National Geographic Kids Almanac 2018

When I was growing up, every year a book was published called Information Please Almanac and I couldn’t wait to get a copy and spend the rest of the year reading all the difference kinds of information bytes that were included in it. So I was pretty excited to receive a review copy of National Geographic’s Almanac 2018.

Fans of previous Almanac’s will be happy to see this newest edition, and newbies to it are in for a real treat. Beginning with some interesting and cool things to expect in 2018, the Almanac goes on to looks at eleven more chapters that are chockablock with interesting and fascination information. There is a chapter on explorers and Awesome Exploration, on Amazing Animals, Going Green (very important for today’s world), Engineering and Technology including inventors and their inventions. The Wonders of Nature includes weather, gardens and life zones. 

Chapter Seven could be seen as a seventh inning stretch. It includes boredom-busting jokes, games, puzzles and other fun stuff. This is followed by a chapter on Space and Earth, then one on Culture Connection, where, for instance you can discover which Chinese Zodiac you are based on the year of your birth, and explore holidays around the world. And lastly, there is a chapter on Life Science, History Happens and Geography Rocks. There are also pages in each chapter with fun quizzes, funny-fills, and homework help suggestions, like the one on how to write an essay. 

The National Geographic Kids Almanac 2018 has so much information in it, it is sure to keep kids busy and entertained all summer long, and who knows, maybe something found inside will spark a deeper interest in something. Just in case that happens, there a list at the back of the book for kids who want to learn more. And one of the things that makes this a really nice book is that it is interactive.

July 14th is Shark Awareness Day and although that shark on the cover is pretty formidable looking, lots of kids are fascinated by these large creatures of the deep anyway. You can find lots of information in the Almanac about sharks because the 2018 Almanac Newsmaker Challenge is about saving them. Kids can find more information about this and about sharks, including a shark mask to color and cut out and two posters that can be downloaded HERE.  My personal favorite shark is Mary Lee the Shark, a great white that is tracked by OCEARCH who likes to cruise the East Coast. I like to see her travels as she swims the Atlantic Ocean. You can find Mary Lee on twitter @MaryLeeShark and track her pings along with the scientists. There is also a nice article about Mary Lee and sharks in general in the New York Times that may be of interest to budding sharkophiles. 

Going on a road trip with the family this summer? This is the ideal book to take along in the car, train, plane, or boat to keep the kids busy with all kinds of fun stuff.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was provided to me by the publisher, National Geographic Kids