A review by asimilarkite
Mars: You Decide How to Survive! by David Borgenicht, Hena Khan
4.0
If I were rating this in terms of personal enjoyment, I'd probably give it three stars. However, I'm going to rate this one in terms of "book-talkability", and also in terms of other Choose Your Own Adventure books. Recently, my boyfriend came home with one of the classic Choose Your Own Adventure books, and we read one together. I never realized how SUPER LAME those books are. Almost no matter what you choose, you die a horrible death -- OR even worse the story ends at really random places that seem like they COULD be beginnings of stories instead of ends.
This book totally transforms the lameness of Choose Your Own Adventure Books into awesomeness. Before you read the actual story, the text directs you to read a non-fiction guide in the back. The guide tells you things about surviving on Mars, stuff about geography and the layout of the place your going, etc. etc. The book also informs you that while there are 24 endings, only ONE of them is the ending in which you achieve ultimate success in your Mars journey. This instantly turns this book into a game. Not only are you trying to read a story, but you're trying to choose the RIGHT story -- the story that will make you a winner! Competition + non-fiction + story decisions that are actually effected by facts...it's just a cool combo.
This will be a great book-talk for 3rd-5th graders -- it has just enough of a quirk factor mixed with fun non-fiction, and there's a GOAL. Particularly great for reluctant readers (there's pictures! And comic strips!) and boys.
This book totally transforms the lameness of Choose Your Own Adventure Books into awesomeness. Before you read the actual story, the text directs you to read a non-fiction guide in the back. The guide tells you things about surviving on Mars, stuff about geography and the layout of the place your going, etc. etc. The book also informs you that while there are 24 endings, only ONE of them is the ending in which you achieve ultimate success in your Mars journey. This instantly turns this book into a game. Not only are you trying to read a story, but you're trying to choose the RIGHT story -- the story that will make you a winner! Competition + non-fiction + story decisions that are actually effected by facts...it's just a cool combo.
This will be a great book-talk for 3rd-5th graders -- it has just enough of a quirk factor mixed with fun non-fiction, and there's a GOAL. Particularly great for reluctant readers (there's pictures! And comic strips!) and boys.