An Adventurous Guide to Remembering What You Don't Want to Forget
May 1, 2020
There is, apparently, an actual Grandmaster of Memory. Dellis, a memory record holder and four-time winner at the U.S. Memory Championship, has crafted a book that offers exercises to improve memory. The book begins by setting a goal: defeating a mythical character called Memory Thief, who lurks at the summit of Mount Foreverest. The illustrations in each section are used as visual cues and act as memory guides to help readers navigate a variety of engaging memory exercises. In a section headed "Foreign Words," for instance, the French "chou" (cabbage) is given a graphic mnemonic of a shoe crushing a head of cabbage. Even though the book's overall goal is to follow the journey to the summit of Mount Foreverest, each chapter is individually accessible, such that readers don't need to make their way through the book in a linear fashion. For example, if readers are having trouble memorizing lists, one chapter covers that particular skill. Another chapter coaches readers on how to remember names and faces. For help with schoolwork, there are memory tools for spelling and definitions as well as for how to remember numbers. These trickier sections may work best with a teacher or tutor on hand to defeat the Memory Thief, as the mnemonics gradually become more complicated. A handy go-to for teachers and students that offers a variety of methods for all different types of learners. (Nonfiction. 10-14)
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August 1, 2020
Gr 4-7-Dellis, a four-time United States Memory Champion and a Grandmaster of Memory, offers a resource to teach children the memory tricks and practices that have brought him success. Readers are taken on an illustrated fictional adventure through different lands to try to catch a "memory thief." Each location provides a new way to memorize and remember. The book's guide, a blue elephant, is certain readers can assist with his quest and regain the lost memories. This nonfiction guide is disguised as fiction, which makes it more likely to be picked up by a younger audience. Mnemonics, memory palaces, and word associations result in a toolbox of techniques. Stilwell's illustrations are whimsical. However, some middle school readers may not be interested in the subject matter or its cartoon-style artwork. Readers likely to need a book like this might be turned off by the format and overall presentation. VERDICT While Dellis offers helpful hints and tips that even adults can use, the book's design, format, and writing style could limit its audience.-Sara Kundrik, Gilbert Paterson M.S., Alta.
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