Does the name Ken Jennings ring a bell? The trivia genius who famously won 74 consecutive Jeopardy games in 2004, making quiz-show history? Jennings is clearly a walking encyclopedia, but his true talent may lie in encouraging kids to embrace curiosity through the books he has written after his Jeopardy reign.
Junior Genius Guides, his excellent series for kids, could not be further from the dry lists of facts and figures I remember trying to cram before some quiz contest or the other in my school days. Each Junior Genius Guide takes on a topic – Dinosaurs, Greek Mythology, Outer Space, etc. – and explores related facts, trivia and anecdotes in a thoroughly enjoyable way.
The chapters in each book are organized around a tongue-in-cheek, seven-period school day, with breaks for recess, lunch, and art and music too. The books, all written in a light and humorous style, are liberally sprinkled with jokes, cartoon illustrations and fun activities. Ever heard of a “mappetizer?” Well, once your kid gets to art period in Junior Genius Guides: Maps and Geography, you may just have to green-light this fully-edible model of the globe constructed on a tortilla.
The light-hearted look and tone of the books belies the fact that they are chock full of information, facts, figures and trivia from important to the weird, and all driven by the Junior Genius Guide motto: “semper quaerens,” which is Latin for “always curious.” The Guides have been a hit in my household. One day, I might even join my boys in making that mappetizer.
Got a reader who is reluctant to read non-fiction? Pick a few topics of interest to him, and give this series a try. With the U.S. Presidency as much in the news as it is at the moment, the book on presidents is a particularly topical and informative read.
Dinosaurs
U.S. Presidents
Outer Space
Ancient Egypt
Maps and Geography
The Human Body
Greek Mythology
Are there are trivia books or series that have worked well in your household? Please feel free to share…
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