National Geographic for Kids!

When I was a kid, my grandparents bought us all books every Christmas. All except for one of my brothers – he always got a subscription to National Geographic. We ALL loved his present – it was the gift that kept on giving all year long. Those magazines taught my siblings and I an awful lot about the world’s diverse cultures and animals. In fact, one of my sisters dreamt for years of being a National Geographic photographer! I’m usually the one taking pictures, but she leads a pretty adventurous life in China!

Since I love National Geographic so much, I was thrilled when I was offered me a chance to review a collection of their kids’ products! Did you know that purchasing National Geographic Books supports exploration, conservation, research, and education programs? You can learn more about National Geographic by following them on Facebook and Twitter.

We were sent these ten books to review – here are my thoughts on each. The book titles are affiliate links; purchasing any item via these links may earn me a small commission at no cost to you.

Ultimate Weird but True 2

Have a kid who loves random facts? This is their book! I also think that the wacky facts combined with the abundance of fun photos in this book make it an excellent pick for drawing in reluctant readers!

Mother’s Love

This book combines academic facts about animals with adorable photos of mother and baby animals. It’s perfect for seven-year-old Emma, but five-year-old Johnny enjoys it as well (the writing is above his reading level, but not Emma’s). It’s also a great book for adults.

Meerkats

This is a fun level one reader that features a guess-the-closeup-photo quiz in the back of the book. I think the number of novel words in this book make it somewhat challenging for kids who are truly at a level one reading level, but it’s an excellent non-fiction read for kids – and it appeals to super-reader Emma as well as beginning-reader Johnny.

Best Friends Forever!

A collection of heart-warming stories of unlikely animal friends, this book will appeal to any young animal lover. The stories are very gentle – nothing too frightening or dramatic.

First Big Book of Why

This book answers all sorts of fun questions, with tons of photos! It also features some fun activities – looking at family genetics and floating. It also has some crazy facts – did you know that the walking catfish can breath in water and on land?

Almanac

This book has a little bit of everything! Information on animals, countries, cultures, stars, and science. It includes more difficult subjects like wars, so I would recommend it for ages 8 and up.

Funny Fill-In

I’m saving this book for our next road trip! I think Emma will enjoy getting words from the younger kids and then reading these wacky stories out loud! The book contains interesting facts that are related to the stories.

Just Joking 4

This book is getting saved for our next road trip, too! It has fun jokes, tongue twisters, and riddles, and is nice and small – perfect for keeping in your bag for unexpected delays.

Everything Pets

This photo-filled book is all about pets – including facts that can make kids better pet owners but are things that you might not think (or know) to tell them about. I think this is an excellent choice if you’re looking to get a pet, have a pet, or even if (like us) allergies keep you from having pets but you would still like your kids to know about them. I think kids aged 4-12 would enjoy this book.

Devoted

If you love animal stories, this book is for you! I wouldn’t recommend it for young children, because some of the stories talk about very difficult subjects, including war and abuse. I was most fascinated by the stories of dogs detecting cancer. Who knew that was possible?!

Which of these books do you think you and your kids would enjoy the most?

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meetsm program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meetsm blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. All opinions are my own, and they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC. or the manufacturer of the product.

MaryAnne Kochenderfer

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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.