Book Review: From Here to There

FROM HERE TO THERE: A BOOK OF MAZES TO WANDER AND EXPLORE by Sean C. Jackson is a stunning book that combines beautiful art with engaging puzzles.

This engaging book provides an excellent introduction to art, architecture, and 3-D puzzles along with dozens of engaging mazes to complete. The author's introduction includes background information about mazes in general and also the 3-dimensional approach taken by the author/illustrator. The variety of mazes and the illustrator's use of color add to the book's appeal.

Each maze contains a starting point, ending point, and name. While most of the mazes are single pages, a few are two-page spreads. The combination of rural and urban settings along with natural and human-made landscapes make the book particularly appealing.

Librarians will find this book to be a popular addition to the nonfiction collection. Young people will enjoy how the mazes seem to define gravity. When sharing the book with children show images of M.C. Escher and discuss this technique.

ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Website Review: SolveMe Mobiles

SOLVEME MOBILES provide a fun and engaging way to explore math and problem-solving.

Designed to support algebraic reasoning, this interactive experience presents users with colorful puzzles that help algebra and pre-algebra students strengthen their skills at solving equations for unknown values.

The project contains two sections: play and build.

The Play section asks users to imagine a hanging sculpture. Participants can explore three levels of built-in puzzles, share their own puzzles, list saved puzzles, and like favorites. A variety of tools are available including an electronic hand, pencil, and eraser.

The Build section provides tools so users can create their own mobiles by selecting and placing shapes of specific colors. These puzzles can be saved and shared. The website also provides information for parents and teachers.

Librarians will find this appealing website to be a fun addition to the library along with the math classroom. Consider building the interactive activity into a learning station or maker space featuring books and manipulatives to explore math puzzles.

To learn more, go to http://solveme.edc.org/mobiles/.

Book Review: The Secret Keepers

THE SECRET KEEPERS by Trenton Lee Stewart is a fast-paced mystery adventure.

When Reuben finds a magical, antique watch with the power of invisibility, he’s propelled into a life-changing adventure filled with quirky characters, dangerous secrets, and a time-sensitive mystery.

Librarians will find a ready-made audience in fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Although the book’s length may be a barrier for some students, others will enjoy the depth of the plot. Children who like puzzles, surprises, and mysteries will enjoy the complexity of the story.

Published by Little, Brown Book on Hachette Books on September 27, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: What in the World? Look Again

WHAT IN THE WORLD? LOOK AGAIN from National Geographic Kids is the second book in a new series that contains dozens of fascinating photo puzzles for middle grades children to ponder.

As readers work their way through this colorful book, they’re faced with eight different types of puzzles.

The “What in the World?” puzzles ask children to use photos and written clues to find the answers to questions.
The “Real or Fake?” activities involve youth in deciding if a photo is real or fake.
The “Take a Look!” puzzles ask children to find items in a photo on a list.
The “Up Close” photos involve youth in matching extreme close-up photos with other images.
The “Hidden Animals” activities ask readers to find animals hidden in their natural habitats.
The “Optical Illusion” puzzles involves readers in looking at images different ways.
The “Double Take” photos ask children to find differences between two photos.
The “More Challenges” activities extend the experience with additional experiences to extend brain power. Answers can be found at the end of the book along with other resources to explore.

Librarians will find this new series to be a popular alternative to the “I Spy” books. The visual mysteries will provide endless opportunities for problem-solving fun. Use the book to kick off a digital photography project. Get youth involved with creating their own visual photo puzzles.

Published by National Geographic Kids on September 8, 2015.

App Review: Incredible Numbers

Looking for a way to support math in your library as part of your school’s STEM program? Try the INCREDIBLE NUMBERS app by Ian Stewart.

In this award-winning app, Stewart explores the hidden beauty of numbers and patterns. From music to nature, the app shows how mathematics is woven into everyday life.

This app is a wonderful way to help reluctant learners see the value in math through amazing animations, interactive demonstrations, and puzzles. Intended to inspire and promote curiosity, users are encouraged to play with sound waves, create codes, and find patterns. For students having trouble with abstract algebra and complex equations, this app helps to visualize math’s mysteries.

At $9.99 this isn’t an inexpensive app, however it’s well worth the investment. Consider the bundle that includes three apps from Touch Press including THE ELEMENTS, SOLAR SYSTEM, along with INCREDIBLE NUMBERS.

Learn more about this app at http://incrediblenumbersapp.com/.

Website & App Review: News-O-Matic

NEWS-O-MATIC is a subscription-based app that provides engaging nonfiction reading experiences for elementary students. Each weekday, readers are provided with standards-aligned, grade-appropriate news stories to read. The high-interest resources are a wonderful way to promote life-long reading habits. From covering science discoveries to sporting events, NEWS-O-MATIC provides exciting informational reading experiences across the curriculum.

Although the articles are brief, they’re a great starting point for class discussions and may stimulate interest in a more in-depth investigation. In addition to reading experiences, the features often include slideshows, puzzles, games, timelines, maps, or video clips. A read-aloud options is useful for students with special needs. In addition, a Spanish translation is also available.

Student accounts allow youth to take quizzes, write, draw, and record their results.

Available as both an iPad App from iTunes and an Android App from Google, go to http://press4kids.com/ for more information.