Book gifts for eleven-plus children
Keeping your child engaged with their eleven-plus preparation is never easy and, if your child is like most other children, they’ll probably have 101 other things they’d rather be doing, instead of their next piece of revision.
“But mum, I did lots of work after school yesterday.” They say. “Can’t I take a break tonight? Please.”
As an eleven-plus tutor (and as a parent of three children who’ve all gone through school entrance tests) I appreciate how easily distracted children can be.
That’s why I’m always interested in seeking out ways to help ‘drip feed’ the development of the type of thinking required for the eleven-plus into their lives, without them realising it.
Whilst there are various online services which help to keep a child’s attention focused on their work (Atom, CGP and Bond, for example, each have their own online services) I feel there’s nothing to beat holding a physical book and turning the pages, reading as you go along, and feeling part of the journey.
We’re always interested to discover books that are just that little bit outside the ‘usual’ ones and here is a set of four which fit the criteria very well.
That’s why I’d suggest that your child will find these books enjoyable (and that’s your older children, too).
Why books for gift ideas
Even though we’re in the ‘age of the internet’ where everything seems to be just one click away, there’s something special about holding a book and running one’s fingers over real, rather than digital, paper.
When your child’s reading a book they can’t ‘accidentally’ go off on a tangent elsewhere by clicking on a link or opening another tab.
I’m an inveterate post-it notes person and so I like books because I can stick tabs on lots of pages and even (shock, horror) turn down a corner every so often.
There’s also none of the ‘scrolling quickly though’ that can occur with web pages, so we can focus on one page at a time.
Research has shown that children who study using books are more able to remember and re-use information, compared to those who study purely online (ok, I made that up, but it sounds plausible!)
Set of five puzzle books, built around the idea that they are stories or ideas coming from discussions between the world’s greatest fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his ever-eager sidekick, Dr John Watson.
Drawing from the ‘history’ of the various cases on which Holmes was consulted, this series of books contains a variety of teasers and puzzles that will stretch any eleven-plus candidates, and keep them engaged long after their exams have been taken.
Various riddles, enigmas and challenges are woven into short snippets of previous cases, as originally written for Sherlock Holmes or re-imagined by the series author, Tim Dedopulos
This delightful set of books would make a wonderful addition to a child’s library, either as a set, or to be given one at a time, so they can each be savoured
Riddles, enigmas and challenges
The books in question are a set of four books which, according to their covers each contain, “Riddles, enigmas and challenges inspired by the world’s greatest crime-solver.”
Inside each book, your child will find an interesting variety of questions.
Some will require them to work out who did what, others might require facts to be proved, or disproved, and others might have a maths or word puzzle to solve.
The book format means it’s quite possible to flick through the index, pick a puzzle and dive straight in (each question has a full answer at the back of the book).
Each puzzle is no longer than a few paragraphs and the way they’re written reflects the style of the time.
This means children will be presented with some words that are new to them and thus help to broaden their vocabulary.
I’ve included a puzzle from each book below so you can gauge their style and difficulty.
Age range
Whilst these books were not written specifically for children between 7 to 11 (the classic eleven-plus age range) I would suggest that the more capable year 5 or year 6 students will find some (not all) of the puzzles a reasonable and not impossible challenge.
For the younger ones, these could perhaps be purchased as a future gift, for a birthday or for a celebration, perhaps.
The key years for eleven-plus preparation are year 3 (ages 7-8) through to year 6 ages (10-11) and during that period their reading and study tastes may change
All of these books are hardbacked so they’re not going to fall apart within the first few weeks of ownership and thus can form part of your child’s ever-growing library (see pics).
How to use the books
Rather like how most people have a favourite chocolate and seek those out in a variety box, some children might enjoy flicking through the books and attempting all of one type of question first, before commencing on the others.
An alternative approach might be; rather than work through the whole book in one sitting, to treat each puzzle as if was in a daily newspaper (remember those?) and thus limit themselves to one bite a day.
Whatever approach they use I’m sure they’ll find them fun and, unlike chocolates, they won’t end up with any tooth decay!
Whether or not your child’s eleven-plus preparation includes maths or verbal reasoning tests, I’m sure they’ll find this short series of books full of interesting puzzles.
When growing up I’d often spend time at family gatherings going through similar puzzles with my parents and grandparents and so perhaps other family members can join in to help your children if they get stuck.
Sherlock Holmes’ Elementary Puzzles
This book is divided into two sections, Elementary and Straightforward.
Each contains thirty-six (36) puzzles of a wide-ranging nature, all with a Victorian theme, including such delights as ‘The Third Litteral Oddity’ and ‘The Shoreditch Bank Job’.
Sherlock Holmes’ Cunning Puzzles
The second book in the series is also divided into two sections, this time named Fiendish and Cunning.
A further thirty-six (36) puzzles are included, again with a Victorian skew, and in this book you’ll find such gems as ‘A Worship of Writers’ and ‘The Trunk’.
Sherlock Holmes’ Fiendish Puzzles
Book three in the series continues the theme of historical puzzles.
Some are set in around the turn of the century and others are staged in earlier times.
The actual puzzles are divided into two sections, Fiendish and Cunning and those thirty-six puzzles include such gems as ‘The Cult of the Red Star,’ and ‘Urchins.’
Sherlock Holmes’ Rudimentary Puzzles
Within the fourth book in the series, Sherlock Holmes’ Rudimentary Puzzles, you’ll find the puzzles are divided into two sections, Rudimentary and Straightforward.
Two puzzles which spring to mind are ‘The Second Camouflage’ and ‘The Seamstress.’
As with previous editions, each section contains thirty-six (36) puzzles, including word knots, anagrams, number puzzles and matters of logic.
Where to purchase
Whilst you can undoubtedly purchase these four books under the ‘New’ category of your favourite online shop, after purchasing my first one in a local bookshop I was able to pick up the other three secondhand.
All are hardbacked and appear to sell for around £2.50 – £3.50 each. This means you’ve got a good chance of picking up a great bundle of reading matter for your child for not a lot of money at all.
Here’s a link to eBay where you can see the latest availability. Please note, I don’t receive any commission for this so you can simply copy and paste the search details if you prefer.