricity & Automation," and examine e-mail in "The Digital Domain." An illustrated survey of significant inventions closes the book, along with a glossary of technical terms, and an index. What possible link could there be between zippers and plows, dentist drills and windmills? Parking meters and meat grinders, jumbo jets and jackhammers, remote control and rockets, electric guitars and egg beaters? Macaulay demystifies them all. (Click to see a sample spread of this book, illustrations and text copyright 1998 David Macaulay, Neil Ardley, published by Houghton Mifflin Co.) (All ages) --Karin Snelson

Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty

Joy Masoff

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Workman Publishing Company - Model: 10771 Amazon Marketplace: 78 new & used starting at $3.64

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 55 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

That's Nasty! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I bought this for your typical 11 year old boy. He loved it, I'm not sure how much mom did. That is one very clever way to get boys that age to read a book on their own. And they learn a thing or two along the way. Heck I would have like this when I was a kid. Remember boys are going to be gross either way, might as well make it educational too!

Great gift for a boy 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Buying gifts for boys ages 8 to 12 is difficult. This book is a great gift for a boy in that age group. I read it, too, and was interested in the information it contained - although it is kinda gross.

Editorial Review:

All the best stuff about some of the worst stuff on earth. From the liquids, solids, and gases - especially the gases! - of the human body to the creepy, crawly, fetid, and foul phenomena of the world at large, OH, YUCK! is the all-encompassing compendium of gross. Skin eruptions. Naked mole rats. The Donner party and the hissing roach of Madagascar, maggot therapy, ear wax, the good new about pus, and why vomit smells.Plus Raunchy recipes and vile experiments - Exploding Zit, Scab Surprise, and more. It's everything you ever wanted to know about the yucky side of life.

A Smart Girls Guide to Friendship Troubles

Patti Kelley Criswell

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: American Girl Publishing Inc Amazon Marketplace: 76 new & used starting at $2.87

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Ohhhh! The high drama of middle school power plays! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Your seventh grader might be bestest pals with a classmate on Monday, absolutely hate her on Wednesday and be back to undying friendship in time for the week-end! In between, there are snarky girls who spread lies, exclude her from conversations, and leave nasty notes on her desk. And, that's just one week!

In the high-action world of kid politics, your child needs an advantage, and American Girl has provided it with A Smart Girls Guide to Frendship Troubles. Kids, tweens and younger teens will adore this wonderful book!

Highly recommended!

Editorial Review:

From backstabbing to bullying to just being left out, here’s advice for girls about a whole host of friendship problems. How do you speak up for yourself when you’re worried about hurting your friend’s feelings? What if your best friend leaves you for the more popular crowd? What do you do when your friend the "rule setter" decides you’re not cool anymore? When- and how- do you get your parents involved without making things worse? Tips, quizzes, and real life stories about girls who’ve solved their friendship problems round out this timely advice book.

How To Be The Best At Everything (The Girls' Book)

Juliana Foster

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Press Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $4.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Great buy, my 10 year old daughter loves it, my son likes to read it, it's just a fun book all around!

(Mostly) practical guide for girls 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I liked this one better than the boys' version because, for the most part, the tips in this book were more applicable to normal life. With the exception of surviving an alien invasion or a zombie attack.

Some of my favorites: keeping your shoes smalling fresh (I'll have to try this with my derby pads and skates), dealing with bullies, traveling light, studying for exams, eating with chopsticks, and basic ballet positions.

Editorial Review:

How to do almost anything in one handy little book!

Want to be known for your unique style? Inside you'll learn how to design your own clothes (p. 35), do the perfect manicure (p. 82), or make your own lip gloss (p. 11).

Feel like impressing your friends? Show them how you can make a crystal (p. 16), juggle one-handed (p. 33), or deal with a bully (p. 42).

Bored and need something to do? Not anymore when you find out how to keep a secret diary (p. 88), make a scrapbook (p. 9), or put together a dance routine (p. 24).

And tons of other neat-o things you need to know how to do!

Scholastic Book Of World Records 2009 (Scholastic Book of World Records)

Jenifer Morse

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Reference Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $6.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Our school library can't keep it on the shelf! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Our elementary school library has over 11,000 books on its shelves, and I can't seem to keep this book on the shelf --- ever! I purchased two copies, and the students have already lined up to reserve their place for the book. It even has the "spillover effect" of making the earlier editions (2008, 2007, 2006, etc.) almost as popular!

I suppose I should buy one more copy!

Editorial Review:

Whether kids want to know what the world's deadliest snake is, which country eats the most chocolate, who has the most career touchdowns in the NFL, or which state has the largest water park, the SCHOLASTIC BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS 2009 has all of the answers and much, much more! Over the past seven years, kids, parents, and teachers have come to love this kid-friendly book.

Each of the 300 records on pop culture, sports, science, and more has its own page that includes a full-color photograph and detailed description of the record.

The Big Book of Boy Stuff

Bart King, Chris Sabatino

Amazon Price: $15.64 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Gibbs Smith, Publisher Amazon Marketplace: 59 new & used starting at $5.49

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 50 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

There's this boy. Let's say he's somewhere between nine and thirteen years old or so. You'd like to see this kid get creative. You'd like to see him get some exercise. You'd like to see him get out from in front of the television. And you'd love for him to be motivated enough to find some stuff to do on his own. This boy NEEDS The Big Book of Boy Stuff!

The Big Book of Boy Stuff has all the important information that boys just have to know. Collected here for the first time in one place, it holds the answers to these timeless questions: What do I do if I get a bean stuck up my nose? How can I make lightning without killing myself? Where can I find new practical jokes to play on my friends and family? What is the best way to poop outside? How do I tell a girl I like her? WHY would I tell a girl I like her? How many mosquitoes does it take to suck all the blood out of a person? . . . and many, many more! This big, thick, durable book includes fascinating chapters on gross stuff, magic, emergencies, fireworks, games, experiments, jokes, activities, insults, pets, flying things, and, of course, duct tape. This is perhaps the greatest book ever published!

How To Be The Best At Everything (The Boys' Book)

Dominique Enright, Guy MacDonald, Nikalas Catlow

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Press Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $3.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best at Everything indeed! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My 7.5 year old stepson requested this from his school book fair. He spent days devouring it and reading us excerpts. He LOVED it. I think it makes a great read for boys aged 6-13.

Want to learn how to fly a helicopter? 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A quick and easy read for kids looking to impress their friends and survive a few sticky situations.

Learn how to fly a helicopter, tie a knot, start a fire, and make an awesome paper airplane (and much more).

Some of the tips and tricks will be very useful in everyday life, like treating bee stings and taking a great photo. Others, like getting out of quicksand or fighting a crocodile will never be needed by most readers!

Editorial Review:

How to do almost anything in one handy book.

Found yourself in a sticky situation? Inside you'll learn how to escape quicksand (p. 40), build a raft (p.41), start a survival fire (p.99), or fly a helicopter (p. 11).

Want to impress your friends? Now you can rip a phonebook in half (p. 35), hypnotize a chicken (p. 56), or read their minds (p. 73).

Boring Saturday afternoon? Not anymore when you find out how to make a waterbomb (p. 79), a boomerang (p. 95), or a volcano (p. 88).

And loads of other keen things you need to know how to do!

Do Not Open

John Farndon

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK CHILDREN Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $11.69

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

engrossing! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This was a birthday present for a grandson. His mom says he spends hours reading it and going back over it. Great present!

Less interesting than it seems 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Perhaps with kids this book is interesting, but overall it is hard to read, lacks much substance (or research), and is not compelling. If you have read or skimmed other books of "secrets" or how things work, this book will not add much.

My 9-year old loves this! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Talk about a great book to encourage reading and learning - this totally does it!

Do not open 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Do Not Open

Very interesting for kids...and adults.
My son (11) found the book very good, likes it and read it every day!

Entertained For Hours 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this for my 9 year old son who loves to read.
I gave it to him at the start of a 13 hour car trip. He read it for the first 5 hours without a peep other than asking for some word definitions. He went back to it for at least another two hours later on and picked it up today after reading it all day yesterday.
I would highly recommend this book for its short but interesting factoids. It is appealing to look at and easy to jump around. The variety of subject matter will have anyone interested.

Editorial Review:

In the groundbreaking tradition of DK's New York Times bestseller Pick Me Up, this book uses the same irreverent style to explore all the things THEY don't want you know about. From the Mona Lisa's hidden past to the history of Area 51, Do Not Open explores lost worlds, unravels secret codes, and lets readers step through the looking glass to see if they can handle the truth! AUTHOR BIO:

The Ultimate Official Guide, Volume 1 (Disney Club Penguin)

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