Category: for 8-year-olds

  • Little Robot

    [amazon_link asins=’1626720800′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’01bcca67-b825-11e7-99d4-65314339f12e’] We got this from the library, which has a lot of graphic novels and other quasi-comic books – a lot more than when I was a kid, but back then the genres were more explicitly separated (novels OR picture books OR comics). Little Robot has a lot of panels […]

  • The Camelback Dogs!

    [amazon_link asins=’1570614202′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’f2a40203-a94d-11e7-b7c5-17a1ad61d7dd’] This seemed like a very odd book when I first read it to the kids after receiving it as a gift, but we’ve all grown fond of it. This one does not get read as frequently as some others on our shelves, but when we do read it the […]

  • Block Craft 3D

    This is essentially a clone of Minecraft and the main reason to play this is if you want to play Minecraft but don’t want to pay for it. It’s a pretty faithful copy with some slight differences and is close enough to the original that even kids who have played real Minecraft should have fun […]

  • Bob the Builder: The Legend of the Golden Hammer

    [amazon_link asins=’B002W87QFK’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e7512377-a86f-11e7-bb8b-3fe376f227a8′] This movie is from Bob the Builder’s “middle period”, when the animation was done using CGI but meant to look like the original stop-motion style, but before the change to a more human-like look for the characters. This older look is more popular in our family. We seldom watch […]

  • Moana

    I’m normally a pretty cynical person, but I thought Moana was just great. Great story, great music, great everything. (The executive producer was John Lasseter, who produced and/or wrote/driected most of the great Pixar movies before and after the Disney purchase, which may have something to do with the quality) [amazon_link asins=’B01MRNUJUO’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ […]

  • How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World

    [amazon_link asins=’0064432181′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b23bf751-68ab-11e7-ad97-01eafc4b19de’] This book answers a question every kid asks at some point, “What would happen if I dug a hole and just kept digging?” The journey soon requires the construction of a very heat-tolerant “no-spaceship” that is like some kind of submarine drill thing. (The schematic for this vehicle in […]

  • Word Girl

    The name is bland and the artwork is simple, but Word Girl is one of the better kids shows out there now. You can watch it for free on PBS Kids, where you can also play related games. The writing is snappy and funny enough to keep parents engaged. The voice acting is good, and […]

  • Octonauts

    [amazon_link asins=’B00EOS48FC’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’01fed022-4a38-11e7-bbc9-75ea605df60c’] The Octonauts is a video series on Netflix and available on DVD. Some of the stories are also available as books and there are several toys out there of the characters. The look of the show is unique, a cross between kid-friendly 60s-era James Bond, ‘Sealab 2020’, and cutesy […]

  • Mr. DeMaio – YouTube Channel

    Mr. DeMaio is an elementary school teacher in New Jersey who makes silly and fun absurd educational videos for his students. Since 2013, he’s put a few dozen videos on his YouTube channel His playlists include songs about multiplication and social studies themes, but my kids’ favorites are the ones about space and science Unlike […]

  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Pop-Up Book

    [amazon_link asins=’0142419303′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’matchstickkidboo’ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’8c62edd6-470d-11e7-97b9-6516b5a5850c’] This is a story familiar to most. The advantage of the pop-up format is that it makes the book appealing for a wide variety of ages. Younger children will have fun simply exploring the pop-ups and finding every hidden element. Slightly older kids will pick and choose which pages […]