General knowledge books to recommend for P3 avid reader

[Imami]

sean wife:

Are the Discovery Box magazines considered good for general knowledge?


Talking about Charlotte’s web, I remember reading with my girls when they were just past 5 yrs old….but they seem to be indifferent about the ending when Charlotte died…I seem to be more affected than them. Too cheem for them maybe…haaha…

Mine too. He seemed to take it more \"as a matter of fact\" then anything.

[Busymom]

FQW:

Busymom:

No worries, you sounded almost apologetic...

I have not read the Britannica series, but I think it is written as a story, not like the typical encyclopedia.

Yes, DK Eye Witness is good too (they have the WW1 and WW2 reference books).

By the way, there are a few fiction books (all by Michael Morpurgo) that I bought recently where the review seems interesting:

War Horse
An Elephant in the Garden
Running Wild

http://www.amazon.com/War-Horse-Movie-Michael-Morpurgo/dp/0545403359/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y

http://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Garden-Michael-Morpurgo/dp/0312593694/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363754249&sr=1-1&keywords=the+elephant+in+the+garden

http://www.amazon.com/Running-Wild-Collectors-Michael-Morpurgo/dp/0007456166/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363754574&sr=1-1&keywords=running+wild+michael+morpurgo

If you say good, must really take a close look. Thanks. Generally speaking, ds has this pattern. At sch will be time for fiction books; at home will be time for non-fiction/reference books. Don't know why, it just happen that way. :scratchhead:

Yo, my DD said the first and the third book are good! She hadn't read the second book. You can look out for them in the upcoming MPH book fare.

[iRabbit]

Thanks for the info on the mph fair, BM.


As recommended by some if the peeps here, I subscribed to BBC Knowledge and So What? mags and ds loved them. He doesn’t understand everything but still finds bits and pieces interesting enough to hook his interest. Thanks again to all for the selfless sharing.

[Harlequin]

Hi, FQW.


I got this book for DD1, The Magic of Reality, By Richard Dawkins... She likes it so much, and glued to it, now she is reading it the 2nd times.
[quote]Magic takes many forms. The ancient Egyptians explained the night by suggesting that the goddess Nut swallowed the sun. The Vikings believed a rainbow was the gods' bridge to earth. These are magical, extraordinary tales. But there is another kind of magic, and it lies in the exhilaration of discovering the real answers to these questions. It is the magic of reality - science. Packed with inspiring explanations of space, time and evolution, laced with humour and clever thought experiments, \"The Magic of Reality\" explores a stunningly wide range of natural phenomena. What is stuff made of? How old is the universe? What causes tsunamis? Who was the first man, or woman? This is a page-turning, inspirational detective story that not only mines all the sciences for its clues but primes the reader to think like a scientist too. Richard Dawkins elucidates the wonders of the natural world to all ages with his inimitable clarity and exuberance in a text that will enlighten and inform for generations to come.
About the Author

Richard Dawkins has written a string of bestselling books, including the phenomenal The God Delusion. He is a fellow of the Royal Society and the Royal Society of Literature, and has won numerous awards. He was a professor at Oxford University until 2008 and he remains a fellow of New College.
Prizes

An inspiring introduction to science and a fascinating exploration of the natural world.
Reviews

\"A charming and free-ranging history of science.\" Sunday Times \"Prodigiously illustrated and beautifully designed ... I cannot think of a better, or simpler, introduction to science.\" The Guardian \"The text is persuasive whatever one's age ... the chapter on rainbows has the clearest explanation of how they appear that I've ever seen.\" The Financial Times \"It's the clearest and most beautifully written introduction to science I've ever read. Again and again I found myself saying \"Oh! So that's how genes work!\" (or stars, or tectonic plates, or all the other things he explains). Explanations I thought I knew were clarified; things I never understood were made clear for the first time.\" Philip Pullman \"I wanted to write this book but I wasn't clever enough. Now I've read it, I am.\" Ricky Gervais [/quote][quote]What are things made of? What is the sun? Is there really life on other planets? Why do bad things happen? Throughout history, people have invented fascinating stories to explain the world we live in. Have you heard the tale of how the sun hatched out of an emu's egg? Or what about the great catfish that carries the world on its back? Has anyone ever told you that earthquakes are caused by a sneezing giant? These fantastical myths are fun - but what are the real answers to such questions? Professor Richard Dawkins has teamed up with renowned illustrator Dave McKean to take you on an amazing journey from atoms to animals, pollination to paranoia, the big bang to the bigger picture. See the wonder of science come alive in this beautifully illustrated guide to the greatest questions on earth - and some of the answers to them.
About the Author

Richard Dawkins is the former Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University (1995-2008). His many bestsellers include The Selfish Gene, The God Delusion and The Greatest Show on Earth. Dave McKean has illustrated many award-winning books and graphic novels, including Coraline and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, the latter winning both the Newbery and Carnegie Medals. He has created hundreds of album, comic and book covers, and has designed characters for two of the Harry Potter films. He has also directed two feature films, MirrorMask and Luna.
Prizes

See the wonder of science come alive in this fascinating guide to life's greatest questions.
Reviews

\"It's the clearest and most beautifully written introduction to science I've ever read ... Explanations I thought I knew were clarified; things I never understood were made clear for the first time.\" Philip Pullman \"I wanted to write this book but I wasn't clever enough. Now I've read it, I am.\" Ricky Gervais \"Prodigiously illustrated and beautifully designed ... I cannot think of a better, or simpler, introduction to science.\" Guardian \"From the first sentence it reads with the force and fluency of a classic ... a luminous, authoritative prose that transcends age differences.\" The Times \"With fabulous illustrations by Dave McKean, Richard Dawkins' The Magic of Reality is an outstanding science book. Written in a simple. conversational style that will appeal to adults as well as teenagers, it really does explain complex subjects clearly. Every home should have a copy of this beautifully produced book.\" -- Marilyn Brocklehurst The Bookseller 20120622[/quote]There is also an illustrated children's edition available on fishpond.com

http://www.fishpond.com.sg/q/The+Magic+of+Reality?rid=692143115

Check it out.... :celebrate:

[iRabbit]

Thanks for the recommendation harlequin. Just signed up this "Just English" mag which essentially talks about the latest trends/happenings in the world. For general knowledge, tot that was good but don’t know whether ds will like it ornot.

[raynreg]

Another book by Michael Morpurgo


http://www.amazon.com/King-Cloud-Forests-Michael-Morpurgo/dp/1405662964/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368418096&sr=1-1&keywords=King+of+the+cloud+forests+michael+morpurgo

[Busymom]

raynreg:

Another book by Michael Morpurgo


http://www.amazon.com/King-Cloud-Forests-Michael-Morpurgo/dp/1405662964/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368418096&sr=1-1&keywords=King+of+the+cloud+forests+michael+morpurgo

Seems that the book is out of print? Is that normal?

Do you have the book? Is it good?

[raynreg]

This book is available at the bookdepository. Alternatively, only the library @ Chinatown point has it. It’s good to me.

[jedamum]

Bumping up this useful thread.


My p3 prefers magazines or horrible series or thinner books for general knowledge reading. He finds the thicker books dry and prefer to indulge in fiction books for the amount of time he has for reading. He was reading largely non fiction last year before we started him on fiction reading. We feel he can appreciate the fiction story more if he knows a bit of the non fiction background, eg he read about Egyptian mythology before going into fiction related books and recently I borrowed Arthurian legend related stuff together with a similar themed fiction series.

For non fiction selection, nlb has a good range of books and shelved according to themes. Aztec, Celts, Mayans etc. And there are easy to read biography of famous people Jane Goodall, Elvis, Wright bro etc. Local author Monica and her daughter published a Danger Dan secrets of Sg book which seems like a fun read about local stuff (sorry I don't Pre read his books). Etc.