Maps and Geography (Ken Jennings Junior Genius Guides, #2) by Ken Jennings

Maps and Geography (Ken Jennings Junior Genius Guides, #2) Reviews

• 
  Josiah

  An observant learner since childhood, Ken Jennings made a few adjustments between Greek Mythology and this second Junior Genius Guide, and I like the results. If the first book was a bit dry and superficial, Maps and Geography more resembles Ken's energetic nonfiction for older readers. Introducing fascinating facts is the top priority, and Ken has a treasure trove of them to share about earth's countries and oceans. The first lesson is on how and when we learned the shape of our planet; we knew it was a sphere thousands of years earlier than most people realize. Time zones are necessary to maintain relevance for our twenty-four-hour clock, but zoning a round planet has all sorts of complications that Ken elaborates on. Some of the stories are pretty funny.
  
  In second period we learn the highest and lowest points on earth, but with a warning at the outset: much of what laymen think they know on the subject is inaccurate. At 29,035 feet above sea level, Everest is the tallest mountain...sort of. What about Mauna Kea, which towers more than 33,000 feet? Half its height is underwater, but does that make Mauna Kea less of a mountain? These caveats are routine when dealing with extreme landmarks. Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean is earth's lowest point; at least, the lowest known in 2014. The Sahara is regarded as the largest desert, but not if you include Antarctica. Must a desert be hot and dry? Most scientists don't think so. Professor Jennings laments that even many educated people are geographically illiterate, a barrier to learning things we might not guess are tied to geography. Hollywood exacerbates this ignorance through movies that play fast and loose with facts. At recess, Ken teaches a couple of simple geography games, both of which sound fun. In third period we look at how maps are designed and made, including a history of incorrect assumptions that remained on maps for years, even centuries. Good maps, though, have positively affected mankind in more ways than just keeping us from getting lost. Maps have helped win wars, plan ambitious projects, and enhance other academic disciplines, and technology continues to improve how maps serve us. In art class we see that the outline of some countries resembles an animal or object, and this can factor into their national sense of identity. In fourth period we explore the depths and widths of the oceans: learning the names of seas, the general geography of the ocean floor, and how currents move. Much of the undersea realm was as mysterious in 2014 as a thousand years earlier.
  
  Lunchtime! The history of food parallels the history of world travel, and Ken gives a few food facts from around the globe. In fifth period we read about nations, some new and some thousands of years old. World capitals have idiosyncrasies like every other geographical phenomenon, some silly and others rooted in war and other dramatic events. We review facts about borders, learning which countries have the fewest and greatest number of neighbors. We look at nations tiny and huge, at their endonyms and exonyms. A brief study of flags brings to light interesting facts about the flags of Libya, Nepal, Vatican City, and more. Music class is an overview of the history of national anthems, and then it's on to sixth period to study cities and landmarks. Major metropolitan areas are as old as mankind, and Ancient Greece and Rome had surprisingly modern amenities. The world's biggest cities eventually held tens of millions of residents. Professor Jennings leads a quick tour of quirky city names, including Puke, Albania; Batman, Turkey; and Rottenegg, Austria. We read about the world's tallest buildings, some of them like cities under a single roof, and then we run through oddities about famous landmarks. Not everyone knows the Easter Island heads have bodies buried under the soil. Seventh period focuses on the United States, from its origins as thirteen British colonies to a prosperous nation of fifty states. Entire books could be written about American geography, but Ken gives the highlight reel of intriguing facts. We take the exam to be certified as Junior Geniuses in geography, and class is dismissed until the next book. Professor Jennings is a lot more entertaining than most teachers!
  
  Maps and Geography is written with more energy and informational nuance than Greek Mythology. Ken goes lighter on the teacherly quips, concentrating on presenting imaginative facts, and this works well. I'd likely rate Maps and Geography two and a half stars, and if there were more thematic substance, I'd round up to three. Ken Jennings teaches an enjoyable class, and you're learning from the best when he's your instructor. This book demonstrates that education doesn't have to be boring, and that's as important as any history or geography lesson.
• 
  Lexy Kelleher

  I really enjoyed this! A great overview of maps and geography with a lot of really interesting trivia thrown in the mix. It is Ken Jennings, after all.
  
  Although it seems to be targeted to ages 8-12 or so, it seems a little dense for that age group. I'm not sure how much I would have enjoyed this at that age. The illustrations are nice, but a book about maps and geography could really benefit from colored illustrations and/or photographs.
• 
  Jenna Cantino

  I mean, if you like geography, this book is great. As someone who is fairly neutral on the subject, this was just so-so.
• 
  Tracy

  Another fun, informative book by Ken Jennings.
• 
  Melanie

  I'll be generous in my rating because I know I am not the target audience for this book, and there were some things I liked (the structure, the illustrations, the test at the end). Overall though I didn't like the tone of the book and felt it was all over the place in terms of content. I came across an error early on...the prime meridian is 0 degrees of longitude, not latitude, and that soured me a bit. What good is a trivia book if you can't trust it?
• 
  Elizabeth

  First, this is a trivia book. This is not meant to be an all-encompassing tour of geography. I thought the tone was light, and there was a great variety of trivia.
  
  Second, I looked for an error that was referenced in another review and did not see it. The material feels more or less current.
  
  Third and finally, this primarily is a book written for older children (8-early teen). The tone feels more or less appropriate for the age group. I found this very readable as an adult, too.
  
  This is a great book series overall. Highly recommended.
• 
  Sonia

  ^.^
  
  peanut y yo lo empezamos a leer. por ahí de los 2 años comenzamos a tener mayor gusto por el lenguaje y "necesitamos" escucharlo con mayor enfoque.
  bueno, pues mientras tomaba teta yo le leía este libro. resultado: amor por el globo terráqueo y los atlas (que si hubiese puesto mayor atención, habría aprovechado ese período sensible para introducir continentes y eso ji ji ji, ejem)
  
  regresando al libro. liviano, entretenido y cargado de varios datos curiosos. más de una vez me reí y aunque no es un texto académico per se, cumple con cautivar e inspirar.
• 
  Marcia

  A fun, illustrated reference book written by Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings. It covers lots of basics, includes interesting facts and little quizzes. I found the tone and the constant reference to "Junior Geniuses" grating, but I doubt kids will mind. I learned some new facts and think it could be a fun addition to an elementary geography class.
• 
  John Gerbracht

  My son and I read this book before bedtime for the past month or so. We really enjoyed it. A lot of the places I've visited are mentioned in the book, so I was able to tell him stories of my travels. We did the quiz at the end and he got about 60% correct. Not bad. But, little did I know there were other Junior Geniuses Guides to read. I'm thinking the human body should be next.
• 
  Edy Gies

  I love the style of these books! Maps and geography are some of my favorite things and this book is full of clever fun facts and interesting tidbits. Jennings style is engaging and perfect for younger readers. Highly recommend!
• 
  Marcella Gonzales

  Can I rate a book that helped me gain knowledge for future trivia competitions lower than 5 stars? No, you fool.
• 
  Maggie Panning

  We love this series so much.
• 
  Alex

  I'm so bummed that I've now read all the books in this series. These were so much fun, and I really wish there were more!
• 
  Robert Bodea

  Cartea ,,Hărți și geografie'' mi-a plăcut mult deoarece conține o grămadă de curiozități. Recomand această carte deoarece e amuzantă și ușor de citit.
• 
  Heidi

  Having studied geography in college it's a subject that has long fascinated me and while I currently work as a school librarian I still have a special fondness for geography. So when I saw this book I was intrigued. And I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Jennings has divided the book up into 'class periods' with each period focusing on a particular topic like maps or countries or cities or oceans. He even included a 'music' class (national anthems). Each section includes fascinating information about the physical and human worlds. Some of the information is well-known but a lot of it is lesser known facts about people and places that most child readers will never have heard of. With the exception of one misplaced word (on page 16, the word should be longitude instead of latitude) the book is factually correct as far as I know (and I know a bit about geography). This is the type of book that could well light a fire of passion in the heart of a child for a particular subject.
• 
  Brandy

  This is such a fun book jam packed with so much geography. Ken writes the book in a way that makes learning fun and keeps your attention. The chapters are broken down by 1st period, lunch, recess etc.
  
  There are illustrations, extra credit and pop quizzes throughout and a 20 question quiz at the end (all answers are provided). Kids can learn about time zones, the highest landmarks & mountains, the deepest depth of the seas, maps (and how CA was once drawn as an island), what countries are shaped like food or animals, National Anthems, ocean inhabitants, places who have changed their names, capital location changes and so much more.
  
  I Can't wait to read the next in the series!
• 
  Cathi

  This book was a lot of fun, and I managed to learn a lot. Granted, I'm not the target audience for this book, but because I like Ken Jennings, I thought I'd give it a try. It's written with a silly style, but that's okay. Silliness can be good, especially when you're a kid. There were all sorts of delightfully intriguing and obscure facts in this little gem, as well as some basic geographical knowledge, charts, lists, etc. The illustrations are fun, and overall, it's a likable book for smart kids who want to become a bit smarter in the area of geography. I may not be a kid, but I might just check out Jennings' other Junior Genius books sometime.
• 
  Siskiyou-Suzy

  Ken Jennings has some dad joke tendencies, but he also writes really interesting books. I love geography, and I enjoyed this presentation of it for children. The cartoonish nature is a bit too much for me, so I didn't love it. There is a cool bit of the book where the answers to various questions are written in code so that the answer isn't given away so easily. (I've always hated it when answers are written upside down. People can read upside down, guys. If I accidentally glance at the answer, I know it.)
• 
  Steph

  This book is funny, educational, and gives examples of activities for hands on learning. I am a MHS social studies teacher, and it taught me things that even I did not know. It also went beyond simply listing facts, but went more in depth as to how those facts came to be. I was just discussing with my students to help them realize nonfiction does not have to be just a boring old textbook. This book, (and I am assuming because this one gave me such a great first impression) works to dispel that myth as well. Santa's sleigh should be full of this series!