A book review of You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without Gaming! by Jim Pipe
Stars: *****
Scholastic (2018)
Children’s Nonfiction
32 pages
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Summary: Learn about the many uses and positive effects of video games: how they can be a teaching aid, exercise our bodies and brains, stimulate our creativity, and bring people together. This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even to reluctant readers. Humans have always loved to play games, from dice games in ancient Iran 5,000 years ago to chess and cards in the Middle Ages. While Victorians loved board games, the first video games appeared over 50 years ago. Today, fanaticism over console games is at an all-time high, with players arguing passionately why one console is better than another.
You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without Gaming!
I picked up this book at the library as a fun read for our homeschool day. My kids are addicted to gaming and electronics in general.
It starts off with the history of gaming such as Chess, Go, Tic Tac Toe, Senet and Dice games. It continues on with such things as Hide and Seek, Snakes and Ladders, Game of Life and Ping Pong. Early computer games is next followed by a discussion of poor losers in history. Eventually we make our way into video games and how it goes from an idea to a game is discussed briefly.
My kids loved all the game history but the part I appreciated most was next. The next chapter was “Is Gaming Bad for You?” After reading the chapter heading, I asked the kids what they thought first. Then we read about the PROS and the CONS of gaming. We also read the five signs you’re gaming too much. After that we read about immersive gaming and the future of gaming.
It was a fun read aloud because it was a topic they were interested in. Also the illustrations by David Antram were fun and fit with the theme of the book. I highly recommend the book whether as a read aloud with your children or just for your child to read themselves if they want.
I also found out when I was on Amazon that this book is part of a series titled “You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without ____________.” There are ones on Antibiotics, Clean Water, Gravity, Satellites and more.
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