Daddy Mojo

Spies, Lies and Disguise presents WW II in a way perfect for middle school

I firmly believe that kids honestly want to learn. So far as the content, there are those things that they need to learn and those things that they want to learn. In middle school when kids start to earnestly learn about WW II they’re faced with the quandary of studying a horrifying period of human history, yet actually wanting to do it. Teaching or educating kids about this period of time is tricky too because there are so many angles that an author could approach it. Spies, Lies and Disguise, The Daring Tricks and Deeds That Won World War II by Jennifer Swanson with illustrations by Kevin O’Malley is an excellent supplemental text to those kids who already know the basics of WW II and want to learn more.

If your middle grade student is tough to embrace history, check this out

Win a family 4-pack of tickets to Monster Jam on February 22 in Atlanta

If you’ve been on our site for any number of years, A. thank you mom and B. you know that we love Monster Jam. Monster Jam is coming back to Atlanta at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 22 and 23. If you’ve been in Monster Jam before then you know how incredibly entertaining and absolutely family friendly it is. For our family, Monster Jam is one of the highlights for the year. It’s entertaining and is a sport that sucks you in from the get-go. It has all the energy of any huge sporting event that you’ve been to, but it’s paired with huge trucks jumping over dirt barriers.

The Monster Jam competition is simple to grasp once you’re there. Essentially the competition is broken up into two parts and any feasible question that you’d have about Monster Jam, including the famous Pit Party, can be answered here.

This giveaway is for a family 4-pack of tickets to the Saturday, February 22, 2020 show at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The show starts at 7:00, but get there early, especially if you want to go to the Pit Party. The winner for this Monster Jam giveaway will be drawn on February 10, 2020 at 7:00 PM ET. To enter just leave a comment on this post or in the YouTube video:

Machines In Motion, pointed vehicle history with great art

Imagine that Billy from The Family Circus was all grown up and has become an engineer. From time to time he still reverts back to his habit of drawing where he’s visited around the neighborhood. Machines In Motion, by Tom Jackson with illustrations by Chris Mould has moments that will remind cartoon fans of his exploits, but at a much more educational level. Think of a vehicle that moves people and it’s covered in this book to some extent. It’s a big, over sized book that will grab upper elementary through middle school readers by the hand and make them want to learn about transportation.

Entertaining education about machines and technology at its finest

All age comic books for February 5

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This week in new all age comic books is deep. It’s not high brow, rather, there are a huge amount of titles out this week and many of the heavy hitters in elementary aged comic books and graphic novels have new efforts out. In the podcast we’ll chat about Stig & Tilde, Power Rangers and TMNT, Disney PIXAR, new Plants vs. Zombies and more. If you have a child in elementary school there are two must-haves out and that’s Owly and Hilo. Elementary aged readers know Owly, but they know the black & white version. Creator Andy Runton has reproduced his original book with new lines and full color. The books are printed by Graphix and kids 6-10 will love it. If you’re reader is 8-12 then Hilo is a graphic novel series that can easily be one of their favorites. Hilo: All The Pieces Fit is the sixth and final entry into this series. It’s full of heart, humor and action. Our 10 year-old has been asking for this book ever since the fifth book ended. We’ve pre-ordered our copy and can’t wait to read it. Now, here’s a look at all of the new all age comic books this week.

Hilo, Plants vs. Zombies, Bruce Lee, Disney Pixar-it’s a big week for all age comic books

Lola Dutch! I Love You So Much, #3 in a must-read series for 3-7

Oh, Lola Dutch, you are too much. If you’ve got a kid who is between three and seven this series of books needs to be on your radar. Lola Dutch!, I Love You So Much is the third book in this series by Kenneth and Sarah Jane Wright. These books will skew a little more for girls than boys, but that’s only because Lola is a girl who wears a tutu. When our son was six he laughed along with us as we read Lola Dutch, the first book in series to him. He’s old enough to where he can read them by himself, laughing as he looks at the art.

Lola Dutch I Love You So Much is the third book in this imaginative and art heavy series about a young girl and the power of pretend play.

This book series is imaginative play and rhyming at it’s cutest

I’m Gonna Push Through!, inspirational and divisive

How can something be inspirational and divisive? Before we dive into that, I’m Gonna Push Through! is not meant as a threat. It’s meant as a way for kids to become empowered. This is something that they can think or say to themselves when things get challenging. You can do it! I’m gonna push through, who doesn’t want their child-or themselves to have that can-do attitude?

Great message, preachy book

Rise Up, Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories review

Some parents will have their guard up given the title to this book, Rise Up, Ordinary Kids With Extraordinary Stories. The title might lead some parents to think that it’s just a book about Generation Z kids who are better at grabbing headlines than solving things or actually doing something worth mentioning. However, readers of any age will be pleased to know that this is a book that spans the globe and covers many generations of special things or accomplishments that those under 23 have achieved.

Short storytelling and sharp graphics make this book pop

A Voice Named Aretha, an early elementary aged Queen of Soul primer

What’s great about A Voice Named Aretha is that most people will discover something new about the Queen of Soul from reading this book. Aretha is Aretha Franklin and A Voice Named Aretha is an illustrated book that’s about the talent that she was. One thing that this children’s illustrated book taught me was that her home often had luminaries in music and civil rights popping by to visit. Her father was a preacher in Detroit and it wasn’t uncommon for Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to stop in, as you do.

RESPECT indeed, this gives ages 4-9 a grand overview into the Queen of Soul