STRIKING BOOK PICKS for LEGO LOVERS and others by Robin Gorman Newman
Extreme Bricks: Spectacular, Record-Breaking, and Astounding LEGO Projects from around the World (Skyhorse Publishing, November 2013) by Sarah Herman
From the Great Pyramid of Giza to the Taj Mahal, man has never shied away from an extreme building challenge, and the LEGO lovers of the twenty-first century have re-created a few of history’s amazing achievements in brick form. Extreme Bricks collects some mind-blowing brick models, from the LEGO Group’s first attempts at large-scale models, to the early work of LEGOLAND artists, to the LEGO Certified Professionals who build big for a living. STUNNING is the word for this book! Both kids and adults will love it, and it makes for a very special gift for the LEGO lover. Visit http://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/book/?GCOI=60239100082640.
Brick Shakespeare: The Tragedies—Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Julius Caesar (Skyhorse Publishing, November 2013) by John McCann, Monica Sweeney, and Becky Thomas
InBrick Shakespeare, four of the Bard’s greatest tragedies are on display. Watch the brick Hamlet give his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy, and feel brick Ophelia’s grief as she meets her watery end. Lady Macbeth in brick form brings new terror to “Out, out, damn spot!” and brick Romeo and Juliet are no less star-crossed for being rectangular and plastic. The warm familiarity of bricks lends levity to Shakespeare’s tragedies while remaining true to his original language.
This book is so original and a great way to introduce a LEGO love to Shakespeare. My 10 year old son and I recently watched the movie Romeo and Juliet and really enjoyed it, so this was a wonderful follow-up.
Visit http://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/book/?GCOI=60239105424940 .
Full of more than 1,000 fascinating facts, Big Book of Why: Crazy, Cool, & Outrageous answers the many questions kids like to ask. Presented by Time Home Entertainment Inc. and the editors of TIME For Kids, Big Book of Why: Crazy, Cool, & Outrageous (Time Home Entertainment Inc.; Hardcover, $19.95) is on sale now and available at timeforkids.com/why and at retailers nationwide.
This book is a follow-up to the first Big Book of Why, which has sold more than 150,000 copies to date. With 192 pages of new content, Big Book of Why: Crazy, Cool, & Outrageous is divided by subject area – the human body, animals, nature, the Earth, space, science, technology, transportation, U.S. and world history, world culture, arts and media and sports and games. Each answer is accompanied by either a photo or illustration.
Not only is a great looking book…..but it chockful with interesting tidbit and facts that both you and your child will find intriguing…and surprising.
Sample questions and answers and crazy, cool and outrageous facts include:
Human Body
Q. Why do I have nightmares?
A. Nightmares are just scary dreams. You might get them because your body is relieving stress, you are ill or you experienced something scary when you were awake.
Animals
Q. Why are so many people afraid of spiders?
A. We’re not born afraid of spiders. It’s something we learn. Some scientists think humans are naturally worried about animals that move quickly, as spiders do, and the fact that some spiders are poisonous certainly adds to the fear factor.
Earth:
Q. Why are oceans blue?
A. Beauty – and color – is in the eyes of the beholder. The light we see is made of many colors at once. Ocean water absorbs colors like red and orange, but blue wavelengths are reflected, making the ocean appear to be blue. Other colors in the sea come from plants, dirt and pollution.
Science:
Q. Why do people cry when they cut onions?
A. Cutting onions releases a gas that mixes with the water that’s naturally in our eyes. Together, they form an irritating chemical. Our eyes produce tears to wash it away.
Sports & Games:
Q. How did the game Marco Polo get its name?
A. The popular pool game of tag is named for Italian explorer Marco Polo, who visited China and other parts of the Far East in the 1200s. There’s a story that he got lost in the desert in China and only found his fellow travelers by yelling his own name.
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Loom Magic! 25 Never-Before-Seen Designs for an Amazing Rainbow of Projects (Sky Pony Press, December 2013) includes twenty-five new rubber band loom projects.
Rainbow Looms are sweeping the market for both boys and girls ages five to fifteen away in a tide of shareable, wearable bracelets, necklaces, and other accessories made from rubber bands. John McCann and Becky Thomas have put together a wide variety of creative projects in this fun and original collection, including:
· Cell phone Case
Watch band Octo bracelet
Sports fan keychain
Matching barrettes
Pencil topper
Snowman ornament
M My son, like many, loves Rainbow Looms, and it’s cool that thanks to this book he now has other projects he can pursue with them vs. just bracelets. Visit http://www.amazon.com/Loom-Magic-Awesome-Never-Before-Seen-Projects/dp/1629143340/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386282568&sr=1-1&keywords=loom+magic.
N Note: Thanks to the featured publishers for providing book samples.
