Get a Little Goofy While Getting Educated

Fun, retro advice and informational guides for kids are flying off bookshelves. These tongue-in-cheek "how-to" books make great gifts for the mischief maker on your list.

"The Encyclopedia of Immaturity — Volume 2" by the editors of Klutz Publishing; 201 pages; $19.95.

Also called "How to Never Grow Up," this super fun guide to "immaturity" makes feeling young seem like a smart choice for kids and adults of all ages. The editors at Klutz admit they, at times, feel it best to try to grow up, "but then we lay down, fake a burp, and the feeling passes."

The massive table of contents in this blue spiral-bound book includes tamer skills like "how to kick a footbag," "how to throw a boomerang" and "how to make a sticky note paper airplane." The true fun starts when readers learn, through close-up, clear real-human photographs "how to play nose bonk," "how to hypnotize a hot dog" and "how to lean on things that aren't there." Other pages assist readers in performing the fisherman's handshake and the one-person piggyback, and encourage the transformation of "Your house, the jungle gym." Do I really want my 11-year-old son reading this?! I know I can't help it!

"How to Build Your Own Country" by Valerie Wyatt; illustrated by Fred Rix; Kids Can Press; 40 pages; $17.95.

Tired of people always telling you what to do? (Certainly every child out there is nodding yes right now). Help kids start their own countries, as in "the kingdom of Haley, or Jack or Alex." Wyatt's unique guide breaks down the three major steps in building a country, from staking out identities with flags and national anthems to running the countries through elections and laws and then meeting neighbors and finding allies.

The hilarious green-skinned cartoon character "president" in this book starts her republic on a bathmat, while her dog holds up the sign "Welcome to Bathmatia." Real facts are peppered throughout, on how to write a constitution to spotting fake laws. (In Pennsylvania, for example, is it illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outdoors?)

A super cool, lighthearted yet still informative, smart guide, "How to Build Your Own Country" is part of Kids Can Press' Citizen Kid line of books to inspire children "to be better global citizens."

"100 Percent Pure Fake" by Lyn Thomas; Kids Can Press; 48 pages; $16.95.

As Halloween gets closer, and as kids start to meet up with friends at the beginning of the school year, a glossy book full of fake special effects tricks should appeal. The upside-down boy on the cover sports two round, ball-like bloodshot eyeballs, while the tag line encourages readers to "Gross out your friends and family with 25 great special effects!"

Not for the faint of heart, I realize, as the first-page spread features fake "veggie vomit" and then "s'not snot," the instructional picture book shows how to make cat and dog doo-doos, hairy moles, rotting skin, broken glass, severed fingers and much more. Safety is promoted, however, with warning symbols if an adult's help is needed in the event of possible allergies or the use of hot liquid or stoves. Other practical cautions include mess alerts and how to work with food coloring and gelatin.

"The Girl's Book of Excellence" and "The Boy's Book of Excellence" from Scholastic Publishing; 123 pages and $9.99 each.

As part of the popular appealingly vintage series on "How to Be the Best at Everything," here are two new guidebooks for kids. The boys' book, with illustrations that look straight out of "Dick and Jane" readers, teaches boys to do a rain dance, be a ventriloquist, hypnotize someone and even make a lava lamp. The girls' guide encourages surviving a charging elephant, growing an apple tree from a seed and learning synchronized swimming.

Half silly fun (how make an edible igloo), half valuable advice (how to be a memory master), the "Excellence" books are cool and refreshing for kids ages 8 to 12.

"Recycle This Book" edited by Dan Gutman; Yearling Books/Random House; 267 pages; $5.99.

Subtitled "100 Top Children's Book Authors Tell You How to Go Green," this helpful paperback offers 100 favorite author perspectives on how to help change the world for the better. Also including hopes, fears and questions, the invaluable advice given by popular authors should help kids empower themselves and work toward being green detectives, "garbologists," worm composters and especially earth angels.

To find out more about Lee Littlewood and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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