100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up (2016)
100 Things to Do Before You Grow Up (2014)
Written by Lisa Gerry
National Geographic Kids
978-1-4263-2316-4  /  978-1-4263-1558-9
256 pages    Ages 8—12

Review
100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up—and its predecessor 100 things to Do Before You Grow Up—have ideas for things to do while you are young, full of energy, and have the time to explore and go on adventures. Each book contains a checklist of all 100 items for you to check off as you complete the “to do” in 100 Things to Do Before Your Grow Up, or as you find a way to use the knowledge learned in 100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up. No one will lack ideas with either book. But it’s time to start, as you only have (as the introduction in one book states) 6, 570 days to be a kid; then adult responsibilities will begin.

100 Things to Do Before You Grow Up will have you learning jokes, climbing mountains, and riding a horse. Already done all of those? Great, check them off and move on. Try swimming in an ocean, a lake, or a stream. Really challenge yourself and swim in all three. Do something out of your comfort zone, something you are afraid of, or something nice for someone else.

In between doing, read a few pages of 100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up. Before climbing that mountain, learn how to read a map. Before swimming in the ocean, learn to identify each ocean. It always helps to know where you are. And, before you do something nice for someone else—and this may seem antithesis—learn to say, “No.”

Each book is smaller than the norm. About 5 inches square making each book easy to take along or stuff into a backpack or purse. The glossy pages are easy to clean off should a PB&J slip and smear the page you are reading. Both books contain helpful tips from experts and explorers, and the colorful pages should help keep your mood upbeat as you spend those six thousand, five hundred, and seventy days moving your way towards adulthood and full-time responsibilities. (Actually, if you are already eight-years-old, you’ve lived the first 2,920 days, so you best get moving on the remaining 3,650 days.)

For those of us already beyond those days, these two books contain great ideas on how to spend our free time, learn new things, and having fun while challenging ourselves. What could be more fun than creating ice cream out of snow—and then eating it, making you a happy you. (FYI: Don’t eat your ice cream in an igloo. It can be 100 degrees hotter than the outdoors.) This is just one of the combined 200 things to do to stay young. Both books are perfect for spur of the moment activities or for handing to a bored child.

For your next outing, next “Mom I’m bored moment,” or next urge for something different, open up 100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up. This is the perfect book for homeschoolers. You’ll find science, psychology, and nature inside the 256 pages, along with activities to enlighten and delight kids. Give children the opportunity to challenge and improve themselves, or just have fun. Next up: 100 Things to Be When You Grow Up (March 2017).

100 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GROW UP and 100 THINGS DO KNOW BEFORE YOU GROW UP. Text copyright © 2016 by Lisa Gerry Reproduced by permission of the publisher, National Geographic Kids, Washington, DC.

To Know: Amazon—Indie Books—National Geographic Kids
To Do: Amazon—Indie Books—National Geographic Kids

Find 100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up on Goodreads HERE.
Find 100 Things to Do Before You Grow Up on Goodreads HERE.

Lisa Gerry:
Follow on Twitter          @LisaMGerry

National Geographic Kids:  http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
Follow on Twitter                 @NGKids 

National Geographic Kids is an imprint of National Geographic Society.

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Also in the 100 Things Before You Grow Up Series
100 Things to Make You Happy (8/04/2015)
100 Things to Be When You Grow Up (3/17/2017)

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Reprinted with permission from 100 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GROW UP © 2016 by Lisa Gerry, National Geographic Kids, an imprint of National Geographic Society. Photograph © 2016 Sue Morris

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Copyright © 2016 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

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100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up
Written by Lisa Gerry
National Geographic Kids 3/08/2016
978-1-4263-2316-4

100 Things to Do Before You Grow Up
Written by Lisa Gerry
National Geographic Kids 4/08/2014
978-1-4263-1558-9