books4yourkids

  My post on Wonder Women Bingo inspired me to create a post on all the amazing bingo games Magma & Laurence King have created and continue to create. Scary Bingo and Ocean Bingo were huge hits in my library with students of all ages, especially because pre-readers and readers can play. Some of the bingo games are geared toward younger players ( Scary Bingo , Poo Bingo , Jungle & Dinosaur Bingo) but easily enjoyed by all ages. Bingos for older players come with information booklets that provide details about the fascinating subjects of each game. Scroll down for very fun matching games! Laurence King also makes excellent matching games!

  Wonder Women Bingo by Magma for Laurnce King  text by Isabel Thomas illustrations by Laura Bernard I am ALL ABOUT a game that is fun and educational - and believe me, as someone who does not enjoy playing most kid board and card games, there aren't many that fall into this category for me. Wonder Women Bingo   - and all the bingo games from Magma for Laurence King (see THIS post) - is so fun to play and so easy to learn as you play. While it helps if you can read, being able to read is not required for players - as long as the caller can read. Non-fiction books for kids featuring women who have made important contributions to the world, across all disciplines, have experienced a bump in the past few years. What makes  Wonder Women Bingo  so special are the forty-eight inspirational women chosen to be part of this game. You'll find names that are (hopefully) familiar to players, like Anne Frank, Ada Lovelace, Amelia Earhart, Jane Austen, Georgia O'Keefe, Frida Kahlo, Sall

  I Saw It First! OCEAN illustrations by Caroline Selmes Review Copy from Laurence King I Saw It First! OCEAN (and JUNGLE ) is a brilliant, beautiful game from a publisher that consistently puts out beautiful, wonderfully designed, quality books, games and puzzles for kids (along with stunning books for adults focusing on the creative arts). In fact, I love everything they do so much that I created a label just for them: Laurence King . A game that does not require players know how to read, this was by far the most popular game in my school library, played by students from first through sixth grade. It sets up and cleans up fast, too! Six triangle pieces fit together to make a (double sided!) hexagon populated by three hundred ocean creatures! Selmes carefully engineered the game board to include familiar ocean creatures like the blue whale, sockeye salmon and the clown fish and lesser known sea life like the water bear (also known as a tardigrade), barreleye and horse-eye jack. Takin

  The Dragon Ark:  Join the Quest to Save the Rarest Dragon on Earth   written by Curatoria Draconis & edited by Emma Roberts illustrated by  Tomislav Tomić Review Copy from Magic Cat / Abrams Kids THIS BOOK IS SO COOL!!! From the giant trim size to the intricate, breathtaking illustrations, you will pore over every page again and again. And, as if this wasn't enough, this book has an engaging mystery solved by characters that are almost all people of color and themes of conservation and environmental awareness woven throughout.  Curatoria Draconis, also known as the Dragon Protector, addresses readers with a greeting at the start of the book that introduces them to her work and her vessel, the Dragon Ark. Known as "the mightiest vessel most people will never see," the Dragon Ark is a refuge to dragons impacted by the voracious human consumption of natural resources, as well as a first aid station and research center. Curatoria and her crew know the whereabouts of,

  Magical Creatures and Mythical Beasts written by Professor Byron & Millie Mortimer ( Emily Hawkins ) illustrated by Victo Ngai Review Copy from Magic Cat /  Abrams Kids Written by the stars of this book,  Magical Creatures and Mythical Beasts is just about the coolest concept book I have ever read! A teacher at the University of Oxford, Professor Mortimer, an expert on folktales and myths, embarks on the adventure of a lifetime with his daughter Millie as the two head off to travel the world searching for stories. Millie, however, thinks there is a lot more than stories to be found and the magic flashlight, included in the cover, is just the thing to shine a light on these unseen creatures. Starting in Oxford, England, the father and daughter duo travel to seventeen different countries in one summer. A two page spread is devoted to each location. A fact box on the left side of each page fills reader in on the details of each creature and where they live, along with other fascin

  MYTHOPEDIA An Encyclopedia of MYTHICAL BEASTS and Their Magical Tales   by Good Wives and Warriors   Review Copy from Laurence King Two years ago, I reviewed the stunningly amazing Myth Match: A Fantastical Flipbook of Extraordinary Beasts by the arts collective, Good Wives and Warriors. I learned SO MUCH about magical creatures from cultures around the world and am THRILLED that they have expanded on Myth Match and given us this gorgeous encyclopedia of cultural folklore. Starting with a map of the mythical world, Mythopedia is divided by continent/region. Each creature is given a two-page spread with a gorgeous illustration and an encyclopedia entry detailing the creature's origin story, powers and purpose. Of the thirty-seven entries, sixteen are followed by a magical tale that gives readers a great taste of what each creature gets up to. My favorite beast and story is the Tanuki, a "troublesome, shapeshifting racoon dog of Japanese folklore." Tanuki love sake, and

  Ghoulia and the Ghost with No Name by Barbara Cantini Review Copy from Abrams Kids I am SO HAPPY that the smart, kind, creative Ghoulia - and all the inhabitants of Crumbling Manor - are back for more adventures. When a faded, frowning ghost with no name appears outside her window, a mystery unfolds. The ghost does not remember his name, and what's worse, Grandad Coffin tells Ghoulia that he will go to Oblivion and disappear completely if no one can remember his name very soon. Studying the ghost's clothing, Ghoulia consults Fashion Design Through the Centuries and determines he was born around 1810. Auntie Departed tells Ghoulia she could consult the church register, but under no circumstances should Ghoulia enter the village church. Of course, Ghoulia disobeys - a ghost's existence is on the line! - and has a hilarious moment in a coffin trying to hide from the caretaker. Discovering the ghost's name just in time, Ghoulia invites him to the annual "Dead But No