Product Description

Adults can now share their love of puzzles with their kids! These crossword puzzles and word games were specially created for children ages seven and above. Edited by the great Eugene T. Maleska, each book is chock-full of fun and imaginative activities. Children are sure to enjoy the challenges that these mini-brainteasers offer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #222495 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-12
• Released on: 2003-08-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 80 pages

From the Inside Flap
Adults can now share their love of puzzles with their kids! These crossword puzzles and word games were specially created for children ages seven and above. Edited by the great Eugene T. Maleska, each book is chock-full of fun and imaginative activities. Children are sure to enjoy the challenges that these mini-brainteasers offer.

About the Author
EUGENE T. MALESKA, the third crossword editor of The New York Times, held the position from 1977 to 1993. A former English and Latin teacher with the New York City school system, Dr. Maleska paved the way for more innovative crossword constructions.

Customer Reviews

Review
My 7 year old, daughter loves it! She works on it with her friends and by herself.

Wish I read the review that says OUTDATED - He's Right!
The cover of this book refers to editor Eugene Maleska as the former crossword puzzle editor of The New York Times. Well, that's what he is now, but when he actually edited this book, he still had 5 or 6 years to go in his tenure. The copyright is 1986, and it shows. And even when it was current, this book had clues from pop culture that few 7-9 year olds would get. How about:
___ Derek is a famous actress. Was not the movie "10", for which Bo is (was!) famous, rated R?
___ Asner is a famous actor. That's for all the 9 yr-old fans of Mary Tyler Moore and Lou Grant reruns, or what?
____ With the Wind is a famous movie. 3-hour Civil War sagas are big among the 8 year old set.
Here's Johnny!: TV Star. Carson has not been on the air for two 7-year old lifetimes, and when he was, he was on at 11:30, a bit past the bedtime of most 7 yr olds.
__ Pacino is a famous actor. Yes, in Dog Day Afternoon, kids, about a guy who robs a bank to pay for his gay lover's sex change operation. Oh, and he was a murderous figure in the wonderful kids' movie "The Godfather".
What is the first name of actor Selleck? I loved Magnum PI. 25 years ago. When I was [...]
"We ___ the World" is a song. Barely!

As for the clues that are not outdated, many of them are way, way too easy, certainly for an average 9 year old, and probably for a 7 yr old who is strong enough with reading to be able to do a crossword puzzle in the first place. How about:

AR_ "What ___ little boys made of?"
AR _ You use this to throw a ball

as if those aren't easy enough already, solvers are given a list of the answers. So basically all that is required for this puzzle is to be able to read the words "war", "car", "arm", "are" and other words with "ar" and know what these 3-letter words mean. That is first grade reading, or probably kindergarten for the kids whose parents are shopping for word puzzle books. 7 year olds are in second grade, 9-yr olds are in fourth.

Will Shortz, where are you?

OUTDATED!
Don't waste your money. The puzzles in this book are way out of date. For example the puzzle on p.4 asks for the name of the computer in the movie called 2001 which a 7-9 year old isn't likely to have seen. On the same page it says Hee ___ is a funny TV program. On p.6 it asks for Alley___ of comics. There are better books of puzzle out there. Forget this one.