Rather than joining the Little League team, many grew up playing computer games, Dungeons and Dragons, and watching Star Wars. Now with kids of their own, these digital-age dads are looking for fresh ways to share their love of science and technology, and help their kids develop a passion for learning and discovery.Enter supergeek, and father of two, Ken Denmead. An engineer and editor of the incredibly popular GeekDad blog on wired.com, Ken has created the ultimate, idea-packed guide guaranteed to help dads and kids alike enjoy the magic of playtime together and tap into the infinite possibility of their imagination. With illustrations throughout, this book offers projects for all ages to suit any timeframe or budget. With Denmead's expert guidance, you and your child can:-Fly a night-time kite ablaze with lights or launch a video camera with balloons-Construct the Best Slip n' Slide Ever, a guaranteed thrill ride-Build a working lamp with LEGO bricks and CDs-Create a customized comic strip or your own board game-Transform any room into a spaceship-Make geeky crafts like cyborg jack-o'-lanterns or Ethernet cuff linksBrimming with endlessly fun and futuristic tidbits on everything from gaming to gadgets, GeekDad helps every tech-savvy father unleash his inner kid-and bond with the next generation of brainiacs.Watch a Video

    There's a good reason for this. You see, Play-Doh didn't start out as a toy. It started out as a product for cleaning wallpaper."Have you ever wondered who invented Lego, Mr. Potato Head, or toy trains? Here are the fascinating stories behind these toy inventions and many others. Learn why the see-saw was popular with the Romans, how the Slinky was used during the Vietnam War, and the reason Raggedy Ann has a red heart on her chest that says "I love you." From dolls and checkers to pinball and the modern video game, there's a wide selection here for boys and girls alike.With humor and wit, this intriguing book serves up slices of cultural history that will inspire young readers to start thinking up their own toy inventions.

    Penrose, a cat with a knack for math, takes children on an adventurous tour of mathematical concepts from fractals to infinity.

    It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.Why don't ducks get wet? Ducks dip and dive, but they stay dry because they spread oil over their feathers to make them waterproof. Learn more inside and get to know different kinds of ducks.  This is a Level One Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science title, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

    These colorful pages will introduce young children to the wonders of space, with colorful illustrations by David Aguilar and simple text that is perfect for beginning readers or for reading aloud. The book will explain basic concepts of space, beginning with what is most familiar to kids and expanding out into universe.Chapters include: • Chapter 1 focuses on the Earth, moon, and sun.  • Chapter 2 introduces kids to the other planets in our solar system.  • Chapter 3 explains other objects in our solar system, such as dwarf planets, comets, and asteroid belts.  • Chapter 4 voyages even farther afield, touching on concepts such as the universe, the Milky Way, stars, galaxies, and black holes.  • The last chapter delves into space exploration: humans on the moon, spaceships, the International Space Station, etc.Releases simultaneously in Reinforced Library Binding: 978-1-4263-1015-7 , $23.90/$26.95 Can

    -- Introduces young children to fundamental aspects of nature, science and technology-- Inspired by the questions children ask about the world around them-- Simple text and detailed illustrations answer questions in clear, step-by-step stages

    But when we look up at the night sky, what are we seeing? Basic facts about the stars, as well as how we look at and learn about them, are introduced through simple text and bold illustrations. From ancient names for constellations to modern innovations in telescope technology, this book covers a broad range of ideas without overwhelming the reader. It introduces and reinforces important vocabulary for the aspiring astronomer, explaining everything in clear, simple phrases.Nonfiction master Gail Gibbons has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator according to The Washington Post.This book includes a brief timeline of major advances in astronomy, written in concise, kid-friendly language, and a wealth of fun facts and trivia about the stars.

    Did you know:Jane Goodall, who would become the world's foremost expect on chimpanzees, had a stuffed chimpanzee named Jubliee as a child. She loved animals so much that she was constantly bringing them inside--including worms and snails--much to her mother's horror!Although he would one day become a brilliant theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking hated school as a child, and spent his free time assembling model airplanes, inventing board games, and even building his own computer.Neil DeGrasse Tyson, who became a famous astrophysicist, ran a dog-walking business after school to save up money for a telescope, which he used to observe the skies from the roof of his family's apartment building.The diverse and inclusive cast ranges from physicists like Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Marie Curie, and Stephen Hawking to inventors like Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Nikola Tesla, and includes astronaut Sally Ride, mathematician Katherine Johnson (of Hidden Figures fame), primatologist Jane Goodall, and many more, making it a perfect addition to libraries, classrooms, and kids' home collections alike. With Anoosha Syed's whimsical illustrations bringing every caper, scrape, and sticky situation to life, this book is a fun and approachable introduction to the giants of the scientific world.

    Vibrantly designed, lavishly illustrated, brilliantly walking the line between cool and constructive, it’s crammed with activities that are not only fun and doable but also designed to get kids engaged with the wider world. With contributions from a diverse crowd of experts, the book provides kids with information to round out their worldview and inspire them to learn more. From how-tos on using the library or writing your representative to a graphic history of video games, the book isn’t shy about teaching. Yet the bulk of the 350-page mega-resource presents hands-on activities that further the mission in a fun way, featuring the best of the old as well as the best of the new: classic science experiments, crafts and upcycling, board game hacking, code-cracking, geocaching, skateboard repair, yarn bombing, stop-action movie-making—plus tons of sidebars and extras, including trivia, best-of lists, and Q&As with leading thinkers whose culture-changing ideas are made accessible to kids for the first time.Just as kids begin to disappear into their screens, here is a book that encourages them to use those tech skills to be creative, try new things, and change the world. And it encourages parents to participate. Unbored is exciting to read, easy to use, and appealing to young and old, girl and boy. Parents will be comforted by its anti-perfectionist spirit and humor. Kids will just think it’s awesome.Contributors include: Mark Frauenfelder of MAKE magazine; Colin Beavan, the No Impact Man; Douglas Rushkoff, renowned media theorist; Geoff Manaugh, author of BLDGBLOG; John Edgar Park, a CG supervisor at DisneyToon Studios; and Jean Railla, founder of GetCrafty.com and Etsy consultant.

    Chess board graphics illustrate different scenarios and support the text explanations so readers can visualize different moves and their potential outcomes as they go.Let Chess for Kids and International Master Michael Basman turn you into a champion chess player.

    Bennett's bestselling The Book of Virtues is an inspiring anthology that helps children understand and develop moral character—and helps parents teach it to them.Responsibility. Courage. Compassion. Honesty. Friendship. Persistence. Faith. Everyone recognizes these traits as essentials of good character. In order for our children to develop such traits, we have to offer them examples of good and bad, right and wrong. And the best places to find them are in great works of literature and exemplary stories from history. William J. Bennett has collected hundreds of stories in The Book of Virtues. From the Bible to American history, from Greek mythology to English poetry, from fairy tales to modern fiction, these stories are a rich mine of moral literacy, a reliable moral reference point that will help anchor our children and ourselves in our culture, our history, and our traditions—the sources of the ideals by which we wish to live our lives. Complete with instructive introductions and notes, The Book of Virtues is a book the whole family can read and enjoy—and learn from—together.

    The spare yet information-packed text is brought to life by eye-popping artwork. Colorful dragons, mysterious sea creatures, and rainbow-striped zebras leap from the pages. Simple yet clever, this inventive book will have readers saying "Yippee! Whoopee! And Hallelujah!""Youngsters will delight in the rhyming text, which artistically weaves information through vibrant illustrations." -School Library Journal

    But where does snow come from? The answer is at your fingertips. Just open this book and read about the wonders of snow....

    Filled with Quentin Blake's illustrations plus black and white photos, each spread is exploding with information about the creator of Willie Wonka, James, and Matilda; from his family tree to the exact type of pencil he used to write his stories. Perfect for devoted fans and Dahl newcomers alike, this is a glorimptious guide to the world of Roald Dahl. Roald Dahl (1916-1990) wrote many beloved and award-winning books for children, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and The Witches.

    Once again, the Bird and Bee are up to their antics, but this time they're younger. In It's So Amazing!, these reassuring characters reflect the many moods of children age 7 and up: silly, serious, curious, embarrassed. Their voices echo the thoughts, questions, and concerns of a younger audience.