Attention Teachers! For ideas on how to use Boredom Blasters in the classroom, click here.
"This kid-friendly book is chock-full of amusing things to do."
- School Library Journal
MORE REVIEWS:
"This overstuffed collection of diversion breaks down into four sections -- activities, recipes, brain teasers, and games, salted with pages of riddles and comics. While some entries are old classics (optical tricks involving afterimages, for instance, or versions of MadLibs), there's so much on offer that every reader will find something new. Pastimes range in difficulty from hardly any at all (take a quiz) to the moderately involved (recipes and crafts) to the strenuous ("rooster wrestling," hopping around clutching your ankles and warring with other roosters.). Silliness is the watchword here, but it's the good and uncondescending kind: the snarky humor enlivens descriptions and even warnings ("Warning! As hot as lava!"cautions one of the recipes), and touches of wit lift this above your average think-'n'-do book (first turns at games are determined by factors such as the longest fingernails or the most buttons on clothes). The wise array means there's something to occupy restless youngsters in just about every situation, whether it be strapped in the backseat of the minivan, stuck inside on a rainy day, plannning for slumber-party mayhem or hanging out awkwardly in the backyard with out-of-town relatives, and there's nothing to stop daring librarians from incorporating various activities and games into their own efforts at ennui extermination. High-energy layouts saturated with contrasting colors sport lively computer-generated art, further brightening up dull times; answers to the brain-teasers appear in back."
- The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books
"Dávila's illustrations, short on white space and big on colour, breathe energy and excitement into the pages. Overall, Boredom Blasters is a portable entertainment centre guaranteed to provide hours of fun..."
- Canadian Children's Book News "This is a flashy, eye-catching book packed with puzzles, jokes, trivia, and creative activity ideas for kids of all ages. Turn off the TV and tune into Boredom Blasters."
- Book Sense
"I hear my kids giggling and talking in the living room, and for over an hour they are occupied without … fighting, whining, complaining or tears… Mmmm… seems too good to be true. I peek in. Ah yes, I see the Boredom Blasters book in their hands. How many times have my kids told me they LOVE this book? Every time I asked what they thought of it!
Being 6 and 9, my kids love exploring, doing arts and crafts, telling jokes, playing games, learning new things, doing puzzles and cooking with me. Well, this book has it all. It's ideal for them. Even though my 6 year-old can't read it, he does the activities with his sister, so the added advantage is that they cooperate and play together.
This paperback book (fits well into a purse or small backpack) is divided into four sections: Awesome Activities, Yummy Things to Make and Eat, Brain Bogglers and Games, Games, Games. The pages are visually stimulating with wacky illustrations and colourful designs. My kids loved the Silly Kid Tricks, the Opticklers, the Cool Comics, the Slapstick Story Time and so much more; 160 pages filled with entertaining, cool stuff.
I found this book unique and got caught up with the kids in exploring it. Most of the brain bogglers and activities were new to me; actually I found them innovative. This is not your typical activity book. It teaches children various things while having fun. It makes children use their brains (math, logic, decoding, language and science games) in ways they probably haven’t before. Are you stuck in finding ideas for your kid’s next party? Do you have a reluctant reader? This is the perfect book to get kids reading and having fun together.
Now, if I see boredom creeping up, I tell the kids to grab their Boredom Blasters book and try out a new activity. Before long, I hear laughter and then, “Hey Mom, look at this!” Highly recommended!
- Library of Clean Reads Blog
Chapters/Indigo Best of 2004 Award!
Shortlisted, Rocky Mountain Book Award
Book Sense Children's Picks List
for Winter
Hardcover | 160pp | 7 x 7 | $22.95 | US$21.95 | ISBN: 1-897066-02-3
Paperback | 160pp | 7 x 7 | $12.95 | US$9.95 | ISBN: 1-897066-03-1
"Helaine Becker has compiled one-hundred-and-sixty pages of FUN! This easy-to-take-along book is a must for any family. Brilliant!"
- The Kaboose Network
www.kidsdomain.com
