SOFTIES BY KYLE SMEALLIE

Have a ten to twelve year old middle grade reader at home? If they'd enjoy a goofy sci-fi adventure, check out the new graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics, SOFTIES: STUFF THAT HAPPENS AFTER THE WORLD BLOWS UP, written and illustrated by Kyle Smeallie. This visual adventure has some adorable aliens take a cute little girl on a spin around the galaxy.

My daughter loves to mix in graphic novels in what she reads to help with her dyslexia. She dove right into this advance copy that Iron Circus sent our way and read it cover to cover tonight. I could hear her chuckling from the other room while she read it and from time to time she ran over to share with me some things that really delighted her. "These aliens aren't scary or gross ... they're cute and funny!" she exclaimed to me during one of these impromptu reviews. 

Here is the premise for SOFTIES. Our planet Earth blows up launching its sole survivor, a girl named Kay, out into the depths of space. She is discovered floating in space and rescued by interstellar trash haulers who look like they stepped right out of a Saturday morning cartoon show. Not scary, but sweet, hard-working alien Arizona and his well-read space pet Euclid. (Well, “alien,” as Arizona points out, is quite a subjective term.) take in Kay. Teaming up this trio embarks on some hilarious unpredictable adventures depicted through colorful vignettes in this Iron Circus Comics graphic novel.

A nice read for space loving ten to twelve year old kids in Middle School. Yes it is full of pictures but if the material gets kids reading and thinking I'll give it a Geek Daddy nod of approval. That it also provides some laughs is an extra bonus!

LAST KIDS ON EARTH

Thanks to Jakks Pacific for sending us a box full of THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH toys to play around with while my son binge watches the new episodes of the Netflix cartoon that are debuting on Friday, April 17, 2020. The Netflix series is adapted from the books by Max Brallier that are aimed for middle grade readers. The books and cartoons are very popular with my son and the boys in his 5th Grade class. He himself is a really big fan of THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH!

THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH finds 13-year-old Jack Sullivan and a band of suburban middle schoolers abandoned in a cartoonish end-of-the-world apocalypse where most of the people of their hometown of Wakefield, Indiana have been turned into zombies and a variety of strange monsters have begun to roam around. The four kids continue on with their lives bunkering up in a decked-out tree house and trying to hold out hope that help will arrive. While this show may seem horrific it is actually a goofy comedy full of humorous moments and madcap situations meant to appeal to tweens in the 8 to 12 year old age range.

There are six THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH books that have been published so far with the most recent one "June's Wild Flight" having just been released on April 7. Season One of the television series that arrived on Netflix last year revolved around the scenarios that took place in Book One. The new episodes of the Netflix series premiering on April 17 will now move on to delve into Book 2. I have to say that while the cartoons on Netflix are meant for tweens and teens, I've found myself sitting down and totally enjoying the show with my son.



Fans of THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH books + cartoons can also imagine their own monster and zombie fighting adventures playing with toys from Jakks Pacific. Designed in 2.5" scale there are an assortment of action figures highlighting the four middle school heroes and a variety of zombies. There are also a number of playsets including the TREE FORTRESS OF AWESOMNESS and a number of giant monsters including SMASHIN' DOZER, BITIN' WRETCH and CHOMPIN BLARG.

Plus they have nine inch plush zombies meant for hugging while watching the cartoons or reading the books. Watch out though because if you snuggle a zombie too hard you'll see one of its eyes pop out! A goofy design meant to capture the light-hearted jocular spirit of THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH.

There are four action figure packs so there is one for each of main heroes. Each hero pack includes either Jack Sullivan, Quint Baker, Dirk Savage or June Del Toro along with an assortment of zombies. The packs also include disc shooters decorated to look like machines the kids could have built from scavenging materials around town. Knock down zombies and monsters by shooting them with the discs. Also included are some background dioramas showing places around Wakefield during this monster infestation.

House your action figures in the Tree Fortress of Awesomeness playset. Attach a disc launcher to its roof to defend the place from approaching hoards of zombies or encroaching monsters like Smashin' Dozer, Bitin' Wretch and Chompin Blarg. Beware though because if your attackers hit the tree house in just the right spot with a disc shooter it will split the place apart causing the Tree Fortress of Awesomeness to collapse to the ground! There is also a zip line for acting out action scenes. A fun way to re-enact favorite scenes from the books and cartoons or to imagine new adventures.

Bring the humongous Chompin Blarg to life with the toy from Jakks Pacific. The most feared monster from book one and season one, Blarg hunts and follows Jack Sullivan and his friends around Wakefield. At nine inches tall it towers over the 2.5' action figures in THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH Jakks toy collection.

It has a number of really cool features that make playing with Chompin Blarg extra fun. Push on Blarg's spikes to open its mouth and make it chomp. Push an action button to have Blarg's hand grab a hero or zombie and raise it up into the air. Hit the monster in the belly with a disc launcher and watch it fall to the ground in defeat!

Watch Netflix and chill with new episodes of THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH. Add some more excitement to watching the cartoons by engaging in imaginative play with Jakks Pacific toys after you've binged watched the Book 2 episodes on Netflix. Books, cartoons, toys there is a lot of fun to be had enjoying the adventures of THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH! This dad blogger gives Max Brallier a Geek Daddy nod of approval for all the awesomeness.

RICK RIORDAN DEMIGOD DAY EVENT

My ten year old son is a big fan of Rick Riordan's PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS stories having read the books, seen the two movies based on the novels, and even gone to see the Broadway in Detroit production of The Lightning Thief. Riordan's books are great for tween-aged readers ( 8 - 12 years old) who are at a middle grade reading level where children's picture books are too simplistic and young adult material may be too advanced.  Riordan's stories have modern day kids become involved in adventures with the characters and creatures from ancient Greek mythology.

My son having finished reading Percy Jackson's Camp Half-Blood chronicles is just now getting ready to read the sequel series THE TRIALS OF APOLLO. These books are written as a sequel to the Percy Jackson stories referring back to those adventures while moving ahead introducing new characters and situations.  Rick Riordan provides some fantastic tales that capture kids attention, inspire their imaginations and get them enjoying reading. Great middle grade reads written especially to be enjoyed by those in fourth through eighth grades.

Fans of Rick Riordan's fantasy world will want to stop by your local Barnes & Noble on Saturday, September 28, 2019 for a special DEMIGOD DAY event. It will include activities inspired by Riordan's books including a demigod scavenger hunt, deciphering secret codes with the Greek alphabet, and much more! Plus participants get a FREE DemigodGoals poster and trading cards (while supplies last).

This is a nationwide event which begins at 2pm locally. There is no charge to participate but it is encouraged to RVSP in advance: https://customer.barnesandnoble.com/signup/Sept2019DemigodDay If you go, please share with this dad blogger and rest of our ageekdaddy.com audience some pics of your experience on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #DemigodDay and tagging @Geekdad248 & @ReadRiordan so everyone can join in on the fun.

MAX CRUMBLY IS BACK

Simon & Schuster is partnering with me for a giveaway!

My daughter just got their hands on the new book, MASTERS OF MISCHIEF, in The Misadventures of Max Crumbly middle grade book series by Rachel Renée Russell. She is really enjoying this story and being ten years old is just the right age for reading it as the book is recommend for children ages 9 to 13 years old. These books are portrayed as if they are the diary of a boy named Max Crumbly who is writing about the challenges of going to junior high. Available now, MASTERS OF MISCHIEF joins the first two books in the Misadventures of Max Crumbly series, LOCKER HERO and MIDDLE SCHOOL MAYHEM on bookstore shelves.

WHAT IS MAX UP TO IN HIS NEW BOOK?

When we last left off with our courageous hero, Max Crumbly, and his trusty sidekick Erin, in MIDDLE SCHOOL MAYHEM they had just finished foiling the plans of some bumbling thieves. But Max and Erin were trapped in a smelly, dangerous dumpster of doom and about to be discovered by the last people they wanted to find them.

Now in this latest installment of Max’s journals, Max and Erin face foes both new and old as their misadventures continue in MASTERS OF MISCHIEF. Can the two friends avoid detection—and detention!—while keeping South Ridge Middle School safe from bullies and criminals?

GIVEAWAY

To share my family's enjoyment of Rachel Renée Russel's books with our ageekdaddy.com fans, her publisher Simon & Schuster has provided a Misadventures of Max Crumbly prize pack to giveaway. One lucky winner will receive:

• The first two books in The Misadventures of Max Crumbly series, 
• the newest release, Masters of Mischief, 
• plus a Max Crumbly pencil, a Dork Diaries pencil, and a double-sided Max Crumbly/Dork Diaries locker poster!

Complete the rafflecopter entries below and/or retweet this tweet by 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, June 23, 2019 for a chance to win. Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to participate. A winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. Good luck!

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MISADVENTURES OF MAX CRUMBLY

MASTERS OF MISCHIEF is the third book in the Misadventures of Max Crumbly series by Rachel Renee Russel. Set in the world of the mega-hit series Dork Diaries, these spin-off books star Max Crumbly, friend to Nikki Maxwell of Dork Diaries, who goes to a different school and manages to get into a whole lot of trouble. The series is written in diary format with illustrations and doodles of Max’s mishaps.

In the beginning of the series, Max starts at a new middle school and faces the school bully who has begun a habit of stuffing Max into his locker. Max wants nothing more than to be like his comic superhero idols and though his ability to smell pizza from a block away isn’t exactly a superpower, he’s still going to try to be the hero his school needs! Like Dork Diaries, The Misadventures of Max Crumbly series is about embracing who you are and having a ton of fun along the way!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Renée Russell is an attorney who prefers writing tween books to legal briefs. (Mainly because books are a lot more fun and pajamas and bunny slippers aren’t allowed in court.) She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the block buster book series Dork Diaries and the exciting new series The Misadventures of Max Crumbly. There are more than 25 million copies of her books in print worldwide, and they have been translated into thirty-four languages. She enjoys working with her two daughters, Erin and Nikki, who help write and illustrate her books.

FIND OUT MORE

Visit MaxCrumblyBooks.com and DorkDiariesBooks.com 

Follow Max Crumbly on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook 

Follow Dork Diaries on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

CROSSED UP

I'm always on the lookout for interesting middle grade level books for my twins who are in fourth grade to read. They've recently become interested in the sport of basketball playing in a local Salvation Army rec league and we've gone to see Detroit Pistons and Harlem Globetrotters games during the last few months.  So I thought the kids would enjoy M L Rosynek's middle grade book CROSSED UP which involves a youth basketball team solving a pirate mystery.

MIDDLE GRADE READING

Books categorized as middle grade are written to be read by boys and girls between the ages of eight and twelve who are in third through sixth grade.  To be age appropriate authors in this literary category limit sexual content, swearing, gore and violence. On the other hand, middle grade books tend to provide a healthy dose of adventure and silly humor to make them especially entertaining for juvenile audiences.

Middle grade books tend to have main characters that are around the same age as their targeted readers.  The books also utilize sentence structures and vocabulary that are suitable for independent reading by elementary and junior high school aged children.  These style of books are great for improving both confidence and enjoyment when it comes to getting kids to want to read.

SAY AHOY TO ADVENTURE

A Texas high school basketball team has their quest to bring home a championship trophy interrupted when they discover the hotel they are staying at is haunted. Solving the 200-year old haunting of the Galvez Hotel isn't going to be an easy lay up for the team, but the boys are up to the challenge of both winning the big basketball game and freeing the trapped spirits of the pirate ghosts they've discovered. Inspired by The Goonies, Stranger Things and her own sons' basketball team road trips, M L Rosynek has readers embark on a pirate adventure that combines sports with a spooky mystery.

As the boys learn about the tyrant pirate Jean Laffite and his crew who are haunting the hotel their trip becomes much more than just playing in a basketball game.  They are going to try to set free the trapped souls of these pirates without the boys becoming ghosts themselves. Can the boys free these lost souls and win their basketball championship?

Pick up a hardcover, paperback or digital edition of the book to find out.  With a surprise appearance by NBA great Shaquille O'Neal and a conclusion that is sure to leave pre-teen readers "hooked" on the ending, this book provides an intriguing adventure by combing athletic themes with a mystery. CROSSED UP also communicates an important message …  no treasure is more valuable than the memories created with friends and family. You can find it at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

BEST BABYSITTERS EVER

My daughter is at an age where she is reading Middle Grade literature and is always on the lookout for a good book to read. Middle Grade books are written for kids between 8 to 12 years old with content that is age appropriate for them which means these stories are void of profanity, gore, graphic violence and sexuality; though they may contain some romantic situations such as a crush or first kiss. Examples of Middle Grade reads are Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, the novel Wonder by R. J. Palacio, and the newest book my daughter has recently taken a liking to BEST BABYSITTERS EVER by Caroline Cala.

A FUNNY LOOK AT BABYSITTING

Once upon a time, a girl named Kristy Thomas had a great idea: to form The Baby-Sitters Club with her best friends. And now in BEST BABSITTERS EVER twelve-year-old Malia Twiggs has had a great idea too. Technically, she had Kristy’s idea. (And technically, little kids seem gross and annoying, but a paycheck is a paycheck). After a little convincing, Malia and her friends Dot and Bree start a babysitting club to earn funds for an epic birthday bash. But babysitting definitely isn’t what they thought it would be.

Three friends. No parents. Unlimited snacks. And, okay, occasionally watching other people’s children. What could possibly go wrong?

From the amount of giggling that my daughter has been doing while reading BEST BABYSITTERS EVER, obviously a lot of things do go wrong for the girls in their efforts to raise some easy cash. But these comedic situations and humorous moments are what make flipping through the pages of this book so entertaining for tweens like my own ten year old girl. She has been camping out in her bedroom play tent having a great time reading this book ever since getting her hands on it.

A PARENT'S PERSPECTIVE

For some dinner time conversation, I've been asking my daughter about what is going on in the book. So our whole family has been getting regular updates about BEST BABYSITTERS EVER as she has been making her way through the story. It is nice to witness how engaged my daughter has been talking about this book with us over meals at the dining room table. You can tell she has genuinely been enjoying reading BEST BABYSITTERS EVER.

From our dinner conversations, it seems as the author portrays an authentic depiction of tween aged girls friendship that makes the characters very relatable to my daughter. It seems as if this book also has a diverse cast of characters from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. BEST BABYSITTERS EVER also has themes that promote female entrepreneurship and provide lessons for kids on how to make and spend money responsibly.

In fact, my daughter has started coming up with her own business ideas to do with her friends since she started reading this book. Some of their ideas have included selling bags of popcorn to their classmates on days there are assemblies at school or glow-in-the-dark bracelets and necklaces during dances, traveling around the neighborhood on snow days offering people shoveling sidewalks and driveways hot chocolate, and running a puppy daycare.  You have to admit these are some good ideas!

Based upon the excitement about reading this book has generated with my daughter plus how it has sparked her creativity and imagination, BEST BABYSITTERS EVER has earned A GEEK DADDY nod of approval.  You can find the book at Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and a number of local independent bookstores by searching the Indiebound directory. The book is published by HMH Books for Young Readers and will be available to purchase beginning February 5, 2019.

A GEEK DADDY GIVEAWAY

Thanks to HMH Books ageekdaddy.com also is hosting a BEST BABYSITTERS EVER giveaway. One lucky randomly selected winner will receive a copy of Caroline Cala's debut Middle Grade novel BEST BABYSITTERS EVER + a $50 Visa gift card to let your young reader splurge on themselves – no babysitting job required! To be eligible to win just complete the entries in the rafflecopter form below before 11:59 pm ET on February 4, 2019. Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to be eligible to receive this prize pack. Good luck!

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A GUIDE TO MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS

For more great Middle Grade book ideas for girls and boys, check out the MIDDLE GRADE MANIA website. It is full of book suggestions, fun activities, and educational resources for tween reading. You can also follow HMH Books on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

YEAR OF THE DOG

In Chinese astrology, each year is related to the zodiac sign of of one of twelve animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog or Pig.  2018 marks the 11th year in the current zodiac cycle making it the Year of the Dog.  We received a mystery package in the mail that turned out to be from W. Bruce Cameron, author of the novel A Dog's Purpose which was also made into a motion picture, filled with goodies to help my family celebrate the Year of the Dog. It included treats for our puppy along with his two newest books → A Dog's Way Home and Max's Story. This was a paw-some surprise!

Our Boxer puppy was infatuated with the doggy snacks packaged inside a fortune cookie container that were included in our Year of the Dog Celebration Package from W. Bruce Cameron. She just couldn't get enough of those. The box also included a portable water bowl and a leash for our dog.

My twins are at Middle Grade Reading Level right now so they were really interested in reading Max's Story. This story about a little dog in the big city was written specifically for young readers like them in mind. One of four middle grade readers adapted from Cameron's New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels A Dog's Purpose and A Dog's Journey it is an enjoyable read for elementary school aged children filled with adorable illustrations by Richard Cowdrey.  Max's Story also has reading and discussion guide at the end of the book providing some extra educational value for kids reading the book.

The kids also enjoyed seeing the movie A Dogs Purpose so they were really interested in the A Dog's Way Home novel we received. This book is also being adapted into a feature film heading to movie theaters. It is the story of Bella a dog that is picked up by Animal Control because pit bulls are banned in Denver which causes her owner Lucas to send her to a far away foster home until he can figure out what to do. But Bella, distraught at the separation, doesn’t plan to wait. With four hundred miles of dangerous Colorado wilderness between her and her person, Bella sets off on a seemingly impossible and completely unforgettable adventure home. This book is just a little bit above my son and daughter's reading level so we've been reading it out loud together.  That has made for some nice family time together with even our puppy sitting in on our huddle as we read through A Dog's Way Home.

It has truly been the Year of the Dog at our home with us bringing home our first family pet a few months ago. Enjoying this package from W. Bruce Cameron was a nice way for our family to commemorate the Year of the Dog with our new puppy.   For more information about this author and the canine adventures he has had published, head over to brucecameron.com. Also keep an eye out for the movie A Dog's Way Home scheduled to be released by Sony Pictures on January 11, 2019 starring Edward James Olmos, Alexandra Shipp, Ashley Judd, Jonah Hauer-King and Wes Studi.

ZOONAUTS

My nine year old son is really into learning about animals as well as space exploration right now so ZOONAUTS: THE SECRET OF ANIMALVILLE is a nice pairing of these interests into a science fiction book that he has really enjoyed reading.  He is also too old for children's picture books yet not just ready yet for reading young adult novels so this middle grade story was a nice pick for him to read. Middle grade books are meant for third through sixth graders between the ages of 8 - 12 years old and I'm always on the lookout for ones that will entice him to bury his head into their pages.  ZOONAUTS combination of intelligent super-powered animals saving Earth from aliens did just the trick!

ZOONAUTS: THE SECRET OF ANIMALVILLE was written by Richard Mueller based upon a concept created by David Simons.  The story revolves around animals that have been sent up into outer space for experiments by NASA and mysteriously return to Earth with unexpected enhanced abilities and extraordinary powers.  A secret government program code named Lucky Bravo Lucky (also called Animalville) creates a team of animal superheroes who put their talents to use to help humanity.

The Zoonauts in the book are inspired by real life zoo animals, like Patty Cake the Gorilla who lived at New York City's Central Park and Bronx zoos, as well as ones actually utilized in space exploration missions by a variety of countries like Laika the Space Dog.  The Zoonauts team includes:

Kongo the Gorilla is the leader of the Zoonauts crew, this great ape has a genius IQ of 200 and the special ability to step outside of time.

Percy the Orangutan has learned to fly a helicopter and is the team's pilot.

Hsing-Hsing the Panda can read minds and see memories.

Cough Drop the Koala has the special power to create light or darkness.

Laika the Russian Dog is a Siberian husky named after the first dog sent into space by the Russians.  She has the ability to project protective force fields.

Miss Baker the Squirrel Monkey can disarm bombs and is handy with a wrench. Her character is based on a participant in the US Space Program who was called America’s “First Lady in Space.”

Mungo the Parrot  is a natural linguist who grasp any language he hears and speak it immediately.

Professor Mutzie the French Poodle an inventor of gadgets who has created a mechanized voice box  that enables the Zoonauts to speak English.

In this book the secret of Animalville has been discovered by aliens called Amadorians that have a dragon-like appearance.  They send an advance team to kidnap the Zoonauts so they can learn the secrets of these animals' powers to adapt for themselves to use in an invasion of Earth.  Can the Zoonauts protect themselves and stop this dastardly plot by scheming aliens?  You'll have to read ZOONAUTS: THE SECRET OF ANIMALVILLE to find out!

The paperback book's 198 page story is complimented by side bars sprinkled throughout it that provide a historic timeline of actual space travel milestones broken down by decades from 1950 through 2010 along with eleven sketches by Victor Dal Chele.  ZOONAUTS: THE SECRET OF ANIMALVILLE is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  For more information about the book, please visit zoonautskids.com.

SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER

A Geek Daddy's kids are at an age where they aren't old enough for Young Adult novels but have grown up too much for children's picture books.  So as a parent, I'm always on the look out for Middle Grade books that will capture their attention and imagination.  I wanted to share with you a great one my family discovered called THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER.

Books categorized as Middle Grade are primarily meant for boys and girls between the ages of eight and twelve in third through sixth grade.  Middle Grade books tend to be the literary equivalent of a PG movie where sexual content and swearing is limited but there is plenty of action scenes and silly humor to make the reading especially entertaining to its core audience.  These books tend to have main characters that are around the same age as their targeted readers, incorporate illustrations throughout the story, and utilize sentence structures and vocabulary that are suitable for independent reading by elementary school aged children.  These are the type of books my nine year old twins are reading right now.

My son has been engrossed by reading THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER ever since Macmillan Children's Publishing Group sent the book our way to check out.  The story which is both written and illustrated by Marcus Emerson has really drawn him into it.  Every time I look around for the boy when he is home from school, I find him with his face buried in the book.  Instead of flipping on the television or picking up his tablet to screw around with when he has had some free time, my son has been enthusiastic about reading THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER instead.  Any book that can get a kid to voluntarily want to read without being prodded to do it like this one has absolutely earns A Geek Daddy nod of approval.

The story follows the adventures of Ben Braver who is essentially an ordinary kid probably a lot like the children reading this book.  All he wants to do is enjoy summer vacation watching television, playing video games and eating his favorite candy.  Then one day, Ben hears someone screaming for help and like his favorite comic book heroes he tries to save the day. 

Unfortunately, his leaping into action to put it simply ends badly.  But it does lead him to a secret school where kids with super abilities learn to control their powers.  Though Ben apparently doesn't have any special powers he is still offered a spot at the school based upon his bravery.  Now he has the chance to become the superhero he's always dreamed of being.

Macmillan Children's Publishing Group has kindly provided a book for my family to enjoy and another one that A Geek Daddy can giveaway.  Just complete the entries in the form below before 11:59 pm ET on Monday, March 12, 2018.  One lucky randomly selected winner will be sent THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER from the publisher.  Must be a United State or Canadian resident over 18 years old to be eligible for the giveaway.

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Full of goofy humor, wacky characters and zany situations this 320 page hardcover book is sure to delight any elementary school aged reader who has dreamed of being a super hero.  Filled with eye-catching sketches and comic strips that compliment the story's text, Emerson transports readers to a fantastic place full of adventures and high jinks.  Its bravo and humor make THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER an entertaining tale which instills a subtle inspirational message that a person doesn't need to have fantastic abilities to be a hero.

Creature Files

Do you know a child that is fascinated by animals?  Then you should check out the Creature Files children's books by L.J. Tracosas.  Kids can learn about prehistoric dinosaurs, mythical dragons, and present day predators through this captivating book series.  Quarto Knows sent us a couple of these books, Creature Files: Dragons & Creature Files: Predators, to look over and they've been a real hit with my nine year old twins.  Both my son and daughter have been engrossed in reading them.

Each of the books is 48 pages filled with interesting facts, impressive illustrations and wonderful photographs showcasing 20 creatures.  Plus replica teeth and claws representing a creature(s) that can be strung on an included necklace come along with each book in the Creature Files series.  My kids thought these were really neat! I give kudos to the author for incorporating this fun idea into her books.

The author does a nice job of using these claw/teeth replicas to draw kids into learning while they read the books. Each creature profile has a special fact section related to the type of necklace included with a book. Dragons has a tooth to be hung upon the necklace so every creature profile includes a DRAGON BITE NOTE discussing different types of teeth and how they would benefit a creature. Predators included several different types of claws to hang on the necklace so each creature profile has a CLAW FILE that explains how animals' claws are unique and used by the creatures. 

Having a physical component that children can touch and feel provides a great way for them to associate with the content within the books.  My children really got into looking through the pictures and illustrations in each book trying to match up the teeth and claws on their necklaces with the creatures they belonged to.  As a parent, I appreciate how the author utilized these necklaces to get kids enthused about reading through the books.

CREATURE FILES: DRAGONS

Ok maybe dragons are fictitious but this book delves into the real life cultures from places around the globe including Africa, China, Europe, India and South America that created these creatures.  Each dragon profile includes information about the region that created the mythology and points the area out on a map as well as provides a description about the creature's appearance and behaviors taken from examples of local folklore.  The book also has a section that describes real life creatures that may have inspired dragon myths and comes with a realistic looking dragon-tooth necklace.

Additionally the dragon illustrations within  the book are stunning!  My kids have been flipping through the book over and over again just to check out the dragon images.  I've even perused through the book a few times because it is full of some incredible artwork.  Thumbs up for a job very well done!

CREATURE FILES: PREDATORS

Learn about some of the most vicious predators on the planet ranging from alligators to wolverines.  This book contains great stats about these creatures including their average height and weight along with a map in each profile that show where on the globe these featured animals live.  Kids will learn that while a lot of big cats live in Africa you'll only find wild Tigers living in the Asian jungles of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.  Plus the book comes with three realistic replica claws.  Have fun searching through the book to see if you can identify which creature each claw belongs to.

Each profile also showcases some juice facts about the highlighted creature to chew on.  Did you know that while Lions are called "the king of the jungle" they actually prefer living in grasslands?  Komodo Dragons poison their prey through biting them allowing these lizards to hunt pigs, deer and water buffalo that may be much larger than them.  Polar Bears are the largest land predators in the world ... I would have thought it was Grizzly Bears myself before my daughter shared this fact from the book with me.  Lots of educational information packed in this book that is also very interesting for inquiring minds to learn about.

The book is also filled with amazing photographs of the twenty creatures highlighted within it.  You won't want to get too near these animals if you ever encountered one in person but Creature Files: Predators provides excellent up close views of them.  Both of my kids have been enjoying themselves flipping through these pictures.  They were particularly impressed with the Fossa pictures which is an animal from Madagascar they'd never seen or heard of before.  Always great to find out they've learned something brand new from reading a book!

L.J. Tracosas' Creature Files books have earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval for providing an immersive educational experience that is also very entertaining for kids.  Filled with informative facts, interesting physical props and top notch pictures these books have been a joy for our family to read.  I especially appreciate how the remarkable photographs and illustrations in Creature Files, as well as the included necklaces, compliment the layout of the text so as to encourage kids to actually read the books instead of just looking at the pictures.  My nine year old twins have been reading these books over and over again.

Recommended for ages 8 and up by the publisher. Additional books also focus on dinosaurs, reptiles and sharks. In my opinion probably best suited for boys and girls between third and fifth grade based upon the book's reading level. A nice middle grade book. For more information about Creature Files and other great books for kids, please visit quartoknows.com.

CHOOSE YOUR PATH FOOTBALL BOOK

Know a 9 to 12 year old kid who is a football fan? Here is a great Middle Grade book that he or she is sure to enjoy:  BACK TO PASS.  This kids' football book is written in the popular "choose your path" format, in which the reader is cast as the main character and has a say in how events in the story unfold.

Every few pages, the reader comes across a tough predicament and must choose what to do next.  Making wrong choices can result in the character being injured with a broken bone or getting kicked off the team which brings the story to an early conclusion.  Making right choices keeps the story going to its climatic ending plus earn the reader special bonus points for either confidence, skill, speed or teamwork.

The story's point system differentiates it from other "choose your path" books.  If a reader earns enough points, they upgrade the main character's skills enough to win the big game at the story's end.  Choices that impact achieving enough points to win the game aren't all about football either. 

BACK TO PASS incorporates real world drama wrapped around a high school football season.  Off the field decisions made determine things such as whether or not the character will be homeless living on the street or academically eligible to play on the team.  The book provides children with some important messages about how family, education and teamwork are important for athletic success in addition to being an entertaining read.

My son has really enjoyed reading BACK TO PASS. So a book that gets him excited about reading gets a nod of approval from me.  This choose your path football back written by Lisa M. Bolt Simons is available at Barnes & Nobles,  Target, and other book and gift stores.

GRAVEYARD SHAKES

I'm always keeping an eye out for good middle grade reading material that will spark an interest in my kids to want to pick up a book.  Laura Terry's debut graphic novel, GRAVEYARD SHAKES, fits the bill with its quirky tale of a haunted boarding school.  Vibrant illustrations compliment a story that is a perfect read for a child wanting to immerse themselves in the Halloween season but is also a compelling read anytime of the year for kids who enjoy a good ghost story.  I appreciated how the artwork of this graphic novel draws kids into reading the story rather than overshadowing the text.

The plot of GRAVEYARD SHAKES revolves around two sisters, Katia and Victoria, who are new students at the prestigious Bexley Academy.  Both are having a hard time fitting into their new surroundings.  All their classmates talking about the place being haunted by ghosts from the nearby graveyard that scare students from the boarding school to death doesn't help either.

An argument between the sisters one stormy night brings them to the dreaded graveyard where they discover the spirits aren't tall tales and actually are real.   Katia and Victoria discover that while the ghosts have been pranking the students at Bexley Academy they haven't been the ones harming them.  There is something much more sinister going on!

For years a distraught father has been keeping his sickly son from dying by kidnapping Bexley Academy students and transferring their life force into the boy through black magic.  It hasn't been the ghosts killing these students but rather the father who can't bear to say goodbye to his son.  His efforts though have not only ended the lives of innocent kids but turned his own child into an undead zombie dependent on souls for his continued existence.  Watch out Katia and Victoria because someone has his eyes on your souls!

While this plot may sound terrifying, GRAVEYARD SHAKES is more in the tone of Casper the Friendly Ghost hijinks than horror film scary.  If a kid can handle R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books without having nightmares they should be just fine reading GRAVEYARD SHAKES.  There are plot elements meant to make the graphic novel a scary story that include children being kidnapped and killed as well as kids turning into ghosts after they die so parental guidance is recommended to assure readers have the appropriate maturity to be exposed to these topics plus the content is within a family's own comfort level.  There is no sexual content, swearing or stomach churning gory scenes and you'll probably see more violence in a PG rated movie than what is contained within the pages of GRAVEYARD SHAKES.  I let my own kids read the book but as a caveat not right before bedtime.

Published by the Graphix imprint of Scholastic, GRAVEYARD SHAKES is a spooky good read especially around Halloween.  It is available as an e-book as well as in paperback and hardcover print editions.  GRAVEYARD SHAKES is available at most retailers including Barnes & Nobles, Books A Million, Target, Walmart and of course Amazon.com.