The Big Fat Notebooks you’ll want on your shelf this year
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool
I first heard about Big Fat Notebooks from LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow (you guys know I am a fan!), who tweeted a photo of them. I was immediately intrigued, drawn to their bright colors and concept.
So when the opportunity came my way to partner with Workman Publishing and share them with you in this space, I gave it a definite yes. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this series, and now that we’ve had them in our home for a few weeks, I’m just as excited!
Since my kids hit double-digits, more than once I’ve looked nostalgically at our shelf of encyclopedia-type titles (like the Core Knowledge Series/Childcraft books), wishing there was something similar for older ages. Well, the folks behind Brain Quest have created it!
Here’s an overview:
“It’s the revolutionary study guide series just for middle school students from the brains behind Brain Quest.
The BIG FAT NOTEBOOK series is built on a simple and irresistible concept—borrowing the notes from the smartest kid in class. There are five books in all, and each is the only book you need for each main subject taught in middle school: Math, Science, American History, English Language Arts, and World History.
Inside the reader will find every subject’s key concepts, easily digested and summarized: Critical ideas highlighted in neon colors. Definitions explained. Doodles that illuminate tricky concepts in marker. Mnemonics for memorable shortcuts. And quizzes to recap it all.”
Just as bright and interesting on the inside as on the outside, my kids will go back to these reference books again and again, and I can consult them as a teacher when covering specific topics or answering their questions.
Here are the titles and what’s in each one:
Everything You Need to Ace Math . . . covers everything to get you over any math hump: fractions, decimals, and how to multiply and divide them; ratios, proportions, and percentages; geometry; statistics and probability; expressions and equations; and the coordinate plane and functions.
Everything You Need to Ace Science . . . takes readers from scientific investigation and the engineering design process to the Periodic Table; forces and motion; forms of energy; outer space and the solar system; to earth sciences, biology, body systems, ecology, and more.
Everything You Need to Ace American History . . . covers Native Americans to the war in Iraq. There are units on Colonial America; the Revolutionary War and the founding of a new nation; Jefferson and the expansion west; the Civil War and Reconstruction; and all of the notable events of the 20th century—World Wars, the Depression, the Civil Rights movement, and much more.
Everything You Need to Ace World History . . . kicks off with the Paleolithic Era and transports the reader to ancient civilizations—in Egypt, Greece, India, China, Africa, Rome; the middle ages across the world; the Renaissance; the age of exploration and colonialization, revolution and imperialism, and the modern world and the wars and movements that shaped it.
Everything You Need to Ace English Language Arts . . . covers everything to get you your best marks: grammar, including parts of speech, active and passive verbs, Greek and Latin roots and affixes; nuances in word meanings; textual analysis, authorship, structure, and other skills for reading fiction and nonfiction; and writing arguments, informative texts, and narratives.
To earn a coveted spot on Jonathan’s crowded couch of books is no small feat!
When our Big Fat Notebooks arrived, it wasn’t long before my oldest two, Trishna and Jonathan, disappeared with them.
Since Trishna has a visual impairment, it can be tough when most books for her age (13) are in tiny print. She was excited to see that these use a larger, colorful font that is more comfortable for her. And Jonathan immediately went straight for the science volume, to check out how much information they had about weather inside. (Answer? A whole chapter!)
This week Workman Publishing wants to give a set of Big Fat Notebooks to one of you as well!
Note: This giveaway has ended; thanks for your interest!
The Prize
One Simple Homeschool reader will win an entire set of Big Fat Notebooks as well as school supplies including highlighter/pen combos, a notepad, and jigsaw sticky notes!
To be entered to win, leave a comment on this post answering this question: How old are your kids, and which installment of the Big Fat Notebooks do you think would interest them most?
Note: This giveaway is open to those with US addresses only. So sorry, international readers.
(If you’re reading this via email or reader, you must click here to leave your comment on this post at Simple Homeschool. Comments or emails left elsewhere don’t count as entries.)
This giveaway has ended; thanks for your interest!
This post is sponsored by Workman Publishing. All opinions are my own!
I have 8 year old twin girls staring 4th grade and a 4 year old boy starting kindergarten. We would enjoy all of these books but would probably start out with language arts. One of my twins has a passion for writing. She wants to be an author and has already written dozens of books. Thanks for this contest!
My kids are 11 and 16! They would like the math and science books the most, but would be thrilled to have them all!
My son who is twelve would really love the Science one!
My kids are 7, 5 and 3. And we would love Science!!
My daughter is 13 and wou love the science book!
Wow these sound and look amazing. We just started homeschooling our 13 year old. He has 2 processing disorders as well as ADHD and anxiety with trouble with executive function. (Gotta love the effects of bio-moms meth life as well as bio parents abuse and neglect for the 1 St 5 years of his life). These look and sound like they will be exactly what he needs for help I’m understanding these subjects as well as getting caught up. I know math will be the 1st one we look into but I’m sure we who’ll eventually get them all if cost allows.
My kiddos are 13 & 14. I just saw these on Amazon, they look amazing. My youngest has a tough time reading and the layout of these looks so fun and kid friendly! I would say Science would be the first go to book in this house.
I would love this set of books! I am especially interested in the math book. My daughter struggles with math and I did too at her age. I would be great to have one book describing all she needs to know.
These look like so much fun. I have a daughter who is 11 and a son who is 9. My daughter, much to my delight, loves all things science and history. I don’t know how I worked that one out. And my son love everything that is not language arts and even then, he doesn’t complain to much. With their combined interests, I think the science book would make their day most.
My son is almost 11 years old he would love the Science book but history would be a very close second choice.
These look amazing! My boys are 7 and 18 months. My oldest would love the science one. He loves learning things about the world around us.
My kiddos are 12,11 and 10. These look so great! I know I would choose one of the history ones. My son (11) and youngest daughter (10) would love the Math one. My oldest (12) couldn’t decide between American History and Science. 😀
I would be interested in the Enhlish and Math particularity. I am an historian by training and am very cautious about those sorts of books…
My kids are 8, 6, and 22 months. I would love to win the world history one. But american history and the science one is a great runner up!
My 9 year old daughter would love the science book! Would have loved to have these when my boys were younger too!
My kids are 10 & 13. They both LOVE history, so the American or World history editions would definitely be the first books picked up! Thanks for this opportunity. 🙂
My kids are 11, 9, 7, 6, and 5. Since Math is a rough subject for us (me as the teacher, mostly), I think I would love that one. But my kids would probably enjoy the science book the most.
This books looks awesome!!I have 3 girls 7,4 and 3.My 7yo would flip over the math book and my Littles ones probably would like the History one!
My daughters are 9and 7. I can imagine them thumbing through each of them with excitement. They particularly enjoy science, and one loves math while the other stories from afar, (world history).
My 2 kids, ages 7 and 11 will most likely spend more time in the “Everything You Need to Ace American History” book since this is what we will be studying this year and next. It would be NICE to have these reference books in our library!
My kids are 4, almost 3, 1, and one on the way ????. My 4-year-old loves to know the whys of everything, so I think she’d like the science one the best.
My two 11 and 13 would love the science and I would love for them to have the history!
My kids are 5 and 1, and though a bit young, I know my oldest would love the science one, as he is always asking questions about the world and how things work!
My kids are 9 and 4. My 9yo loves science, but has gotten it into his head that he’s not good at math. I think he is! Would love anything that would help him get over this hump. Thank you for bringing these to our attention, Jamie.
I have a 14 year old son and a 16 year old daughter. I think my 14 year old will love these books for review and reinforcement. He will probably like the history books and science book the most. And I Love the math and English ????.