(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best children arts, music & photography books

Update:


Thank you all for your suggestions!! I bought a few of the ones mentioned here as well as some others. I went a little overboard, but I figure I can space out the gifts for later in the year, and some are for her little brother too.

1. Nancy Drew (1-5) I LOVED these when I was younger, they're such a classic and Nancy's take charge attitude taught me so much.
   
   
2. Little Pea (for her brother) A cute little kids book about a young pea who has to eat all of his candy for dinner, so he can have veggies for dessert! It's so charming and silly and is a fun reversal for kids who don't want to eat their veggies :)
   
   
3. The Planets in Our Solar System (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science) Thanks for the suggestion /u/tectonicus!
   
   
4. The Daring Book for Girls - a fun reference for knowledge and classic kids games, always ideas for fun stuff to do!
   
   
5. Getting To Know The World's Greatest Artists - These art history books for kids gave me such a decent foundation in art history that when I finally took it in college I got my first A+ at a university level. Not to mention, having that knowledge made my time at art museums for field trips and such so much more relevant as I grew up! Also, I give these books full credit for my success in Jeopardy studio auditions :)
   
   

• >Van Gogh
  
• >Monet
  
• >O'Keefe
  
• >Da Vinci
  
• >Rockwell
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  (She's French born, so I made sure to include some American artists in there too.)
  
  

6. The Paper Bag Princess - another one of my favorites that my dad used to read to me when I was younger. I loved it because when the Dragon strikes, it's the princess who has to outsmart him to save the bratty prince :)
   
   
7. The Magic School Bus Lost In The Solar System, and The Magic School Bus On The Ocean Floor. Classics! Thank you /u/tectonicus, /u/mariposamariposa, and /u/caemin!
   
   
8. The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak - couldn't tell too much about this one, but it's supposed to be very clever and leave a lot to the kid's imagination, fun to read out loud!
   
   
9. Annie Oakley: Young Markswoman (Childhood of Famous Americans). Another book I enjoyed as a girl about a young woman who who "broke the mold" - stepping outside of social boundaries and working hard at something she was incredibly talented at.
   
   
10. The Way Things Work - This one looks great!
    Thank you /u/mariposamariposa, and /u/moration!
    
    
    Edit: For the commenters saying I should just give her princess stuff if that's what she likes - I have and will continue to. This year I spent over 100 hours making her an Elsa from Frozen dress for her birthday. This should be proof enough that I encourage and share her enthusiasm. http://imgur.com/a/ga9DQ

Ok, so you have kids that you want to engage in super sweet science stuff, but they just don't care. You could do messy activities, if you know the classes will clean up - like slime (so many different types of slimes), volcanoes, lava lamps, bouncy balls, egg drops, etc. You could do anything you don't want them to do as a science fair project because it is a demonstration and not an experiment. (Here's a link for more demonstrations: https://sciencebob.com/ ) But at the end of the day, if you run out of time then you get to clean up.

You could do boring scientific method things, but that will put them all to sleep and they probably won't do it. Things like, observation vs. inference, defining variables, etc. The basic science things they need, but don't want to do.

You could do a genius hour, but you need technology or book resources for that. And you have to guide the students every day. In 7th grade, they can't be left to just research on their own, at least not at my school.

So, you need a hook to pull them in. Something like "Science Survivor". (Here is a link: http://sciencespot.net/Pages/survivorsci.html ) Day 1 you set up the scenario, and every day after that you include an activity with measuring, or observing, or some science skill that is hidden as a competition.

Sounds great, so where do you find the resources? Science Spot is great (linked above) - they have a CSI section, a Bald Eagle section, etc. I like teachers pay teachers too. ( https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ ) You could find a resource pack there and fluff it out to fill your time.

I also like finding a grade appropriate book on amazon and including some text dependent analysis. There's this book for you as the teacher : https://www.amazon.com/Maker-Lab-Projects-Invent-Discover/dp/1465451358/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505581411&sr=1-7&keywords=science+books+for+kids

Or there's this type of book for kids: https://www.amazon.com/Recycle-this-Book-Childrens-Authors-ebook/dp/B002361NG4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1505581720&sr=8-6&keywords=how+to+save+the+planet+for+kids You read a section as a class and then answer some questions, or maybe do an activity based on the topic. Something with a basis in text shows the admin that you are not just playing around in class. :)

Happy hunting!

Possibly the Look-Alikes books by Joan Steiner?

"Come along! Jump aboard! Grab hold of my hand. / We're crossing the border into Look-Alike Land." So invites the opening lines of Joan Steiner's Look-Alikes, a three-dimensional miniature metropolis that's meticulously, ingeniously crafted out of everyday objects from mousetraps to milk bones. At first glance, a fancy hotel lobby seems just that, but take a closer look and you'll see a sofa made of gloves. In a sunny street scene, a building façade is laden with crackers, crayons form fence posts, and the tree is shaded by a stalk of broccoli. Children and adults alike will love poring over each picture, most of which contain more than 100 objects cleverly arranged to delight and deceive. Kids will easily identify many household objects, and the ones they may not recognize--a hosiery garter or flour sifter, for example--they'll learn from either the guide in the back or from a helpful parent."

"Joan Steiner's "Look-Alikes" is endlessly interesting for kids and adults alike. This self-taught artist employs everyday items--tea bags, Fig Newtons, miniature hair combs, matches, tissues, strips of licorice, graham crackers, torn-up sponges, pencils, and so much more--to create the most astonishingly lifelike scenes.
You can see everything from a port city with boats arriving to a soda shop to a candy store to a classroom, each filled to brimming with trinkets and everyday articles of every kind, each employed as something other than what it really is "

https://www.amazon.com/Look-Alikes-More-You-Look-See/dp/0316713481

https://www.amazon.com/Look-Alikes-Christmas-More-You-Look/dp/0316811874/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZJ8EGQ4WSTVWA1SZ7GPX

https://www.amazon.com/Look-Alikes-Seek-Search-Puzzles-Steiner/dp/0316074071/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511323926&sr=1-3&keywords=joan+alikes+joan+steiner

https://www.amazon.com/Look-Alikes-Jr-Everyday-Objects-Hardcover/dp/B01070ZMH8/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511323926&sr=1-5&keywords=joan+alikes+joan+steiner

There's a book for sheet music. It's geared towards kids who are still learning to read music/chords, and the arrangements are pretty easy, but it's pretty fun all the same.

http://www.amazon.com/Live-Beach-City-Steven-Universe/dp/0843183497

I wish this book had existed when I was little and learning to play piano for the first time; I would have loved it!

For me, the dividing line almost always lies in the main conflict.

For MG, the main conflict is home-based. By this I mean, whatever the goal of the main character is, it is directly linked to his/her home life. It could have larger repercussions, but the hero is in it for his home. Chasing Vermeer is a good example of this: the kids are solving an art mystery that the entire world is focused on, but they're solving it to save their own community.

For YA, the main conflict is world-based. The main character is doing something broader than him or herself or things linked directly to his/her life.

Another way to put it: MG is about the main character finding a place within his home. YA is about the main character finding a place within his world.

Really, this is the biggest dividing line to me--everything else is flexible.

I'm not really a Star Wars guy, but I got this book as a gift once and thought it was pretty cool. A random dude took all these artsy photos of Star Wars Lego pieces.

I could also give you a list of about a hundred good books on history. I always liked picking some weird, obscure topic in history and giving someone like 3 different books on the subject to get a rounded view on it.

Seriously, you should get your sister this book for a birthday gift or surprise.

I had it when I was a girl, and it's perfect for creating doll house miniatures easily. I still remember how to make the barbeque using that pizza box tripod, the top of a plastic egg that's been painted black, a circle of screen door screen for the grill, crinkled orange cellophane for coals, a piece of cotton ball for smoke, and lentils for burger buns.

It's an awesome book.

In addition to some great advice here, you can try getting her an outdoorsy book for her age. If she loves food, she would probably love a campfire cookout book meant for kids.

You can find some suggestions here.

There is also a book on girl's book of Adventure :
https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Book-Adventure-Guidebook-Resourceful/dp/0764166107

Hope you enjoy it -- thank you! To try an illustration for free you can sign up for our mailing list if you like. The book can be purchased on Amazon.com -- it's currently on sale. 😉🌵

I think that this would make you smile. It has many uses: tardis ice, chocolate, baking?

I am going out on a limb with this one, I figured most Sci-Fi buffs like Star Wars (I know I do) and who wouldn't love to make origami yoda or R2D2?!

Anything from this list or this one. Gift cards are cool, I'd like to be able to gift more :)

If anyone is interested in more free coloring pages:

cactus

aloes

random succulents

more cactus

more random succulents

There are a couple books on Amazon like this:
Succulent Serenity: A Coloring Book

And, if anyone was wondering why I'm posting coloring pages of plants, well, I have to keep myself busy doing something while my plants are dormant.

laser tag is so fun I haven't played in forever!

I always love just having a big dinner with the family haha!

Dollar Bill origami to keep my boyfriend and I entertained on our journey out to Texas next week!

I had the I Spy haunted mansion CD-ROM game. My sis and I played it together all the time, but I couldn't admit that it was too spooky for me. Good memories.

I also loved these books where the scenes were made of everyday objects. They were so oddly satisfying and could keep me occupied for a long time just staring at the pages.

Unfortunately cursed child was never released as a book, it is a play. And you can get the plays dialog, a play script. A good read though.

Amazon link to said script:

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two: The Official Playscript of the Original West End Production https://www.amazon.com/dp/133821666X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Qvu4AbQ9B11Y3

At 1 month- 3 months my baby was mostly really into black and white images he could stare at while doing tummy time and laying on his back. Two books that were really good for this because they unfolded and/or stood up on their own well were Art For Baby and Black & White by Tana Hoban. He still likes them at 9 months too, especially as they were some of the first books he was able to manipulate well with his hands (better than all his other board books), so they a good investment.

Happy Birthday. Would love to read this book https://www.amazon.com/dp/133821666X/?coliid=I2CZV1N6DQ0VGE&colid=2D4EJWHGG2DEN&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I was just planning on having a contest exactly like this one. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

I would like

Edit: happy zambambo!

The publisher DK and this artist in particular did awesome cross-section books that I remember from my childhood. I realize they're later than you recall but I thought that maybe they might help jog your memory a bit.

Have two picture books illustrated by him - "Imagine a Day" and "Imagine a Night" My son and I loved them as bedtime books - lots to look at and dream about.
Edit: http://www.amazon.com/Imagine-Night-Sarah-L-Thomson/dp/0689852185

To save you all time, here are some quick links to the books!

• The newest book: Magical Creatures (get hyped for the new movie)
  
• The original: Harry Potter coloring book
  
• Coming soon: Magical Places (can be pre-ordered)

The guy who did these even has a book now: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/1465440097

His Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/avanaut/with/23186172864/

I've been following him for a while, absolutely great photography and compositing.

Camera form her 'One day when I'm rich' list - cost 49.96

Make up brushes from her 'top priority' list - Cost 9.60.

Star wars oragami form 'creative' list - cost 8.96

Leaving roughly 6 for postage :)

https://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-Ultimate-Guide-Amazing-Publishing/dp/0756626757 or an earlier edition of this seems like the best bet.

Looks like "Equilateral Triangle Edge Module" by Lewis Simon and Bennett Arnstein. The resulting icosahedron is on the top-right of the cover of Beginner's Book of Modular Origami Polyhedra: The Platonic Solids.

Amazon

Dover Publications

the nearest library

(This was the book that got me interested in origami in high school.)

This is awesome.

This is a book I had as a kid about making tiny things. Loved it.

This book from my Under $10 list would be so awesome.

I hope your day gets better, hun. PM me if you want to vent! <3

1. I would like to have this for my girls so we can do fun projects and sciency stuff.
   
   
2. Tell me why
   You could write a book on how
   To ruin someone's perfect day
   Well, I get so confused and frustrated
   Forget what I'm trying to say, oh - By Taylor Swift
   
   
   
3. /u/rainbowterfly Deserves to be gifted for having to deal with her creepy neighbor

My favorite part was the operating room for some reason... morbid curiosity I guess. I actually still have the castle cross section book.

amazon's a p good source

You're probably referring to Spider-Man: The Ultimate Guide. A popular Scholastic offering at schools.

Hopefully this works, I haven't tried to link from mobile before Star Trek Book

The artist is Rob Gonsalves. If you like his stuff there are at least three books available with his paintings set to poems by Sarah L. Thomson.

"Imagine a Day", "Imagine a Night", and "Imagine a Place".

e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Imagine-Night-Sarah-L-Thomson/dp/0689852185

He also did an entire book on castles I would recommend for any aspiring young knight

Welp, looks like this is about to sell out.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594745196/

Blue Balliett's series:

1. Chasing Vermeer
   
   
2. The Calder Game
   
   
3. The Wright 3
   
   Stephen Hawking's series:
   
   
4. George's Secret Key to the Universe
   
   
5. George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt
   
   
6. George and the Big Bang
   
   
7. George and the Unbreakable Code
   
   Others...
   
   The School Story (It has two female leads, not sure if that will be a deterrent for your nephews)
   
   Einstein Anderson series
   
   Encyclopedia Brown series
   
   Hardy Boys series
   
   Sammy Keyes series
   
   Check the ages. All of these are above a 5-year-old, unless you're reading to him. Most of what you're asking for will end up being detective mysteries.
   
   I wouldn't recommend nonfiction unless the subject matter matches their real-world interests... or you happen to know they prefer non-fiction.
   
   

Sophie the Giraffe

Step and Play piano

Art for Baby

This is from illustrator Stephen Beasty's book The Coolest Cross-Sections Ever, which is itself a compilation of several of his books. Very highly recommended books, even if they are a little out of date.

The Girl's Book of Adventure https://www.amazon.com/dp/0764166107/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_UhjoDbGWNP4MG

It's part of a set.

Haha alright, I'll see what I can do in a bit. I feel kind of bad though because the thing is only ~10 pages long, don't want to post in its entirety.

It looks like the Amazon listing lets you "look inside," if that helps.

I think you want one of Rob Gonsalves' books.

Example: Imagine a Night

Star Wars Origami: 36 Amazing Paper-folding Projects from a Galaxy Far, Far Away.... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761169431/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_j6gBCb735BEBM

This one?

Can be purchased as a hardcover photo book: http://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Star-Wars-Scenes-Galaxy/dp/1465440097/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449381164&sr=8-1&keywords=Vesa+Lehtimäki

Saw it at Costco

The book title is Imagine a Night

I thought I recognized the style. My dad had his two books, Imagine a Day, and Imagine a Night, both absolutely incredible works.

Look Alikes maybe?

There's this book, which I think is the only sheet music that has been officially published. It might be up your alley, but only includes songs from season 1 (nothing for "Something Entirely New")

https://www.amazon.com/Live-Beach-City-Steven-Universe/dp/0843183497

In case you haven't already seen it, check out the Star Trek Book of Opposites.

Is it Joan Steiner's Look-Alike books?

10 or under

I have been looking at this book and I could use some origami paper to go with it.

May the force be with you

Look Alikes?

http://www.amazon.com/Look-Alikes-Jr-Joan-Steiner/dp/0316890731/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=088MJ8GF0TES0D7JYW31

http://www.amazon.com/Look-Alikes-The-More-You-Look/dp/0316713481

This one, released November of this year:
http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Coloring-Book-Scholastic/dp/1338029991

I had the Stephen Biesty one. https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Biestys-Cross-Sections-Castle-Richard/dp/1564584674

https://www.amazon.com/Live-Beach-City-Steven-Universe/dp/0843183497 it's simplistic but there is an official songbook for Steven universe. It has ukulele, guitar and piano chord charts and sheet music for some of the songs.

Look-Alikes? If not, look at some of the related items on that page.

Well, for now, there's this.

Also, this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Castle-Stephen-Biestys-Cross-Sections-Biesty/dp/1564584674

You might also need this.

...

...

...Should I tell him?

Pencil sharpener. http://www.amazon.com/Alvin-DUX-Glass-Inkwell-Sharpener/dp/B001BYRKCK


Coloring book. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1338029991/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1452461689&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=harry+potter+coloring+book&dpPl=1&dpID=614QVpS6zaL&ref=plSrch

http://www.amazon.ca/Star-Trek-Opposites-David-Borgenicht/dp/1594745196

Coinicidence that he just made a book?

http://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Star-Wars-Scenes-Galaxy/dp/1465440097/

I believe this is the book you're referring to, but I found the tutorial here:)

>What happens when the time travelor is a bad guy who doesn't get Dumbledore's warning and changes things for the worst (for the bad guys)? Any fics like this would be appreciated.

I'd recommend my personal favorite fanfic, The Cursed Child.

When I was younger I was obsessed with castles and had loads of books on them, this was always my favourite and I could look at it for hours, maybe you could get a copy got your son.

Link for lazy