Kid Konnection: New National Geographic Kids Books

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you two new fantastic National Geographic Kids books!

Summary: Love to tell scary stories around the camp fire? Like to solve mysteries? Brave enough to hear the truth about some pretty freaky phenomena? Then cuddle up with this spooky spine-tingler, filled with delightfully frightful true stories of real-life monsters, doomed domains, menacing mysteries, strange disappearances, and so much more.

Meet ghosts, ghouls, and zombies. Go inside haunted houses, hidden graveyards, and deadly secret passages. The Fright-o-meter rates each story for its level of scariness. Full of thrills and chills, this book will have you sleeping with a nightlight for sure. Read if you dare, but don't say we didn't warn you! -- National Geographic

I decided to feature DON'T READ THIS BOOK BEFORE BED: THRILLS, CHILLS, AND HAUNTINGLY TRUE STORIES by Anna Claybourne on my blog because I'm sure there are kids who will love this book. Honestly, it's not exactly up my alley because I'm way too chicken; but I will say that I did read through it and there are some pretty amazing stories!

DON'T READ THIS BOOK BEFORE BED is 140+ pages of scary (but true) stories about real-life monsters, mysteries, disappearances and more! There are some seriously strange stories in this book! Like all National Geographic Kids books, the information is presented in a way that makes it fun for readers. There are lists, quizzes, and snippets about creepy things, and of course, there are terrific full color photographs that are perfect complements to the stories.

There are some really cool things about DON'T READ THIS BOOK BEFORE BED including the Fright-o-meter. That's right -- it's a cute graphic of a gauge that measures how scary the stories on the page are! I also really liked some of the topics covered including a page on zombie ants, a haunted building in London, and creeps of the deep (disgusting underwater creatures!)

DON'T READ THIS BOOK BEFORE BED is a book that will definitely appeal to kids who love scary stories. I love that it's a fun book that's also educational... and it will get even reluctant kids to read!

Summary: Why were the Easter Island heads erected? What really happened to the Maya? Who stole the Irish Crown Jewels? The first book in this exciting new series will cover history's heavy-hitting, head-scratching mysteries, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke, the Bermuda Triangle, the Oak Island Money Pit, Stonehenge, the Sphinx, the disappearance of entire civilizations, the dancing plague, the Voynich manuscript, and so many more. Chock-full of cool photos, fun facts, and spine-tingling mysteries. -- National Geographic Kids

HISTORY'S MYSTERIES: CURIOUS CLUES, COLD CASES, AND PUZZLES FROM THE PAST is another fun (yet educational) book from National Geographic Kids; and if I'm being honest, one that appealed to my tastes a bit more than the book above. I guess I just love mysteries of all types!

HISTORY'S MYSTERIES attempts to explain a lot of life's mysteries in a clear, concise way that's perfect for middle school (and high school) readers. I think the chapter names in this book give a great idea of what's between the covers: Vanished Civilizations, Unexplained Deaths and Disappearances, Creatures of Myth and Legend, Freaky Phenomena, Mystifying Monuments, Cryptic Codes and Lost Languages, and Treasure troves.

HISTORY'S MYSTERIES is the first book in a new series that provides some explanations for mysteries that have plagued the earth for years. I was fascinated by this book and the mysteries it contains! HISTORY'S MYSTERIES is part science lesson/part history lesson, and the information is presented in a very easy-to-read way. There are also tons of pictures and drawings that make these mysteries even more appealing to readers.

This book has so many interesting topics that I'm having a hard time just focusing on a few for this review. I loved the chapter on Unexplained Deaths and Disappearances which included a few pages on Amelia Earhart, but I also found some of the Freaky Phenomena mysteries to be pretty darn interesting. This section covered some strange stuff like flying saucers, strange footprints, and even a mummy!

HISTORY'S MYSTERIES is proves that life is, indeed, stranger than fiction. Highly recommended!

Thanks to Media Masters for providing review copies of these books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!