National Non-Fiction Day Review: Around the World and Fashion Long Ago, Children's, Non-fiction

Happy 

Remember the first ever one last year? This year I'm just doing the one review, but it's a fun one. All thanks to Scholastic who are supporting it, and to Usborne for sending me the book. 

September 2011, Usborne 

47 pages (excluding sticker sheets which are separate pages), Paperback

Review copy 

Children's, Non-fiction 

Themes: fashion, history, learning about different cultures, gorgeous dresses, improving fine motor skills (putting stickers in the correct places).

Summary from Usborne

Dress the characters in traditional clothing from countries around the world and throughout history, such as beautiful silk saris for an Indian wedding, elegant Spanish flamenco dresses, togas in Ancient Rome and fashionable outfits from 1950s America. 

Little girls will love discovering fashions past and present and from around the globe in this collection of two popular titles from the Sticker Dolly Dressing series. 

Simple text accompanying each scene is full of interesting facts about the featured period and culture. 

WARNING! Not suitable for children under 36 months because of small parts. Choking Hazrd. 

Nayuleska's thoughts

This is undeniably cute. I haven't seen this series before, and I'm definitely interested in checking out more books. It's a decent sized book dimensions wise. The stickers are found in two areas of the book, over several pages. It says where the stickers need to go (pages), and also what order to put the clothes on. It isn't just a simple sticker book which has the dress/shoes/hat all on one sticker. The shoes are always separate. Everything has its own sticker. Some of the national costumes use clothes which aren't seen underneath the outer clothes, but the stickers are still included so readers can truly understand how many parts costumes have. 

Having only glanced at the rest of the series, this is like an omnibus for two books, and I'm impressed enough to consider these as presents for a few young girls I know. Information, stunning, and easy to use, I give this entertaining, educative read 10/10. (I couldn't find anything wrong with it, other than it could have been longer!) 

Suggested reads

1001 Knights and Castle Things to Spot is full of lots of fun scenes, with diverse range of costumes (no stickers though). 

I hope you've enjoyed this post for NNFD. Please check out the official NNFD website, which has lots more info. 

My National Non-Fiction Week (Day) is finished.

Just a quick note to say my unofficial National Non-fiction Week has now finished. The actual day was on Thursday 4th November. Here are a list of the books I read for this week.

The Big Green Book by Fred Pearce 

A Really Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson 

The Princess files by Valerie Wilding

Entertaining and Educating Young Children by Caroline Young

My Top 20 Sharks by Steve Parker

The Great World Search and The Great City Search

My post about NNFD

See Inside Space by Katie Daynes

Archaeology Detectives by Simon Adams

You Choose by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart

1001 Knights and Castle things to Spot 

Under the Sea by Anna Milbourne and Cathy Shimmen

What If they Find Us? by Kathy Clarke

Horrible Histories: Angry Aztecs and Incredible Incas

Horrible Histories: Nasty Knights

First Thousand Words in Japanese by Heather Amery 

VS: Pirates by Richard Platt and Steve Stone

By one of my reviewers George Washington, Spymaster by Thomas B Allen

The One That Got Away by Chris Ryan

Maths by Basher and Dan Green

Punctuation by Basher and Mary Budzik 

Chemistry by Basher and Dan Green

I've had a great deal of fun reading so many different books and exploring different areas. I've gained a lot as both a reader and a writer. I hope you have enjoyed this event, and hopefully I'll be celebrating it next year! 

Chemistry by Basher and Dan Green

July 2010, Kingfisher

128 pages, Paperback

Review copy 

Non-fiction, 

Things go boom! Metals, elements, atoms - if it involves chemistry, it'll be in here. 

Summary from Pan MacMillan

Discover the secrets of chemistry, and learn about the properties of matter and the ways in which they interact, combine and change. CHEMISTRY is a compelling guide to a community of characters who make up everything around us.

Nayuleska's thoughts

Unlike Maths, which I just never liked, Chemistry terrified me. I remember visiting my secondary school before I went, entering the science room, see the bunsen burners light up and I was scared. I was terrified of fire back then. I don't like it now, but at least I can light a match and be in the same room as a flame and not want to blow it out. We used bunsen burners a lot in chemistry - for most of the experiments. I never used them - my friends would always turn them on and off for me. I didn't get marked down on this - my teachers knew I didn't like them. I was equally scared of all the different chemicals (I was convinced something bad would happen). I didn't understand all the different terms used. This book has really changed my mind. I have video games to thank for that. 

You may be thinking 'What is the link between video games and chemistry?' There's a lot. In video games and some of the anime I watch, it deals with elements of the world - earth, air, fire, water, metal. Characters have magical abilities relating to those and many more. Reading this book, I started to understand the science behind those particular anime characters. My Muse started getting ideas for one of my current wips. I found myself wanting to go back to school and do all the experiments myself. I want to use a filter and distillation equipment. I want to use the universal indicator and watch it change colour. This new found delight in a subject I hated is all thanks to this book. The poster at the back is funkier than the other posters, because instead of lining everything up in groups it has the equipment placed around a science lab. 

Final conclusion

I never thought I'd say this, but I like chemistry! 

Check out the other books in the series: Maths, Punctuation, Rocks and Minerals

The others (which currently aren't reviewed but I'll be buying them soon) Astronomy, Biology, Periodic Table, Physics, Planet Earth

Punctuation by Basher and Mary Budzik

July 2010, Kingfisher

64 pages, Paperback

Review copy

Non-fiction, 

Facts about punctuation, humour 

Summary from Pan MacMillan 

With its lively, creative approach, this is a unique and highly memorable one-stop guide to using punctuation marks correctly. Each mark is represented by its own character – from unassuming Semicolon to loud-mouthed Exclamation Mark – who explain in their own words what makes them tick and how they are used. "Do"s and "Don't"s provide practical advice to help every child unravel the rules and regulations of the English language.

Nayuleska's Thoughts

Punctuation. It is something every single one of us use in life. It is also quite tricky to understand, especially if you forget what you learned at school (or weren't taught as thoroughly as you could have been). Please don't analyse my use of punctuation in my posts! I use these !!!!!'s too much :) And I don't mind either. I never knew there were at least 8 types of uses for the comma. And I'm still a bit hazy on when to use a colon and a semi-colon. The beauty of having the punctuation presented in sections rather than in a text only book is that it is easier to dip in and out, seeking out the rule that you need. The fun element comes in the illustration, and the manner that the facts are presented. Each of the concepts has it's own personality, which makes it more entertaining to remember (I keep thinking of the mouse and the elephant on the see-saw, which do feature in the poster at the back). This series just keeps on getting better.

Final conclusion 

A great tool for children and writers, it explains the evil semi-colon!! (and exclamation marks...which I just possibly overuse (but don't really care! At least not in my blogging)). 

Be sure to check out other books in the series: Chemistry, Rocks and Minerals, and Maths. 

Maths by Basher and Dan Green

July 2010, Kingfisher
64 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Non-fiction,

Summary from Pan MacMillan
With its lively, creative approach, this is a unique and highly memorable one-stop guide to the building blocks of mathematics. Meet bubbly Zero, who can dissolve you to nothing; all-action Units, who just love to measure; greedy-guts Multiply, a big guy who hoards numbers together; and mysterious Pi, who goes on and on and on... to Infinity! Plus tonnes of practical advice to help every child unravel the rules and regulations of mathematics.

Nayuleska's Thoughts
Having read one of the books by Basher before, I jumped on the chance to check out this book. I'm not good at Maths. I reach for a calculator whenever I can. I love this book because it examines maths terms and concepts in groups, all with funky pictures. The sections are colour coordinated too. The bright colours used on the cover continue throughout the book. The illustrations make it more appealing - when I think about multiplying I have this image of a little green dude with lots of little green dudes below him. The ratio illustration looks like a famous illustration (I can't remember what it is though!).

Most of the concepts are on a spread of two pages. One page has large illustration of the concept. The other has the following format:

• Name of the concept
• Name of the group it belongs to 
• 3 facts about it. 
• Two paragraphs about what the concept does, and how it works
• A small fact box about who created it, or an example of how to use it, plus sometimes a few bullet points with further details about it. 

I think what would be really cool would be workbooks using lots of maths problems and the funky illustrations - that would make maths extremely enjoyable! The poster at the end (which can be taken out, just don't accidentally rip it like I did (I'm not having much success with maps/flaps) accidentally puts the concepts in their groups and lines them up. It's a good revision aid. I wish I had this when I was at school! 

Final Conclusion
Invaluable if, like me, you struggle with Maths. Or if you need a small refresher.

Check out more fun books in this series, Chemistry, Punctuation, Rocks and Minerals also by Basher (and various others)

The One That Got Away (Junior edition) by Chris Ryan

4th November 2010, Red Fox 

336 pages, Paperback

Review copy 

Children's, 9+, factual 

Occasional moderate violence, lots of suspense, tissues needed, not for the faint stomached. 

Summary from Random House Children's Books

The heroic, real-life personal account of Chris Ryan's most famous mission, The One That Got Away, is now reworked for a new generation. Some authors just write about it. Chris Ryan has been there, done it - and here is the gripping real-life tale . . .

During the Gulf War in 1991, Chris Ryan became separated from the other members of the SAS patrol, Bravo Two Zero. Alone, he beat off an Iraqi attack and set out for Syria. Over the next seven days he walked almost 200 miles, his life constantly in danger.

Of the eight SAS members involved in this famous mission, only one escaped capture. This is his story . . .

Nayuleska's thoughts

I've included this book as part of my unofficial National Non-Fiction week because it is a factual account on what happened on the operation. I'd heard about this briefly. I was eager to read the children's edition - I haven't read the adult edition, and I'm glad I haven't because I think it would have been too intense for me. I felt so much fear for Chris throughout the book. I knew he survived but what he suffers is horrendous. He loses some comrades, which is really sad but there wasn't really another choice. It is truly amazing how he survived. He wasn't what I would called well equipped for the mission - that wasn't necessarily his fault. Mistakes were made. I think lessons were learned too. I knew people had a rough time out on missions, but this book gives me access to Chris's thoughts. The future looked really bleak. I felt nauseas at several points, because I was close to the characters and what happened to them was out of the blue. However, there was a positive side to the book. A few characters in there, people in Syria looked after Chris. It goes to show that people will help the wounded. Personally I will try not to complain about the cold again. I may feel frozen, but I haven't lost my toenails through frostbite and infection. 

Final conclusion

I'd always had a lot of respect for the SAS and anyone in the forces who go on operations, now I've got even more. 

Chris Ryan has his own site here. 

Try Drop Zone by Andy McNab

Pirates (vs) by Richard Platt and Steve Stone

September 2010, Kingfisher

64 pages, Hardback 

Review copy

Non-fiction, Children's

Lots of facts about pirates throughout history, including info on clothes, weapons, fighting tactics

Summary from Pan MacMillan

What would happen if a dashing Barbary corsair fought one of the fearsome Viking raiders? Who would win and why? Who would be the ultimate fighting pirate? In VS – PIRATES, pirates meet and engage in deadly combat, in fierce hand-to-hand battles. Information on chosen weapons (such as cutlasses, grappling hooks and pistols), plus armour and tactics, gives further insight to each pirate’s strengths and character.

Nayuleska's thoughts

This book is awesome! It reminds me a little of a video game, the ones where you fight other components for the sole purpose of defeating them in a ring set in a stunning location. I couldn't resist learning more about pirates, and I wasn't disappointed with this book. First there is a timeline of when the pirates lived, and also a map of where they sailed. Then there is a double page with head shots of the pirates facing each other (and they look as though they are growling). That double pages open up to a 4 page spread. One has all the details of the pirates - what they wore, what weapons they use, their fighting tactics, the food they'd eat, what they do for first aid and also general advice to prepare them for the fight. Then there is a larger, full body shot (again aimed at the other opponent). This includes a little health bar. On the next page the winner is announced and more details about their life is revealed. It was cool how the fights were set up, leading to an overall winner being announced. The reader then gets to choose who wins in different pairings, and there is an extensive glossary with words used. are pictures of the opponents, then you open up the page and learn more about them. It lists details of what they wear, how their weapons work, how they fought, 

Final conclusion

A must for all pirate fans! It's a good starting point if you want to use pirates in your writing too! 

Find out about Knights in Horrible Histories: Nasty Knights by Terry Deary and Martin Brown

First Thousand Words in Japanese by Heather Amery

2003, Usborne Children's Books
64 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Non-fiction, language

Japanese language, useful words of objects, people, verbs and places,

Summary from Usborne Children's Books
1000 everyday words illustrated with pictures and busy scenes to help children learn key vocabulary.


Next to each picture, the Japanese word is written in "kana”, the Japanese syllabic signs often used for beginners, along with a transliteration in Roman letters.


Includes a short introduction to "kana" with a simple pronunciation guide and a Japanese/English list of all the words in the book.


Listen to all the words on the Usborne Quicklinks Website read by a native Japanese speaker.

Nayuleska's thoughts
When I was at school, studying French, I had one of these books. I can't remember what it was like when I first saw the book, because by the time I passed it on to someone else I knew most of the words. This is why I requested the Japanese version for review. I'm learning Japanese, and the vocabulary I'm mostly learning is in a textbook. This includes ordinary objects - but so far I haven't come across the word for scarecrow, pitchfork, paint. (This book is for all language learners, not just children).

The book has an easy to follow format. In the border are pictures of objects within the central illustration, with both the kana (Japanese alphabet, of which there are two) and the romanised proncounciation (say it as it sounds). I like this lay out because you can enjoy looking at the picture, testing yourself on what you do know so far. Additionally there is no English vocabulary until the back of the book. The children are quite mischievous throughout the book, especially in the toyshop. On each page you have to hunt for the yellow duck (which, on discussion with a publicist, should be a secondary symbol for Usborne's books (official symbol is a balloon). At the back of the book is a vocabulary list for each page (Romanji & English). It also explains about kanji, which isn't used in the book, but is needed over the course of learning Japanese if learners are to understand written works.

• Topics covered include the following
• House (rooms)
• Kitchen
• Shed
• Town
• Toyshop
• Park
• Zoo
• Airport, railway station
• Countryside
• Farm
• Beach
• School
• Hospital
• Party
• Supermarket
• Food, clothes, parts of the body
• Jobs
• Actions (verbs) 
• Hobbies
• Sport
• Adjectives, prepositions
• Dates, weather, seasons
• Shapes, colours 
• Circus

Final conclusion
Whatever language you're studying, pick up one of these 1000 words books to help learn vocabulary in a fun way.

Horrible Histories: Nasty Knights by Terry Deary and Martin Brown

2010, Scholastic

94 pages, paperback

Review copy

Lots of historical facts about knights, buckets of humour

Summary from Scholastic

Forget the fairy tales from days of old when knights were supposed to be bold and damsels were always in distress, and brace themselves for the terrible truth about the cold-blooded killers. From Arthur and his mythical knights to warrior kings and cruel crusades there are foul facts on a whole host of knasty knights plus dire details of the weapons they used and the rotten rules of knight fights.

Nayuleska's thoughts

I was interested to see what this book would be like, because it examines a group of people (Knights) rather than a period of history. This book is different to the other Horrible Histories that I've read so far. It is larger - almost twice the size, and it is in colour! The coloured illustrations suit the subject matter well and adds volumes to the whole book. I can imagine the knights moving about on the page as I read what their lives entail. My interest in knights isn't from a historical point of view. I enjoy reading novels which tell the lives of knights. This book gave me further insight to those stories - it explains why certain customs happen, why particular clothes are worn, and generally what happens to a knight in his life. It explains about the different Orders of knights, most of which I'd heard of at some point on the news. Admittedly, most of the books I read are about female knights. However, there's a section in the book which deals with strong women who fought in battle, showing that men weren't the only ones to fight (although they were naturally greater in numbers than the female fighters).

Final conclusion

If you're a fan of knights, you need this book. It explains everything :)

Check out Horrible Histories: Angry Aztecs and Incredible Incas by Terry Deary, Martin Brown and Philip Reeve.

Horrible Histories: Angry Aztecs and Incredible Incas by Terry Deary, Martin Brown & Philip Reeve

2009, Scholastic

288 pages, Paperback

Review copy

Non-fiction, Children's,

Lots of facts about Aztecs and Incas, some quizzes too.

Summary from Scholastic

In Angry Aztecs you will encounter the Mayan mysteries, cunning Conquistadors and people whose idea of fun was ripping out human hearts. The Incredible Incas gives all the gory details about the incredible empire which ruled 12 million people but was smashed by 260 Spanish invaders ... and a few germs!

Nayuleska's thoughts

I love this series! I grew up with it when I was at school. I'd laugh at the illustrations, and eagerly turn the pages upside down to see whether the questions were true or false. The covers have had a make over since I last read them, and there are lots of books in the series (as well as books in other Horrible subjects). Not that history is horrible. It can be a bit complicated with the dates and different names (some of the spellings for the Aztecs and Incans would be problematic if you have to learn them for a test). This omnibus provided several fun filled hours for me. Each book follows roughly the same format: there's an introduction to history in general, a timeline of the era, then various facts about the era including what life was like for both boys and girls, rich and poor.

What was pleasantly surprising was how different the introductions were (they are not the same! I checked and they are very different), and how the timeline is laid out is different too. What both have in common is the sheer hilarity of the writing. Terry definitely has a way with words - children will want to remember the facts because they are interesting. Martin and Philip's illustrations bring it all to life. It isn't for the faint hearted, some of the facts made me feel a bit queasy. There are true/false quizzes throughout the books, and also a larger quiz at the end which tests the reader's knowledge and understanding of what they've read. Hopefully this will then encourage the reader to go and read other (probably less interesting) books on the subject, because they've got this one for fun.

Final conclusion:

Aztecs were fond of sacrificing people, the Inca's fought a lot and had a thing for guinea pigs.

Check out another Horrible Histories book: Nasty Knights

What If They Find Us? by Kathy Clarke

2010, Scholastic

218 pages, Paperback

Review copy

True story, Children's

Nazi occupied Hungary, life in hiding, convent life, friendship, death, uncertainty, families, some real danger, many tissues needed.

Summary from Scholastic

Kathy Clarke tells the true story of two young Jewish girls: Susan and Vera, who in German-occupied Hungary suddenly find themselves sent to a convent to be kept "safe" from the Nazis. Here they discover the meaning of humanity as the nuns valiantly risk their lives every day to save 120 Jewish children.

Nayuleska's thoughts

This book shows that non-fiction doesn't always mean a reference book. Books telling an account of what happened, like this one, is a story. It is more horrifying because the events are true (a few names/situations were changed a little). I've read Anne Frank's diary, I've read about those living in concentration camps. I had never read about children being hidden by nuns. This is an emotional book. From the start I knew there would be a lot of tears, I didn't realise how many. At every sweet moment (there are some), I was smiling, but wanting to cry because I knew it wouldn't last, and that some tragedy would strike the sisters. The story focuses more on Susan, since she is the eldest and the one who understands the most. The fear and uncertainty of having to leave her family is clear, but the nuns are such lovely people that she soon fits into life at the convent - so much so she doesn't want to leave. She does eventually, but only after personal tragedy.

Final conclusion

This is a book that'll make you laugh and cry. It's a reminder of what people suffered in the past, as well as what people suffer now in some areas of the world. The nuns provided these girls hope, and saved their lives.

If you like this, try Auslander by Paul Dowswell

Under the Sea by Anna Milbourne and Cathy Shimmen

2007, Usborne Children's Books
24 pages, Hardback
Review copy

Non-fiction, Children's, Picture book

Beautiful scenes about life under the waves

Summary from Usborne Children's Books
A simple and evocative story that reveals the wonderful natural world beneath the sea.


Children will love following the story through colourful coral reefs and past a big blue whale before plunging into the deepest, darkest depths to see the strange creatures which live at the very bottom of the ocean.


The engaging text is accompanied by the colourful illustrations of Cathy Shimmen.


Beautifully presented with a padded cover, this is an ideal gift for young children.

Nayuleska's thoughts
The vibrant illustrations capture the essence of what life is like under the sea (although I think the reality is much brighter than these colours portray). The book explores all areas of the ocean - from the coral reefs, to the depths were no light reaches. What I liked most was the colouring - it is bright and colourful, and looks textured too (the pages are smooth, but it isn't all flat colours). It really looks as though the sunlight is piercing through the water. One of my favourite scenes was where the manatees (sea cows) eat grass - it looks so peaceful and I want to go swim with them, and the cute little seahorses which are bobbing around. Or I want to fly on the backs of the rays (obviously avoiding their tails if they'll sting me). There are no human characters in this book, and I think this was a good decision. I could sit here staring at the pictures, imagining the sea life move around. It looks so warm and inviting.

Final conclusion
A good first look at life under the waves (anyone who has seen Disney's Finding Nemo may have children crying 'Nemo' or 'Duuudddeee' when spotting the clown fish and turtles. Or maybe that's just me...)

1001 Knights and Castle Things to Spot

March 2010, Usborne Children's books
32 pages, Hardback
Review copy

Non-fiction,

Everything you would ever want to know about Knights and Castles

Summary from Usborne Children's Books
An action-packed book depicting life in the Middle Ages with scenes bursting with people and objects for children to find, count and talk about.


Scenes include a village fair, a fantastic feast, a Spring jousting tournament and a school for young knights.


Helps develop vital word and number skills

Nayuleska's thoughts
This is a quite a different book to the Horrible Histories, Nasty Knights. Everything here is cute and fluffy (well, the illustrations are cute. There is some danger when the castle is under siege, and residents are at risk from flying objects, but mostly this is how I imagine some of the knights and ladies of castle look in stories I read)

Each page/double page spread has a large picture about a particular part of the castle. Inside it people are going about their lives, with a lot of humour in some cases. On each page the reader is asked to find Will, who is a squire aspiring to be a knight. Additionally, around the edge are objects/people which the reader is asked to find (always a certain number, which varies). This encourages observation skills, and helps educate readers about life at a castle. At the end of the book Will has to go on a squire's quest, so the reader has to go back through the book and find a certain number of particular objects.

• Topics covered
• A castle home
• Bird's eye view of the castle and it's grounds, including people enjoying a boat trip in the moat
• Castle life
• What goes on mostlly in the courtyard, including a boy splashing in puddled by the laundry tubs
• In the kitchen
• Lots of spillages going on here, as well as cheeky mice who are helping themselves to food or teasing mice
• A village fair
• Where you can buy shoes, watch jesters juggle, buy fabric, and even see pickpockets at work (I liked this touch of realism)
• Woodland rescue
• Everyone is trying to either save the damsels in distress, or protect them from the rescuers. 
• Fantastic feast
• So much food here - but not everyone is happy - some are bored! 
• Winter party
• Everyone is out skating on the ice, including the royal family. There are even knight snowmen! 
• Spring tournament
• Jousting, archery, snacks, injuries and excited spectators. 
• May Day
• Everyone is celebrating, some around the maypole, others near the crowned may Queen (some of the girls are jealous of her), or playing games
• Castle garden
• This is my favourite scene because all the ladies of the castle are relaxing, chatting to each other, some are reading, others are sewing, two are playing chess. 
• Knight school 
• At last Will gets to check out knight school! The squires work hard. 
• Knights at Arms (which is the castle under seige)
• The knights aren't there to look good, they also have to fight!
• New Knights
• The knighting ceremony - mischief continues here too! 

Final conclusion
Learn about castles and knights by finding objects hidden in the pictures

Knightly books: Horrible Histories: Nasty Knights
Finding objects in pictures books: The Great World Search and The Great City Search

You Choose by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart

October 2010, Corgi Children's
32 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Non-fiction, Children's (early years)

Lots of stickers, words and illustrations about the world

Summary from Random House Children's Books
Imagine you could go anywhere, with anyone and do anything. Where would you live? Where would you sleep? Who would be your friends? What games would you play? Go on . . . You choose! 
With a simple text and vibrant illustrations children will love creating their own stories and letting their imagination run wild!

Now with a wonderfully fun story sticker frieze! Readers have the power to decide how the story should unfold. With over forty vibrant stickers, their creations can be as normal or as wacky as they want –simply hours of fun!

Nayuleska's thoughts
The sticker frieze is perfect - the words are written clearly, with gaps for readers to place a sticker of their choosing onto the frieze. This allows the reader to create endless combinations. The frieze is folded into the front of the book. The rest of the book has it's pages filled with dozens of different objects/people places. Some I didn't even think of until prompted by the book. I read a few books like this when I was little, and I remember staying curled up in bed in the morning, making up stories as I looked at the different objects before me. In this book, the readers follow two friends and their cat, spotting which each of the characters like on a page. I feel this book could be used for many things - seeing how other people live, exploring jobs and hobbies, as well as getting ideas to fuel the imagination.

• Categories covered in the book 
• Places
• (I like outer space)
• People
• My favourite was the alien
• Homes 
• Not all are houses - one is a fairy toadstool 
• Furniture
• I like the fountain
• Transport
• I like the moped
• Food
• Chocolate cake is always a winner
• Clothes 
• The kimono is in purple! 
• Shoes
• I like the platform boots
• Hats
• There's a tiara here
• Pets
• I'd love a dragon or a unicorn
• Job
• Shamefully they didn't have a writer. So I'll pick....florist (in this imaginary world I wouldn't have hayfever)
• Hobbies
• Ideal hobby (that I don't do) - pottery! I liked it how a boy was knitting :) 
• Beds 
• The funniest one was the alien in its alien bed :) 

Final conclusion:
A brilliant book for developing young imaginations, stories, and exploring the world.

Check out The Great City Search and The Great World Search

Archaeology Detectives by Simon Adams (Children's, Non-fiction, 10/10E)

May 2008, Oxford University Press
128 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Non-fiction, Children's, 8 years +

Filled with facts on many ancient civilisatiosn

Summary from Oxford University Press

Archaeology Detectives shows young readers how archaeologists interpret a wide range of evidence to put together pictures of vanished civilizations

How do we know what ancient Athens was like or how the Aztecs lived? This question is fully answered by Archaeology Detectives, which tells the story of how archaeologists in the past two hundred years have gradually deciphered some of the world's most fascinating ancient sites. It takes the reader on the journey from initial discovery of specific sites or monuments to contemporary understanding of the civilizations that built them.

This book links archaeological techniques with stories of how pioneers deciphered real sites, describing the thrilling process of analysis, frustrations, breakthroughs, and luck.

Nayuleska's thoughts
Fragments! Okay, so I'm an ancient history lover. If I see a pot, or fragments of a pot, I'm happy. I smiled the entire time I read this book - just seeing the stunning photos of artefacts and the excavation sites made me one  content reader. The book explores techniques used in archaeology, exploring some of the famous sites that have been excavated. It includes arguments involved at the time of the digs, special advances in technology which aided the archaeologists, and also the status of the sites in the world we live in today. Below follows a list of the places explored, and my random thoughts on them.

• Altamira, 12,000 BCE 
• Cave men were a creative bunch, filling their caves with paintings
• Mohenjo-Daro, 2600 BCE: 
• Lots of bricks used in this Indian city
• Troy, 1900 BCE: 
• I studied this! Including that wooden horse. 
• Palace of Knossos, 1700 BCE: 
• You wouldn't want to get lost in here, not if you wanted to avoid the minotaur 
• Tutankhamun's tomb 1322 BCE: 
• That famous Egyptian dude wrapped in bandages
• Mont Lassois and Vix, 520 BCE: 
• Not some strange medicine - a hill fort and a burial site. 
• Alexandria Lighthouse, 290 BCE: 
• Yup, studied about here too. It's not helping any ships now. 
• Terracotta Warriors, 210 BCE: 
• Lots of soldiers holed up in China, each one unique. 
• The Rosetta Stone, 196 BCE: 
• This was the find of the century - three languages on one stone! 
• Pompeii, 79 CE 
• Fire spewed out from the earth in a volcano, burying the town, preserving lots of useful info for archaeologists and ancient historians
• Tenochtitlan, 1325 CE: 
• A stunning site left over from the Aztecs
• Machu picchu 1440 CE: 
• The Incas also built a beautiful city
• Ozette, 1450s CE: 
• Native Americans were at the heart of this find. 
• The Vasa, 1628 CE: 
• A Swedish ship, filled with lots of treasure! 
• Titanic, 1912 CE: 
• This one doesn't need an introduction other than Iceberg ahead!! 

Final conclusion
A springboard for budding archaeologists and historians alike.

Other good reads:
Horrible Histories: Angry Aztecs and Incredible Incas by Terry Deary and Martin Brown, and Philip Reeve.

See inside Space by Katie Daynes (Children's, Non-fiction, 10E/10E)

2008, Usborne Children's Books

12 pages, Hardback

Review copy

Non-fiction, children's, 6 years +

Full of facts on space, planets, stars, galaxies, space stations

Summary from Usborne Children's Books

A flap book of astronomical proportions, packed with facts and information about the stars, planets and the universe.

Fabulous double-page topics show our solar system, the Milky Way, how scientists think the universe was created and the latest space travel technology.

Over 50 flaps reveal fascinating facts about the universe and there's a little book of star maps tucked in a pocket at the back of the book.

Includes internet links to websites with the latest space information, games and photos.

Nayuleska's thoughts

This book has flaps and I didn't destroy them! (as I did for this book) Although a few are a little hard to see (access to the flip is by a small cut out semi-circle). This books is perfect for a reader who is learning about space. It's fun lifting the flaps to see the extra bits of info. Staring at the photos made me realise how big the universe is (we don't know it's actual size). The best thing is I finally understand about nebula! As a big fan of Star Gate and Star Trek, nebulas come up in the story line. I never really knew what it was - I was too busy paying attention to the story. Nebula, for those who are interested, is where a star is born :) Lots of stars!

There are 12 pages...but some of these pages open out, doubling the size of the page :) This placed on emphasis on how large space is, and also made more room for explaining things. I liked the timeline which showed when certain aspects of space were discovered, including the demotion of Pluto from being a normal planet to a dwarf planet. I remember that happening and thinking 'wow, this is a huge deal!' At the back is a rather nifty feature. In a little pocket is a booklet that contains star maps. For each quarter of the year, it shows the reader the map of the sky for both Northern and Southern hemispheres and whether you are looking North or South.

Final thoughts

Space is explained in a easily accessible format for whatever the reader wants to know about.

Make sure you check out the Quicklinks page on Usborne, with heaps of beneficial sites to explore about space.

Welcome to National Non-Fiction Day!

Welcome to England's first ever National Non-Fiction Day! For an explanation of today, check out the post from Sunday which launched the unofficial National Non-Fiction Day on Nayu's Reading Corner.

We've had a great range of books so far, and there are many more to come. I'm having a fun week reading lots of non-fiction books.

I would like to thank a few people.

Thanks to Scholastic, who are behind the day - make sure you check out the official NNFD site.

Thanks to the lovely Library Mice who first contacted me asking if I'd like to take part in the day (as you can see it was a very enthusiastic yes!)

• I'd like to thank the following publishers for sending books specifically for today's event (well, the week event that focused around today) 
• MacMillan's Children's Books 
• Oxford University Press
• Random House Children's Books
• and Scholastic 

The publicists involved have all been extremely helpful and excited about today. A big thank you to all the authors, illustrators and editors for creating these books. 

I hope you're all spotting a few books that you might like to read! The world of non-fiction is rich and a wonderful place to explore. 

The Great World Search and The Great City Search

2009, Usborne Children's Books
48 pages each, hardback
Review copy

Non-fiction, 4 years +

World exploration, different cultures, fashions, animals, jobs, transportation, places to live, places of worship, places to visit, activities

Summary from Usborne Children's Books
The Great World Search
A fabulously illustrated puzzle book showing scenes from around the world and up to 100 people, animals and objects to spot in every double page scene.


Scenes include an airport, a floating market in Thailand, a colourful carnival in Trinidad and a forest village on the River Amazon.


Includes short captions with information and fascinating facts.

The Great City Search
A superbly illustrated puzzle book showing fabulous big city scenes, with around 100 people, animals and objects to spot in every double-page scene.


Scenes include a busy station, a museum, a park, going shopping and a crowded street scene.


Includes short captions with information and fascinating facts.

Nayuleska's thoughts
I could have spent an awful lot longer looking at these books. The concept is brilliant: the reader has to follow a character on their journey.

• The Great World Search has the reader following Great Aunt Marigold around the world. Additionally the temperatures of the place is included.
• Areas travelled to are
• Airport
• Floating Market (Thailand) 
• Beach (Australia) 
• Desert (Middle East)
• City (Japan)
• Pool (Iceland)
• Antartic
• Carnival (Trinidad)
• Souk (Morocco)
• Mall (USA)
• Ski slope (The Alps) 
• Safari (East Africa)
• Town (China)
• Forest (The Amazon)
• Island (Greece)
• Street (India)
• Reindeer races (Siberia) 
• Cruise ship 
• The Great City Search has the reader following Mayor Maurice on a day of his life. 
• Areas visited include
• Station
• Museum
• Hospital
• Park
• River
• School
• Shopping area
• Underground
• Building Site
• Street
• Pool

Each place has a double page. Around the outside of the picture are objects and people that the reader has to find (a certain number of each). Aunt Marigold/Mayor Maurice has to be found on each page, participating in the activity scene, as does a particular character from a group who are showed at the beginning of the book. Don't worry if you can't spot them all - there is an answer page at the back which has little dots showing where each item is.

This is not something that can be finished within minutes. Each scene is chock full of illustrations, making these perfect books for travelling, when in hospital, or just for a spare couple of hours. Equally if the reader is short on time they could try and find just a couple of objects for that session.

The book isn't read in order of the pages. A unique feature of this series is that the reader has to look to the bottom of the page where symbols are given for the next leg of the journey. This can be a person, train, plane, boat, bus, tax (varies from book to book) At the end of the book answers are given for the order that the book should be read in. (You can read the pages in order, but the fun of it is that the reader doesn't know where they are heading next). There are some additional puzzles as well for the reader. How to use the book is fully explained at the beginning.

I loved opening up the pages and not knowing what I would spot next. There are people having fun, a few in mild peril, others getting on with their lives. There's so much to see that my imagination was fired up just by flicking through the book. I feel that these books help readers know what to expect from the world. If they are taking a trip to a place shown in the book, they can find out in advance what kind of things are there, and can try and find objects that they've seen in the books. Additionally there are no stereotypes in the book - there's a female plumber! Yay!

Final conclusion
Hours of pleasure to be had finding objects and people around the world.

You can have a peek inside the books The Great World Search and The Great City Search