Circus
by Linda Granfield
Summer is the time for baseball games, theme parks, and circuses. For those who wonder how circuses began, this book has all the answers. It's jam packed with information about early Greek and Roman circuses, the growth of modern circuses, and all the hoopla associated with circuses - the marketing, the acrobats, the artistry, and the controversies. An entire chapter on clowns will either fascinate or terrify, depending on the reader.
One of the book's drawbacks is the dense amount of text, which may be intimidating, especially when spread over nearly 100 pages. I can't see kids reading it cover to cover unless they were really interested or working on a research project. Another disappointment is the use of standard, conventional fonts which don't match the excitement of the circus atmosphere.
However, the pages also feature a wealth of photos, paintings, programs, posters, and ticket stubs that kids will want to scrutinize closely. They'll also gain an appreciation for the international appeal of circuses.
101 Cool Pool Games for Children: Fun and Fitness for Swimmers of All Levels
by Kim Rodomista
Most kids love water and water-play, so this book is ideal for hours of fun. Many of the games are variations of tag, but there are also imagination games, team games, racing games, water exercises, and even out-of-the-pool games to keep kids happy and healthy. Easy to learn, each game is coded with simple icons indicating skill level (beginner to advanced), required props (beach balls, water balloons, pool noodles, etc) and amount of physical contact.
Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular True Story of Annette Kellerman, Who Swam Her Way to Fame, Fortune, & Swimsuit History
by Shana Corey
In 1903, female athletes were rare and female swimming even rarer. After all, it's impossible to swim if you're wearing stockings, bloomers, dresses, and corsets! Along came Annette Kellerman, who believed that swimming was the best sport in the world. Her elegant dips and dives and whirls enchanted audiences as much as her racing suits scandalized them.
A trailblazer, Annette's story is told with appropriately twirly pictures and curly fonts mimicking the allure of the waves. Very effervescent!
The Random House Dinosaur Travel Guide
by Kelly Milner Halls
Dinosaur-obsessed kids will probably want to see Jurassic World (opening today) over and over again. Lure them out of the movie theatre with a road trip to all things dinosaur with this unique travel guide. It's packed with over 300 dinosaur destinations worth visiting across the United States and Canada. There are enough fossils, bones, replicas, rocks, and footprints to keep kids happy all summer. Museums and national parks predominate, but dinosaur theme parks are also included, providing fun, if less authentic, experiences. More dino-related facts can be found in the Bone Digger Bonus segments, as well as stories from paleontologists. The book even includes a dinosaur shopping guide, with listings for dinosaur t-shirts, posters, candies, jewelry, toys, and soap.
This is London
by M. Sasek
First published in 1959, Sasek's great big guide to the city of London, England is written and illustrated with ample wit and fun. A charming travel book that appeals to all ages. Up-to-date information is included at the end of the book.
Sasek wrote a series of city guides: This Is Edinburgh,
This is Hong Kong,
This is Munich,
This Is New York,
This is Paris, This is Rome,
This is San Francisco,
This Is Texas,
This Is Venice,
and This is Washington, D.C.
To save shelf space, consider getting This Is the World: A Global Treasury. A compilation, this volume contains abridged versions of Sasek's city and country guides.
Storybook Travels: From Eloise's New York to Harry Potter's London, Visits to 30 of the Best-Loved Landmarks in Children's Literature
by Colleen Dunn Bates & Susan LaTempa
Good stories are able to transport readers, through their imaginations, into other worlds. While places like Wonderland, the Emerald City, or Narnia aren't real, other places actually exist. Ride a riverboat like Tom Sawyer, visit Anne Shirley's Haunted Wood, hike Heidi's alps in Switzerland, or look for Ramona's house in Portland. These are just four of the thirty adventures compiled in Storybook Travels. Each chapter has a brief summary of a children's book, a description of the trip as experienced by the authors and their children, and a suggested itinerary with addresses and contact information, including websites.
Fun and accessible, this is an excellent guide to some enchanting, memorable trips that the whole family is sure to enjoy.
Storied City: A Children's Book Walking-Tour Guide to New York City
by Leonard S. Marcus
Marcus is a well-known literary critic and a New-Yorker, so this guide is an excellent book to take along if you're going to NYC with children. There are twenty-one walking tours in total, covering every New York borough. Marcus's travel choices are taken from over 200 fiction and nonfiction children's books, so you're bound to find a tour that will appeal to every age group. There are, of course, a lot of art galleries and museums to visit, but children will be thrilled to see where Stuart Little sailed his boat, the house of Harriet the Spy, or the subway murals by artist Faith Ringgold, illustrator of Tar Beach.
With maps and pictures and interesting facts, Storied City is a handy, portable guide to New York people, places, and history.
