Review: National Geographic Kids Almanac 2010 & Giveaway

Summary: National Geographic Children’s Books announces the launch of its first ever kids’ almanac, where kids can discover everything from how to survive adrift at sea to the secrets of the sunken city of Atlantis to ways you can volunteer in your community. THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS ALMANAC 2010 (ISBN: 978-1-4263-0501-6, June 2009, $12.99, Ages 8-12) grabs readers’ attention with more than 500 stunning photographs and over 300 pages bursting with fast facts, true stories, fun activities and interesting articles on every subject under the sun (and beyond!).

With content that will make any kid go “wow!,” “ew!” and “cool!” this backpacked-sized reference book is sure to wake kids’ brains from their “summer slumber” and get them ready for school. Crafts, games, jokes, recipes and a “virtual pet” named Zimmer are just a few of the unusual and creative features that make the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS ALMANAC 2010 unique, engaging and FUN!

With full-color design and an easy-to-read format, THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS ALMANAC 2010 delivers chapter after chapter of fun factoids:

• Your World 2010 — What’s hot and what’s ahead for 2010
• Awesome Adventure — Modern-day adventurers, survival techniques and true stories of harrowing escapes
• Amazing Animals — More than 75 pages devoted to animals, their habitats and what makes each one unique
• Culture Connection — Food, currency, literature and lots more from around the world
• Geography Rocks — Maps, travel and famous or unusual landmarks — like a sculpture in Joshua Tree, Calif., made entirely of toilets
• Going Green — Eco-lingo, our threatened planet and steps we can take to help save it
• History Happens — Mummies! Wars! American heroes! Secret spies! The people, places, governments and events that make us who we are today.
• Wonders of Nature — From the highest mountains to the depths of the ocean floor — and everything in between.
• Super Science — Space, health and the human body, our future world and cool inventions -- Press Release

When I was a kid, I remember loving to look through all sorts of informational books like kids' encyclopedias, Guinness Book of World Record books, and even almanacs. So I was very excited to see that there is a new 2010 almanac available just for middle grade kids called the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS ALMANAC 2010. I just knew my daughter would love looking through it, but I didn't expect for me to enjoy it so much!

I was very impressed with this almanac! Probably the first thing that struck me was how many gorgeous, colorful photographs were between the pages of this book -- something like 500 pictures. I shouldn't have been surprised since this is a National Geographic publication, but I have to say that these pictures are stunning. The graphics are also bright and eye-catching and definitely complement the information.

Another benefit of this book is how it is formatted. The book is divided into nine different sections and the top of the pages are color-coded to match the topics. This makes it very easy to flip through the pages and find whatever you are looking for. Each page is also filled with colorful pictures and features consisting of different sizes and types of fonts. You can't help but be drawn into each page.

What really impressed me the most was how much information is contained in this book. It really does cover a tremendous amount of topics; however, I didn't find it overwhelming in the slightest (even for children) The information is written in very clear and concise manner -- perfect for kids. I also love all the different ways that information is presented in this book. A child cannot possibly get bored when there are crafts, games, jokes, stories, weblistings and even homework help. It really is a very fun book that is also chock full of interesting facts!

I'm pretty sure that most kids aren't going to sit down and read this entire book straight through (although I admit that I probably would have as a child.) More likely, they will skim through it and read whatever catches their eye or they might even use it as a reference book. I really appreciated that this book is softcover so it's easy to tote around or throw into a backpack for bus-ride reading.

Booking Daughter has had so much fun with this book. She keeps reading facts to me that she finds interesting. For example, "Mom, did you know the word nerd was first used in a Dr. Seuss book?" And, "Cold blooded animals, such as lizards, don't sweat." She is also very excited to be able to use the almanac for reports in school. I think this book definitely makes learning fun for kids.

In honor of that special time of the year when kids head back to school (my daughter starts 5th grade tomorrow), I am giving away a copy of the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS ALMANAC 2010! Not only will one lucky winner receive this very fun and fact-filled book, but he or she will also win a backpack filled with water bottle, erasers, pens, pencils, a calculator, two pocket folders, spiral notebooks, colored pencils, markers, 3x5 index cards, loose leaf paper, scissors, highlighter, glue sticks, protractor and a ruler -- basically everything a child needs for the first day of school! To enter this awesome giveaway, please leave a comment with a valid e-mail address telling me what is your favorite school supply. If you want to double or triple your chances, you can blog and/or tweet about this contest with a link back to this post. This contest will be open until Tuesday, September 8th at 11:59 p.m. EST; and I will notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you in the U.S. and Canada only. Good Luck!

Thanks to Media Masters Publicity for providing the books and the giveaway package.