Thursday, September 24, 2009

Ripping Things to Do: The Best Games and Ideas from Children's Books


Jane Brocket has written a wonderful book compiling activities and games from a variety of children's books. Ripping Things to Do is a book I wish had been available a decade ago, when my older children were little. It's still a great book for Marley (11) and Sam (7), but my other children would have loved having it, too.

Ms. Brocket includes entertaining summaries of the books she chooses, along with snippets directly from the stories. Her list of children's books includes both British and American authors, and the activities are varied enough to please boys and girls, active children and dreamy ones, craft-lovers and athletes. Her lists of suggested materials, information books, or places to go for each activity make delightful reading, too.

From the introduction:

"The activities that made it into the book are timeless and were not chosen to be deliberately nostalgic. And even if they had been, I would make no excuses. Modern children are never short of books about children doing contemporary things that reflect the prevailing culture, but I think children need a mixed diet of influences and inspirations."


This book would make a wonderful gift for a boy or a girl, and I think I will buy a copy for each of my children to have.

Labels: ,

6 Comments:

Blogger Janichay said...

Hi Laura,

Sorry if you get this twice!

I left a comment on an old post of yours from 2007 called 'Courageous Christianity', and just realised that it may or may not get to you? Please excuse me putting an unrelated comment on this post.

Hi, my name is Janice, and I came across your entry while doing a search under "courageous Christianity".

I loved the quote you used (have pasted it below) and wondered if it was from the book itself or yourself? The reason I ask is that I am preaching in Courageous Christianity this Sunday, and would quite like to use the quote.

Be really grateful if you were able to come back to me on this. Thank you! Janice

Quote: "Let me sum it up like this: Christianity is not something that you add on to your life; it changes the whole of your life beginning at the center. It is not an addendum or an appendix; it is not an afterthought or something you do on Sundays. It is not something you take up and put down. No, Christianity is a power that changes men and women through and through, as it changed Peter and John. And, of course, as you read the whole of the subsequent history of the Christian church, you will find that when men and women truly become Christians, this is what inevitably happens to them."

5:34 AM  
Blogger Janichay said...

Thank you Laura!

8:01 AM  
Blogger Dana in Georgia said...

How does this compare to the recently very popular Dangerous Book for Boys (Girls)?

I was so taken with the one for girls that I bought one for our home library.

9:38 AM  
Blogger Laura said...

You're welcome, Janice!

Dana, I thought of that book when I bought this one, because we have The Dangerous book for Boys and my son, David, has really enjoyed it.

This book is geared for boys and girls, and all the ideas, games, hobbies, and activities come straight from particular children's books, like those by Arthur Ransome, Enid Blyton, A.A. Milne, Louisa May Alcott, and many more.

9:54 AM  
Anonymous Janet said...

Oooh, this sounds like a good one for my daughters! I'll have to find a copy.

4:39 PM  
Blogger JS Huntlands said...

J. S. Huntlands author of 'Nick Twisted Minds' and 'Me and My Best Friend' with 27 books coming out over the next few years is now said to be one of the top 50 authors....

6:03 AM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home