Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Kids Will Have Fun Being History Detectives and Piecing Together Clues to Crack Cases in "Sleuth & Solve: History 20+ Mind-Twisting Mysteries" (Review)

Disclosure: I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.






Do your kids like history or learning about history?  My youngest daughter is fascinated by people in history and major historical events and at one point in time wanted to be a history teacher when she grew up.  My oldest daughter, on the other hand, hates history.  Whenever we sit down to do history in our homeschooling, she finds every excuse to get up, to get a drink, needing to grab something, go the bathroom, etc. She can't still, and when she does, she is usually staring off or sighing under her breath, which doesn't make teaching or having a discussion on things like the Civil War enjoyable.  

For the past few years, I have been looking for books that would get my oldest daughter excited or at least want to sit for history, but never had any luck.  That was, until I was sent a copy of Sleuth & Solve by Victor Escandell.  This Chronicle Book is perfect for kids like my daughter, who are not fans of history or find it boring to study. Why you ask?  Well, this book is a collection of 20 clever mysteries, where kids have to piece together clues shared in the details to crack each case. Not only do kids get to practice deduction, logical reasoning, and use their critical thinking skills to solve each of the 20 mysteries, they will also be learning about mini mysteries that have taken place during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the French Revolution and beyond.

When I first showed my girls this book, my oldest daughter let out a big sigh, as she saw the word "history" on the front cover, and said, "No thanks!"  I told her to give the book a chance, which she did...and she was so grateful she did, as she enjoyed each and every mini mystery that filled the pages of "Sleuth & Solve: History."  She loved learning about how Houdini escaped from a room with all doors leading to deadly fates, to who stole the Queen's diamond, and even the mystery of the Mona Lisa, which was her personal favorite.

I started by telling the girls we would read through and try and figure out one mini mystery a day, but after solving the first mystery, they didn't want to stop.  And, we ended up reading through the whole book and completing all the mysteries. And, by the time we got to the end of the book, my oldest daughter was asking if there were more books like this, so that we could get more.  Then, she followed by saying that she found all these stories fascinated and wanted to learn more about them. OMG, I never expected to hear this, let alone have her sit down and not fidget for an hour as we completed all the mysteries.  I am so glad I finally found a book about history that kept my daughter's attention, and now has her interested in things like art history and the Middle Ages, thanks to this book.

If you have a reluctant reader or child who is not a fan of history, I highly recommend picking up this book to share with them. They will love piecing together the clues to solve the mini mysteries, and will be excited when they realize they are learning about history at the same time.  You can learn more about this and other wonderful educational books from Chronicle Books by visiting https://www.chroniclebooks.com/.


More about this book:

"Welcome to the world of Sleuth & Solve: History, a collection of 20 clever mysteries where the clues are in the details and crafty twists put readers' wits to the test.


These mind-bending mini-mysteries transpire across eras and civilizations, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance to the French Revolution and beyond.


Sleuth & Solve encourages readers of all ages to practice deduction, inference, and logical reasoning to crack each case—and develop critical thinking skills at the same time.

• A history-themed collection of interactive, inference-based mysteries
• Makes a perfect gift for puzzle lovers and super-sleuths of every age
• Requires keen observation, strong logic, and lots of creative thinking

Read the clues, work on solving them, and then lift the flap to reveal the answer to each mystery.

Readers may play alone or with friends, collecting points for cracking each case and determining whose sleuthing skills reign supreme.

• A wonderful gift for fans of brain teasers and puzzles, mystery aficionados, parents and educators looking for a read-together book that encourages critical thinking
• The perfect mix of challenging logic puzzles and quick entertainment
• Perfect for children ages 8 to 12 years old
• Great for teachers and librarians seeking a book that even the most reluctant readers can't resist
• Add it to the shelf with books like Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol, The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, and The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart"


Format: Hardcover
Pages: 60
Size: 9 x 11 V
Age Range: 8 - 12 Years
Publication Date: 08/11/2020
ISBN: 9781452180076

Disclosure: I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.



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