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Ollie: An Easy Snowboarding Trick You Can Learn in One Day

The scenario: Your friends are going on a big snowboarding trip and you are totally stoked to tag along. There’s only one problem. Your snowboarding skills are non-existent. Well, don’t worry! There are some easy tricks you can learn in a day. Here is one not-so-scary move that will impress any snow bunny or sweet dude. While learning this trick, you should enlist an experienced snowboarder to help you and always wear protective gear.

The Ollie is the easiest of all tricks and essential for any freestyle-rider. This trick is performed without the help of the rider’s hands, a ramp, or a jump. Here’s how to do it: While riding down the mountain, you want to crouch down like you’re about to jump, and then in one seamless motion, shift your weight over your back leg and lift your front foot. Then, “pop” off your back foot with a slight bouncing motion lifting your legs up, allowing the board to hop up or “snap.” Once you’ve got air, you want to pull your knees up towards your chest as far as you can while trying to keep the board parallel to the snow. Right before you land, shift your weight back over the center of the board and prepare to hit the ground. Bend your knees as you touch the snow to cushion your landing.

Congrats! You’ve read about your first trick. Now, it’s time to go out and do it. And don’t worry if you don’t want to do any tricks. Being a drifter (someone who “drifts” across the hill with no actual tricks), is fine too. Own it and order everyone hot chocolates as they come off the mountain!

The game is based on an original idea by "Steven Universe" supervising producer Ian Jones-Quartey.

The post Cartoon Network Launches First Game ‘O​K K.O.!’ Lakewood Plaza Turbo’ appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Get ready for the biggest football game of the year!

As you know, the Super Bowl is almost here. The 50th Super Bowl football game will be played on Sunday, February 7. The Denver Broncos will battle the Carolina Panthers, so I thought we could round up some of the best football facts and fun from the STACKS. Here are a few things for you to do to get ready for the big game.

• Take this Super Bowl trivia quiz.
• Play the Game Changers football game.
• Get the latest football books from Scholastic.
• Leave a Comment telling us which team you are rooting for in Super Bowl 50!
• Or if you prefer animal sports, will you be watching the Kitten Bowl on Hallmark Channel, or Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet?

Photos courtesy of Hallmark Channel and Animal Planet

Winter Weather Weekends

Are you ready for the winter weather? Winter Storm Jonas is coming to the East Coast! I am ready with a nice, big pile of books to read, some hot cocoa mix, and all the ingredients needed to bake something yummy.

Here are some other ideas for things to do on a snowy weekend.

• Try a new craft. Watch some videos to inspire you. For more ideas, join the Crafts/DIY Message Board to chat with other crafty kids.
• Read a book. Try these new book suggestions for 2016.
• Play on the STACKS. We’ve got tons of addicting games.
• Choose your Winter Name.
• Take a quiz like Winter Would You Rather, Winter vs. Summer, and Winter Books Trivia.
• Join the STACKS Winter Reading Games.
• Make a Recycled Plastic Snowflake.
• Create a caption for this Snow Monkey, this Photobombing Penguin, and this Winter Teddy Bear.

What do you have planned for this snowy weekend? Tell us in the Comments. Whatever you do, please stay safe and warm!

For the kids as well as the grownups, things concerning the online video games that excite them most are the difficulty that it enforces. These video games demand that the players are very alert as well as react promptly to circumstances. Such video games are the ones that have had a great amount of money of success and a smooth perform at the box office. Call of Duty hack online video game was taken into consideration as one of the most popular of such brand new generation video games that the launching company Activision Snowstorm asserts to have actually obtained 550 million dollars on the first 5 days of its launch. The most up to date modern technology has been incorporated planned of the video game which could be additionally downloaded in the system of vapor video games.

This platform is one of one of the most user friendly sites where people can play the different games online, could download and install video games to their desktops as well as transform them into discs to make sure that maybe played in the huge display standard televisions. And when the call of Duty black ops 3 cheat is run in the platform the players could value the technical superiority that the system supplies its players. The black ops that are accomplished behind enemy lines in different locations across the globe from Vietnam jungles to the snows of Ural hills, is bound to offer the gamers the jitters in addition to a remarkable encounter of the warfare.

The customization alternatives allow the gamers right into a globe of their very own, wherein the ammunitions and also automobiles as well as the environments could be altered. Playing the call of Duty hack online has been said to be among one of the most popular and also convenient computer games of the modern day globe. As this sort of a video game is having an actual feeling to the gamers they have actually become fairly liked amongst the kids and also adults similarly. One more element behind the popularity is the advertising and also availability of the video game at the vapor video games where downloading and install and also buying has been very simple and also fast. Given that this is a luxury downloader with a quick web server the process of downloading any other online game apart from the call of Duty hack is extremely rapid and easy to take care.

There are several an incredible number of PC games worldwide which download free PC games online on a daily basis. I’m not really talking over the way model games which you’ll want to download regarding free. So many people are installing free entire version games by making use of internet. It’s also possible to download limitless free total model games throughout internet. In this article you will see how you can download endless complete version PC games regarding free.

Downloading free PC games in the internet isn’t a massive task. It’s pretty simple after you identify the best web site. However seeking the best site is a big difficulty. It’s like trying to find a platinum my very own. Taking out platinum coming from a precious metal mine will never be a large difficulty. Yet tracking down it’s going to be a big issue.

Do you know the issues you may encounter in the event you land up using the wrong websites?

Computer virus and Spyware Troubles

In many with the public sites, anyone can upload something whatever they want. Which means the main problem using those sites could be the Trojan and also spywares that is downloaded combined with game information. Hackers adore such open public websites as they can distributed their own viruses effortlessly.

Poor Download Speeds

We have down loaded certain games at a rate of three or perhaps Several killer bytes per second in spite of the reality that I’ve got a high speed broadband relationship. This is really annoying.

Use of games you would like

Most often you will never get the games what you deserve away regarding. Many times you may download the particular game, nonetheless it will not work. It’s going to be genuinely aggravating to find out no outcomes following numerous hrs getting the particular game.

Therefore, picking out the best website is the most important thing. There are particular web sites inside the internet which provides endless total model games for the associates. You’ll be able to download games at higher data transfer rates and all sorts of games are generally free download games for pc by simply administrators in the site. For this reason simply no virus issues. These websites have a huge assortment of PC games, software’s, videos, songs, wall documents, emulators plus much more. It is possible to download everything related to PC for free.

I have found earth’s most significant PC download site that provides free PC downloads to its users. They have a huge variety of PC games and a lot of other pursuits in connection with PC. Just click here to check on against each other: Free PC games

There are several an incredible number of PSP followers worldwide which download free PSP games online on a daily basis. I’m not really talking over the way model games which you’ll want to download regarding free. So many people are installing free entire version games by making use of internet. It’s also possible to download limitless free total model games throughout internet. In this article you will see how you can download endless complete version PSP games regarding free.

Downloading free psp games in the internet isn’t a massive task. It’s pretty simple after you identify the best web site. However seeking the best site is a big difficulty. It’s like trying to find a platinum my very own. Taking out platinum coming from a precious metal mine will never be a large difficulty. Yet tracking down it’s going to be a big issue.

Do you know the issues you may encounter in the event you land up using the wrong websites?

Computer virus and Spyware Troubles

In many with the public sites, anyone can upload something whatever they want. Which means the main problem using those sites could be the Trojan and also spywares that is downloaded combined with game information. Hackers adore such open public websites as they can distributed their own viruses effortlessly.

Poor Download Speeds

We have down loaded certain games at a rate of three or perhaps Several killer bytes per second in spite of the reality that I’ve got a high speed broadband relationship. This is really annoying.

Use of games you would like

Most often you will never get the games what you deserve away regarding. Many times you may download the particular game, nonetheless it will not work. It’s going to be genuinely aggravating to find out no outcomes following numerous hrs getting the particular game.

Therefore, picking out the best website is the most important thing. There are particular web sites inside the internet which provides endless total model games for the associates. You’ll be able to download games at higher data transfer rates and all sorts of games are generally free download games for pc by simply administrators in the site. For this reason simply no virus issues. These websites have a huge assortment of PSP games, software’s, videos, songs, wall documents, emulators plus much more. It is possible to download everything related to PSP for free.

I have found earth’s most significant PSP download site that provides free PSP downloads to its users. They have a huge variety of PSP games and a lot of other pursuits in connection with PSP. Just click here to check on against each other: Free PSP games

Many people download free computer games day-to-day. It is a enormous strategy for saving you some funds in terms of buying video games that may grow to be very pricey with regards to the video clip game that’s popular and then for which game method that you may have. There are lots of latest games that are developing a free computer game download along with your buy.

Every day individuals download free computer games together with the about getting the latest fashionable game out there but also in turn that they obtain a chance computer method and no video game. Kids are specially the victim in the this type of operation. They jump on your family computer seeking to download the game that mom is not going to let them buy along with a matter of minutes not only do not have the game these were seeking they’ve ruined the family computer that may expense loads to correct. Yet making sure in order to will the investigation can mean enjoying yourself with the game which you download in the pc games free download.

There are many websites on the market about the Internet that display download free computer games and they are truly 100 % legit. It serious amounts of actually find these but they’re on the market. In terms of installing, computer games internet sites may necessitate that you just do some sort of obtain or perhaps require you to obtain a month to month bundle. They could will give you certain amount of time of getting free computer games by offering you a 6 for you to 14 morning free trial prior to spending in order to download far more games. Some sites could also just let you some use that you have to download free computer games similar to simply permitting you download merely 15 games monthly. Much more web sites offer you far more that are certainly merely a good example. Some internet sites might also demand a regular monthly subscription and then fee a little to really download the game so that it can be used up for you to computer you might need what you favor. Not websites are likely to charge additional however.

You actually must view your work when it comes to installing free computer games off of the Internet. Ensuring to perform pursuit is the foremost stuff that that can be done you don’t turn out to be one of several millions of people obtain scammed beyond whatever you decide and personal. It’s not all web sites and corporations are usually on the market to get you. Downloading it free computer games is an excellent time and cash saving idea but you are probably not capable of getting the actual game you desire it may be some low cost knock-off therefore considering each option is the best. There are tons regarding was to download free computer games and discovering all options is the greatest strategy to use before checking out one.

"Cuphead" doesn't just look retro-inspired, it's a damn near perfect recreation of classic American cartoons.

A pared-down, stylish tale packed with adrenalin and mischief in equal measure about a child’s ability to see possibilities and transform the world around them, That’s My Hat! by Anouck Boisrobert and Louis Rigaud follows what happens when a hat created by a child is blown away on a gust of wind. Turning the pages takes us on a journey across the city to retrieve the hat, visiting various shops, a zoo and a library along the way. But when the child reaches the top of a skyscraper it looks like disaster will strike – can they use their imagination to save the day?

Although we may have seen the device before in Harold and the Purple Crayon, Anthony Brown’s Bear Hunt and Aaron Becker’s Journey, the idea of a child using a pencil to transform their world, changing something simple into an object of their imagination (in this case starting with a semi-circle being turned into a hat) never grows old. Perhaps this is because the ability to see alternative realities is a very real experience of childhood; we have all turned sticks into stallions ready for galloping, cardboard boxes into boats or stones into pets.

What That’s My Hat! brings afresh to this storytelling mechanism are very clever illustrations. Made of only 10 basic shapes and 5 flat colours, with simple black line embellishments, Boisrobert and Rigaud have created 3-D scenes to explore, with the use of intricate pop-up mechanisms and lots of hidden detail behind the folds and bends of the paper. It’s amazing to see the complexity that can be constructed from very basic building blocks. The magic is captivating and perhaps also empowering for young readers – these illustrations have a child-like achievability about them.

The ending draws the story full circle (literally, if you take note of how it began and what it concludes with), deeply satisfying readers, listeners and observers of all the fine and clever details in this playful book.

That’s My Hat! sent us to one of our favourite crafting materials – a bunch of paint chips (free! lovely thick card! great colours!), and from them we cut out lots of each of the 10 different shapes which appear in That’s My Hat!. For the circles I used a couple of outsized hole punchers and the kids loved the physicality of using them; I love it when the girls enjoy the preparation as much as the intended activity!

It was then time to let loose our imaginations, creating scenes with just the 10 types of shape and a black pen to add detail.

The girls loved looking closely at how the shapes were used in the book, copying some of the ideas for themselves, but also coming up with their own transformations for some of the shapes.

I love the grumpy looking mum and the dancing spider in this spread!

Whilst making stories with our shapes listened to:

Other activities which might work well alongside reading That’s My Hat! include:

If you liked this post you might like these other posts by me:

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Disclosure: I was sent a free review copy of this book by the publisher.

Harvey Wheaton – former chief of the ‘Harry Potter‘ video games – is now CEO of a new digital skills academy in Scotland, Codeclan.

He managed Electronic Arts’ Harry Potter games, has coached software development teams worldwide, and also helped launch SuperMassive Games.

Holyrood reports on Wheaton’s enthusiasm for CodeClan and the values it stands for:

“CodeClan embodies everything that I care about – technology, education, start-ups and Scotland – so I am delighted to be joining the team,” he said.

“Just now, the digital sector in Scotland is experiencing unprecedented growth, with the emergence of international brands like Skyscanner and FanDuel and ambitious start-ups launching every week. But if we don’t do something to bridge the digital skills gap in Scotland soon then the extraordinary growth we are seeing will be under threat.

“CodeClan offers practical help, a real solution to this problem, and it is a privilege to be part of this exciting venture.”

Wheaton will be launching CodeClan next month in Edinburgh. Join us in congratulating him on his new venture!

What’s Your Minecraft Name?

We know you guys looove Minecraft. (The last Ink Splot 26 Minecraft blog post got almost 500 Comments!) But since we’re living in the real world, and not a Minecraft world, we figured it would be fun to create a Minecraft name generator to give you an alternate reality Minecraft name.

Don’t worry if you’re new to our name generators. It’s as easy as putting a block down. Find the first initial of your first name in the list below. That word is your Minecraft first name. Then find the month of your birthday. That word is your Minecraft last name. For example, my name begins with an R and my birthday is in July, so my Minecraft name is Poisonous Potato Creeper. 

• A – Lava
• B – Andesite
• C – Emerald
• D – Bedrock
• E – Granite
• F – Magma
• G – Obsidian
• H – Spider Eye
• I – Gunpowder
• J – Diamond
• K – Stone
• L – Gold
• M – Iron Ore
• N – Redstone
• O – Glowstone
• P – Coal
• Q – Sugar Cane
• R – Poisonous Potato
• S – Slimeball
• T – Puffer Fish
• U – Jack O’Lantern
• V – White Jellyfish
• W – Golden Carrot
• X – Raw Pork
• Y – Cobblestone
• Z – Giant Mushroom

• JANUARY – Zombie
• FEBRUARY – Skeleton
• MARCH – Ender Dragon
• APRIL – Torch
• MAY – Pick-axe
• JUNE – Bottomless Pit
• JULY – Creeper
• AUGUST – Portal
• SEPTEMBER – Villager
• OCTOBER – Monster
• NOVEMBER – Furnace
• DECEMBER – Dungeon

Let us know your Minecraft name in the Comments below!

- Ratha (a.k.a. Poisonous Potato Creeper)

This blog post is sponsored by PBS Kids.

Come one, come all to KART KINGDOM!

There’s an exciting new world of adventure and fun waiting to be explored! In Kart Kingdom, the new game from PBS KIDS, you can create your own character and build your very own kart. Once you start playing, you can begin to unlock new worlds, gadgets, and prizes! Meet new friends and explore the world together. If you’re lucky, you might run into some of your favorite PBS KIDS characters like Team Wild Kratts and Odd Squad!

Play for FREE on pbskids.org and start your quest today!

Here’s what our kart looks like. Tell us about yours!

Playing by the book is all about bringing books to life off the page and into our every day lives and so when I discovered that there was a board game call Play by the Book, my eyes opened wide and I went off to find out more. Billed as an “action-packed game that gets children talking and learning about literature!” it sounded like it might be right up my street – not just for home use, but also with my kids’ book group at the local public library.

It’s designed so that players can discuss any fiction book (or simply a given chapter if you want to keep things simpler), and it can also be used for films. Players travel around the game board (by rolling a die) with the simple aim of reaching “The End” first. Before each roll of the die, the player in question must answer a question about the chosen book. Questions are set at two levels; their content is basically the same, but written in a different way making it easier or more challenging to give an answer.

If a player lands on an illustrated square after having rolled a die and answered a question, they are given an additional task; they have to perform an action based on the book. This might involve singing, acting out a scene, drawing a character or speaking like someone from the book. It gets players up and active, and provides plenty of opportunity for laughter in my experience!

In addition to questions about the set book, there are “wild cards”, shuffled in amongst the pack. These are broader questions, with a focus more on different types of genre, linked to the illustrations to be found on the board game itself.

There are a few finer details you can add to the game to make it more complex, but this gives you the basic idea: it’s a game of luck when it comes to rolling the die, but along the way there are lots of opportunities for discussion, arguing, debating and (in various ways) playing out the book.

Having played it quite a few times now what I really like about this board game is that it works for different ages / different abilities, even when playing at the same time, thanks to the different question levels. It is also more active than some traditional board games because players at some point are likely to have to get out of the seats and sing/act or draw. I think this extra level of physical activity is great, though some players who are a little more reserved may take a bit more encouragement to take part in these activities; I’ve found it has worked quite well if the game is played in teams, with two people for each counter.

The instructions say that players should all be discussing the same book / chapter / film, and this certainly works well. I have, however, used the game where players have each chosen their own book to discuss and this too has worked well. It’s been an interesting way for players to try to persuade other children to try the book they are talking about. The game has also been a good way of pooling knowledge when we’ve played it where each player has had a different book by the same author.

Play by the book would be a great addition to any classroom, especially for the 8-12 year old crowd. It also offers something a little bit different for book groups to do, as well as working well as a family game (the dramatic elements have worked best for me at home, where everyone is more relaxed about being a bit silly and less concerned about ‘making a fool’ of themselves).

Play by the book retails at £21.54 and is available online here: http://www.learningresources.co.uk/product/play-by-the-book.do

Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this board game from its distributors. Just to be clear: Despite its name I’m in no way affiliated to it.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also find this post of mine about book-themed board games interesting. I also recently made my own literature based board game – to explore science fiction with kid. If you want to know more about board games inspired by literature, this research article by Britta Stockmann and Jens Janke has lots of good leads.

If you’d like to receive all my posts from this blog please sign up by inputting your email address in the box below:

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Gaming Personality Quiz

Want to know what kind of STACKS gamer you are? Take our quiz and find out.

1. Your favorite thing to do in the summer when you are bored is . . . 
a. Pick up a branch, turn it into a sword, and find an adventure!
b. Grab a pencil, and relax while completing a few challenging puzzles like word games or Sudoku.
c. Doodle in last semester’s old notebook pages while listening to music.
d. Grab a basketball and shoot a few hoops with friends.

2. My favorite game console is . . . 
a. Xbox One or PS4.
b. Nintendo 3DS XL.
c. I don’t have a favorite.
d. Wii.

3. You’re in the middle of playing your favorite game when your mom makes you stop to have dinner with the family. Your thoughts are . . . 
a. “Aw man! I don’t want to stop but I guess I can use a break to plot out my next few moves and come up with a strategy.”
b. “I don’t mind taking a break. This game isn’t going anywhere so I’ll just finish it when I get back.”
c. *Growling noise* “Wow, was that my stomach? You never realize how much time goes by when you’re having fun.”
d. “Finally! I’m starving!”

4. If you could become a magical creature, which one would you choose?
a. A fierce, fire-breathing dragon who protects a mountain of gold.
b. A wise unicorn who is humble and gentle.
c. An elf who can build anything.
d. A mermaid who is a natural born swimmer, swift and agile.

5. Which element do you relate to the most?
a. Fire.
b. Wind.
c. Water.
d. Earth.

6. When playing a RPG (role-playing game) game you have never played before . . . 
a. you play it until you master it so you can beat all your friends.
b. you first look for secrets online to see how you can complete the game faster.
c. you create your character to make it look like an awesome hero, and then worry about the actual game later.
d. you don’t know what’s going on but you are  going to smash all the buttons and hope it gets you somewhere.

7. Which character do you relate to the most?
a. Harry Potter.
b. Sherlock Holmes.
c. Captain Underpants.
d. Abby from Whatever After.

If you picked . . . 

Mostly A’s, you are a quest gamer!
You love being an adventure hero and you thirst for the excitement through role-playing video games that allow you to gain skills, find treasure or loot, and level up. Some games you’ll enjoy include Keys to the Kingdom, Deltora, and The Secrets of Droon.

Mostly B’s, you are a puzzle gamer!
You’re a fast thinker and you love solving problems. Your mind is your greatest weapon and you use it effortlessly to win contests and get ahead. Some challenging games you’ll enjoy include Lawless, UFiles Maze Rescue, and Keys to the Kingdom Puzzles.

Mostly C’s, you are a creative gamer!
You love to build, draw, and create things. You don’t need a preset adventure or storyline to set your pace because you are capable of imagining your own adventure. To help the creative juices flow, try these games: Main Street Scrapbooking, Captain Underpants Comic Builder, and How to Draw Ook and Gluk.

Mostly D’s, you are an arcade gamer!
When playing your favorite games, your reflexes are your greatest advantage. You are fast and prefer to avoid complex, problem-solving tasks. You prefer to play with characters with much physical ability and strength. Some arcade games we think you might enjoy are Dodge-a-Rama, Snowboard Challenge, and Game Changers Football.

Tada! Now that you know what kind of gamer you are, Let us know your results, try out a few of the game suggestions and shoot some feedback below. May the games be always with you!

- Sandy, STACKS Staffer

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016
National Geographic Society & National Geographic Kids Magazine
National Geographic Society        5/12/2015
978-1-4263-1921-1
352 pages         Age 8—12
.

“This New York Times bestseller is packed with incredible photos, tons of fun facts, crafts, activities, and fascinating articles about animals, science, nature, technology, and more. New features include a special section on animal friends; an updated “Fun and Games” chapter filled with all-new games, jokes, and comics; a new “Dino Myths Busted” feature; all new weird-but-true facts, crafts, and activities; a new special “15 Facts” feature in every chapter; updated reference material, and much more! And, this is the only kids’ almanac with mobile media features that allow kids to access National Geographic videos, photo galleries, and games.” [publisher]

Review
National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016—Wow, where do I start? Color blasts out from every page. The photography is as spectacular as National Geographic photography has always been—brilliant, intimately detailed, knock-you-off-your-feet fantabulous. Divided into ten sections, the Kids Almanac 2016 begins with a section on interesting things happening in 2016, and then it explores the usual topics of history, culture, science, geography, nature, and animals. The almanac also includes a section on green technology and its effect on Earth, and a section about exploration and survival. Most likely, a favorite for kids will be the section on games. Actually, the Kids Almanac 2016 contains a game throughout the entire 350 pages. In each chapter is a clue. Find all ten clues and you can open up digital extras.

In reading the Kids Almanac 2016, I think National Geographic has covered all the subjects kids will find interesting and all those they need to know about. Adults can get a lot out of this almanac as well. There is a tremendous amount of information in this relatively small book. I loved the animal topics, of which there are many. Kids interested in dinosaurs will find a prehistoric timeline, nine “Bet you didn’t know” facts, and myths. Each section ends with a quiz on that section’s subject. When you cannot get to a place, or want to know what is happening in different places around the world, the Kids Almanac 2016 is a tremendous aid. Kids can also dig a little deeper in subjects they love and learn about subjects they never thought about or thought were dull. There is not one tedious word or picture in the Kids Almanac 2016. Here are a few subjects I found to be amazing:

“Secrets of the Blue Holes”
Animal photography and how to get the shot.
“The Wonders of Nature: the Oceans”

“Worlds Wackiest Houses”

“16 Cool Facts about Coral Reefs”
The jokes and comics in Fun and Games
Orangutan to the Rescue (Survival Story)”

What would a National Geographic book be without its gorgeous maps? The Kids Almanac 2016 has plenty of maps and flags. I think the National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016 is a must read, if not a must have, for kids, especially middle graders who will learn a lot without realizing they are learning. The Kids Almanac 2016 is fun, exciting, and interesting. The pages are colorful, the photographs and images extremely detailed, and the subject matter is diverse.

Though kids are just now beginning to enjoy their summer school breaks, the Kids Almanac 2016 will keep them reading through the summer, which will help kids during their next school year, make them more informed about their world. Parents concerned about the books their kids read will have not one worry about this almanac. Every word, every subject, and every article is kid-friendly. The National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016 is an interesting read that will keep kids hooked long past summer vacation.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS ALMANAC 2016. Text and images copyright © 2015 by National Geographic Society. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, National Geographic Society in partnership with National Geographic Kids Magazine, Washington DC.

Purchase National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016 at Amazon—Book Depository—National Geographic.

Kids! Join the National Geographic Kids Book Club HERE!
Teachers and Librarians can find additional information at: http://www.ngchildrensbooks.org
National Geographic Educational site is HERE.

Learn more about National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016 HERE.
Check out the National Geographic Society website: http://www.nationalgeographic.com
Find other National Geographic books at: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/books
Learn more about the National Geographic Kids Magazine at the website: http://www.kids.nationalgeographic.com

Kids Almanac 2015 
.
Copyright © 2015 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

Review section word count = 496

Scheduled for arrival in late 2016, Zeptolab's CG-feature film explores Om Nom's origin story.

Once a month I lead a book group for 8-12 year olds at our local public library and our most recent session was about science fiction books. It was one of the most enjoyable sessions we’ve had, so I thought I’d share what we did.

My first challenge was to come up with a list of science fiction which 8-12 year olds might enjoy. This wasn’t such an easy task, but in the end my book list read like this:

Several people helped me come up with this list (thank you!), but I’d like to give a special shout out to author SF Said who was tremendously helpful in making suggestions about books I might like to consider.

I knew that most of the kids in my group hadn’t read any science fiction at all (though most had seen either some Dr Who episodes or the Star Wars films), and so first we had a discussion about what we mean when we talk about science fiction in relation to books. The definition we came up with was:

Fiction which typically focuses on:

As the aim of the session was to get the kids exposed to a wide variety of SF, and to choose at find at least one SF book which they thought looked interesting enough to read, I wanted to expose them to lots of different books in the short time we had. And so I came up with a board game which the group played in teams.

All the books on my list above, plus some space-themed poetry and space non-fiction books were placed in the centre of our table, and each team was give a game template, a dice and a lego spaceman or alien as their counter.

The aim of the game was for each team to get to the end of the board game (set out a little like snakes and ladders ie with the possibility of having to move forward and backwards on the board), collecting as many (glow in the dark) stars as possible along the way. Teams won stars by correctly answering questions associated with the numbered star they landed on each time they rolled the dice.

All the questions were about the books in the centre of the table, and so to find the answers, the kids had to do a lot of browsing. Some questions were very simple (“Who is the author of X”), some involved a value judgment (“Choose three words to describe the illustrations in Y”) and some required more in-depth browsing inside books (eg “Which book opens with the lines XYX” or “Which book is set in X”). When each team had found the answer to a given question they came and gave me the answer, and if it was correct (or simply reasonably thoughtful in the case of value judgments), the team got a star and returned to roll the dice for their next question.

The game was over when every team had reached the end point on the board, and the winning team was that which had collected the most stars. The victors each won a Mars bar (you get the space connection?) and the book of their choice from a small selection I brought with me from my past review pile.

Once winnings had been distributed we went round the group and everyone had to pick up one book which had caught their eye, and comment on what it was about the book that they liked the look of.

The session went with a blast (no pun intended, but I’m happy to keep it in ). I think it worked so well because:

If you’d like to try the game out you can download a copy of this board game here (pdf) but you’ll need to create your own set of questions to go with whichever books you’re using in your session. You’ll see on the board that there are time warps (they look like tornadoes), a teleporter, and two tardises (tardi?) – if kids landed on these they had the choice to go forwards or backwards along the board, and pretty soon they realised that it was actually beneficial to move back wherever possible as this gave the team the chance to win more stars.

Next month’s bookgroup meeting is actually all about celebrating our first birthday, so if you’ve any suggestions for great book-themed party games to play, I’d really love to hear about them!

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If you liked this post you might enjoy two past posts of mine: 7 ways to set up and run a children’s book group or Book Bingo!.

Out in the depths of the Spooniverse Space Dog is getting read to return home following a long mission sorting out planetary problems in the Dairy Quadrant. Just as he starts to unwind a distress call comes through on his Laser Display Screen. Without a moment’s hesitation our super hero, Space Dog, jumps to and rescues the occupant of a flying saucer drowning in an thick ocean of cream on a nearby planet. But what’s this?

It turns out he’s saved his sworn enemy: Astrocat.

Uh-Oh.

Will they be able to put aside their differences as another cry for help comes in over the space ship tannoy? Will teamwork triumph as they face terror together?

Space Dog by Mini Grey is an anarchic, adrenalin-packed adventure of The Highest Order. Utterly and joyously playful, wildly and lavishly imaginative, this dynamic and delightful journey exploring space and friendship is sublime.

Grey’s witty language, from the hilarious exclamations made by Space Dog (“Thundering milkswamps!”, “Shivering Stilton!”) to the deliciously outlandish names of rare alien life forms (the Cruets of West Cutlery, the Fruitons of Crumble Major) has had us all giggling time and again, even on the 15th reading of Space Dog. Her pacing is timed to perfection, with dramatic stretches interspersed with moments of great relief and humour, drawing readers, listeners, grown-ups, children ever more closely in to Grey’s fantastic, phenomenal universe Spooniverse.

Grey’s illustrations are equally packed with panache. From the detailing given to brand labels and packaging (whether on space food or game boxes) to her powerful use of suggestion (look out for what is almost missing off the page on the spread immediately before Space Dog and Astrocat land on Cheesoid 12, or the shadow redolent with threat as they turn to leave the Cheesy planet), Grey’s illustrations richly illuminate the world she has built to share with us, giving enormous pleasure every time they are returned to.

Although there are echoes of super hero comic strips and silent movies with their intertitles, dramatic soundtracks and expressive emotions theatrically mimed, Mini Grey’s visual and verbal style is truly unique. Spirited and inventive, Space Dog is an outstanding book and fortunately you can find it right here right now in our very own universe.

Every single page turn of Space Dog was met with “Mummy, can we do that??!!”, whether it was making a planet out of cereal packets, coming up with a recipe for supper based on the Spaghetti Entity in the Pastaroid Belt, designing our own version of Dogopoly, rustling up Astrocat’s cake, making spewing tomato ketchup volcanoes, or playing with fondue. In the end we settled for making spaceships for the characters in the book, and flying them over our patio.

Using this fantastic tutorial from one of my favourite library blogs as a starting point, we created spaceships using paperplates, plastic cups and stickers. Where Pop Goes the Page used toilet cardboard rolls, we used yoghurt pots instead, and aliens were replaced by Space Dog and other astonauts cut out from print-offs of these drawing pages created by Mini Grey.

We dressed up as astronauts ourselves, making space suits from disposable painting overalls, decorated with electrical tape and completed with control panels from cardboard.

Once appropriately attired we were ready to launch our space ships. Unlike Pop Goes the Page we used nylon bead thread rather than wire to make a zip line, partly because this is what we had to hand, but also because it’s extremely smooth and there are no issues with kinking. One end was tied to the bathroom window, the other to the end of the washing line in the garden.

Soon spaceships were zooming all over our patio…

Later we turned our hand to making hats for a fruit and vegetable parade, inspired by the hat competition which Space Dog has to judge:

We used origami hat tutorials to come up with these millinery masterpieces, including this army cap and samurai helmet with plenty more hat ideas here.

Whilst making our spaceships and competition-winning hats we listened to:

Cheese Please by Chris Stapleton – essential listening for any cheese lover

Sputniks and Mutniks by Ray Anderson & The Home Folks. I discovered this thanks to this interesting NPR article, Sputniks in Space.

Other activities you could try inspired by Space Dog include:

Would you like to go into space if you had the chance?

Disclosure: I was sent a free review copy of Space Dog by the book’s publisher.

Sponsored Post Star Banks Adventure

Mysterious planets, an alien mentor, and a robot shopkeeper—sounds like the ingredients to an amazing sci-fi story, right? It’s also the foundation for a new swipe-and-match game called Star Banks Adventure!

Check out the game trailer.

Like all great games, Star Banks Adventure is packed with choices for you to make. But every choice has a consequence, so be careful! You’ll need to partner with Odal, an alien guide, to stop Overlord Zek, the evil mastermind bent on causing financial chaos. Use different Star Banks to collect coins and build space devices to save the galaxy from financial chaos. I can’t wait to see what comes next! Click here to check it out.

Accompanied by spacey music and a story line that unfolds as you go, Star Banks Adventure is a blast!

This free game was created by T. Rowe Price as part of their Money Confident Kids Program, which focuses on helping kids better understand money. It can be played online or on mobile devices through iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon.

What power-ups will Steven Universe bust-out of his trusty cheeseburger backpack?

I struck a deal with the kids: for every new app or game I buy them, they must each memorize a poem. So far, so fabulous. Huck, my little iPad junkie, is shaping up to be a regular minstrel by the time he’s twenty.

"Pixel Pioneers: A Brief History of Graphics" is a 5-part documentary by Stuart Brown about the evolution of graphics in videogames.