In the beginning of the summer, I was determined to avoid the infamous but somewhat unavoidable “summer slide,” or the learning loss that comes with the idle summer months as I mentioned in this post. As our days became filled with summer camps and I saw the joy in my girls’ faces as they finally got to enjoy sunny days and warm weather thru various outdoor activities, I didn’t have the heart to enforce my intended daily reading quota.

Fortunately, my 10-year-old, who is an avid reader, kept up with her reading. She would beg me to take her to the library to borrow more books. Due to our busy schedule, making trips to the library at the same rate that my 10-year-old devoured her books was not feasible so I was glad when I noticed my daughter downloading online books on a regular basis, which makes for a great option for those times we’re not able to get to the library.

When I was given the opportunity to review The Adventures of Ai, a new fantasy novel for preteens, I didn’t give it much thought at first since I don’t typically do book reviews, but as I read more about the book, it really intrigued me. It sounded like the perfect book for my 10-year-old. Here’s a brief synopsis of the book:

Using nonfiction elements, this novel, set in pre-renaissance Japan, unlocks the potential of a global generation of preteens. The unique story intertwines independence, strength and the determination required of kids today with unquenchable imagination. Art, history, poetry, music, and mathematics find their way into the dangerous journey of an eleven-year-old-Japanese girl in search of treasure and her father in the year 1514. Released in six languages and distributed through one of the greatest 3D video games of 2014, The Adventures of Ai is a story of empowerment transcending global boundaries.

Instead of just reading the book myself, I asked my daughter to read it and I wasn’t surprised when she finished it in one sitting. I asked her to tell me about the book and her opinions on it. I think that the non-fiction elements and the different narrative voices confused her a little bit at first but it also made things more interesting and forced her to pay more attention. I encouraged her to be completely honest when I asked her if she liked the book and she gave it two thumbs up without hesitation.

The “Adventures of Ai” interactive book app and mobile game are currently available at the following links.

eBook
iTunes/iBooks Store
Google Play
Google Books
Amazon

Game
App Store (iOS)
Google Play

You can also learn more about The Adventures of Ai at adventuresofai.com.

A copy of The Adventures of Ai eBook was provided for review purposes. All opinions are our own.