Super Cool Books

Book Review

(Daddy reviews)

How cool is it when one is able to co-found a publishing studio with his own kids, and enjoy churning out thrilling stories of magic and adventure set in Asia for young readers?

Don Bosco is one of them.

Photo Credit: Don Bosco

Don Bosco co-founded Super Cool Books with his boys, Mark and Luke and together, they seek to create fantasy entertainment for avid book lovers and reluctant readers alike. 

And the boys had him to thank for the three books, which bought me more than just a few minutes of silence on the plane during our recent trip to Sydney.

Let me just get the books' synopsis out of the way first.

Ghostly
The Ghostly Beings are coming! What will you do? Terrible things happen to Zoe and Seth after they find a strange scroll. With help from Chong and Karina, they uncover a creepy conspiracy to turn their school into a place of horrors. Who is the mysterious Madam White Cat? How will Demon Boy carry out his shockingly sinister plan? What is Zoe's awesome secret? Read to find out!

The Peranakan Princess
It’s 1891, and Sherlock Hong is fifteen years old.  Living in Singapore after being expelled from his last school for using magic and studying alchemy, he’s only trying to keep to himself, work on his studies, and stay out of trouble.  But all of those well-meaning plans are about to go out the window when he learns of a plot to kidnap a young lady with very special abilities. Still eager to prove himself to the International Order of Young Seekers, Sherlock is swept up in a wild adventure that leads him all the way into the beautiful and enchanted forests of Malacca, where he stumbles upon a very interesting Peranakan tale about the beautiful Princess Hang Li Poh and her very coveted Book of Secrets.  Once again, it’s up to young Sherlock to save the day (and the girl), but will he be able to do so in time?

Diary of Young Justice Bao - The Case of the Grand Fish
The whole village is upset. Something precious has been stolen! Cn Bao Zheng and Jade Lu solve this mystery?

So far the boys have finished Ghostly and Diary of Young Justice Bao books, and they enjoyed them. I suspect it was because the big-enough font and the writing style which made for easy reading. Ayd particularly loved the small-sized nature of the Diary of Young Justice Bao book - the perfect size for his hands.

I too briefly flipped through the  books and was surprised to find Discussion and Project activities at the end of the books to stimulate even more creative thinking after the books were read. There is even a 'My Reading Circle' page at the end of each book, where the child can write down the names of his/her friends who he/she has shared the book with. Definitely a nice touch!

Again, don't just take my word for it - the proof is in the writing.

For a full catalogue of books by Don Bosco, visit  www.supercoolbooks.com or its Facebook page.