Brook Farm Books

Kids’ Container Gardening: Year-Round Projects for Inside and Out, by Cindy Krezel. This is a great idea, well presented, with a good variety of small projects that kids can do either by themselves or with you. It starts with some good advice and goes on to tell you about a wide variety of containers you can use and interesting ideas for growing things in them. Have you ever heard of a cocktail garden? It’s just one of the projects here, along with vegetable hanging baskets, Halloween hats, sand art terrariums, a small fountain, and others. Ages 9 to 12. Cover price $14.95. $13.00 from Brook Farm Books.

Big Ideas for Small Mathematicians, by Ann Kajander. My essay about math in The Lifetime Learning Companion discusses the difference between arithmetic and mathematics. In case you haven’t read the book, the difference is simple. Arithmetic is the actual computation. Mathematics is the study of the concepts. If your kids aren’t enjoying arithmetic, try switching your focus to the mathematical concepts behind the computation. This book is what you need, and it’s been designed for use in schools and at home. Tackling the activities can be fun even if the kids (or you) don’t understand the math behind them. You’ll learn about Pythagoras, tessellations, and tetrahedral fractals — all without being a math genius yourself. You can take my word for this: I have a tendency to be mathphobic, and even I would have fun and learn doing these activities. Here are just a few of the chapter headings: Squares and Odd Numbers, Straw Structures, Party Fractions, Kaleidoscope, Moebius Strip, Balloons and Dice Game, 3-D Tic Tac Toe. Ages 6 to 11. $19.95. $17.00 from Brook Farm Books.

Collins Spanish Club, Book 1. I think this book, with the CD included, would be a lot of fun for kids who have some basic Spanish. There are songs that are very easy to learn, stickers, puzzles, games, and some tips for parents. Answers to the puzzles and games are in the back. Most of the vocabulary is illustrated or explained but not everything. Most of the words I didn’t know I could figure out from the usage, but I found it a bit frustrating and had to find my Spanish dictionary. Maybe I just need to brush up on my Spanish. There’s no English-to-Spanish or Spanish-to-English dictionary included. Recommended for ages 4 to 8, but I think your child needs some basic Spanish before using this. Here’s the deal: The price is $15.99, and if you buy it and don’t like it you can return it for a refund of all but your postage. $14.00 From Brook Farm Books.

Pocket Oxford American Dictionary and Thesaurus. This won’t fit in your regular pockets. It’s packed with more than 150,000 entries, synonyms (listed very conveniently under the main entry), and hundreds of new words and meanings. It’s not as thorough as Roget’s Thesaurus, but I think it’s perfect for high school and college students. Handy to have the dictionary and thesaurus together. 928 pages. Cover price $13.95. $12.50 from Brook Farm Books.

Oxford Illustrated Children’s Dictionary. I confess that dictionaries don’t excite me. That said, this is one of the better ones for kids 9 to 12. There are some illustrations but not a lot. I think they chose to illustrate items that would interest kids in this age group. It’s well laid out and easy to navigate. Meanings are clear, parts of speech are included with each entry, and there is a pronunciation guide for each of the more difficult words. Cover price is $18.95. $17.50 from Brook Farm Books.

The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science, by Sean Connolly. This book progresses historically, touching on the greatest scientific developments, who did the work, and the ramifications of this new knowledge; then comes an experiment. Written with engaging language for the age group, each of the 34 chapters gives a clear explanation of the science involved, and there are 50 experiments for “daring young scientists” related to each scientific principle being explored. Experiments include proving atomic theory with food coloring, launching a soda bottle, extracting DNA in the kitchen, demonstrating how germs spread, and making a Jell-O earthquake. Each experiment is rated to indicate the amount of risk involved, from “Low: No risk of catastrophe” to “Guarded: Slight risk of mess, paper cuts, stained clothes” to “Elevated: Involves use of heavy or sharp objects. Adult supervision recommended” to “High: Involves use of fire, hot liquids, or hazardous substances. Adult supervision required.” Directions are good. Most materials are things you’ll have on hand (believe it or not), or are common, inexpensive, and easy to find. A lot of fun packed in 306 pages. Ages 9 to 16. $13.95. Just $12.00 from Brook Farm Books.