MMGM- The Explorer, Big Book of How

Rundell, Katherine. The Explorer
September 12th 2017 by Simon Schuster Books for Young
E ARc from Netgalley.com

Four children flying back to England in a vague post WWII period crash in the Amazon when their pilot has a fatal medical issue. From there, Fred, Con, Lila, and her five year old brother Max have to try to make it to get help in Manaus, Brazil. Along the way, they find clues in small tins, try to survive on the water and food they find, and adopt a baby sloth. Eventually, they find another human, but he is an irritable man who is still grieving over his lostv wife and child, and barely helps them. When young Max becomes gravely ill, he finally decides to help the children by showing Fred how to fly a plane he has stored.
Strengths: This had a lot of good details about the flora and fauna in the Amazon, and the steps one might need to take in order to survive there. There's a decent amount of introspection about the life to which the children will return, and the visit with the Explorer has its moments of intrigue.
Weaknesses: By page 100, I was ready to cook Max for supper, and by page 200, I was ready for everyone to perish in the wilderness, including the Explorer. Rundell seems to write characters whom I personally dislike, for qualities other people seem to fine charming.
What I really think: Everyone else seems to think that this is So Much More Than an Ordinary Survival Story, but... meh. It was fine, but nothing spectacular.



The Editors of TIME for Kids
Big Book of HOW Revised and Updated: 1,001 Facts Kids Want to Know
Copy provided by Blue Slip Media

Well, I have to say that I'm impressed by the fact that the 2011 edition had 501 facts, and this has almost twice as many! I didn't know that there were also Big Books of Who, What, When, Where and Why.

There are a TON of different topics covered in this book, from animals and buildings to science and technology. The pages are laid out in an interesting way, and there is even a page in the front instructing readers on how they need to navigate the pages. I did especially appreciate the complete index as well as the glossary in the back.

This is a much better choice for readers who like interesting tidbits of facts than the Guinness Book of World Records, although the appeal of that compendium seems to be the very gross and disturbing things that I don't appreciate. The Big Book of How has information that could actually be useful and informative to young readers and help them to better understand the world around them.

Definitely a book that I would have kept in the car for long visits to relatives when my children were young, although I do wish the bindings held together better, considering the list price of these books. (Due, I am sure, to the cost of paper and color printing. So why not reinforce the bindings a tiny bit more?)