Customer Reviews

Storming A Castle: National Geographic Maze Adventures

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought up a bunch of different puzzle books to do after recovering from foot surgery. I wanted to keep my brain active and not just by reading. I went for things that are different and interesting.

This book is so much fun getting thru the castle. The artwork is very intricate. The quality is very high and as you would expect from National Geographic it is educational and fun at the same time.

It is fun and makes you think as you learn history of the middle ages. The answers are given in the back so be carefull not to peek and ruin the fun.

Great for anyone 5-95

This book is on the expensive side if you're thinking coloring book prices, but it's great! My son and I went through it during homeschool. Each maze page is not only fun but has a continuing story about a boy and his father as they maneuver through a battle and escape the dungeons of the evil antagonist. My son loved the mazes (just the right level of difficulty for first and second graders if they pay attention) and we enjoyed the story. I wish there were a dozen in this series.

This is a beautiful book. The mazes are just the right difficulty for my maze-loving 6-year-old. He struggled with the page of codes, and he skipped all the interesting historical info in the margins. I think when he is 8 he might go back and look at those things again. This was a Christmas present, and after he opened it he went to the table and did all the mazes and really wasn't that interested in the remaining presents under the tree. This is a maze book that we'll keep and put on a bookshelf, because it does have interesting information and it is so pretty. I'd say it took him about half an hour to do all the mazes in the book. I would get another National Geographic maze book for him.

This looked great until I got to page 23, which has a maze going through a medieval dungeon, complete with pictures of people being tortured: people hanging on walls, being stretched on the rack, a bloody head stuck on the end of a pole, and numerous torture implements. Here's some of the text: "After torture, but still alive, some poor victims are cut open and their insides pulled out." If you're looking for something for a budding sadist who likes mazes, then this is the book for you. Otherwise, you might look elsewhere.

My 7 year old son got this as a Christmas present. I put it on his wish list as he really likes both castles and mazes. While some of the details and historic facts are interesting and the mazes challenging and complex, I was disturbed by the graphic description of the dungeon and torture chamber and felt that was inappropriate for a 7 year old to read - especially at Christmas time. I suppose it would be okay for an adult, or maybe a teen, but definitely not for younger kids.

... that is, as far as I know. What you get is gorgeous two-page spreads of very well constructed mazes, together with loads of historical information that will pique the interest of an inquisitive young one and possibly (re)kindle a love of history.

There is a frame story to the book: you first need to solve a maze in the approach to the castle, through a town, etc. before you get to the castle proper and begin storming the ramparts.

Regarding the mazes, they are simply wonderfully thought out and visually pleasing, somewhat like a cross between "Where's Waldo?" and a David Macaulay book, though with thicker lines and less detail than the latter (and, obviously, mazes). Viewing a small-sized image of the cover of the ancient Egyptian title in the series led me to believe that what the books contained were detailed colored-in line drawings, with gaps in the lines to create a 2D maze.

Instead, the mazes are actually three-dimensional; for example, in the town maze referenced above, one can climb up and down ladders, wander through streets at different levels, etc. It feels quite like exploring a castle or town from those days, since there are a lot of "dump you back at the start" sort of false leads, mixed in with the dead ends proper.

The mazes are not only structurally rich, but can also contain extra rules-- for instance, don't try to run past a soldier on the opposing army-- which adds to the fun. In addition to the mazes, there is a code section that goes with one of them, which really appealed to my five-year-old who currently enjoys activities such as decoding the alien writing in Futurama.

The subject matter is just fine for my five-year-old, who got this as a holiday present and is interested in history. He did not shriek with terror at the material on the page with the little torture chamber, nor did he experience nightmares afterward. I could imagine a child with a rare psychological disorder perhaps being disturbed by this book (I wouldn't know), but not a normal child. It's simply wonderful, and I think the most likely outcome of almost any child's reading of it would be heightened interest in castles and medieval life in general.

It's part maze and puzzle. My mom bought this for me during Christmas. It also tells a story and parts of the castle. Even though I'm a girl, I reccomend this for boys.

I purchased this for my grandson for Christmas, he is 7 and has Autism, and he fell in love with it. My daughter also thought it would be fun for her also. This is a big hit. Great gift idea for the grandchildren or your children.

I gave this maze to my eight year old nephew for Christmas and he was immediately taken in by it.. a favorite among his gifts! Great maze!

I purchased both this and the Eqyptian maze book by National Geographic for my daughter this last Christmas. She and I have really enjoyed doing them. This one talks about storming a castle and relays information in a fun way. Ever wonder how castles kept out intruders or how to overcome their defenses? Well, this is a great beginner book on those very ideas coupled with some very well illustrated mazes and a bonus word puzzle that holds the key to helping the "hero" of the story. A lot of fun for a child with or without parent involvement. I highly recommend these books.