The Mind-Blowing Science of Your Amazing Brain - National Geographic Kids Brain Games

Brain Games features five chapters worth of mind-bending games, challenges, puzzles, and fast facts designed to explore the limits of the human brain. Among the contents covered in the book include an overview of how your brain turns senses into thoughts; how the brain makes memories; how the brain deals with emotions; how the brain makes decisions; and, how the brain directs the body’s movement.

Within each chapter there are a number of sections, each beginning with a challenge (e.g., “Draw a circle with your left hand and AT THE SAME TIME draw a straight line with your right hand.” or “Start singing the ABC song. Did you get it right? Most people learn that song when they are very young. But you don’t sing it every day, so why was your brain able to recall it?”) Afterwards, there is a simple scientific explanation that describes how the brain is operating to account for how the reader responds to the challenge. Also peppered throughout the text are little sidebars cleverly entitled “Mind Matters”. These contain little snippets of information about the power of the brain.

As with other National Geographic Kids titles, Brain Games is a beautiful book that is laid out in an eye-catching, child-friendly way using varying and colorful fonts, gorgeous photographs, and interesting infographics. But this book in particular is a visual delight with its fun and entertaining “Brain Breaks”. My kids and I had so much fun flipping through the book and just looking for those!

My Bottom Line: Brain Games is another winner from National Geographic Kids! Full of activities, puzzles and fun, this information-packed and beautifully illustrated book will fill your children’s minds while exploring the wonders of the most powerful computer in existence. I highly recommend this title for children ages 8+.

* This book was provided to us by the publisher free-of-charge in exchange for our honest reviews. All opinions expressed are our own. *

My nine-year-old bought this at the Scholastic book fair months ago. Since then, she has read and reread BRAIN GAMES multiple times. She loves the challenges and the information about the brain. Jennifer Swanson squeezed in loads of fun and learning into this book. She makes the complicated brain something we can all understand. This book may be written for the children's market, but teens and adults enjoy the challenges and learn from it, too.

“Your brain is the most powerful and complex super computer ever built. It is the one thing that makes you, You!”

There are three main parts of the brain: the Cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brainstem. The brain is the most important organ in the human body. It controls and serves commands throughout. Readers will learn how the brain turns senses into thoughts. Readers will learn sights and sounds are processed through the brains relay center. How does your brain store all of your memories? There is a three step process involving neurons as the brain is constantly making decisions. Do you want an orange or banana? Do you want ice cream or a cookie? Your brain is differentiating between your acquired knowledge. Your brain can then create a short cut which ultimately puts the brain on “autopilot”. Your brain can even get to a point where it makes things up.

Readers of all ages will be excited to learn about how the brain works. If you’ve ever wondered how the brain makes your body move when you jump, swim, skateboard, or dance you can learn all about it here. Readers will find puzzles, challenges, colorful illustrations and real photos. The back of the book has brain maps, a glossary, and online resources. Readers can also watch television episodes of brain games on the National Geographic Channel. Parents and teachers can use this guide for teaching, talking and sharing learning about the human brain.

I purchased Brain Games for my science loving 5th grader. He and I have both enjoyed reading the sections and learning about ourselves. This user friendly manual to understanding how our brains work and how to improve them is both educational and fun. With the current focus on helping kids understand how to read and learn from non-fiction, Jennifer Swanson's book couldn't come at a better time. I highly recommend it for both boys and girls.

Fascinating juvenile non-fiction by author Jennifer Swanson with foreword by Hank Green.

All about the brain and the games your brain wants to play plus fun little games to play while you read this.

Go ahead, test your brain and see what it wants to play.

Published by National Geographic Kids.
#NF #braingames #mustread #science

Synopsis- Have you ever wondered what your brain can do – exactly? Why we feel what we feel? What makes us ‘go’? Get ready to take a trip through your brain with this National Geographic Kids book!

What I Thought- This is a really fascinating book! I enjoyed reading it. It presents the information in a fun way and makes you want to keep reading. There are new topics on each page, usually under the topic listed at the beginning of the section. (ex: Emotions). There are good activities throughout the book to tickle your brain and are just plain fun to do. The book has pictures through-out it that make the book reminiscent of a scrapbook-type collage. I sincerely recommend this book to everyone interested in the operations of the brain.
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

My kids are curious about how their brains work - this book is packed with facts and challenges that my kids just couldn't put down. Well written, bright colors, a must have for any home or classroom library.

BRAIN GAMES is a fun/engaging book for kids which weaves science and easy experiments together. As a school librarian and children's writer, I have read, blogged about, and shared this book with intermediate grade students.. They love it, and so do I.

Fascinating juvenile non-fiction by author Jennifer Swanson with foreword by Hank Green.

All about the brain and the games your brain wants to play plus fun little games to play while you read this.

Go ahead, test your brain and see what it wants to play.

Published by National Geographic Kids.
#NF #braingames #mustread #science

Synopsis- Have you ever wondered what your brain can do – exactly? Why we feel what we feel? What makes us ‘go’? Get ready to take a trip through your brain with this National Geographic Kids book!

What I Thought- This is a really fascinating book! I enjoyed reading it. It presents the information in a fun way and makes you want to keep reading. There are new topics on each page, usually under the topic listed at the beginning of the section. (ex: Emotions). There are good activities throughout the book to tickle your brain and are just plain fun to do. The book has pictures through-out it that make the book reminiscent of a scrapbook-type collage. I sincerely recommend this book to everyone interested in the operations of the brain.
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

My kids are curious about how their brains work - this book is packed with facts and challenges that my kids just couldn't put down. Well written, bright colors, a must have for any home or classroom library.

BRAIN GAMES is a fun/engaging book for kids which weaves science and easy experiments together. As a school librarian and children's writer, I have read, blogged about, and shared this book with intermediate grade students.. They love it, and so do I.