This Mother Talk Blog Book Tour is very multi-media!
In addition to the usual links to the book's official website, the book on Amazon, there's a movie about the book on YouTube and one of the authors was recently interviewed by Stephen Colbert. I loved Conn Iggulden's interview, in part because I'm a big fan of the Colbert Report (only from watching clips online, since we don't have cable), but particularly because Iggulden was very good about talking about the book and promoting it while not getting distracted by Colbert's jokes.
In addition to those clips, the publisher (HarperCollins) has an online sweepstakes in which 100 lucky readers will win a copy of the book and 6 collective badges.
I just loved this book -- in spite of the fact that it is for "BOYS"! You see, I thought I wanted to read and review it because I have two little boys, but I had a wonderful, tomboyish childhood in the countryside, so I was definitely interested in many of the things in this book growing up and even now. Of course I have to concede that I'm not attracted to certain subjects, such as hunting, fishing (I liked the images of the fish, though), tanning a skin, and, maybe, some histories of battles and playing poker -- although I'm curious about these too. And the reasons why I'm not interested in these have nothing to do with the fact that I'm a girl, I think, just because I'm a vegetarian and don't like to read about cruelty to animals, and I'm a pacifist and I don't like card-playing too much. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the baseball and rugby sections didn't interest me -- but it's just a cultural thing because I know all about soccer and was happy to read the soccer rules part and find out that I already knew most of them! I'm not good at sports, but I like sports (particularly soccer, since I'm Brazilian after all) -- why does it have to be only a boy thing?
Everything else was just absolutely delightful to me! Some of the subjects, such as the "scientific" discussions of the "Questions About the World" sections are things I discuss with and explain to my boys routinely. I became much more interested in and knowledgeable about science since I met my physics major boyfriend 17 years ago :). I learned about many of the other things such as knots, first aid, and bits of navigation and astronomy in the co-ed Pathfinder Club that I participated in growing up (a kind of boy and girl Scouts) -- but my knowledge is very rusty at best, so it's great to have this resource to use with the boys!
The history, grammar, extraordinary history sections were just amazing! And the fact that the book includes Shakespeare quotes, famous poems, and list of books to read -- yay! -- these just warmed my literary inclined heart :).
This book is extraordinary, particularly given the sheltered and indoor-bound existence of many children nowadays. Stephen Colbert had a smart joke about that, saying that he was going to wait for the video-game version of the book for his children :). I desperately long for a childhood similar to mine for my boys. I want them them to climb trees, play in the mud, and in the woods and enjoy of imaginary play, as well as interest in many things such as history and science -- just for fun, not for school. This book is a great resource to get started and I recommend it wholeheartedly for any parents out there -- and not just of boys, mind you!
4 comments:
I love Stephen Colbert and I actually saw this interview. The book sounds fun. Maybe you could write one for girls. :-)
I saw the Colbert interview, too. The book's had absolutely wonderful press. I'm just wishing there was one for girls. I'm with Rene-- will you write one?!
This looks like a great book and I want to get it - by WHY is it just for boys? I am a girl and I like that stuff too!
Another great book for boys that my son and I found is Bart King's The Big Book of Boy Stuff. Tons of fun activities, experiments, jokes, info on gross stuff like barfing and burping. My son has about worn his copy out!
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