Puzzlebrains

For all those parents with bothersome kids! I just bought this book for Katherine. Whenever I play with a puzzle she rolls her eyes at me and complains. So I got this one for her, and now she is trying to work on ciphers and work out a codex. (It has done wonders for attempting the surrealism crossword in peace. Not that I've worked it out yet)

Spyology
Dugal Steer
ISBN:9781840118612

I just remembered to find this post and comment:

Thank you, Katsmom!

We looked at this for putting on Monkey's Christmas list, and at the time we thought, "hmm that's quite a lot of money for 15 pages " but we decided that we'd put on the list anyway.

Santa duly arrived, and WOW is it "not just 15 pages". Every page is packed full of lots of snippets of info, flaps to lift, envelopes of little pictures, "newspaper clippings", secret messages, with a fancy codewheel set into the cover that you can use as a "microdot viewer" too. Enough to keep him busy for ages and ages, just exploring the contents, let alone actually solving any of the codes/messages/mysteries. It's brilliant!

Am I right in thinking Monkey is about 10?

He'll be 10 in September.

SparkOut wrote:I just remembered to find this post and comment:

Thank you, Katsmom!

We looked at this for putting on Monkey's Christmas list, and at the time we thought, "hmm that's quite a lot of money for 15 pages " but we decided that we'd put on the list anyway.

Santa duly arrived, and WOW is it "not just 15 pages". Every page is packed full of lots of snippets of info, flaps to lift, envelopes of little pictures, "newspaper clippings", secret messages, with a fancy codewheel set into the cover that you can use as a "microdot viewer" too. Enough to keep him busy for ages and ages, just exploring the contents, let alone actually solving any of the codes/messages/mysteries. It's brilliant!

I think mum (giraffe) tried this technique with me and kingsley but instead of getting us into hi tech books, she got us the runes and puzzlebrains instead.

I didn't actually mean as a shutter-upper! It's really fun! (In fact, he's actually more interrupty-worthy with it - "Dad, dad! Look at this! And there's all this stuff in the pocket here! and..." you get the idea.)

Oh why can't I have puzzle interested kids to share all this exciting stuff with. Do you think I could get away with buyng it for myself

Well... it's hard to say I'd recommend it for an adult, but if you did happen to get it and open it "for yourself" you might just find that the kids become interested - maybe a reverse psychology approach would work.

And my kids are beyond that now and just look down their noses at me and my attempts at puzzle solving

Mine too. Mind you they think I'm sad and have no life. They'd probably be right there!! I think the book sounds great. Shame I don't have a 10 year old to buy one for!!

I have just ordered Spyology from Amazon.

I notice the same authors do stuff like Monsterology, Mythology, Dragonology, Wizardology, Pirateology etcetcetcetcetc.

This seems like enough to keep my 11 year old lad (and me) busy for years.

Thanks for the lead everyone.

Cheers. BB.

I came across one of the -Ology books when they first came out and have been buying them ever since. Value for money I think.
I'm glad your son liked it!

Katherine loves to play with those books. The reading level is a bit high for her, but they do keep her going for hours and the envelopes haven't become boring yet!

Glad I'm not the only one who is class as not "having a life". my lot groan when I get the puzzles out and run incase I ask them "stupid questions".

Off to order spyology.

There's a bookshop round here 'The Works', that was selling the 'ology' books for under £5 before Christmas. I bought my 10 year old the pirate one and he loves it, there's just so much to do and look at.

We have a The Works" might try there before Amazon

strep98 wrote:Off to order spyology.

Go for it I've just got Wizardology out of the library - great fun. They LOOK so good as well.

Anybody want to lend me a ten-year old?

Everyone who has one I'd imagine

I'd swap for a 19 year old

LAT wrote:Anybody want to lend me a ten-year old?

You can have mine, and the other three that go with him!