THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, June 18, 1996 TAG: 9606180033
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Book Review
SOURCE: BY BARBARA BURNS
LENGTH: 137 lines
AFTER THE final school bell rings, marking the beginning of summer vacation for thousands of students across Hampton Roads, parents may need a few suggestions for keeping their children busy and challenged. Summer gives children opportunities for exploring and discovering the world around them, or perhaps for taking up a new hobby, developing a talent or learning a sport.
The following books will inspire children to do just that, and also provide activities to enrich their lives:
A visit to an art museum is always a fun summer activity. Almost anything can happen, as Ella discovers in ``Ella's Trip to the Museum'' (Crown, $14), a book for ages 4-7 by Elaine Clayton, whose own life was changed when her mother took her to visit the local museum as a child. Paintings wave to Ella, sing to her and even dance with her.
After a trip to the art museum, budding artists ages 3-10 will love experimenting with ``Art Packs'' (Chronicle, $9.95 paper). This new interactive series by Mila Boutan features four of the world's best known artists: Monet, Matisse, Cezanne and Van Gogh. Each activity pack has a paperback that focuses on a concept behind the artist's work, as well as posters, paper or stencils for children to create their own masterpieces.
Traveling may be in your summer plans. Before venturing off into parts unknown, you might want to expose your children, ages 3-7, to ``Me on the Map'' (Crown, $12) by Joan Sweeney. In this step-by-step introduction to maps and geography, a young girl shows readers a map of her room, her house, her street and her city, as well as her country. Colorful illustrations by Annette Cable demonstrate simple map concepts that will have children eager to help navigate their next vacation.
If a trip to Washington is on the summer itinerary, don't leave home without ``A Kid's Guide to Washington, D.C.'' (Harcourt Brace, $10 paper). It's not only full of invaluable facts about where to go, how to go and what to do there, but it's also loaded with activities, puzzles, interesting facts and pages to record experiences that will be a souvenir to treasure long after the trip is over.
If you're heading south to Disney World in Orlando, Birnbaum's ``1996 Walt Disney World For Kids by Kids: The Official Guide'' (Hyperion and Hearst, $9.95) is a useful handbook written from a kid's perspective. It answers questions about the amusement center and offers suggestions for planning your trip. Included are kids' tips on rides worth waiting for, places to eat, stores to shop in and hotels to pack for, as well as pages for writing schedules and receiving autographs.
No matter where your travels may lead you, take along activity books to provide hours of entertainment along the way. Rand McNally has three excellent offerings for ages 6-9. They are loaded with fabulous puzzles, games, maps and more. Look for ``Best Travel Activity Book Ever!'', ``Are We There Yet?'', ``Coast-to-Coast Games'' and ``Kids' U.S. Road Atlas,'' ($3.95 each), which include road maps of the 50 states, Canada and Mexico and games and activities related to each. ``Travel Fun'' (Dorling Kindersley, $15.95), is an activity package for ages 5-10 that contains a travel diary, activity book, magnetic board, wipe-clean games, crayons and lots more. Store all of the contents in the sturdy box, ready for the next time you set off.
``Young Scientist'' (DK Publishing, $15.95), another full-color activity pack in this series, allows budding scientists to use magnets, syringes, filters, balloons and other items to perform 25 simple experiments. This summer, young people can also learn and enjoy the easy-to-follow ``Icky, Squishy Science'' (Hyperion, $3.95 paper), by Sandra Markle. Markle has collected a host of messy experiments, using ordinary household items, that will help children conduct their own scientific research and learn from their own conclusions. Blowing up marshmallows and building a worm farm are just two examples of what's in store.
Sports will surely play a part in many youngsters' summer plans. Tennis star Arantxa Sanchez Vicario has written ``The Young Tennis Player: A Young Enthusiast's Guide to Tennis'' (DK Publishing, $15.95), a comprehensive introduction to the skills, techniques and rules of the game, with step-by-step photography and tips from several top pros on the tour. From serving an ace to ripping a winner down the line, young tennis players will be more comfortable on the court having read this handsome volume. Other titles in the series include ``The Young Soccer Player,'' ``The Young Basketball Player,'' ``The Young Rider,'' ``The Young Gymnast'' and ``The Young Dancer.''
Baseball is for children of all ages, and so is the fascinating reference, ``Touching All the Bases'' (Firefly Books, $9.95 paper). Self-proclaimed baseball fanatic Claire Mackay has compiled the facts, the folklore and the fantasy surrounding America's favorite pastime. In each of the nine chapters, or innings, youngsters learn how to read a box score and keep score like a pro.
Spending time at the beach is another activity that is sure to please children this summer. Let them hang 10 with ``Rhinos Who Surf'' (Chronicle, $10.95), a totally awesome reading experience. Children 4-7 will share the delight of these radical rhinos as they shred the mondo waves. Author and illustrator Julie Mammono includes a glossary of surfing terms in this ``fun in the sun'' picture book.
Speaking of surfing, summer will give kids more time to surf the net - the Internet, that is. Two guides just for children will give them all the information they will need to know. ``Internet for Kids: A Beginner's Guide to Surfing the Net'' (Putnam, $8.95 paper), by Ted Pedersen and Francis Moss, is a comprehensive guide for ages 9 and up that answers all imaginable questions about the Internet. ``Cybersurfer: The OWL Internet Guide for Kids'' (Firefly, $19.95 paperback and disk), by Nyla Ahmad, is a colorful, user-friendly guide for ages 9 and up that offers explanatory diagrams, amazing facts, interactive puzzles and games and a ``Yellow Pages'' directory software package.
For those heading to summer camp and wondering how they'll make it through alive, ``The Camp Survival Handbook'' (HarperCollins, $6.95 paper), by Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg, will ease all concerns and give hilarious advice on such pressing issues as how to make the best of camp food, tell award-winning ghost stories, get a cool camp name and plan camp pranks. Included are six wacky postcards that are guaranteed to keep those care packages coming.
For young adventurers who will be roughing it, ``The Outdoor Adventure Handbook'' (DK Publishing, $12.95 paper) is the essential pocket guide. Author Hugh McManners teaches campers how to build a shelter, make a campfire, cook a meal and tie knots, as well as track animals, observe plants and read a compass. This attractive guide, small enough to fit in a backpack, contains everthing a camper ages 8-12 might need to know.
And just for the fun of it, Mad Jack Books (Henderson Publishing) has created a series of activity books with easy-to-follow instructions that will have children learning new games and polishing old ones. ``Playground Games'' ($10.95) teaches marbles, hopscotch and cat's cradle, among others. It also includes a set of jacks and a ball, along with rules for playing.
``Juggling'' ($12.95) provides three juggling balls with basic juggling techniques and tips. ``Harmonica'' ($14.95) includes a harmonica, instructive cassette and simple instructions with easy-to-read melodies. ``Yo Yo'' ($10.95) comes complete with a yo yo, basic instructions for beginners and fancier tricks for more advanced performers. And ``Magic'' ($14.95) is a how-to book for becoming a magician, with all the basic equipment needed to be an absolute wow at parties.
Don't forget to check in on the Chrysler Museum's fabulous summertime exhibit, ``Myth, Magic and Mystery: 100 Years of American Children's Book Illustrations.'' Over 200 original works from many noted children's book illustrators will be on display for children of all ages to enjoy. MEMO: Barbara Burns is a librarian in the Lower School at Norfolk
Academy. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
Young readers' lives are enriched by the lessons they learn from
reading books during the summer.
Photo
CROWN PUBLISHERS
Paintings come to life in ``Ella's Trip to the Museum.'' by CNB