Match Wits with the Kids

New Match Wits quizzes available for download!

2009-05-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased to announce that Icon Books have posted a series of brand new quizzes for Match Wits with the Kids on their website.

To access this entirely free, downloadable material, simply click on the appropriate link below.

ENGLISH

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

And for the ANSWERS to all of the above, click here.

Meet your new teacher, Miss Anne Droid

2009-03-12T02:41:00.000-07:00

School pupils are to be taught by the world's first robot teacher in one of the most radical uses so far of android technology.

The device, created by scientists after 15 years of research, is being trialled at a primary school in Tokyo. Named Saya, she can speak different languages, carry out roll calls, set tasks and make facial expressions – including anger – thanks to 18 motors hidden behind her latex face.

The humanoid was originally developed to replace a variety of workers, including secretaries, in a bid to allow firms to cut costs while still retaining some kind of human interaction. Her creator, science professor Hiroshi Kobayashi at the University of Tokyo, had been working on a robot for 15 years. She is the latest example of robots spreading to every aspect of life in Japan. They already guide traffic, attempt to lure university graduates to sign up to courses and one is even being developed to provide company to Alzheimer's sufferers.

The Japanese government has said that by 2015 it wants a robot in every home and is pouring $35 million (£23 million) into robotic intelligence to make it happen. The push is because of Japan's ageing population – in seven years one in four Japanese will be over 65 – which means the workforce is declining, pushing up wage costs for businesses and making recruitment difficult.

Now surely it can't be only me who finds the idea of a robot teacher getting angry unnerving...

Breaking news!

2009-03-09T04:25:00.001-07:00

For some exciting news about an upcoming Jonathan Green publication, click here!

Prepare for the Key Stage 3 SATs with Match Wits

2009-03-07T00:09:00.000-08:00

If you are the parent of a Key Stage 3 secondary school pupil, or a Key Stage 3 student yourself, you are probably already well-aware of the fact that the government has decided that the SAT Tests will no longer be compulsory for schools from 2009.

However, many schools are still using the actual 2009 printed SAT Test papers because teachers still need a valid and rigorous measure of progress to make informed decisions about how best to help pupils as they prepare for Key Stage 4.

So chances are you/your child may well find themselves taking the Key Stage 3 SATs this May, and what better way to help you prepare is there than Match Wits with the Kids.

The book contains detailed chapters on English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Modern Languages and Latin, which cover the basic Key Stage 3 curriculum. Not only that, but it's also a fun read, with spot tests which you can use to test your own knowledge or to see how much your parents/children know.

This is what other people have had to say about Match Wits:

Though based on the yawn-making "Key Stage 3 of the National Curriculum", this jolly compendium will enlighten all who dip in... Green deserves 10/10. - The Independent

A fun and enjoyable way to catch up on your learning, relive your schooldays and gen up on the topics kids are learning. Packed full of fun facts and tests for all the family, it’s a great way to hone your general knowledge and keep one step ahead of those smart-alec children or those know-it-all grown-ups. - Lovereading.co.uk

This book was a surprise to me. It's basically is a compendium of useful (and some useless) facts, presented in a clear and easily digestible way. The fact that much of it is based on the national curriculum means that it is bloomin' useful for those of us with kids of a certain age, but I found it extremely interesting to have all this stuff at my fingertips.

Having spent the last twenty years as a teacher trying to match my wits with London's finest, it is now there in black and white. This is a great book.

This is the ideal book for stopping you looking stupid at dinner parties! It makes learning fun and is great for getting a 'fact of the day' to share with the family, they don't even notice they're learning.

Experienced teacher and author Jonathon Green has written the perfect companion for parents who wish to brush up on their general knowledge... With information presented in an enjoyable, easy-to-read... In the years between attending school and parenting a school-aged child many facts and details well-known during school years go astray. Now is the perfect time to brush up on some basic general knowledge. - Susan Whelan

To get hold of your own copy of Match Wits with the Kids, click here.

Happy World Book Day 2009!

2009-03-05T05:55:00.001-08:00

In case you didn't already know, today is World Book Day. So, seeing as how I now make a living from my books, I thought I would let everyone know about the different sorts of books I write and present something of a back catalogue for your perusal.

Pax Britannia

I am currently writing a series of steampunk science fiction action/adventure novels for Abaddon Books, featuring dandy hero of the British Empire, Ulysses Quicksilver. There are currently three books in the series - Unnatural History, Leviathan Rising, Human Nature - with a fourth, Evolution Expects, published in May, and with more to come after that. To find out more about the world of Pax Britannia click here.

Fighting Fantasy

To date I have had five Fighting Fantasy gamebooks published. They are Spellbreaker, Knights of Doom, Curse of the Mummy, Bloodbones and Howl of the Werewolf.

Doctor Who

So far I have written a Doctor Who: Decide Your Destiny interactive adventure gamebook entitled The Horror of Howling Hill and have contributed to the 2010 Official Doctor Who Annual (published this August).

Sonic the Hedgehog

I have also c0-written two Sonic the Hedgehog adventure gamebooks, Theme Park Panic and Stormin' Sonic.

Warhammer

I have written three fantasy novels set within Games Workshop's Warhammer world. They are The Dead and the Damned, Magestorm and Necromancer.

Warhammer 40,000

I have also written three science fiction novels set within Games Workshop's far future medieval universe of Warhammer 40,000. There are two books about the Black Templars and the Armageddon Campaign - Crusade for Armageddon and Conquest of Armageddon - and a stand-alone adventure entitled Iron Hands.

Non-fiction

I have written a number of non-fiction books as well. The most recent of these are Match Wits with the Kids, Go, Go Crazy for those Bones and What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

As well as books I have also had published various novellas, short stories, comic strips and magazine articles.

I also go school visits and library talks. If you would like me to come into your school or local library to talk about any of my books or the writing process in general, please email me at paxbritannia@hotmail.co.uk.

Not as clever as they thought they were

2009-03-03T03:08:00.000-08:00

The winners of this year's University Challenge have been disqualified for fielding a 'ringer' contestant. The BBC confirmed Oxford University's Corpus Christi College had been stripped of the title after it emerged Sam Kay was no longer a student.

Sam Kay a.k.a The Ringer

Mr Kay, who told viewers he was studying chemistry, had already left to become an accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

A BBC statement said: "The University Challenge rules on student eligibility are that students taking part must be registered at their university or college for the duration of the recording of the series. Whilst obviously not intending to, Corpus Christi broke this important rule where other universities and colleges taking part adhered to it. We therefore find ourselves in the regrettable position of having no choice but to disqualify Corpus Christi from the final."

Mr Kay said: "I hugely regret not confirming my change of status to the University Challenge programme makers before the final rounds. I had honestly believed I was eligible as I had indicated my course dates when I applied."

Oxford, led by Gail Trimble, romped to victory in the show last week. They came from behind to win the final by 275 points to 190. Gail has been dubbed the greatest University Challenge contestant ever, after she scored more points than her three-team mates combined in the run up to the final and appeared so untroubled by the questions that host Jeremy Paxman was prompted to exclaim: "My God, you're laughing because they are so easy!"

Gail Trimble a.k.a. the Human Google a.k.a. the Intellectual Blitzkrieg

This ruling means that the hard-fought title now goes to Manchester University.Manchester team captain, Matthew Yeo, said: "While we accept the decision of the judges, we are saddened to have been awarded the trophy under such circumstances."

In a statement, Corpus Christi College said its students had entered the programme in "good faith." "The team had a wonderful run and we are, of course, disappointed to be losing the title," the college added.

Signing this evening at Forbidden Planet, London

2009-01-09T07:00:00.001-08:00

Jonathan Green

Pax Britannia: Human Nature

Join Jonathan Green at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, on Friday 9th January 6.00pm – 7.00pm.

Ulysses Quicksilver is chasing a mermaid – right up to the industrially polluted North of England and the fishing village where she was supposedly caught. What he finds are the horrors of man’s own selfishness; as he’s trapped within the very heart darkness, threatened in body and mind, he has to escape a fate that is literally worse than death.

This is a fantastical, steampunk science fiction novel from the co-creator of the Pax Britannia world!

Season's Greetings!

2008-12-25T00:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Yes, Christmas Day is here at last, and hopefully some of you are waking up this morning to find that Father Christmas has left you a copy of What is Myrrh Anyway? in your stocking!

I hope you all have a wonderful day and remember you can listen to me, Dom Joly and Danny Wallace deconstructing the midwinter feast on Radio 5 Live from 12 noon.

So we keep the olden greeting
With its meaning deep and true,
And wish a merrie Christmas
And a happy New Year to you.

(Old English saying)

If you liked Match Wits with the Kids...

2008-12-15T03:02:00.000-08:00

... then why not try these similarly-inspired titles?

Homework for Grown-ups

Don't know your isosceles from your equilateral? Forgotten what actually happened in 1066? Do you know when you've left a participle hanging? And are you left slack-jawed when your children ask you what 'quid pro quo' means? Bewildered already? Fret no longer. Homework for Grown-ups swots up on mathematics (covering algebra, Pythagoras' theorem, prime numbers and the Fibonacci sequence), English grammar and literature (do you know how to read a poem?), chemistry and the sciences (including the Big Bang theory), geography (can you name the planets in order?), history (how to remember the kings and queens of Britain, plus the Romans and the Magna Carta), art, Latin, modern languages, PE, home economics, and much more. Packed with essential facts, figures and theories, along with fun but challenging test papers to keep you on your toes and reignite those dormant brain-cells, Homework for Grown-ups is a practical and wonderfully nostalgic revision guide for adults.
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I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot from School

If you've forgotten the capital city of Chile; the basics of osmosis; how to solve a quadratic equation; the names of the Bennet sisters in Pride and Prejudice; who wrote the famous poem about daffodils; the use of a conjunction or the number of continents in the world, I Used to Know That will provide all the answers. A light-hearted and informative reminder of all the things that we learnt in school but have since become relegated to the backs of our minds, I Used to Know That features hundreds of important snippets of wisdom, facts, theories, equations, phrases, rules and sayings. It is a practical guide to turn to when an answer is eluding you, when helping a child with homework or preparing them for the new school year, or maybe just to brush up on trivia for the pub quiz. I Used to Know That covers English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Geography and General Studies, so never again will you find yourself stumped!
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My Grammar and I (Or Should That be 'Me'?): Old-School Ways to Sharpen Your English

For anyone who has ever had a problem with dangling modifiers and split infinitives, or for those who have no idea what these things even are, My Grammar and I provides all the answers. Taking you on a tour of the English language, through a veritable minefield of rules and conditions for the grammatically unaware, and highlighting the common pitfalls that every English language user faces on a day to day basis, My Grammar and I also offers amusing examples of awful grammar, while steering you in the direction of grammatical greatness. Factual and witty, My Grammar and I is the perfect gift for all English language sticklers for Christmas 2008.
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I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff

'My Very Elegant Mother Just Sat Upon Nine Porcupines' reminds us of the order of the planets in the Solar System. This is a compilation of memory aids guaranteed to simplify masses of confusing facts on numerous subjects, including rhymes, acronyms, rules, phrases and diagrams. It offers an eclectic mix of reference and nostalgia. It is the only book you'll ever need that features more mnemonics than you'll ever need to know. Something for everyone, the book covers a number of different subjects - history to mathematics, mythology to physics, music to the human body and many more. Ever find yourself struggling to remember simple facts and rules? Is the ever increasing pace of life and glut of information challenging your memory? I Before E (Except After C) is full of memory aids to help you out. From well-known rhymes such as the popular 'Thirty days hath September, April, June and November', memorable sayings including 'Spring forward, fall back', and mnemonics such as 'Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain', to a selection of more modern methods of boosting one's failing memory, I Before E is the definitive guide to help you to unjumble your mind and improve your ability to recall names, dates, facts, figures and events, and contains all the mnemonics you'll ever need to know.
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Remember, Remember (The Fifth of November): The History of Britain in Bite-Sized Chunks

Britain and its people have a long and noble history that is now over 2000 years old. Like all the best stories it is one of blood, death, love, sex and betrayal, yet also a tale of courage, honour, pride, skill, invention, endurance and, sometimes, just pure luck. Remember, Remember is a history of Britain in bitesize chunks, containing all of the important dates, people and events that we should know, reminding us of what we've forgotten from school and perhaps teaching us something new.Go back in time to: sneer at Bad King John as he is forced to sign the Magna Carta; suffer the agonies of the black death; charge with Henry V against the French at Agincourt; see the birth of the Industrial Revolution; watch the coronation of the nineteen-old-princess who gave us the term 'Victorian'; and take heart from the courage and endurance of the men who fought and endured the horrors of both world wars. Concise, authoritative yet wonderfully entertaining, Remember, Remember makes history interesting and accessible for everyone once again.
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Thirty Days Has September : Cool Ways to Remember Stuff

This book provides handy tips - literally. Discover how to use your knuckles to remember which months have 31 days, and your thumb and finger to tell right from left. Find out how to use your fingers to help you master the nine times table.Employ excellent spelling solutions for pesky words such as 'difficulty', 'because' and 'Mississippi'. Forgetting will become history as you learn when Christopher Columbus sailed to America: In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue and found this land, land of the Free, beloved by you, beloved by me. And don't forget those helpful mnemonics: Vowels - Albert's Elbow Is Often Ugly; Planets - My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas; Music - Every Good Boy Deserves Favour; and, Spelling - I before E, except after C. Sometimes tried and tested ways really are the best.

And then of course there is...
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Match Wits with the Kids: A Little Learning for All the Family

How does photosynthesis work? Who was the first Tudor king? What is a preposition, or a conjunction? What causes a tsunami? If you're caught In flagrante delicto what has happened? And how do you calculate the area of a triangle? Answering all the questions you're afraid to admit you need to ask, Match Wits with the Kids covers all the key school subjects - Maths, English, Science, History, Geography and languages. Jonathan Green, a highly experienced teacher and popular author, provides in a nutshell everything you need to refresh your memory. Including tests to see if you've taken it all in, Match Wits with the Kids is a lot of fun - and the ideal read for anyone feeling threatened by know-it-all children.

Happy shopping.

Punished over push-ups

2008-12-05T01:05:00.000-08:00

I read today that a schoolteacher has been suspended after making his pupils do push-ups as a punishment for arriving late to class.

This, naturally, raises all sorts of issues and you can read more about them here. H0wever, two things interested me in particular about this story.

1) Different punishments for latecomers had been discussed by the whole class and that it was the pupils who had suggested push-ups.

2) This all happened at Derby Moor Community Sports College.

So kids who go to sports college are discouraged from taking part in extra physical activities are they? Have the people involved in this teacher's suspension forgotten the old adage, 'a healthy body, a healthy mind'?

Academy: A modern school where football is taught. - Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) - The Devil's Dictionary, 1911

Meet Radio 5 Live's Christmologist - at Acton Christmas Fair

2008-12-04T02:40:00.000-08:00

I will be at Acton Christmas Fair, this Saturday, 6 December, from 11.00am until 6.00pm, selling and signing copies of my book, What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

I will also be happy to (try to) answer your Christmas questions. And you can hear me doing just that on Christmas Day, at midday, on Radio 5 Live's Dom and Danny Do Christmas.

So, maybe I'll see you there.

The ideal Christmas present for the intellectually minded

2008-11-21T02:03:00.001-08:00

Struggling to think of a suitable gift for the armchair genius in your home? Then why not have them testing the little grey cells on Christmas Day with a copy of the ever-popular Match Wits with the Kids?

And then, for the festively-minded there's What is Myrrh Anyway? which answers all the questions you've ever wanted to ask about the Christmas season, and some you haven't.

For the science fiction and fantasy fan in your family, why not try the Pax Britannia steampunk-action-adventure novels Unnatural History and Leviathan Rising?

And if you're looking for stocking fillers for the kids, you could do a lot worse than get them a few gamebooks - The Horror of Howling Hill, Howl of the Werewolf, Bloodbones, Curse of the Mummy, Spellbreaker - which will keep them occupied while you're getting Christmas dinner on the go. Or even Go, Go Crazy For Those Bones, for the younger GoGo's fan.

Doctor Who Day at Ealing Library

2008-11-21T02:01:00.001-08:00

Just to remind you... I will be at Ealing Central Library tomorrow, Saturday 22 November, taking part in their Doctor Who Day, selling and signing copies of my Doctor Who Decide Your Destiny book The Horror of Howling Hill.

(Did you know, over 100,000 Doctor Who Decide Your Destiny titles have been sold so far?)

I will also have copies of my new Christmas book What is Myrrh Anyway? available to buy.

You'll be able to meet a Dalek at 10.00am-12.00pm and 2.00pm-4.00pm, and also at 2.00pm author Nick Griffiths will be talking about his book Dalek I Loved You. There will be games, quizzes, and competitions to take part in as well.

So maybe I'll see you there...

Putting the bang back into Chemistry

2008-10-22T07:54:00.001-07:00

For many of a certain age, Chemistry at school conjures up images of flaring magnesium whizzing around a bowl of water, tests for hydrogen resulting in satisfying explosions and exciting reactions which result in a change of colour or, even better, an exothermic reaction!

But living in the decade of Health & Safety as we are, all that might be about to come to an end, as Mike Kent writes in the TES.

Platonic Solids rock!

2008-10-14T13:04:00.000-07:00

If you've not been following Marcus du Sautoy's The Story of Maths (on BBC 4), you've missed a treat. No, seriously!

Marcus du Sautoy's approach and delivery remind me of a rather less manic Adam Hart-Davis (who is himself a national treasure) and help to make the history of Mathematics not only interesting but informative as well.

And you can still watch the first episode here, and in the process find out more about Pythagoras' Theorem, Euclidean geometry and the Platonic solids. Or, alternatively, you could watch this clip here.

Of course, all of the mathematical advances mentioned above also get a mention in Match Wits with the Kids, along with a clear explanation. You can pick up your copy of the book here.

The Story of Maths

2008-10-13T01:14:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how a subject that is vital to our every day lives - even our very existence - ever came about? Without it there would be no physics, no chemistry, no statistics, no geometry, no cosmology, no commerce, no accurate means of time-keeping, no aviation... Need I go on?

Mathematics is the Empress of the Sciences. In an age of uncertainty, mathematics is the only discipline that generates knowledge that’s immutably, incontestably, and eternally true. But how did this most important of all intellectual disciplines develop through the ages?

Well, wonder no more. Marcus du Sautoy, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, is here to help and he has all the answers. Simply tune into BBC 4's new series The Story of Maths and you will be both amazed, intrigued and educated. What more could you want?

How should British history be taught?

2008-10-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

The shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove has set the cat amongst the pigeons by attacking how history is taught. He believes that lessons should make pupils proud of our past, but the question is, is he right?

Well, in a multicultural society such as ours, this could be something of a challenge. There's plenty within the history of the British people that is horribly embarrassing or even downright shameful. However, equally, there have been some incredible moments and many glorious achievements.

This question has provoked the Independent newspaper to poll a number of well-known historians about what they consider to be the ten most important dates in British history. To see what the likes of Tristram Hunt, Dan Snow and Tracy Borman have to say on this matter, click here.

But what do you consider to be the 10 most important dates that children should know? Why not post your answer here, by replying to this post. And if you need reminding what sort of events could make your list, why not read the chapter on History in Match Wits with the Kids?

If you don’t use it, you lose it!

2008-10-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

Susan Whelan, a world literatures feature writer based in Canada (as far as I can tell), has written a very comprehensive - not to say glowing - review about Match Wits with the Kids over at Suite101.com.

Her review is from the point of view of an overseas reader and points at that in the current edition there is, naturally, a bias towards British History and Geography. However, she also points out that Match Wits gives readers an excellent General Knowledge overview. As she says, 'In the years between attending school and parenting a school-aged child many facts and details well-known during school years go astray' and that 'many adults have discovered the truth of the adage “If you don’t use it, you lose it”, struggling to recall information that was well known at the age of ten.'

If you would like to read more of Susan's review, particularly if you yourself at not based in the UK but have considered getting hold of a copy of Match Wits with the Kids, then click here.

What is Myrrh Anyway? Released today!

2008-10-02T06:03:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's like all your Christmases have come at once - What is Myrrh Anyway? is finally released today!

It should be in all good bookshops now or, failing that, you can buy it online.

And in case you're new to this blog and wondering where the title of the book comes from, click the video link below.

Dungeons and Dragons and Key Stage 3 Maths

2008-09-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

It sounds like the start of a bad joke doesn't it?

'I say, I say, I say. What do the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and Key Stage 3 Maths have in common?'

But it's not. It is, in fact, all to do with one teacher's attempts to involve his pupils in the demands of the modern Mathematics curriculum.

I immediately latched onto this article from the TES due to my long-held interest in fantasy gaming (in one of my many authorial guises I write Fighting Fantasy gamebooks and wargaming novels) and it makes for intriguing reading.

My one concern regarding such an approach is that having got hooked on role-playing games, how do you then get your mind out of the dungeon and back into the classroom. And that's just from the teacher's perspective!

What is Myrrh Anyway? Out this week!

2008-09-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hark, I am the bearer of glad tidings, to you and all your kin. For lo, What is Myrrh Anyway? is out this week!

So that's all your Christmas shopping needs sorted, in one easy to read, easy to wrap book, that's the ideal size to fit inside your Christmas stocking!

What is Myrrh Anyway? hits the shops this Thursday, but you can already order it online at Amazon.

Ho, ho, ho.

SATs - Stress About Tests

2008-09-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

A little controversy for a Tuesday night.

According to last week's TES, an online survey has revealed that many parents believe SATs cause too much stress in children and that they also have little or no confidence in the abilities of their children’s teachers.

Now - putting the SATs thing to one side for a moment - as a teacher and the parent of a child at school, I immediately feel very defensive about such a finding. But the fact remains that many parents do perceive teachers in this way, which is as much a damning comment about the image of education in this country as it is about any particular teacher's ability to do the job.

And certainly exams will always bring with them a certain amount of anxiety but the important thing is to learn to manage this stress. I suspect that some of those parents who think that SATs are too stressful for children are also the ones worrying about how their children will fair and so impose their own anxieties onto their children, making the whole thing a self-fulfilling prophecy.

To read more about this topic click here. To find a simple solution to exam stress, click here, and take with a warm drink at bedtime.

What is Myrrh Anyway?

2008-09-12T02:00:00.001-07:00

Much excitement in the Green househould this morning, as my author copies of What is Myrrh Anyway? have arrived. And for what started out as a relatively short stocking filler of a book, it's actually turned out to be quite a weighty little book on the subject of Christmas and its traditions.So if you've always wondered why Christmas Day falls on 25 December (and not the 15 Augcember, for anyone who's seen the new series of Harry and Paul on BBC1), or can't understand why Brussels sprouts are always on the menu for Christmas dinner, then this little Christmas cracker of a book is the one for you.

The book isn't officially published by Icon Books until 2 October, but it is available to pre-order over on Amazon. And you can discover more fun and fascinating facts about the festive season over on the dedicated What is Myrrh Anyway? blog.

Ho, ho, ho.

The Big Bang: Take 2

2008-09-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

This morning, scientists on the Franco-Swiss border will flip the switch on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) - a.k.a. The Big Bang Machine - a 12 storey high, 17-mile long underground ring, built at a cost of £5b, buried more than 300ft under the Alpine foothills, where subatomic particles will be accelerated to astonishing speeds and then smashed into each other.

The LHC will blast protons - one of the building blocks of atoms - at a velocity close to the speed of light, generating temperatures of more than a trillion degrees centigrade. Each proton beam will pack as much energy as a Eurostar train travelling at 150 kilometres per hour. The resulting collisions will hopefully replicate conditions found in the moments following the Big Bang - or the beginning of the universe - and scientists will study the fallout. Let's just hope nothing goes wrong!

And if you're worried that man's meddling is going to create a black hole under the Alps which will suck the Earth into it, then have a look at this to help calm your nerves.

Match Wits at the Science Museum

2008-09-08T02:28:00.000-07:00

I was at London's Science Museum on Sunday and popped into the branch of Waterstone's that they have there - an occupational hazard when you're a writer. I was very pleased to see that they had The Horror of Howling Hill (my Doctor Who adventure) there among the other DW merchandise, but also Match Wits with the Kids.

There's plenty in the Science section of Match Wits that you can tie to exhibits at the Science Museum, which has many practical models to help demonstrate how things work. There are even links to the History section with the development of the Industrial Revolution.

From the shelves of the museum bookshop it was quite clear that there has been a recent explosion in books about school and schooling aimed at adults, everything from Homework for Grown-Ups to England: 1000 Things You Need to Know.

But if you want one all-encompassing book that takes the subject seriously (whilst presenting it in a light-hearted way), that keeps it up to date and relevant for the modern generation of school-goers as well, then you can't beat Match Wits with the Kids.