Flashback to the . . . Awesome '80s!: Ready-to-Read Level 2 - Hardcover

Michaels, Patty

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 166593347X ISBN 13: 9781665933476

Publisher: Simon Spotlight, 2023

Synopsis

Explore the trends, fashion, technology, and inventions of the 1980s with this totally tubular Level 2 Ready-to-Read full of fun facts, illustrations, and interactive backmatter!

In the 1980s, boom boxes and breakdancing were all the rage, Cabbage Patch Kids were flying off the shelves, and a new TV station called MTV was launched. Kids will love learning about all things 80s, like the first at-home video game consoles, jelly shoes, leg warmers, eighties slang, and VCRs! Lighthearted illustrations, photographs of the fashion and fads, and approachable language introduce young readers to all this and even more hallmarks of the awesome decade.

About this title

About the Author

Patty Michaels is a children’s book writer and editor who lives in the New York City area. She loves the beach, coffee, her family, and playing with her dogs.

Sarah Rebar is an illustrator and writer based in sunny Los Angeles. She earned her BFA in illustration from Syracuse University. For nine years, she worked as an in-house artist for Sesame Street drawing Muppets. She collaborated to create new Muppets for Ahlan Simsim, an international coproduction for young Syrian refugees, funded by the MacArthur genius grant. Her all-time favorite characters are Bert and Ernie. Now, she illustrates books for kids.

Reviews

Gr 1–3—Those who lived through the 1980s know it was a totally tubular time, and now kids can ride the nostalgia train with this lighthearted look at the decade. Filled with quick facts and pop culture tidbits, this book lets upper elementary readers imagine what life was like in the days of mixtapes and Saturday morning cartoons. References are age appropriate, highlighting toys, technology, food, and entertainment that American kids of this age would have interacted with had they lived back then. A blend of illustrations and photographs in true-to-period, vivid colors lends clues to the textual information. A brief list of novel words, like "gnarly," appear in a glossary, though phonetic spellings are not provided. The proliferation of exclamation points could seem patronizing to some readers, and this book does not give enough depth to serve as a historical resource. But as a fun topic for reading skill practice, it should spark wide interest. VERDICT This celebration of kid culture in the 1980s will appeal to children and to the adults who remember how awesome it was.—Shannon Titas

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon Spotlight
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 166593347X
• ISBN 13: 9781665933476
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Rebar Sarah
• Number of pages: 32