Top 10 for Boys - Hardcover

Ash, Russell; Terry, Paul

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1770852239 ISBN 13: 9781770852235

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2013

Synopsis

Top 10 for Boys is one of the late Russell Ash's final forays into the world of fact encyclopedias. Creative and pioneering as he was, the fact guru's books were always the furthest thing from mundane. Top 10 for Boys is much more than a list of the top this-and-that. Jam-packed to the edges with page-bursting graphics and upbeat text, Top 10 for Boys is ideal for boys 10 and up, even those whose eyes are glued to video games.

Top 10 for Boys is exclusively for boys. The content is relevant only to them. All movies and games are rated 12 or under, meaning they can check out absolutely all the media featured in the Top 10 universe. The book can be enjoyed as is or interactively to make it a one-of-a-kind copy. Each reader will explore its pages differently.

An introduction shows readers how to use the book. The great features include:

• Top 10s (multiple topics, multiple lists)
• Been & Seen (been there? seen that?)
• Give It a Try (get active, try something new)
• Shuffle Up (personalize the lists)
• Off the Chart (wow! facts)
• Xtreme Fact (the most extreme extremes!)
• Check it Out (look at this!)
• Fact Flash! (did you know?)
• Another Thing! (...still more facts)

The chapters are:

• High-Octane Machines
• Animal Kingdom
• Gaming Galaxy
• Sport Zone
• Forces of Nature
• Music Mash-Up
• Epic Structures
• Movie Showtime
• Only Human
• Infinite Space

Each chapter ends with a Shout Out spread on which readers can make their own ratings and enjoy a variety of games and puzzles. Answers are at the book's end.

About this title

About the Author

Russell Ash (1946-2010) was the originator of the Top 10 of Everything annual and authored dozens of books. His passion for facts, eye for detail and pursuit of the curious has fascinated and entertained millions of readers. The invaluable database he left behind made a major contribution to this book.

Paul Terry is a children's author who has worked on books of leading kids' brands, including The Simpsons, LEGO, Star Wars, Kung Fu Panda and Wallace and Grommit. He co-authored the Official LOST Encyclopedia. Paul's understanding of what boys find fascinating, his meticulous research and love of trivia make him the ideal man to inherit the legacy of Top 10's originator, Russell Ash.

Review

Packed with exciting pictures, Xtreme Facts, and of course top 10 lists, Terry's kitchen-sink compendium should grab the attention of any child with a taste for stats or trivia.... Though it claims its content is exclusively for boys, there is no reason why girls will not enjoy it, too. The bold graphics and densely filled pages may prove overwhelming to some, but for the most part, the exciting layout will ensnare plenty of browsers. Perfect for reluctant readers and trivia seekers, this energetic volume has something for everyone. (Julia Smith Booklist 2013-11-30)

The design and layout of this book is intentionally over-the-top, with a hyperbolic writing style presented in short bursts in text boxes that make it impossible to read in a linear fashion. But that is the point: the audience is not the reader of novels, but the young person who voraciously devours multiple media and ideas simultaneously--almost the Web in print format. The facts are endlessly fascinating, very up-to-date, presenting some very international surprises... The power of this incredibly entertaining, fascinating, even educational, book cannot be underestimated. (Todd Kyle, Newmarket Public Library, Ontario CM Vol XX No 10 2013-10-28)

Geared to an older demographic -- age 9 and up -- and particularly boys who are more interested in facts than fiction. The book is jam-packed with snippets of information, charts, photos and illustrations. (Montreal Gazette 2013-12-19)

If there's one thing that boys enjoy, it's lists, and there's no shortage of them in this volume... The book rivals even the Guinness Book of World Records in glossy, inviting design... The book is sure to be popular. (School Library Journal 2014-01-01)

Big, bold and far from boring. (Winnipeg Free Press 2013-12-30)

A great dose of catnip for the mob of world-records enthusiasts. Terry has amassed here a busy collection of top 10s that run a gamut of topics: machines (like trains, planes and automobiles), animals, stars (those that dazzle in the heavens), stars (those that dazzle on stage), sports, freaks of nature, buildings, the mind and body--with multiple top 10s within each topic. (All games and movies referred to are rated for 12 and under.) Though the title claims these chart busters are "for boys," there is no reason to think that girls wouldn't find them equally irresistible... This collection rarely fails to shock and awe, offering up the gentleman who rode a motorcycle at nearly 400 mph, the highest-earning solo artist of 2012 (Madonna!) and the most fatal riot (took place in Constantinople in A.D. 532)--not to mention the thrill of imagining being one of the select 1,000-plus who annually get ripped apart by saltwater crocodiles. A worthy addition to the ranks of Ripley and Guinness. (Kirkus Reviews 2013-11-01)

About this edition

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1770852239
• ISBN 13: 9781770852235
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320