Monday, October 11, 2010

Book Review and Giveaway: THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK: GROSS Junior Edition

CLOSED.

Rules for entering this giveaway
are at the bottom of this post.

by David Borgenicht, Nathaniel Marunas, and Robin Epstein

Publisher: Chronicle Books
6 x 8 in; 128 pp ; 1-color throughout, ages 8 and up
Guided Reading Level: Q
Paperback
Published in September, 2010
ISBN 9780811875707
ISBN10 0811875709

Description (from the publisher):
Leave it to the authors of the best-selling Worst-Case Scenario series to serve up a hilarious and totally "gross" handbook that will guide kids through all things slippery, slimy, and stinky. Find out how to survive boogers, bloody noses, barfing emergencies, and more. The tips in this book will have kids laughing out loud, while gearing them up to tackle all that's utterly disgusting in life, Worst-Case Scenario-style!




Click image to enlarge.
 My Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars - Kids will love it - you will, too!

My Thoughts:  Want something to grab and hold the interest of your reluctant middle-grade reader - especially boys? Have I got the book for you!  THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK: GROSS Junior Edition is so chock full of disgusting yet worthwhile information that no boy on earth will be able to put it down. O.K., so realistically, I can't guarantee that claim, I can only speak for myself and what I witnessed with my 10 y.o. nephew. I breezed through it in one sitting (I am, after all, an adult). It took him a few more.

When reviewing a book, one has to consider not only whether it lives up to one's expectations but also whether it lived up to it's own claims. Let's take the most attention-grabbing claim first. Right on the front cover, THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK: GROSS Junior Edition claims it will tell the reader how to survive: Nightmare Boogers (check - see page 12); Barf Emergencies (check - see page 16); and the School Bathroom (check, check - see page 82). In all, the book discusses 30 of the grossest situations a kid (or anyone -- even you!) could find themselves in. Everything is discussed in kid-friendly language. If you cringe when a nearby child uses words like "fart" and "poop" and "nose loogie", well, then, cover your ears because the authors do not mince words. If your kid doesn't know enough variations on the word "vomit", this book will quickly bring him up to speed, offering an alphabetical listing of alternatives from "blow chunks" to "yak." So, yes, this book definitely covers all things gross.

But is grossness enough for me to recommend this book to you? Of course not - we are, after all, civilized, as well as maybe just a bit snooty. Many would argue as to the value of purposeless play -  our jobs as adults is to educate the younger generation and foster their survival. Exposing our children to a whole tome of grossness just for the sake of entertainment would be a waste of precious educational time not to mention just plain irresponsible. But wait! What is the secondary claim put forth by the authors? The one that will initially slip past the attention of kids as they race to find the grossest of all possible gross scenarios? Ah, yes. It was "survival" wasn't it? See, it's right there in the middle of the title: THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK: GROSS Junior Edition. This book not only details most gross situations, it explains to kids how to survive them. So the reader is not just going to become comfortable with terms such as "nose loogie" but will also learn what exactly is a nose loogie, why they exist, and what to do about them. In the guise of entertaining grossness, kids will learn lots of useful information about health and hygiene.

Both my nephew and I had a lot of fun reading THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK: GROSS Junior Edition. It's appealing to kids because the subject matter is gross and the illustrations are funny. Adults will be happy to know the kids are learning exactly why it's a bad idea to stick a wad of chewed gum under your desk. This book is a great way to sneak a little education into your kid's entertainment. We plan to check out more titles in this series.

About the authors (from the publisher):
David Borgenicht is a writer, editor, publisher, and co-author of all the books in the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series. He lives in Philadelphia.

Nathaniel Marunas is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York.

Robin Epstein is the co-author of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Middle School. She lives in New York City.

I have one (1) copy to offer for giveaway. Here's what to do:

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave an original comment on this post telling me you would like to win. Include an email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you do win. Use a spam-thwarting format such as geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com or geebee.reads [at] gmail [dot] com

You must leave an email address in order to qualify. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

• You can earn an extra entry by being or becoming a Follower or Subscriber of this blog and telling me about it in a separate comment.

• Blog about this contest and provide me with the link to the post in a separate comment, and I'll give you yet another entry.

• Tweeting about this contest and providing me the link in a separate comment will get you one more entry. I've added a Retweet button at the bottom of every post.

• Stumble this blog, Digg it, or Technorati Fave it, whatever, and leave a separate comment for another entry.

• Winners must provide a U.S. or Canadian street address. The publisher is unable to deliver to P.O. Boxes.

• PLEASE NOTE: One win per household. If you win this title in another contest hosted at another blog, the publisher will only send one copy per household address.

Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Saturday, October 16, 2010.

• Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from a winner, I will draw another name.

• Winners are determined using the sequence generator at Random.org.

Thank you to Lara
at Chronicle Books
for making this giveaway possible.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

62 comments:

Unknown said...

I would love to win this for my son. He's nine years old and the more disgusting something is the better!

jgbeads(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

I am a follower. :)

jgbeads(at)gmail(dot)com

Reading said...

Please count me in. I would love to win this for my little guy. If its gross, its for him!

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Reading said...

I follow on GFC

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

rubynreba said...

I would like to win this book because it sounds like a fun book to read. Thanks for the chance.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

I follow on google
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Dawn M. said...

Ewwwww. My nephew would absolutely love it! LOL. Count me in, please. :0)

Thanks!
librarygrinch at gmail dot com

Dawn M. said...

I subscribe by email. (midnightblue)

librarygrinch at gmail dot com

Dawn M. said...

Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/#!/librarygrinch/status/27114869062

librarygrinch at gmail dot com

Diana D said...

I have a nephew who would appreciate this book. Thanks for the wonderful giveaway.


dianad8008 AT gmail DOT com

Diana D said...

I am an email subscriber. Thanks for the wonderful giveaway,


dianad8008 AT gmail DOT com

Diana D said...

I am also a GFC follower. Thanks

dianad8008 AT gmail DOT com

Jennifer L. said...

My son would love this! He's into all things gross right now. This sounds like a book he'd actually raed.
jentam777 AT gmail DOT com

Jennifer L. said...

I'm a subscriber.
jentam777 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

I would love to win this book for my 5 year old son. Please enter me in contest. I am a follower and email subscriber. Tore923@aol.com

Judy H said...

I have the adult version of this, it's a fun read.

headlessfowl at gmail dot com

Judy H said...

I'm an old GFC follower via Headlessfowl. Thank you!

headlessfowl at gmail dot com

Zibilee said...

This book sounds like so much fun and I bet my kids would just love it, so please do enter me in your giveaway, and thanks for hosting it!

Zibilee said...

I also follow via google reader.

zibilee(at)figearo.net

Allison said...

This sounds like a really funny book!

allisonsbj3(at)gmail(dot)com

Allison said...

Blog follower

allisonsbj3(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I am a Follower.

librarypat AT comcast DOT net

Anonymous said...

I am a Subscriber.

librarypat AT comcast DOT net

Anonymous said...

I have got to get this book for my grandson. I have a few similar books I have gotten for him. They are good reading. I have read the others of this type and they are great fun.

librarypat AT comcast DOT net

Carole Spring said...

I would love to win this book for my grandchildren. I think my son-in-law would also enjoy reading it :-)
blondie_31971(at)yahoo(dot)com

Carole Spring said...

GFC follower as Carole Spring
blondie_31971(at)yahoo(dot)com

Taffy said...

Al my kids would love this book. Especially my 10 & 7 year olds! We love to read the body parts books.


taffy(dot)lovell@gmail.com

Taffy said...

I'm a blog follower

Taffy said...

I re-twitted

abfantom said...

I'd like to win this book for my daughter who would love to read it!

abfantom at yahoo dot com

abfantom said...

I follow via GFC: abfantom

abfantom at yahoo dot com

Natalia said...

I would like to win for my daughter.
natatheangel at yahoo dot com

Melissa said...

My son would think this book was "awesome"!

melissamcnicol AT yahoo DOT com

slb3334 said...

I think my kids would love this so please enter me.

Jen R. said...

I would love to win this for my girls, they're 9. For one, it would comPLETELY gross out my diva. Her sister would enjoy every last page of it!

Jen R. said...

I'm a follower
(Jennifer Rowe)
writtendesign at gmail dot com

Jen R. said...

i retweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/writtenjen/status/27405907263

writtendesign at gmail dot com

jcamp2020 said...

As the Grandmother of three young boys, this is a "must have" book. I need a book that can give me something good that will knock their socks off. (Especially, since both of their fathers granduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. They can go SEE that wall! (In fact, their father's gum is probably ON that wall! GROSS)

jcamp2020 at aol dot com

jcamp2020 said...

Tweeted ya'

http://twitter.com/jcamp2020/status/27461945170

jcamp2020 at aol dot com

jcamp2020 said...

Follow with Google Friend Connect

jcamp2020

jcamp2020 at aol dot com

marthajane said...

I would love to win this for my friend Bradley. He's ten, and he would think this was the best book ever :)

marthajane said...

I am a follower.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I would love this for my nieces!

theyyyguyATyahooDOTcom

Amanda S. said...

I would love to win this for my son!! He would be thoroughly entertained by it. ;)

Email is in my profile.

Nancye said...

I would love to win this book for my kids. They LOVE to try and gross each other out and this would be perfect for them!

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Follower

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Follower

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Email subscriber

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Tweet! Tweet!
@NancyeDavis

http://twitter.com/NancyeDavis/status/27497452312

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Amber said...

I would love to win this book and give it to my niece.

ayoung3360@hotmail.com

Homemaker said...

I would love to win this for my son...Such a useful and cute book.

sallylynnsara@hotmail.com

Homemaker said...

I'm following your blog.

sallylynnsara@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

I would love this book, because it sounds like a fun read to use when teaching kids English.
Diane Baum
esldiane@gmail.com

Misusedinnocence said...

My son would go crazy for this! I'd love to be entered.

misusedinnocence@aol.com

Kristy said...

I would like to win this one for my 9 and 13 yr old daughters, because one can never have enough loogie talk around the dinner table....

kristymcg1972 at gmail.com

Kristy said...

I subscribe to this blog via email

Amy delong said...

my son would like to read this,he loves books like this!
ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

like others im entering this for my son, he loves fact books and the nastier stuff the better like any boy his age, thanks
taintedtears102@yahoo.com

Susan said...

I would love to win this book for my daughter she loves gross things! suelee1998 @ gmail.com

Susan said...

I follow your blog via gfc suelee1998 @ gmail.com

Donna said...

My kids would love it.
donna444444@yahoo.com

cman said...

My daughter would love to read this LOL
cmanventuresinc(at)gmail(dot)com