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Books from National Geographic Kids

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Now this group of books seems like a bit of a mish-mash. It has a large variety but each is published by National Geographic Kids. This group covers history, current events, science and more. We will start with the one that also could be seen as part of my Real Life Princess Series, The Book of Queens by Stephanie Warren Drimmer. 

This book is full of amazing women and their stories. The one I found most interesting is Himiko. She was the first ruler of Japan who worked to unite the many island nations to form one country. Her history is a bit of legend now and she was a bit forgotten by many because of the male-only emperors. However she was rediscovered by historians and there are statues of her as well as an annual bonfire festival and she has inspired characters in films, novels and anime. Plus the current emperor of Japan is a descendant of Himiko. They may have even found her tomb, but the current emperor has forbidden excavating the tomb to truly discover the identity. They believe her kofun, or tomb, was one of the first ever built. 
The book is broken into eight chapters: Empire Builders, Women of Action, Revolutionary Rulers, Culture Shapers, Monarchs of the Arts, Legendary Leaders, Queens of Knowledge and Queens of Adventures. Now the last five chapters are not of royal blood women but rather successful women. They include performers, musicians, and more. It is a very complete book full of strong women.

 The book shares information about the women and their lives. It also gives fun facts and did you knows about them. There are also pages on unreal queens like the villains in Disney movies and queens in legends like Guinevere of Camelot. This book has all the queens and female leaders of government, space, math, the silver screen, and so much more. 

It is recommended for grades 3 to 7. It is packed full of history and culture and you are sure to learn about a new queen by reading this book. And if queens are not your thing perhaps you will want to learn about the kings.


Our next book is The Book of Kings: Magnificent Monarchs, Notorious Nobles, and Distinguished Dudes Who Ruled the World by Caleb Magyar and Stephanie Warren Drimmer. Similar to The Book of Queens is The Book of Kings except of course it is dealing with the men. However this book has a few asides about the females--warriors, queens, goddesses and more. 


The book has eight chapters as well: Empire Builders, Military Masterminds, Rulers in Revolution, Lords of Legends, Kings of Creativity, Aristocrats of Action, Kings of Change, and Kings of Knowledge. The last four are not about actual kings but leaders in their fields. It includes athletes, movie stars, Isaac Newton, Louis Braille and more. It also has kings from literature and movies. 

I love how these books lead to the discussion of what makes a king (or queen). I find the information so interesting and love how it looks at history, current events as well as literature and legend. In this book legendary swords are even explored. This book will keep a tween reading and looking things up. I know because Hazel keeps checking both books out!
Our next book is not about people but rather things. It is Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Stuff by Stephanie Warren Drimmer. The title is very appropriate!! You will not believe the stories in this book.

This book has ten chapters: Toys & Games, Food, Fashion, Tools, Symbols & Manners, Around the House, Sports & Entertainment, Beauty, Hygiene & Medicine, Holidays & Traditions, and Odds & Ends. What do you want to know about? It is probably in this book. 

This is one of those open to a page and learn something new. Every page is filled with fun and fascinating stories about things you use everyday and probably have around your own home.

This is another book that Hazel keeps reading. Every time I put it out to write this review I find her stealing it from my pile. I love the humor as well as the information and it will keep a tween's attention and they will keep going back to it. It is also great to make resource for fun facts!

Our final book gets us into the world of coding, games and more. It is Code This! by Jennifer Szymanski. 

Do you want your child(ren) to learn about coding? This book is for you. It has four chapters and explains why coding is necessary as well as giving lessons on what coding is and how to do it. 

Why do we want our kids to learn about coding? Well it teaches logic and reasoning but it is also where our future is headed. Experts are saying that soon all jobs will require knowledge of coding. This book is a good start for kids aged 8 to 12.

I love how it offers simple activities to get started understanding coding. I know several kids who will love this book. How about you?

Once again National Geographic Kids has hit it out of the park with these books. You definitely will want to check these out. Everyone I have shown them to has loved them.
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