Reviews for Mystery at Crestwater Camp

The average rating for Mystery at Crestwater Camp based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-11-06 00:00:00 Aek Pisan This is the second book of the series. It continues the rhyming pattern for the main narrative, which I think limits the book to younger children. After the introduction, the first section is on Financial Systems (loans, insurance, leasing)- this is already a step beyond the House title. Subsequent pages explain how an engine works (with definition of "internal combustion," the role of computers, pistons, and torque), cruise control, power steering, etc. Some of the later sections become more basic (such as giving terminology and function of the alternator without explaining how it works). Circled illustrations try to give kids a visual of the mechanics of the car (for example the illustration of how a gas gauge works is helpful). Overall, the concepts explained here are less concrete and more abstract - beyond the interest or capabilities of elementary school kids. Once again, the narrative, hand drawn illustrations and labels teach kids about good stewardship through the positive examples of a multicultural group of families. Sections include: Financial, Engine, Control, Light & Electrical, Tire Brake & Suspension, Fluid, Safety, Security, Maintenance, Cleanup, Convenience, Road Laws, Different Vehicles, and Being Thankful. Somehow, this book makes a car look far more complicated than a home. Of course, the prices are dated ("The average cost of a new car is $20,000; the average cost of a good second-hand car is $10,000). The technology is more of a mixed bag. Forward looking explanations make it feel contemporary (such as hybrid cars and dashboard navigation), while the presence of some features (standard gear shift, manual door locks) that have declined make the book feel dated. The illustrations for this book were distracting to me. While I appreciated the circled features, the presence of the children at gas stations and repair garages, climbing, playing with tools, crawling toward someone under a car!, were sending off Mama warnings! The kids were prominent in the house title and seeing them in the car being driven is good, but it goes a step beyond into uncomfortable/ unsafe presentations. The illustrations also seem disjointed with the text at times. A label talks about solid lines preventing passing and broken lines allowing passing, when there aren't any middle lines on the city scene presented. While the text says a van is a common vehicle for families with more children (likely to be the vehicle of many child readers) there is no illustration. A luxury car text box is next to a Volkswagon beetle? Overall, this is a fascinating topic of interest to children. Presenting stewardship in the context is helpful for parents trying to teach kids how to be responsible for their blessings. But the execution is inconsistent. As it stands, we have this book for a limited period of time and then will pass it along in the home school community. Hopefully, these suggestions could be taken into account for an upgrade. Or, is there a resource my GoodReads friends have found that does this better? Please share any recommendations. It's a series! Larry Burkett's How Our House Works (How Things Work Series), Strauss, 2002

Review # 2 was written on 2008-03-04 00:00:00 Lemur Lemurov I can trust god