FOREST MAGIC FOR KIDS: How to Find Fairies, Make a Secret Fort, and Cook Up an Elfin Picnic by Susie Spikol [Review & Giveaway]

New Children's Book "Forest Magic for Kids" Sparks Imagination with Fairy Hunts, Secret Forts, and Enchanted Outdoor Adventures!

 

Publisher: Gibbs Smith
Hardcover | $19.99 
ISBN: 978-1423665533
Age 5-9 Years

My thoughts:  This is a delightfully charming non-fiction book that is designed to invoke a desire to learn about the natural world of the forest. While the idea of "magic," wee-folk, fairies, and such conjure a world of make-believe, this book conversely takes them into the real world of life in the forest from the majesty of the trees to the pure delight of the tiniest creatures and smallest flowers.

The book is heavy on text so will necessitate adult guidance and reading. The book is a grand addition to science class or school libraries, and perfect for families that love nature.

Whilst the book introduces the child to aspects of the real world of the forest, it doesn't shun the tales and folklore shared through the ages. There are activities and projects both educational plus some that are fun and fanciful.

A charming educational tool to have on hand and a perfect gift for the upcoming spring and summer days.

About the book:  Your enchanted guide to 50+ magical activities for everything from finding hidden flower fairies in your own backyard and making a special wizard staff to creating a tiny woodland village and making your own forest potions.

Come discover the wild magic tucked into the nooks and crannies of forests, thickets, and meadows. Search for fairy dusted glow-in-the-dark mushrooms. Find secret worlds hidden in trees and uncover the tunnels, trails, and dens of gnomes and trolls, and mice and moles. Learn to listen to the forest, make sun-warmed pine tea, and wear an evergreen crown to an elf picnic.
 
Look inside to learn how to:

• Keep a secret notebook filled with maps, notes, and pockets for all your discoveries
• Go on a quest for wild treasures
• Follow a queen bumblebee to her castle
• Make your own forest teas and potions
• Become best friends with a tree
• Create tiny gnomes and build cozy gnome homes
• Seek where mushrooms grow after a fairy dance
• Carve a walking stick wizard staff
• Build your own hidden forest fort

 A delightful outdoor handbook to ignite curiosity and a passion for nature, this is a great resource for nature units as well as hands-on activities to bring a creative writing program to life. -- School Library Journal

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Susie Spikol is a naturalist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, New Hampshire. A lifelong animal lover, Susie now helps people of all ages connect with the natural world. She is the author of The Animal Adventurer’s Guide (Roost Books, 2002). Secret word: nature. You can find her at www.susiespikol.com.

GIVEAWAY

Begins March 22

Ends April 25 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's prize copy is provided and shipped/mailed directly to the winner by publicist, publisher, or author. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.

May Celebration of Dinosaurs - DINOMAYNIA #GIVEAWAY - National Geographic Kids' dinosaurs books educate & entertain [6-Book Giveaway]

National Geographic Kids has an amazing DinoMAYnia website packed full of games, video shorts, facts, and even a dinosaur personality quiz!  natgeokids.com/dinomania

In honor of International Dinosaur Day on May 17th, National Geographic Kids is celebrating DinoMAYnia and has compiled a terrific line up of books for dino-maniacs of all ages. 

Now we're celebrating this fun "DinoMAYnia" month by parterning with National Geographic Kids to offer a super 6-pack of Dino books for the kiddies. Read on to see just what's in the pack of books and how you can enter-2-win!

Little Kids First Board Book; Dinosaurs (ages baby - 3, hard cover, $7.99)

The prehistoric world comes alive with dinosaurs small, big, giant, and gigantic in this colorful book for the very youngest dinosaur lovers! Each spread in this sturdy book features a different dinosaur, along with super simple facts and lively, age-appropriate language to keep babies and toddlers--and their grown-ups--fascinated by every colorful page. Not only will readers learn about a variety of dinosaurs--and how to say their names, they can also find recurring shapes and patterns in the art, while adults can keep their eyes open for occasional funny commentary from the animals. Sidebar text offers additional learning for older siblings or those ready for more complex information.  The Little Kids First Board Books mirror the beloved First Big Books while taking a fresh new approach to excite a baby's sense of wonder and make learning about nature and science fun.

Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs (hardcover, ages 4-8, 128 pages, $14.95)

A #1 best seller on Amazon! The prehistoric world comes alive with dinosaurs small, big, giant, and gigantic, with stunning illustrations. Bursting with fun facts and age-appropriate information, each spread features a different dinosaur, along with simple text in big type that is perfect for little kids. Young dino fans will love the interactivity included in every chapter, and parents will appreciate tips to help carry readers' experience beyond the page. 

So Cool! Dinos (hardcover, ages 3-5, $6.99)

Those sharp, pointy teeth! Those terrifying claws! Those long necks and pointy spines! Let’s face it ... dinosaurs are SO COOL! Blending dinosaur art with silly quips and Informational fact boxes about when dinosaurs lived on Earth, stats about dinos, dinosaur feathers, and more, this is the perfect little reader to get kids’ brains buzzing and keep them laughing while learning.

National Geographic Readers: T.Rex (ages 4-6, paperback, $4.99)

Giant teeth! Crushing bite! Slicing claws! And … feathers? Scientists have unearthed new knowledge about the king of the dinosaurs, and now you can, too. Travel back in time to the Mesozoic forests to meet the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. Learn how their bodies were perfectly adapted for hunting, how T. rex parents guarded their nests, and just how much meat they could guzzle down in a single bite. Then explore some of the fascinating fossils―including Sue and Scotty―that have helped scientists make important discoveries (for example, T. rex may not have roared at all!). National Geographic Readers’ combination of expert-vetted text, brilliant images, and a fun approach to reading have proved to be a winning formula with kids, parents, and educators. This level 1 text provides accessible information for kids just beginning to read on their own, perfect to encourage the scientists and explorers of tomorrow!

Ultimate Dinopedia, 2nd ED (hardcover, ages 7-10, 296 pages, $24.99) 

Big, beautiful and gift-worthy! The new edition of the popular Nat Geo Kids Dinopedia includes all the latest species and is the most complete, up-to-date dinosaur reference available. Find favorites, like the fierce T-rex and the gentle Brontosaurus, plus audacious new finds, like the Anzu, Kosmoceratops, and Yi. Every dino profile is colorfully illustrated and features descriptions of when they roamed the Earth, how they lived, what they ate, and more. There are more than 600 dinos featured in all, including 10 profiles of recently discovered dinosaurs and new entries in the Dino Dictionary. Reports from paleontologists present the latest news and insights from the field.

Weird But True! Dinosaurs (paperback, ages 8-12, 208 pages, $8.99)

300 dino-mite facts to sink your teeth into! Perfectly sized for back seat boredom busting, this new addition to the wildly popular WBT series is taking on the jaws and claws that ruled the Mesozoic world.  Calling all dino dynamos!  Did you know that the T. rex had vision 13 times better than the average human's? Or that people collect fossilized dino poop? And get this: There's a dinosaur named after Hogwarts--Harry Potter's wizarding school! Get ready to meet dinosaurs with horns and feathers, razor-sharp claws and gigantic teeth. You'll encounter the places they lived, the bizarre art they inspired, and the amazing paleontologists who discovered them.

One-stop shopping:  https://books.disney.com/dinomaynia

GIVEAWAY

6 National Geographic Kids Dinosaurs Books

Ends June 3 @ 11:59 p.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies of these 6 books. Any opinions expressed are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's books are provided and shipped directly to the winner by the publisher or publicist. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.

The Double Helix (Explorer Academy Series #3) by Trudi Trueit [Book Spotlight & 3-Book Set Giveaway]

ISBN13: 9781426334580
Hardcover $16.99
Ages 8-12

National Geographic Kids Books is pleased to announce the highly anticipated release of the third book in the groundbreaking Explorer Academy series published by their fiction imprint, Under the Stars. 

Global adventures, danger and mystery combined with fascinating real-world science, code breaking and technology makes The Double Helix a perfect pick for book lovers and reluctant readers alike.


About The Double Helix:

“A fully packed high-tech adventure that offers both cool, educational facts about the planet and a diverse cast of characters." – Kirkus Reviews 

“Sure to appeal to kids who love code cracking and mysteries with cutting-edge technology” - Booklist 

Named a “Noteworthy Novel Sequel” by Publisher’s Weekly

This fall, National Geographic dives deeper into the beloved Explorer Academy fiction series with a third action-packed book, Explorer Academy: The Double Helix. The journey continues with central character Cruz Coronado and his fellow explorers as they set sail on all-new exotic expeditions to Spain, Jordan and Turkey aboard the Academy flagship, Orion.



The stakes are even higher in this third journey as Cruz and his classmates continue their ongoing quest to find his mother's revolutionary "secret formula" … and now, his missing father. The clock begins to tick, and the action intensifies as his 13th birthday draws near … a milestone that will change his life forever.  Inspired by the pioneering work of real-life space archaeologist Sarah Parcak, Cruz and his classmates from the coolest school on the planet use high-tech images from satellites to locate the buried sites of ancient civilizations and to help combat the real problem of artifact looting.

“The Truth Behind the Fiction” section of the book explains how Parcak uses infrared light, UV light and microwaves to reveal pyramids, temples and even entire cities buried beneath layers of forest and soil. The fact-based fiction concept of Explorer Academy is one of the elements that sets this series apart from other middle-grade series, and allows kids to dig deeper into the fascinating, cutting-edge research, science and technology of real National Geographic Explorers.

For more adventures with Cruz and his fellow explorers, fans can head to ExplorerAcademy.com to watch the Explorer Academy animated series “Brain Freeze,” play Explorer Academy-inspired games, and find the latest updates on The Double Helix. 

GIVEAWAY

Series of 3 books: 
Nebula Secret, Falcon's Feather, & Double Helix

Begins October 19

Ends November 18 at 12:01 a.m. ET

Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of the featured book. No other compensation received. Winner's prize of books is provided and shipped directly to the winner by the publisher or publicist.