The Great Hamster Massacre

Last Sunday, I paid a visit to my grandparents’. While we were chatting about my childhood, we were disturbed by gales of laughter coming from my nieces in the living room. When I asked the two sisters what was so interesting, my 11-year-old niece showed me a book they’ve been reading together called The Great Hamster Massacre.

Bearing in mind a massacre means a scene of mass killing, I was about to question whether the book is about animal abuse when I was attracted by the colourful cover of the book with a cute, chubby hamster. Flipping through the book, I came to find that the book has a far healthier content. It’s about the adventure of Anna and her brother in their investigation into the recent death of their hamster pets. The story is written in first-person by Anna and is a hilarious narration of the 9-year-old girl .The lovable tale makes an enjoyable read with its funny illustrations for readers of any age. It has won the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2010 and has been recommended by a wide range of children’s magazines.

Angel@Booklodge

The Great Hamster Massacre and its sequel The Great Rabbit Rescue can be found at Booklodge.com.

The Series of Who Was...

Encouraging your child to learn by reading an interesting fictitious story is not hard, but asking them to read non-novels about great people in the world is always not as easy a task. The Who Was…? series is then a helpful choice for parents who want their children to learn about the world and great people across time.

The series features over 30 illustrated biographies of great people from different times of history. With the series, your child can learn about the lives and interesting stories of people from the the famous Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci to the popular band Beatles. Every biography is written by a different author of children’s books to ensure diversity, and nearly every page of the biography comes with illustrations to bring more fun to the reading. Who says biographies can’t be interesting for kids?

Angel@Booklodge

Click this link to see all titles of Who Was ...

Step into Reading!

It is understandable how parents always want their children to enjoy reading and improve their English at a young age. Yet, many of them seem to think that piling thick books on their kids' tables and forcing them to read would eventually bring those results. This is a terrible idea as not only would your child not read them, they won't even dare to go near them!

When it comes to picking books for children, the first step is to find something age-appropriate. Random House's Step into Reading series is divided into five levels to suit five different age groups. From Step One, designed for preschool children, which includes easy rhymes and rhythms, to Step Five with long paragraphs and full chapters, it is easy for you to pick books that are suitable for your child.

Another important thing to bear in mind is to find books that are interesting and engaging. One way to do this is by choosing different types of books instead of merely sticking to ordinary storybooks. The Step into Reading series includes not only fiction, but non-fiction as well, uncovering lives of historical figures, interesting facts about science, and important stories in history. Filled with full colour art and exciting stories, these books will definitely be a fun read for your child!

Remarks: Each of the Step into Reading book only costs HK$28! Check out this link!

Angel@Booklodge

Pop-up Books

If I had to name a kind of book that will appeal to all children, it must be pop-up books. Isn't it amazing how you can discover new things every time you flip the page, lift the flap, and see how the pop-ups work?

Walker Books have published a series of pop-up books that are educational but yet still remain entertaining for young minds. The "Pop-Up House of Inventions" is an example of which that includes hundreds of fascinating facts about your home, from the origin of the washing machine to the history of the toilet. Another example would be "My Pop-Up Body Book", which allows children from the age of three to start learning about how their bodies work. As everything is explained in short, simple sentences with the aid of exciting pop-ups and colourful pictures, your children are guaranteed to have a great time learning and reading at the same time!

These hardback pop-up books would also make great gifts for young children! So if you are still struggling about what cartoon or stuffed toy to get as a present, why not make it interesting and get a pop-up book instead?


Angel@Booklodge

Let's Jump Into Science!

"Where do stars come from?"
"Why do we have earthquakes?
"Where is the moon?"

Have your curious kids ever asked you questions like that, but you don't know how to explain it to them easily? With the help of the Jump Into Science series published by the National Geographic, this job is made much easier! Covering topics such as space and geography, these books uncover basic concepts through the use of simple, age-appropriate language and beautiful full colour illustrations. What's more, every book comes with a DIY experiment with easy-to-follow instructions that can allow your children to have a better understanding of the concepts they've just learnt! Filled with important scientific information and interactive activities, the Jump Into Science series is definitely going to captivate the curious minds of your children!




Remarks: all Jump into Science books can be found in our website http://www.booklodge.com

Angel@Booklodge

Maisy

If you're a parent with a young child, you'll probably know who Maisy Mouse is. Maisy Mouse is the main character in a wide range of bestselling books that are appropriate for children from newborns up. One of its most special collections is its line of buggy books that are perfect for babies 6 months and above, as they can be strapped onto pushchairs, prams and cots. This way, your children can have their favourite book with them wherever they go!

Apart from picture books and buggy books, there is also a variety of acclaimed novelty books under Maisy Mouse, such its lift-the-flap books that are sure to make reading fun for your child! Maisy books are also filled with colourful illustrations to accompany their simple stories, making it very easy for children to grasp simple ideas and concepts.

Angel@booklodge

Roald Dahl

When I was young, one of my favourite authors ever was Roald Dahl, the most well-known name in the world of children's literature as well as one of the world's bestselling fiction authors with sales estimated at 100 million. Many of his books are written from the point of view of a child, making them very easy to read and understand. The stories were always creative and exciting that they kept me lying in bed reading for days. A few of Roald Dahl's most acclaimed books include The Big Friendly Giant, James and The Giant Peach, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, all of which have been made into popular movies.

When choosing books for children, many parents hope to find books that can help improve their children's English, and at the same time, embody essential values and virtues that help build up their children's personality. Books by Roald Dahl are not only about depicting funny and exciting characters, but are, more importantly, focused on enlightening us about lessons in life, what to be and not to be.

At lower levels, Roald Dahl books are filled with full colour illustrations that make them fun to read and allow your child to have a better understanding of the stories. As this acclaimed author writes with a great sense of humour, I'm sure your child will enjoy his books as much as I do!

Angel@Booklodge

Booklodge tips: Roald Dahl titles can be found by clicking into the category of "Bestselling Authors / Characters / Series" in our website (http://www.booklodge.com)