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We've curated a list of some truly wonderful and entertaining bug books for kids ages 4 to 99. We've also included the game Bug Bingo, and it's the bees-knees.

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It's true TCBR readers are fans of Greek myths! That's why, this month, the National Geographic Treasury of Greek Mythology is The Children's Book Review's best selling middle grade book.

Gung Hay Fat Choi! Xin Nian Kuai Le! Happy Year of the Sheep/Ram/Goat!

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The Year of … Continue reading ... →

These books, guides, and cards offer interesting trivia and facts, engaging formats, and lively illustrations; a perfect combination to pique interest for hours of casual reading, followed by days of reciting trivia, and hopefully, years of knowledge about these important people in American history.

Ain't Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry

Author: Scott Reynolds Nelson with Marc Aronson
Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (December 26, 2007)
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 64 pages

If you dream of being a historian, tracking down sources, looking for new evidence, or just solving mysteries and puzzles then this is the book for you! John Henry, the man in the famous song, has been seen as a hero by many different kinds of people. Scott Reynolds Nelson wanted to know if there was a real John Henry! Did he really compete with a steam drill, and did he die doing so? Nelson carefully lays out for us his search to find the answers to these questions. What's interesting is that Nelson didn’t start out looking for John Henry. He was looking for historical research on men who had worked on the railroad. He discovered that some 40,000 men, the largest railroad workforce in the South, were hardly mentioned in the history books. But why? The one song he used as his main piece of research was the song about John Henry which would lead him on a mission to discover the real John Henry.

Nelson has said, "I hope other kids will learn from this book that history is something you do, not just something you read." And Nelson has proved just that. This book makes history a fun scavenger hunt, using clues to find answers, and uncovering secret messages. The more you read, you won't want to put this book down. As a nonfiction writer, I found this book very interesting! I love research and uncovering new things, so to follow along with Nelson on his journey to put this puzzle together was fascinating. There are more goodies in the back of the book- Nelson suggests "How to Be a Historian" and offers a model of what all historians do.

Read these other great reviews...
Carol Wilcox at Carol's Corner
Jill Tullo at the Well Read Child


Hop over to Anastasia Suen's picture book of the day blog for the Nonfiction Monday roundup!