Tag: Schiffer Kids

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

My Left Right Book is a concept adventure

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

My Left and Right Book, by Siirsel Tas/Illustrated by Gökçe Akgül, (June 2025, Schiffer Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9780764369322

Ages 2-6

Learning left and right is a fun-filled romp with this handy picture book that takes readers on an adventure while teaching them their left from their right. From the bold, large text to the fun, bright illustrations, readers will pick this book up for multiple reads. Starting with illustrations of smiley hands on left and right pages to allow readers to match their hands to the ones in the book, the story progresses to the need to know one from the other in case the reader gets lost in a forest and has to ask directions from a bear, withstanding wind and rain, and finally, the silliest challenges to test your left and right knowledge. The interactivity makes this a great readaloud choice. Back matter includes handy cut-out bracelets, but PLEASE scan and print them to (hopefully) save your book in circulation or keep the bracelet printouts on hand to distribute during storytimes and keep a copy in storytime reference. All in all, a fun book that takes on a concept that can sometimes frustrate new learners.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Tall Tales for Kids: All the Things My Grandma/Grandpa Has Done

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

All the Things My Grandpa Has Done, by Noé Carlain/Illustrated by Ronan Badel, (June 2025, Schiffer Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9780764369186

Ages 3-6

A silly grandpa shares fun-loving of stories with his grandson who begins with the question, “Tell me Grandpa, did you have a grandpa?” Grandpa responds with a delightful series of tales of grandpas who were circus performers, buccaneers, even prehistoric men, all with incredible feats to their credit. There was the grandpa from Gaul whose prolific mustache tripped Julius Caesar’s horse and functioned as a swing for his grandchildren in peacetime; the human cannonball who wanted to impress a girl so he used too much gunpowder and “boom! No one ever saw him again” (which makes one wonder how he became a grandfather), the knight who dropped a mace on his foot so loudly that “even Sleeping Beauty woke up with a jolt”. Grandpa has big plans for his grandson’s future line, too; future grandchildren will fly rockets and go to school on the moon. Satisfied with his impressive family line, the boy goes out to play, leaving Grandpa to return to his newspaper. It’s a quiet, sweet story about the playful love between a grandfather and grandson. Grandpa’s movements are effusive as he recollects grandpas through history and the red of Grandpa’s easy chair makes its way into other Grandpa memories, like a flying machine, a knight’s pageantry, a red wagon, and more. A fun addition to storytime collections and a good purchase for Grandparents Day in September. All the Things My Grandpa Has Done was originally published in French in 2017.

 

All the Things My Grandma Has Done, by Noé Carlain/Illustrated by Ronan Badel, (June 2025, Schiffer Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9780764369179

Ages 3-6

Grandmas have tall tales, too. A young girl sits between her two grandmothers and asks if they had grandmas when they were little, prompting stories about adventurous grandmothers through history. Grandmothers were expert horseback riders and bakers; the first to bungee jump (using grandpa’s suspenders!) and swimmers; resistance fighters and trend-setters. One grandmother was set to be an astronaut until the powers that be chose a man at the last minute, but don’t worry: another grandmother was chosen by aliens “to represent humanity at an intergalactic congress. She took the opportunity to teach them some manners”. So many groundbreaking Nanas, and each have passed on gifts to their youngest granddaughter. Each grandmother story comes with a gift passed on, from not being afraid of thunderstorms to never picking one’s nose; not being afraid of heights and knowing that beauty doesn’t come from jewelry.  In a smile and wink to the reader, the girl closes the story by noting that her “granny and grandma are the best at telling stories!” and the two grannies share a proud smile. A delightful read for grandparents and grandchildren, with each grandmother dressed in style and bearing the shape of her respective family line. It’s an empowering and cheerful read that shows all kids that grandmas can do it all. Originally published in 2012 in French, All the Things My Grandma Has Done is part of Carlain and Badel’s All of the Things series, including All of the Things Santa Claus Will Never Do, All of the Things a Teacher Will Never Say, and more.

Posted in picture books, Toddler Reads

Three Board Books for Spring and Easter

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It is no secret that I love board books. Having a new grandbaby to share all these great new board books with? GOLD. Here are a few I’ll be tucking into her Easter basket – and reading at Spring storytimes!

Egg Hunt with Max and Moo, by Susie Lee Jin, (Jan. 2025, Schiffer Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9780764368851

Ages Birth-3

Max and Moo are having an Easter egg hunt, and you’re invited! Fun lift the flaps and a playful story show the two joining their friends preparing and enjoying the egg hunt. Doubling as a concept book, Egg Hunt helps reinforce colors as readers discover the eggs and the friends they’ll discover on the way. Characters from Max and Moo’s previous adventure, Peek-a-Moo!, show up here and will delight readers who are familiar with them. Bold, colorful illustration with bold, black fonts make for easy reading. Durable flaps will hold up to multiple reads. A fun read for holiday and board book collections!

Visit Susie Lee Jin’s website for fun and free downloadables and more about her books.

 

Oh So Sleepy Head to Toe, Illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama, (April 2025, Scholastic), $8.99, ISBN: 9781546139409

Ages Birth-3

This is more of a bedtime story, but there are adorable animals, including a bunny, so Spring it is! Animal friends are all getting ready for bed, and it’s up to readers to soothe them to sleep. Rub Little Sheep’s fuzzy tummy; smooth Little Pup’s blanket, pet Little Bunny’s ears: touch-and-feel pages and the repetitive “Goodnight” on each spread will soothe and relax readers and provide a gentle bedtime routine. If you’re holding a pajama storytime, encourage your attendees to repeat the behaviors on their own stuffed friends. Gama’s illustrations are adorable, with bright colors and cartoony animals, all curled up under their covers. A final directive to readers to “Wiggle your toes. Stretch your arms. Close your eyes” provides more interactivity and leads them into their own slumber (or the close of your storytime). Don’t miss this one.

 

Spring ABC, by Jannie Ho, (Jan. 2025, Candlewick Press), $7.99, ISBN: 9781536237689

Ages Birth-3

It’s a Spring alphabet! Filled with Spring images, this ABCedary is sure to be a hit. Cheerful, colorful illustrations will capture any reader’s attention, with playful alphabet choices like Apple Blossoms and Daisies; Ho thinks up creative ways to highlight other letters, like G, choosing the word “grow” and showing a worm next to a series of growing saplings; X for Extra Eggs, and Z for Zipper, showing the zipper of what could be a spring jacket. The book is well-constructed, with hardy pages that will hold up to multiple readings. A concept books essential, make sure to put this in your collections.

Spring ABC is the fifth book in Jannie Ho’s ABC series – visit her website to find out more!

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Tales from the TBR: Heart Strings, Hedgehogs, and the Moon

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Heart String, by Brooke Boynton-Hughes, (Dec. 2022, Chronicle Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781452181653

Ages 3-6

A string connects us all together: parents and children; neighbors and friends, we are all connected to one another and our world through this Heart String. Written as an ode to connection, Boynton-Hughes loving, gentle voice could be a teacher reading to their classroom, a parent to a child, or a friend to another. The repetitive phrase, “My heart is tied to yours” brings home the lovely sentiment that we are all together: “Across the garden, across the street, over the city and through the trees”; sharing emotions like joy and sorrow, no matter how near or far; our hearts are tied to each other as we work, play, learn and live. It’s a comforting thought that dispels anxiety and fear; we are part of a family, a neighborhood, a community, a world. Endpapers show a variety of people from all walks of life interacting and engaging with one another. Pencil and watercolor illustrations are soft, gently colorful, conveying a message of warmth and hope, with a warm, glowing string that goes from one person to the next as they work together in neighborhoods; console one another in times of grief; enjoy tea parties, and celebrate being together. A delightful readaloud for storytime collections.

For a fun post-storytime activity, print out some person templates and get some yarn. Ask families to decorate them and use the yarn to connect them. Who are they connecting to?

 

 

Hedgehog and the Art Show, by Özge Bahar Sunar/Illustrated by Ceyhun Sen, (Oct. 2022, Schiffer Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9780764364617

Ages 4-7

Little Hedgehog is all set to start school, but has an accident the day before. His little fingers need to be bandaged up, but the teacher has announced that there will be a class art show! Little Hedgehog cannot write… with his fingers! He refuses to miss out on his first big art show, and finds ways to create his art using his quills and some leaves! In fact, his creativity inspires his friends to create their own original artwork, making the art show even more exciting. A sweet story of ingenuity and determination that inspires readers to think outside the box, Hedgehog and the Art Show lends itself to a great readaloud, especially for Kindergarten and first graders. Sentences are brief but expand on the basics, adding more details. Sen’s illustrations are textured, with swirling backgrounds and shades of greens, browns, and oranges.

Add this one to your art storytimes, and have plenty of mixed materials to create with for an after-story activity.

 

 

Mending the Moon, by Emma Pearl/Illustrated by Sara Ugolotti, (Nov. 2022, Page Street Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781645675600

Ages 4-8

One night, the moon shines so big and so brightly that it becomes to heavy to hold itself up and tumbles down, shattering as it crashes into our world. A girl named Luna witnesses the fall, and, horrified, wakes her grandfather. Grandfather gravely worries about the Earth without a moon, and the two set about collecting the pieces to mend the moon, aided by a group of forest animals. A gorgeously illustrated story with the fantastic feel of a legend, Mending the Moon will delight readers and get a workout as a storytime favorite. Breathtaking illustration shows a cadre of animals working side-by-side with Luna and Poppy; a purple and blue-tinged white backgrounds bring the moon’s cool beauty to the pages, and vibrantly colored animals and people alike are cartoony and kid-friendly. There is magic in every turn of the page as readers will wait breathlessly to find out whether or not the moon will make it back to the sky. Endpapers show a cool, crisp night with moths fluttering around the moon’s light, and Poppy and Luna’s cabin atop a mountain. Mending the Moon is a lovely starting point to talk about legend, STEM (moon concepts!), and the larger idea of working with nature to keep our world safe.

 

 

Posted in Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

An animal board book two-fer from Katerina Gorelik

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

What Do Animals Eat? (Curious Creatures), by Katerina Gorelik, (Nov. 2022, Schiffer Publishing), $9.99, ISBN: 9780764365140

Ages 1-3

Schiffer has been publishing some great board books, and this duo of larger-format board books by Katerina Gorelik, originally published in France (2018), is the latest. What Do Animals Eat? uses high-contrast colorful images to introduce readers to different animals and what they eat: bats and birds, owls and foxes, tigers and wolves, hedgehogs and gorillas, crocodiles and elephants, pelicans, and polar bears. Brief text on how each animal eats and feeds their family is informative and just right for young learners, who will be captivated by the bold illustrations, which have a playful sense of humor. Readers will chuckle at a fox and duck eyeing one another through a hole in an otherwise secure door, and delight in the bustling activity taking place in a tree as different birds feed their young. Exclamations on each page give lend some interactivity to readalouds, letting readers munch on leaves along with a baby elephant, or gulp down a beakful of birds with a pelican. The pages are sturdy and will hold up well in circulation. Great for an animal storytime.

Print some activity sheets from Schiffer’s Resources Hub and have them ready for a post-storytime activity.

 

 

Where Do Animals Live? (Curious Creatures), by Katerina Gorelik, (Nov. 2022, Schiffer Publishing), $9.99, ISBN: 9780764365157

Ages 1-3

Where Do Animals Live shows readers where animals live and how they stay safe: moles and mice; bats and cats; dogs, owls, and squirrels; bees and hedgehogs; bears and penguins; foxes, and wolves all appear in high-contrast, bright illustrations. Readers learn about animal families and how adults protect their young while they search for food. Playful illustrations are appealing: a mole lovingly holds a carrot in her underground burrow, under root vegetables and alongside various bugs in their homes; a hungry cat eyes mice through a crack in the floor, but the mice aren’t worried: they’ve got food stored up, and their little ones are asleep, safe in the knowledge that the cat can’t reach them. Bees buzz alongside friendly spiders and butterflies, landing on flowers and near their hives; a brown bear hibernates, cuddling her cub; they’re warm inside their den while the snow falls outside. Interesting and brief informative text makes this a good readaloud choice that will keep readers engaged. Like What Do Animals Eat?, Where Do Animals Live? was originally published in French in 2018. See more of Katerina Gorelik’s work at her webpage.

Pair these with Creature Features from Big Picture Press for more fun animal facts.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Love is Everything: Father Goose does it again!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Love is Everything, by Charles Ghigna, (Nov. 2021, Schiffer Kids), $16.99, ISBN: 9780764362231

Ages 3-7

Charles Ghigna’s ode to love is just what cuddle time, lapsit, and Valentine’s Day storytimes need. The poem reaffirms beliefs in everyday magic, like mornings and nights; mountains and trees, music, the seasons, and, most importantly, love. Artwork shows a little bear and bigger bear sharing time together, enjoying each other’s company, and sharing warmth and joy in the every day. Charles Ghigna begins each new line in his poetic tale with the affirmation, “I believe…” creating a sense of optimism and positivity that readers really need these days; comforting images and reassuring words come together to give young children a soothing storytime. Softly colored images of cute bears frolicking throughout nature, with uplifting verse, make this a lovely bedtime, laptime, or anytime read.

Visit Charles Ghigna’s author webpage for resources. The Poetry Foundation’s Charles Ghigna page has a biography and links to some more of his poetry.

 

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

New books for your animal fans

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Animals, animals, animals, kids love books with animals. Here’s a roundup that will brighten and delight…en.

P is for Puffin: The ABCs of Uncommon Animals, by Timothy Young, (Nov. 2021, Schiffer Kids), $8.99, ISBN: 9780764362477

Ages 0-6

Timothy Young hits shelves with an abcedary board book that puts “uncommon animals” – E is not for Elephant here! – front and center. Each letter features an animal or two, with a sentence or two of informational text and a phonetic pronounciation guide for each animal’s name. Some letters feature two animals: P is for both Puffin and Pangolin; Q is for Quokka and Quoll. There are loads of fun facts to be discovered, like the mara, who is not a deer, but rather a large rodent that looks like a cross between a deer and a rabbit, or the shekru, which looks like a multicolored squirrel and is about twice the size of the squirrels we’re more familiar with. Acorn illustrations on each page give readers an idea of each animal’s size. The author is donating 100% of his royalties to the Wildlife Conservation Network to protect the endangered species that inspired this book! Wildlife Conservation Network protects endangered wildlife by supporting conservationists around the world to help animals and people coexist and thrive.

I’ve been a Timothy Young fan since my youngest first read and loved The Angry Little Puffin back in 2014, and I’m happy he’s still writing books and introducing readers to new animals. P is for Puffin is great to introduce new animals to the earliest learners – it’s a sturdy board book with attractive illustrations – and the book will grow with readers as they discover more detailed text.

Visit Timothy Young’s author page where you can find drawing lessons, downloadable coloring pages, and information about virtual author visits.

 

Yay for Big Brothers!, by Janet Halfmann/Illustrated by Shennen Bersani, (Nov. 2021, Arbordale Publishing), $10.95, ISBN: 9781643518220

Ages 4-8

Big brothers are the best, aren’t they? In the animal world, big brothers are pretty great, too: Yay for Big Brothers is all about animal big brothers, and how they help their families by doing all sorts of things, like helping feed them at meal time; helping carry little siblings around; playing, and helping keep them safe and out of trouble. Thought-provoking questions invite readers to chime in with how they help out with their families and their littlest members, be it a younger sibling, cousin, or family friend. Photorealistic artwork  shows a variety of animal families and Janet Halfmann puts the narration in each animal’s paws, letting each big brother contribute how he helps care for his little siblings. A fun way to talk about animal jobs and animal families that younger learners will enjoy. View a preview PDF at Arbordale’s website; find the back matter Creative Minds supplement here, and visit Janet Halfmann’s author website to find a free printable activity.

 

 

The Pangolin Revelation, by Lori Schildwachter/Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein, (Nov. 2021, Arbordale Publishing), $10.95, ISBN: 9781643519791

Ages 4-9

I love all the pangolin love in books lately! The Pangolin Revelation is a fun story about school projects and how the pangolin is the ultimate animal mashup. Loran is a student with an assignment: write a report about your favorite animal, or create an imaginary animal. Loran sets out to create an imaginary animal with scales like a dragon or a fish, to protect it from predators; a long, sticky tongue, like an anteater, to help him eat; the ability to climb trees, like a squirrel, but with a prehensile tail, like a monkey. After listing all the parts to his imaginary creature, Loran realizes that this mega-mashup is a real animal: it’s a pangolin! Framed within a school project plotline, The Pangolin Revelation unfolds as a research project with a surprise ending, keeping readers entertained as they imagine their own mashup animals. (Psst… all you need is construction paper and crayons, pencils, or markers to recreate this as a program). Earth-colored illustration and photorealistic animal artwork. A fun meeting of nonfiction and fiction.

 

Wild Animal ABC, by PJ Rankin Hults, (Nov. 2021, Schiffer Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9780764361197

Ages 5-8

A rhyming ABCecdary that’s got a whimsical spirit and plenty of fun, Wild Animal ABC, like P is for Puffin, is all about teaching kids the alphabet using letters, but each of these animals has a very distinctive personality and hat to go with it: “Chester the Chipmunk / Is a curious guy. / He loves to explore / And always asks, ‘Why?'” “Vinny the Vulture / Likes his dictionary. / He won his class spelling bee / With his vast vocabulary”. Watercolor paintings of each animal, in decorative frames, add a quirky, playful feel to the story. The glossary at the end includes facts about each animal mentioned, and a thought-provoking question to get kids talking. A Who Am I? game lets kids think about different hats and the purposes they serve, from a wizard’s hat to a birthday hat. The endpapers show all different accessories that kids can go back and look for throughout the book, and you can ask littles to spot animals or habitats on the cover.

 

 

Posted in Fiction, Intermediate

Maps of My Emotions takes readers on a social-emotional adventure

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Maps of My Emotions, by Bimba Landmann, (Nov. 2021, Schiffer Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9780764362217

Ages 5-8

A boy embarks on a journey where he encounters emotions like hope, fear, anger, joy, and love as he travels through landscapes both exciting and perilous. An oversized hardcover in graphic novel format, Maps of My Emotions lay out emotions and landscapes, with destinations like the Island of Desires and Hills of Future; the Sea of Doubt and Great Lake Horror; the Labyrinth of Anxiety, and Awkwardness Seatown. The format follows a layout where panels lead the boy to his next destination, and a spread with the lay of the land for each spot on the journey. Each map looks like a part of the body – The Land of Hope is laid out like an eye; the District of Anger stretches out over a hand; the Shadowlands of Sadness mirror a pulmonary system – and each area has a dominant color that shades the area. Good for discussions on our emotions, where we feel and process them, and what colors kids see as their “fear color” or “joy color”.

There are some good emotions resources on Education.com to use in conjunction with this book; I chose “third grade” as a filter to cover the age group I think would get the most use of Maps of My Emotions at my library. You should look over the offerings and see what would work best with yours.

An additional purchase for collections where you have learners who learn and communicate more visually, Maps of My Emotions would work with a program where you invite your learners to create their own emotion maps.

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, picture books

Fen’s Drop of Gray colors her whole world

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Fen’s Drop of Gray, by Brian Wray/Illustrated Shiloh Penfield, (Nov. 2021, Schiffer Kids), $16.99, ISBN: 9780764362194

Ages 5-8

A hedgehog named Fen loves to paint with bright colors, but one day, a drop of gray gets into her paints and colors her entire world: her paintings and everything around her lose their color, slowly turning gray and adding to her sadness. It’s not like Fen doesn’t want color in her world: she looks through her mother’s art books and tries to find rainbows in the rain, but the gray persists until her mother gives her new, colorful paints. With the color back in her life, Fen takes back her happiness and knows that when the gray tries to take her colors away again, she’ll be ready. A gentle story about how depression can sneak up on us, Fen’s Drop of Gray is Brian Wray and Shiloh Penfield’s latest intuitive story about managing emotions. Using the metaphor of a drop of gray finding its way into our colorful worlds is a great way of explaining those unexplainable “sads” that can show up unexpected, stripping the color in our lives. Try as she might, Fen can’t find her colors and she doesn’t know how to ask for help. Sometimes, all we need is someone – in Fen’s case, her mom – to reach through the gray. It’s not a cure-all, but knowing that someone is there to listen and help is the important message. It’s also important that Fen knows the gray may try to come back, and creates her own coping mechanisms for when that happens.

An important acknowledgement of childhood depression, Fen’s Drop of Gray is another must-have to put into your social-emotional collections and a good starting point for discussion.

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, programs, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Summer Fun: Escape Room Books

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Now that I’m back in the library, I’m trying to think of ways to keep the kids engaged while we have no in-person programming. Enter Escape Room books! My Kiddo and I discovered some fun ones online, like this Dog Man one, but I want to be able to give the kids something to think over while they’re here. Luckily for me, Schiffer Books sent over some escape room books, and I’m thinking these may be my next project.

The Escape Game series by Mélanie Vives and Rémi Prieur, and illustrated by El Gunto, consists of four books right now. They don’t need to be read or played in order; each book has instructions and the story: you’re a member of a time traveling agency called Spatial-Temporal Agency Y. As a high-risk mission specialist, you and your robot companion, Dooz, are sent into different time periods to head off horrible disasters. Together with Dooz, you have to figure out the clues to advance through the adventure and save the day. You can get hints in a different section of the book, and check your answers against Dooz’s “validation grid” – and yes, you can look at the answers, if you really, really need to. Let’s take a look at the adventures!

Escape Game Adventure: The Last Dragon, by Mélanie Vives and Rémi Prieur/Illustrated by El Gunto, (Jan. 2020, Schiffer Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9780764358951

Ages 7-12

We’re going further back in time in this adventure: heading to the 12th century, our mission is to save the last dragon egg, currently in the clutches of an evil king, who wants to make it into a dragon egg omelet! Recover the egg and get it to safety while escaping the castle before the king finds out you’re even there, all while learning about the Middle Ages, magic, and dragons. Perfect for fantasy fans that want to have their own fun adventure; kids will be able to save a wizard, put pieces together to create a coat of arms, and choose the right invisibility potion so you won’t be seen. Use Dooz’s clues – they’re your best way of figuring out what you need to advance! Have pictures of eggs for participants to decorate and take home – or wizard hat crafts available; all you need is a piece of construction paper to roll into a cone, and some stickers or gems and glue!

Have fun with these books, extend the activities into programs if you can, and handouts if you aren’t able to yet. There are so many fun ideas to have with this book as a jumping-off point: make your own coat of arms, have a magic wand workshop (I’m pulling from my old Harry Potter party ideas); decorate with Time Machine clip art.

 

Escape Game Adventure: Trapped in Space, by Mélanie Vives and Rémi Prieur/Illustrated by El Gunto, (Oct. 2020, Schiffer Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9780764360312

Ages 7-12

You and Dooz are being sent to the year 3144 to rescue a crew of astronauts from the planet Vacumy, who have not responded to messages for 24 hours. They’re some of the most intelligent scientists in the universe, and in danger from the evil inhabitants of the star, Hyena, so you need to intervene and find out if the crew is safe, fast! Solving puzzles and logic riddles, you and Dooz will complete your mission and learn about space thanks to helpful callout boxes. The Validation Grid is a fun way of checking your answers without spoilers: follow the page number and your suggested puzzle answer; if you see a thumbs up, you’re good: proceed! If there’s a thumbs down, go back to the drawing board. The artwork is kid-friendly, with big-eyed, friendly robots and aliens, and fun, challenging puzzles that will get your readers thinking and playing with solutions to advance.

Jumping-off activities: we just had an entire Summer Reading program about space two years ago! You know there are oodles of space-related fun activities to be found! Let readers color in their own aliens, or have some craft supplies around so they can make their own.

 

Escape Game Adventure: The Mad Hacker, by Mélanie Vives and Rémi Prieur/Illustrated by El Gunto, (Feb. 2020, Schiffer Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9780764358968

Ages 7-12

All right, in this adventure, you and Dooz are going to the year 2394 to stop a mad hacker named Snarf from releasing a computer virus that will paralyze all the world’s computers! You need to localize and destroy the virus by hacking Snarf’s computers, and then escape from his compound before he finds out what you’re doing there. Solve problems, save the world, and learn about computers thanks to callout boxes. The story is not linear: solving problems will help you jump easily around the book, taking you further into Snarf’s compound and closer to destroying the virus! The answer key is illustrated and step-by-step, but you don’t want to do that, do you? You want to solve these along with your kiddos! Choose from a number of keys to break down the languages of different drones you encounter, take apart a riddle to find the right door to Snarf’s lair, and cut the right cable to unlock the doors and escape. Time yourself and see if you’ve improved your escape time!

Offer to let readers take the books and have – if you have the budget – small pads for them to work out the riddles, or just have extra paper on hand for them. Explain what a hackathon is – a collaborative event where computer programmers get together to work on a project – and tell them that The Mad Hacker Adventure is a kind of hackathon for them, collaborating to destroy the virus and save the world! You can always make cool certificates to hand out when they’ve completed the adventure.

 

Escape Game Adventure: Operation Pizza, by Mélanie Vives and Rémi Prieur/Illustrated by El Gunto, (Feb. 2020, Schiffer Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9780764360305

Ages 7-12

Heading back to Naples, Italy in 1889, your mission this time is to preserve pizza history. A chef is due to present his new creation – a margherita pizza – to the royal family, but he’s about to be murdered by his cold-blooded rival, unless you and Dooz can save the day. Enter the bad guy’s restaurant, find the poisoned food, and replace it with an identical dish you prepare, and escape before they can find out you’ve been there. Is there a more important mission than to preserve the sanctity of pizza? Learn all about pizza thanks to fact boxes throughout. Use menus to help you navigate the ingredients you need to make an identical dessert that won’t kill our pizza inventor; locate the poisoned dessert so you can dispose of it, and figure out how to get out of a locked bathroom before you can get caught!

I’ve done a bunch of pizza programs in the past, and they’re always popular. Make your own pizza crafts couldn’t be easier, and you can make them grab and go: put a small paper plate, and cut-up construction paper shapes for toppings, like sausage, peppers, cheese, sauce, and mushrooms, into a plastic or paper bag, and you’ve got a craft kids will love.

If you’re going to invest in these for your library, be forewarned: they’re going to get marked up. Consider for your games reference collection if you don’t have the budget to replace them. I’m thinking of introducing the adventure to my library kids, a few puzzles at a time, by leaving the book at reference and collecting answers each day (I have a LOT of prizes in my prize drawer, for incentive). Give the Escape Game series a shot!

 

Pirates Escape Game : A High Seas Mystery, by Eric Nieudan/Illustrated by Margot Briquet, (Aug. 2020, Schiffer Kids), $16.99, ISBN: 9780764360084
Ages 8-12

Okay, last one up, and it’s a good one: a pirate escape game! You’re a sailor who wakes up and discovers you’re the only one left on a ship that’s been adrift in the high seas. No captain. No crew. No memory of anything that’s happened. You have to explore the ship and find clues to discover what happened, solving logic puzzles, breaking codes, and figuring out word puzzles and riddles. Unlock a padlocked pantry; find a mysterious note in the surgeon’s cabin; decipher recipes, with the help of a separate clue book and your own wits. The book is not linear – you’ll be jumping back and forth as solving different puzzles takes you to different pages – and includes brain busters for every type of skill. Pirate fans are going to love it, and you know you can enhance a pirate day! Make eyepatches, mustaches, and pirate hats as either grab-and-go or in-house crafts!

Escape Room Games don’t have to be relegated to online or in a room – see how these work out for you with your kids and teens. We’ve all had to get more creative in the last year and a half; let’s keep adapting.