Best Teen & Young Adult Games & Activities
From the creator of the worldwide bestsellers Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest , a beautiful new adult coloring book that takes you on a magical journey beneath the waves With. this coloring book for adults, Johanna Basford invites color-inners of all ages to discover an enchanting underwater world hidden in the depths of the sea. Her intricate, hand-drawn illustrations are loved the world over by those who have colored in (sometimes more than once) her bestselling books Johanna's Christmas , Magical Jungle , Lost Ocean , Secret Garden , and Enchanted Forest .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With her newest book, “Lost Ocean”, she builds upon the stunningly beautiful and extremely intricate designs that I have come to expect from her. There are so many designs, including: sailing ships, mermaids, fish, sea mammals, jellyfish, and shipwrecks and more flora of the deep than I can count, each page is a wonderful experience in coloring. Recent versions of “Secret Garden” had improved paper – so much so, that this note is now included at the top of the page in all italics and with caps “Good news for all SECRET GARDEN fans! As I know that I love to use my markers, I have already purchased a second copy of the book so I don't have to choose a medium based on what happens to the backside of my page. I design needlework for my “day job” but that contains a lot of stress (deadlines, trying to perfect the pattern, etc.)."
"Although the thickness is nice and my markers do not leak through, if I blend too much, the paper starts to disintegrate."
"Some reviews say it's thin compared to the other two books but I have not experienced any bleeding through ANY of my pages and I'm using the same staedtler pens/markers that many others are using. Everything on this book is a coloring page including the front and back covers."
"There are some differences in the paper color being more white in this book vs the other two being more of a natural recycled color. Even the Prismacolor Verithin pencils that can maintain a sharper tip with an excellent sharpener will be a bit of a challenge to show up and stay in the lines in numerous water bubbles through out the book. So my experience in the different challenges staying in the lines and pressing hard enough to try to get the colors to show up isn't a difference for me. The Crazy Art Deep Plum colored in the sea horses eye was meant to color just the outer circle of the eye and, granted the tip isn't perfectly sharp, but it colored the whole eye and it looks brown not deep plum. There isn't enough of an area for the color to show up much with this cheaper/lower quality pencil. I tried a Colbalt Green Polychromo pencil (looks more turquoise green) in the bottom left corner of the picture on a few dots and lines and while these tips aren't the sharpest, it still managed to show up and color the tiny bubbles. Other reviewers have previously said that the TRIPLUS Fineliners didn't bleed through, but I just used pencils and gel pens coloring in my book, so I can't say for sure. The Violet Prismacolor Verithin in the stripes in the tail of the fish show up well and stayed in the lines, but the curvy grass and the bubbles colored in with the Bleu Violet Prismacolor Verithin didn't stay in the lines as well. If you don't mind coloring larger sections of details within the picture all the same colors to make things easier and more realistic for staying within the lines for the pens or pencils you are using, you might be happy. BEWARE: If you want to be able to immediately start coloring when you get this book using the same materials you used in the last books... you might find out that the details are harder than you think, to either get to show up or stay inside the lines due to the actual picture size differences. The 4th picture shows part of a picture from one of the older books versus this new size of detail."
From the creator of the worldwide bestsellers Secret Garden and Lost Ocean , a beautiful new adult coloring book, printed on ivory paper and featuring d elicate tangles of holly and ivy, bauble-laden Christmas trees, and mountains of exquisitely wrapped gifts. “The festive designs are nothing less than what you would expect from the woman whose work helped propel adult coloring into a phenomenon.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Inspiration invades at the turn of the first page and is guaranteed to capture the imagination and attention of any artist young and old.” — The Children's Book Review.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Johanna Basford and her publisher have listened to her fans and printed this beautiful coloring book on one side of the page. It makes it so much easier to use all forms of coloring medium and with the printing on one side, this time it really should be a choice of any coloring book medium. While several designs are set up too appear as two page spreads, only one design actually has elements which spread across two pages (a small garland and a baseboard.). The cover can be colored, however, it is much smoother in texture than the paper inside the coloring book. This is what I experienced while coloring in this book and testing the paper with my coloring medium. I will list, in the comments section below, the coloring medium I used to test this book and which I generally use for my coloring. 37 – Wonderfully Festive Christmas/Winter Designs by Johanna Basford (this counts the potential two page spreads as separate designs). Printed on one side of the page (did I mention Hooray!!)."
"This book isn't as detailed as her previous books. The pictures have enough detail to keep my interest; they in no way resemble kids' coloring book pictures. Since the pages are perforated, it might be a fun idea to use some colored pages as wrapping paper for small gifts."
"This book is gorgeous in the tradition of all Johanna Basford's coloring books."
"Many truly beautiful designs."
"Stunning Christmas artwork, I love all Johanna’s work and this book is no exception."
"Her pages are smooth and I find Prismacolored Premier work so nicely on her pages."
"The designs are less intricate than in other Johanna books but that makes them easier to share with family and also easier to color, if you're planning on coloring more than just two this Christmas season."
"Beautiful beautiful beautiful!!!!!"
From the internationally bestselling creator of Lost Ocean and Secret Garden comes a beautiful new adult coloring book that takes you on a wondrous expedition through the jungle Follow ink evangelist Johanna Basford down an inky trail through the Magical Jungle and discover a forgotten world of flora and fauna just waiting to be colored in this new coloring book for adults. Her intricate, hand-drawn illustrations are loved the world over by those who have colored in (sometimes more than once) her bestselling books Johanna's Christmas , Magical Jungle , Lost Ocean , Secret Garden , and Enchanted Forest .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I am always amazed when someone, whether it be an artist, famous person, whomever, LISTENS to their followers as Ms. Basford seems to have done with her most recent release of, "Magical Jungle". This book is all that is promised: it is beautiful, the illustrations are NOT too tiny, it is different in that the focus is on the jungle and I love the lemurs and monkeys in the trees as well as the beautifully drawn tropical birds. As well, the paper seems to soak up ink from gel pens more quickly than in her other books. Ms. Basford took what her fans asked for and implemented it into this new book and it's amazing! Yeah, you have the leaves and such but you have tropical animals to look at and scenery to color."
"I also purchased the UK version of this book and found some common areas and some noticeable differences: First, the paper, while definitely different colors and perhaps weight, were comparable when it came to coloring mediums. The US version is ivory and the UK version is white. The rest of the photos and my colored designs are from the US version as is the video on Amazon. Third, the UK version has a removable dustcover with a single long designs on the inside. The paper portion of the UK version is 1/16th of an inch thinner than the US version. Between the weight and the slight difference in depth, I think the UK version is a slightly lighter weight paper. My US version did not line up well but my UK version did line up well. I like the dustcover and the binding of the UK version but I also like the ivory of the US version. This is what I found as I colored in this book and tested the paper with my coloring medium."
"Johanna is one of my favorite coloring book artist; I love all her other books and I will keep and color this book, but it is not my favorite. I personally like the fine detailed drawings; that's what makes the difference between an adult coloring book and a children's coloring book, which is how I would almost categorize Magical Jungle."
"The book is bound so it lays flat, even the parts of the image that run into the spine are accessible."
Best Teen & Young Adult Card Games
Meant to be played with adult supervision, the game includes an insert with rules and basic anti-bullying concepts. Allan L. Beane, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized expert, speaker, and author on bullying.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For my group of middle school students who need help in pragmatics, who also just happen to love to play Uno, this game is perfect!"
Best Teen & Young Adult Computer & Video Games
In the first official guidebook to Five Night at Freddy's, fans and gamers alike can immerse themselves in the series' mythology, gameplay, and secrets as we unwind the twisted mysteries hidden at the heart of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Scott Cawthon is the author of the bestselling video game series Five Nights at Freddy’s, and while he is a game designer by trade, he is first and foremost a storyteller at heart.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Got this for my son for Christmas, he is all about Five Nights at Freddy's right now."
"Bought as a gift."
"Was a present and she likes it."
"My son loves FNAF and the book is great and affordable!"
Best Teen & Young Adult Puzzle Games
Thoughtfully conceived and engagingly intricate, Pomegranate s 1,000-piecejigsaw puzzles combine superb color reproduction, stunning and unusual images, and sturdy construction to delight generations of novice and veteran puzzleworkers. Charley Harper was an American illustrator who worked from his studio in the woods near Cincinnati, Ohio, until his death in 2007, at the age of eighty-four.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"So, when you got "tricked" into placing a piece in the wrong spot, it's easy to damage the piece it was connected to."
"He is our favorite illustrator and find the use of his work as puzzles a lot of fun."
"Charley Harper artwork and great puzzle quality make this such an enjoyable experience."
"Of course this was a great puzzle!"
"This puzzle is beautiful and way harder than it looks."
"It was a present for a friend who loves puzzles."
"I love this puzzle."
"Bright colors, perfectly cut high quality puzzle."
Best Teen & Young Adult Question & Answer Games
Brain Quest is beloved by kids, trusted by parents, used and recommended by teachers. If you're looking to clear the summer cobwebs from your child's head, check out Brain Quest." -- Chicago Tribune --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In addition to question cards for upper grades, it would be nice if the answer pages included a bit more explanation."
"We've used these Brain Quests for years, mostly at the dinner table for fun."
"Students occasionally finish early in class, and this gives me something educational and fun to use with them."
"Always fun and full of interesting questions."
"I got these for my daughter years ago and now getting them for my grand daughter."
"Some questions were just completely out of a 7th grader's range but it doesn't hurt to learn this stuff."
"The kids like playing games with these, various math races, trivia contests, etc."
"Even the kid who doesn't enjoy school loves these."
Best Teen & Young Adult 19th Century United States History
NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author James Swanson delivers a riveting account of the chase for Abraham Lincoln's assassin. Divided into 14 chapters and an epilogue, the sentences are shorter and chapters are condensed from the original but the rich details and suspense are ever present. Devoted to the South, John Wilkes Booth had planned to kidnap Lincoln and hold him hostage, but when that plan did not materialize, he hatched his assassination plot.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a fast-paced thriller about pursuing Lincoln’s killer, John Wilkes Booth. Booth was planning to kidnap Lincoln months before he planned to kill the President.Readers would like Chasing Lincoln’s Killer because not only are they reading a book about history, they are reading about gore and murderous activity."
"This is by far the best account of what transpired throughout the country during and after John Wilkes Booth killed our president. For example, Swanson makes this about as entertaining as Billy the Kid stories, which I find very entertaining."
"I did not get the book back until the end of the year as it was passed from student to student, each of them enjoying the book in his own way."
"Easy read and provide great background information."
"Chasing Lincolns Killer details the story of the plots to murder the all notable Northern officials after the Civil War."
"This is far more detailed than what you would learn in your middle school/high school history class and would be a great supplement to the time when an instructor might be teaching about Lincoln."
"This book gave me a lot of information on the assassination of President Lincoln and the manhunt of John Wilkes Booth and David Herold."
Best Teen & Young Adult Travel
Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher*. About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet, as well as an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products, children's books, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet's mission is to enable curious travellers to experience the world and to truly get to the heart of the places where they travel. TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2012 and 2013 winner in Favorite Travel Guide category. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.'.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With this book, the whole family learned about each site and looked forward to getting inside."
"I gave this book to an eleven year old as a gift before she went to Paris with her grandmother."
"I personally poured over it and found it adorable, but, at 30+, I'm slightly out of the age demographic..."
"She is now constantly filling me in on fun facts about her favorite city."
"my 7 year old daughter loves it!"
"I was a little concerned that these books would be too juvenile for them, but for the price thought it was worth a shot, because there's no way I'm going to get them to sit down with a guide book to start giving me ideas and opinions on what they might be interested in seeing! So I sat down to lunch with them, and while they read their books, I started reading the London book, and occasionally shared something funny or weird. Then 14 year old picked up the London book to keep reading when I went to get my drink, and 12 year old slipped away with the Paris book a few minutes later."
"I bought this book for my grandchildren, ages 9 and 11, to take on their trip."
"A fun, thorough introduction to Paris, for kids (and adults!)."
Best Teen & Young Adult Crafts
Fans of sci-fi movies and action-packed TV shows will flip for this top-rated drawing guide by bestselling author and self-proclaimed fanboy Aaron Sauter. He enjoys learning and working on a wide range of subjects from pirates and robots to dragons, sports, and magic tricks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He has shown an interest in drawing and asked for art supplies for Christmas."
"Great, great gift for boys who love warrior and anime type characters."
"This was a Christmas gift for my stepson and he has really enjoyed it!"
"So fun to watch my son use this -- little advanced for an 8 year old, but great options."
"My son thought that it was "cool"."
"I would recommend this for any boy who is into drawing!"
"This is not for a beginner and my 11 yo son found it discouraging till he just gave up and started tracing the pictures."
"Great delivery and product!"
Best Teen & Young Adult Cookbooks
Cooking for teens, like finding the perfect gift for teen boys and girls, is almost impossible. MEGAN CARLE and JILL CARLE are both graduate students at Arizona State University.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"She was so excited because it said ‘Teens’ in the title and that makes her feel so grown up."
"Christmas gift for granddaughter, age 11."
"Easy to follow directions and healthy recipes."
"Item is exactly as described."
"good cookbook, but arrived wit a waterstains and was dirty."
"Bought for teenage Grandson who likes to cook."
"I would not buy this book for a teenager unless they have expressed an interest in learning to make more complicated recipes then simple teenage favorites."
"Not very healthy, recipes unimaginative and really quite bland."