Category Archives: Giveaways

Must Read This Week: ‘Doodle Adventures: Slimy Space Slugs’

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Ever imagined yourself in the books you read? With Doodle Adventures: The Search for the Slimy Space Slugs!, you can actually make that happen. How does it work? You begin by drawing yourself into the story, then continue by following prompts and adding more of your own illustrations and doodles.

 

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Here’s the official synopsis:

Draw your way through the story! Doodle Adventures: The Search for the Slimy Space Slugs! is a lighthearted fantasy where the reader first draws him- or herself into the story, and then continues by following prompts and adding more illustrations and doodles.

Set in space, the book invites the reader to join Carl, a duck and member of a super-secret international group of explorers, on a journey in search of a very important grail-like object. The book is sturdy paper over board with beautiful cream paper—perfect for defacing! And by the end, the reader will have co-written a tale to return to again and again, and show off to family and friends.

Check Out This Excerpt From Doodle Adventures: The Search for the Slimy Space Slugs!

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‘How to Tell a Story’ Creates an Epic Game of Endless Possibilities

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If you’re a fan of telling tall tales, How to Tell a Story by Daniel Nayeri is for you. The whimsically illustrated, 144-page book comes with 20 six-sided story cubes that provide all you need to craft more than a million stories.

How Does It Work?

The book is a guide to the principles of creative storytelling, covering the essential elements like conflict, characters, motivation, dialogue, theme and, of course, the climax. As you turn the pages, you’ll be prompted to roll the story blocks that are included with the book.

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And that’s when the magic starts to happen. In fact, that’s how How to Tell a Story first got my attention. You can play/read it in so many of different ways. Have some friends over? Break out How to Tell a Story and collaborate on a single epic story. Or, players/storytellers can pit their own stories against other players’, letting a judge to decide which one is best.

You could also play it alone. Roll the blocks and let your imagination lead you to a cool imaginative story that you may not have dreamed up otherwise. Here at the BL office, we’ve used the blocks to get a brainstorming session up and going, break the ice at a meeting, and

If it sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. How to Tell a Story teaches you the ins and outs of gameplay, and leaves plenty of room for you to create up your own ways to play, too.

All About the Blocks

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Each block has six colored sides, all loosely associated with a part of speech: nouns (people or animals), other types of nouns (things), even more types of nouns (places), adjectives (descriptions or emotions), verbs (actions) and relationships (which like regular relationships, are a whole bunch of messy things at once).

Simply put, How to Tell a Story provides more than million combinations for telling a cool story. That means there are endless ways to read — and play — this book.

Enter BL’s 2019 “Say Yes to Reading!” Contest!

Read the winning book reports from 2017

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Write a one-page report titled “The Best Book I Read This Year” and enter it in the Boys’ Life 2019 “Say Yes to Reading!” contest.

The book can be fiction or nonfiction. But the report has to be in your own words — 500 words tops. Enter in one of these three age categories:

  • 8 years old and younger
  • 9 and 10 years old
  • 11 years old and older

First-place winners in each age category will receive a $100 gift card from Amazon.com. Second-place winners will receive a $75 gift card; third-place winners, a $50 gift card.

Everyone who enters will get a free patch like the one on this page. The patch is a temporary insignia, so it can be worn on the right pocket of the Scout uniform shirt. Proudly display it there or on another item such as a vest, plaque or trophy! In coming years, you’ll have the opportunity to earn other patches.

The contest is open to all Boys’ Life readers. Be sure to include your name, address, age and grade in school on the entry.

Send your report, along with a business-size, self-addressed, stamped envelope, to:

Boys’ Life Reading Contest
S306
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, TX 75015-2079

Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2019 and must include entry information and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Congrats to our Nicolas Flamel Winners!

As the grand-prize winner, Morgan C. of Madera, Calif., will receive a full hardback set of all six books in the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series, signed by author Michael Scott.

The following winners will each receive a paperback copy of The Alchemyst, the first book in the series:

Eli R., Arlington, Va.

Douglas S., Garden City, Idaho

Josh S., Evergreen, Colo.

Sam E., New Prague, Minn.

Nicolas H., Payson, Utah

Sheri B., Peculiar, Mo.

Julian F., Fairfax Station, Va.

Kaelen R., Fairport, N.Y.

Isaac J., Turlock, Calif.

Crystian D., Jacksonville, Fla.

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Congrats to Our Lego Books Winners!

Congratulations to Dylan C. of Ellenton, Fla., who will receive a set of six new Lego books: Beautiful LegoLego Space: Building the Future, two Lego Build-It Books: Amazing Vehicles and More Amazing VehiclesThe Lego Mindstorms EV3 Laboratory book and The Lego Adventure Book.

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The following winners will each receive a copy of Beautiful Lego:

Laurie L., Chatham. Ill.

Shane C., Berkley, Mich.

Korey P., Saint Helens, Ore.

Sophie A., Vineland, N.J.

Simon C., Middleburg, Fla.

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Win the Entire Nicholas Flamel Series!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. Winners will be announced shortly.

One lucky winner will receive a full hardback set of all six books in the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series, signed by author Michael Scott. Ten more winners will each receive a paperback copy of The Alchemyst, the first book in the series.

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A master of fantasy, science fiction and folklore, Michael Scott is the author of the New York Times bestselling Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series, among many other books. His work has been published in 37 countries and in 20 languages.

Find out more about Michael Scott HERE.

Photo by Perry Hagopian

Photo by Perry Hagopian

Congrats to Our “Spirit Animals” Winners!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. 

Congratulations to the following winners, who each will receive a copy of  Spirit Animals Book 1: Wild Born, autographed by author Eagle Scout Brandon Mull:

Samuel L., Indialantic, Fla.

Yosef S., Atlanta, Ga.

Drew B., Woodruff, S.C.

Isaiah M., Oak Creek, Wis.

Andrew B., Hatboro, Pa.

Thomas N., Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Ian B., Santa Clara, Calif.

Josh S., Evergreen, Colo.

Tyler B., Bartlett, Tenn.

Zachary R., Houston, Texas

 

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Congrats to Our World Almanac Winners

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. Congratulations to Mack, Jared, Noah, Daniel and Parker — you’ll soon receive your copy of the 2014 World Almanac for Kids!

The 2014 World Almanac for Kids is a cool back-to-school tool.

BUY IT HERE!

Turn to it for help with homework or just for fun. This latest edition offers everything from writing, research and test-taking tips to thousands of fun and fascinating facts, pictures, puzzles, games, maps and more.

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