Press Start! Book Series...Reviewed!

Strap in your seatbelts because we're going on a turbo-charged nostalgia trip, with Scholastic's "Press Start!" book series at the wheel— beep beep!

First off, if your mini-you has ever glanced in the general direction of a video game and lit up like a Christmas tree (the one in Roxas Boulevard, I tell you), then this series is the literary equivalent of unlimited arcade tokens. Each book is like a love letter to the classic 8-bit side-scrolling adventures that likely ruled the childhood of anyone who grew up making their fingers dance on a D-pad.

Flintham has managed to pack a universe into these pages that's as colorful as a Jollibee kiddie party. His illustrations? Imagine a kaleidoscope of charming, vibrant pixels that seem to leap off the page for kids as if they're on a sugar rush. And Super Rabbit Boy? The little guy is basically your child's first digital best friend—brave, unrelentingly optimistic, and more reliable than the internet in a power outage.

The series isn't just a buffet of eye candy and adrenaline-pumping action—it’s also sneaky in teaching lessons without turning into an eye-rolling sermon. Whether it's teamwork, resilience (because gameovers aren’t the end, they’re just the start of a new run), or creative problem-solving (like figuring out how to beat that stage without the super-upgrade), kids absorb these bits faster than Super Rabbit Boy collects coins.

Super Rabbit Boy is the hero of the "Press Start!" series, and he's not your garden-variety carrot nibbler—this little fellow is as zippy as they come! Imagine if the Easter Bunny hit the gym, swapped his basket for a controller, and took a few levels in charm and bravery—that's him in a nutshell.

This pixelated powerhouse is like Mario and Bugs Bunny combined and he's focused on "Adventure time!" He's the kind of hero who jumps into the game world with a heart full of courage and a spring in his step. Leap over lava pits? No problem! Rescue friends from the fickle fingers of foul fiends? Just a Tuesday for our fuzzy friend! He embodies the classic video game protagonist ethos—think positive, keep trying, and if at first you don't succeed, respawn, and try again!

Super Rabbit Boy rushes through levels with the kind of boundless enthusiasm that would make you want to check his carrot juice for extra power-ups. He's all about that can-do attitude, serving up dollops of gumption with a side of friendly winks. Whether he's facing down bosses or racing to save Animal Town, he does it with the kind of pluck that has you cheering and ready for more.

For the parents, consider this a flashback without the backache from hunching over a Gameboy. Reading "Press Start!" to the young ones might just be the ticket for some heartwarming parent-child bonding. Plus, it's filled with enough sly gaming references to tickle your sense of nostalgia and make you recall the days when your biggest worry was saving the princess before dinner. The books are a great way to give kids a break from screen time, which is important. The plus is that, they aren't missing out because the books pull you in.

If you’re still on the fence about the series, let’s just say "Press Start!" stacks up to the gaming greats like a well-played stack of Tetris blocks. Flintham’s series is a power-packed, high-score-worthy addition to any youngster's bookshelf. And just like the best of games, watch as those little readers press ‘continue’ on their reading journey faster than you can say "Oras na para magtipid para maligo ka na."

"If you want these books to be something your younglings look forward to during your time together, I recommend pacing yourself. Setting a limit on the number of pages read per day helps. These books can be enjoyed by boys & girls." -  Blu 

Pre-Order Now | $6.99

So, parents, if you want to see your kids' do the 100-meter dash to a book or for a storytime featuring Super Rabbit Boy, then "Press Start!" is a series that may cause such a reaction.

The "Press Start!" series has a whopping 14 captivating tales so far—with the excitement ramping up as we countdown to a fresh adventure dropping like a hot new game release on August 6, 2024!

Now, if you're all about digital convenience, snagging these on Kindle won't bust your wallet at a nifty $3.99 each. However, for those times when your eyes are begging for a screen break (because, let’s face it, blinking is the new workout), the tactile pleasure of a paperback is your BFF—at a wallet-friendly $5.99, so you can stack 'em up like a pro.

"eBooks rock, but when the opportunity to take a break from the screen time arises... it's definitely worth capitalizing on, especially for the younglings." -  Blu 

Considering something tougher than a paperback? The hardcovers do strut around at book fair prices of $13.43 to $26.99, which might have you doing a double-take and nodding along to why the paperback is the ol' reliable here. One major clincher to remember here is—Scholastic's not just playing games; they're on a mission to nudge kiddos into the chapter-reading big leagues, all while keeping it as exhilarating as conquering that final boss level. Truly, these books are like hidden easter eggs just waiting to be cracked open. So go on, give 'em a whirl!

Story 5

Illustrations 5

Useful 5

Price 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points

Sophima

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The Misadventures of Michael McMichaels, Vol. 4: Double-Dog Dare... Reviewed!

This one is for the parents in the market for children's books. I'm doing this particular book review based on the game played between the protagonist (Michael McMichaels) and the antagonist... Zeke.

In this 4th volume of The Misadventure of Michael McMichaels you have the third grader in an adventure surrounding a... dare. A game that some of the older gamers know of well, and maybe even some of the newer ones. The prize in this story happens to be Michael's best friend, so you can imagine a third grader feeling as if the sky was going to fall in if he didn't win this dare... that went from light to... challenging, to weird... to... you get the idea.

I like the way they took the chapter titles and wove them into the read, so you aren't stopping to read something separate from whats in the story. You read the chapter title, but its part of the initial sentence and allows you to keep your flow in this easy read. 

It was a bit weird the way part of the story revolved around a fellow classmate from a country in African and him being poor, (which calling him poor happens to be one of the dares) but they tried to bring it back around with lessons for children to learn from it. Could it have been done a bit different? I think so... but it is what it is. If it can boost the understanding that everyone isn't privileged and that's no reason to be treated differently (regardless of race and background)... then cool. This isn't the end of the story, but I won't give it away.

Looking back on the overall story... even if it was based on a dare, I think the writer did a good job in terms of making it feel like an adventure. You had other things going on there (teaching tools) that added that adventure element... like the lengths Michael went through to stop big bad Zeke and his family. I say that to say it was a good read that I believe will hold a child's interest.

The art is similar to what you see in the books covers image... they're just in black and white, but I think the art style will grab the attention of young readers. Unless a child is groomed to read often (so much so that they fly through books), I'd recommend them reading one chapter per day (gives them something to look forward to perhaps before bed versus a pc monitor, TV, or phone which usually aren't exactly the best options before bed). On the flipside... if you want them to get into books more often, this could be a good book to test the water and see if they're interested in reading more than one chapter in one sitting. Easy reads are a good bet.

For those of you seeking to get this book... you're looking at 95 pages for $7.95 retail. Images in the book are black and white, but... the plus about that when it comes to kids is that they can color the illustrations. So in addition to the questions at the end of the book that allow you to discuss it with your children... they have the option to enjoy some coloring action (stay in those lines... or not).

Overall, I think the book is priced okay... with nifty artwork, and a well-rounded story for the demographic. I'd personally tweak some things, but I appreciate the fact that they don't just present a book with a story to read and that's it... it contains activities that allow for questions and discussions for the purpose of kids to learn and grow in various areas.

Pace/Interest: 5

Art: 5

Overall Story: 4

Price: 4

"4.5 / 5 Cool Points"

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