The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) by Gina Misiroglu

This is the second edition of The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents). It's a fun book of answers to questions kids 4 thru 16 (or so) are likely to ask about the world around them. It has about 800 questions and answers which seems like quite a lot to me. The focus is on the broad sorts of questions kids ask. Like why is the sky blue? And who was the first man in space? It is not, however, like an encyclopedia where you would send a child who has to do a paper on Helen Keller. (It's more fun than that.)

I was excited to receive this copy because my kids, like everyone elses, are little balls of frenetic inquiry. And I've found that while I might know the answer, that I can't always find the words I want to use that are best for answering their questions. Happily, Gina Misiroglu has come up with some great answers to help me (and others) out.

Here are the Chapter Headings so you can get a feel for the range of topics that are covered.

1. Outer Space
2. Planet Earth and Our Moon
3. Creatures Big and Small
4. Plant Life
5. People Around the World
6. Politics and Government
7. How Things Work
8. Math, Measurement and Time
9. All About My Body
10. Daily Life


And here are some Sample Questions from each chapter so you can see just how much is stuffed into this book.

1. Outer Space
How did the universe begin?
Who was the first woman in space?

2. Planet Earth and Our Moon
How old is the earth?
Why is the ocean salty?

3. Creatures Big and Small
Which is the biggest dinosaur?
Why do zebras have stripes?
What do worms eat?

4. Plant Life
What is the largest plant in the world?
Is poison ivy really poisonous?


5. People Around the World
Why did people begin exploring?
Where are the largest factories located?
What are barns used for?

6. Politics and Government
How many countries are there?
What does the U.S. government do?
Which state was once an independent kingdom?

7. How Things Work
How does a cable car stop and go?
How do boats float?
How does a fax machine work?
What are bar codes?

8. Math, Measurement and Time
What is so special about the number 2?
What is a googol?
What is horsepower?
How are the months of the year named?

9. All About My Body
What causes "growing pains"?
How did my life begin?
Which hair grows fastest?
What is a healthy diet?

10. Daily Life
Why do people become disabled?
What kind of household pets are common around the world?
Should I tell my parents I'm being bullied?

Talking Points :::
To me, the key to evaluating a book of this kind is how it answers difficult questions. I mean it's hard enough to come up with kid-friendly answers for questions like 'why do dogs bark', but imagine how difficult it could be to answer questions like "Who is God?" or "Why do some women wear veils?" I thought Gina Misiroglu handled these issues very even handedly, and in a way that was informative and respectful. In the case of women with veils, her answer was neither denigrating of the tradition, nor did it disregard the fact that to some the veil signifies the restricted freedom of the women in those cultures. In regards to the question about God, she principally addresses the various viewpoints of monotheistic religions, but doesn't leave out the fact that other peoples believe in multiple gods.

Another thing that I liked about the book was that there were different length answers. It seemed to me that the shorter ones were associated with the questions that younger children were likely to ask. whereas when it came to more complex questions -- the sort older kids might ask-- there were longer answers. So that "What is outer space?" had 3 sentence answer, while "Is the universe expanding?" was 2 paragraphs long.

There are color pictures that supplement many of the answers, and you should know that the pages are sturdy and of a good weight.

I would have loved to have had this book as a kid. I would have sat and perused it every week to learn things.

Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs

The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents)

Accelerated Reading level : unknown

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Visible Ink Press; Second edition edition (October 1, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 1578592194