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Posts Tagged ‘The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4’

THE ADVENTURES OF BUBBA JONES News!

Wednesday, April 21st, 2021

The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4 was included in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ recommended reading list of “Books that Celebrate the Earth

The fourth book in Jeff Alt’s award-winning series follows the beloved time-traveling siblings as they uncover amazing facts about the Grand Canyon while on a mission to solve a park mystery. They encounter all sorts of wild creatures and plants, meet the people involved in the establishment of the national park, learn about the Native Americans that call this land home, and unravel some of the park’s secrets.

To see the full list of recommended books, click here.

To learn more about The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4, click here.

To learn more about Jeff Alt, click here.

The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4 Book Signing with Jeff Alt

Friday, September 18th, 2020

Jeff Alt, local author, will sign his new 4th book in his National Park children’s book series, The Adventures of Bubba Jones: Time Traveling Through Grand Canyon National Park; using COVID safe protocols (outside in open air, plexiglass table shield and other safety guidelines).

Live Radio Interview with Jeff Alt

Friday, September 18th, 2020

Jeff Alt joins Outdoor Life Radio in Cincinnati (89.3 FM) to discuss his new book, The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4, and the entire Bubba Jones series.

THE ADVENTURES OF BUBBA JONES #4 News!

Thursday, September 17th, 2020

Midwest Book Review: Environmental Shelf

Tommy “Bubba Jones” and his sister, Jenny “Hug-a-Bug,” uncover amazing facts about the Grand Canyon while on a mission to solve a park mystery. This is no ordinary brother and sister duo; they are part of a legendary time travel family with a mission to preserve and protect our national parks and have developed a reputation for solving mysteries. As they time travel back hundreds, thousands, and millions of years, they not only learn about the past, but also experience it. They encounter all sorts wild creatures and plants, meet the people involved in the establishment of the national park, learn about the Native Americans that call this land home, and unravel some of the park’s secrets.

The fourth book of this award-winning national park series by author/storyteller Jeff Alt, “The Adventures of Bubba Jones: Grand Canyon National Park” is an inherently fun and impressively informative read and one that is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, elementary school, middle school, and community library collections for young readers ages 8-12. It should be noted for personal reading lists that “The Adventures of Bubba Jones: Grand Canyon National Park” is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).

Click here to read the rest of the review.

Click here to learn more about The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4.

Click here to learn more about Jeff Alt.

THE ADVENTURES OF BUBBA JONES #4 News!

Wednesday, September 9th, 2020

The Arizona Daily Sun Review: Through the ages and for all ages: Time traveling Bubba Jones series arrives at Grand Canyon

Did you know that there are 92 mammals, 447 types of birds, 22 species of bats and 58 reptiles in Grand Canyon? Or that Kaibab is a Paiute word meaning “mountain turned upside down” and what the tribe calls the Grand Canyon? Or that Phantom Ranch used to have a swimming pool?

These facts are just a handful in The Adventures of Bubba Jones 4: Time Travelling Through Grand Canyon National Park, the newest in award-winning author Jeff Alt’s national park series. From thousands of feet of rock layers to the Civilian Conservation Corps-installed phone line at the bottom of the canyon, Bubba Jones makes learning engaging and immersive. And, though it’s marketed for ages 8-12, like the best children’s literature, this storyhas something for all ages.

The Adventures of Bubba Jones starts on the roaring Colorado River. Here Bubba’s grandpa “Papa” Lewis, dad Clark and sister Hug-a-Bug encounter geologist and explorer John Wesley Powell as an experienced Papa Lewis ferries their wooden boat through dangerous rapids.

What makes this impossible sighting possible is that young Bubba can time travel.  In fact, what sets the entire Bubba Jones series apart is that he and his family can hop through history at a whim. What better educational tool than a little magic that makes young readers feel as if they are actually present for historical moments, important figures more than just a name on a textbook page.  

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Click here to learn more about The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4.

Click here to learn more about Jeff Alt.

THE ADVENTURES OF BUBBA JONES #4 News!

Friday, September 4th, 2020

Motherhood Moment Book Review: The Adventures of Bubba Jones – Time Traveling Through Grand Canyon National Park

I recently had a chance to review The Adventures of Bubba Jones – Time Traveling Through Grand Canyon National Park. It is an award-winning book series that crisscrosses the country, taking kids on an educational, time-traveling adventure through America’s beloved National Parks, and the fourth book in the series.

Each book in the series, written for middle grades, combines education with entertainment in a thrill-packed journey through time loaded with fun facts about history, ecology, and science about the park and its inhabitants. The time travel adds an imaginative aspect to the story, helping kids engage more than they would in just a history book. It includes history, science, and mystery, and kids who love travel, suspense, or nature will enjoy the book.

The Adventures of Bubba Jones is jam-packed with fun family activities that can serve as your “insiders guide” for your own Grand Canyon adventure. As Jeff Alt wrote this book, he explored Grand Canyon National Park and collaborated with park officials and experts in order to include accurate park facts and the most highly recommended family-friendly Grand Canyon activities; and yes, you can go back in time by taking a stroll on the Trail of Time Walk on the south rim. Everything the Jones family does on their Grand Canyon adventure is highlighted on the map in the back of this book to help you plan your trip. The Curriculum Guide & Discussion Questions are a bonus for educators.

Click here to read the rest of the review.

Click here to learn more about The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4.

Click here to learn more about Jeff Alt.

THE ADVENTURES OF BUBBA JONES #4 News!

Thursday, July 23rd, 2020

The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4 Featured in Midwest Book Review

The fourth book in this great award-winning National Park series brings yet more of the excitement, adventure, and history we’ve come to enjoy. Time travel, secret codes, passwords, and discoveries are unraveled first hand by Bubba Jones and his sister Hug-a-Bug. Traveling through time, they experience the wonders, dangers, and people that forged the world as we know it today. Truly a great story that will teach with enthusiasm. Sure to hold interest with its easy conversational tone. It draws and engages the reader. (Ages 9-12)

To read the full review, click here.

To learn more about The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4, click here.

To learn more about author Jeff Alt, click here.

A Q&A with Author Jeff Alt

Wednesday, July 15th, 2020

In honor of the upcoming release of The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4, we spoke with Jeff Alt about his inspiration behind the book, what sparked his love of hiking, and why he thinks now is the perfect time to read The Adventures of Bubba Jones series.

BB: Among many other things, you’re hailed as a hiking and camping expert. What first sparked your love of hiking?

JA: My parents helped plant the seed for my love of the outdoors. As a child, they took us kids camping, hiking, and fishing routinely. On one family adventure to the Great Smoky Mountains, my brothers and I packed provisions and hiked up the highest mountain along the Appalachian Trail for the night leaving behind our parents and a cooler full of food. That hike was the toughest hike I had ever done and I still felt it in my muscles a week later. I was so happy to be back with my parents and a cooler full of food the next day, but a feeling of accomplishment remained.  My love for hiking grew from there, which led to my Appalachian Trail expedition and many other long-distance hikes.

BB: The first book in The Adventures of Bubba Jones series was released in 2015, and tells the story of two siblings who travel back in time to our nation’s national parks to solve a family mystery. Can you tell us more about what first inspired this idea?

JA: For me, national parks have been part of my life experience, but many children have never stepped foot in a national park. I also realized that there weren’t a lot of middle-grade books about our national parks. I created this book series to entice kids with cool park facts and exciting adventures so that they would want to go visit each park they read about.  This book series is a fun way to fill the children with facts that they can share with their parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends. The books are loaded with facts to also fill adults with information as they read the series to children as young as five-years-old.

BB: How have events and characters from your own life influenced The Adventures of Bubba Jones series?

JA: My own childhood national park adventures have influenced many of the stories in the series as well as the parks I’ve chosen. The characters in my book series are a loose mix of all the positive family members and friends that have been involved in my own personal outdoor adventures. A very fun aspect of creating fiction is that you can make your characters bigger than life and mold the character to fit your story. 

BB: In each book in The Adventures of Bubba Jones series, you go into detail about the wide variety of plants and animals found in the national parks, as well as recount stories of each park’s first inhabitants. How much research goes into each story?

JA: The Adventures of Bubba Jones books involve several layers of research. Even though we have fictional characters and time travel, all the park facts are accurate. To make the story authentic, I explore each park I write about so I can get a genuine feel for what a family would enjoy (my favorite research step). This particular book was especially enjoyable because my publisher and his son joined me for a Grand Canyon adventure. While in each park, I interview NPS staff, local experts, and historians. I comb through the park museums and attend presentations. I photograph important aspects of the park for later recall. I fact check using websites, books, and articles. Then, my manuscript is edited by park staff and other experts (geologists, historians, etc.) for accuracy. This assures that the reader is getting the most current and up-to-date facts about each park that I visit.

BB: As the setting for Book Four, the Grand Canyon plays an essential role in the story. What made you decide to set book four in the Grand Canyon National Park?

JA: There are 62 National Parks in the U.S. and each one has its own unique attraction. I chose Grand Canyon National Park as book four in my Adventure of Bubba Jones series for several reasons.  

  1. I have fond memories of hiking down to Bright Angel Campground from the South Rim when I was a young teenager while on a camping trip with my family. The night sky looking up from the bottom of the canyon was so amazing that it’s permanently burned in my memory. 
  2. Grand Canyon is considered one of the 7 wonders of the world with stunning views which is also why it’s the second most visited national park in the U.S. and, 
  3. I wanted the challenge of writing a Grand Canyon adventure that would resonate with kids and families. 

BB: If you could be asked any question about the book, what would it be and what is your answer?

JA: Can these books help us plan our Grand Canyon family adventure? Yes!!! All the adventures in the book are family-friendly and considered the best activities to do by park experts. As a matter of fact, the book includes a map and list of all the activities to help you plan your own adventure. The book is a great read-aloud to build excitement for your Grand Canyon adventure.

BB: Why is now the perfect time for children and their parents to start reading The Adventures of Bubba Jones series?

JA: With all the uncertainties due to COVID-19, The Adventures of Bubba Jones series allows you to explore our National Parks through literature and, if you ever travel to any of the parks in the series, it can help you plan your trip because you’ll be loaded with facts and what to do for fun.

Thank you to Jeff Alt for joining us for this Q&A in anticipation of his upcoming book! The Adventures of Bubba Jones: Time Traveling Through Grand Canyon National Park hits bookstore shelves on August 3rd. Pre-order your family’s copy today from Barnes & Noble or IndieBound to start exploring the Grand Canyon with Bubba Jones and his sister Hug-a-Bug!

Hiking Tips for Families

Wednesday, July 15th, 2020

We’re joined by Jeff Alt, author of The Adventures of Bubba Jones series, in anticipation of his latest book, The Adventures of Bubba Jones: Time Traveling Through Grand Canyon National Park. With more and more families looking to experience the outdoors, Alt has provided a few hiking tips, as previously mentioned in his book Get Your Kids Hiking, that families can keep in mind as they set off on their next summer hiking trip.

Scientific evidence has proven that time spent in nature increases your creativity, helps prevent depression, improves your overall health, and is a great way to spend time together. But, a large segment of children have replaced time in nature with tablets, smartphones, and video games.  Excessive screen time is being associated with increased childhood obesity, mental health issues, and even social skill problems. If spending time in nature is key to our children’s health and success, how do we get them into the woods?

Here’s how!

Start’em Young: Ergonomically designed baby carriers make it easy and fun to carry your infant and toddler with you wherever you hike. Walk to your favorite park or beach. Bring a friend. Stop often and let your little one explore. Make your hike a routine your kids will look forward to.

Let the Kids Lead!: Follow the leader! Hike at your child’s pace and distance. Whatever your child takes interest in, stop and explore that bug, leaf, or rock with them. Tell them about the animals, rocks, trees, and flowers. Getting to the destination is less important than making sure your kids have so much fun, they will want to go again and again.

Count Down to the Adventure: Psych the kids up with pictures, videos, and highlights of the places they will go and the things they will see. Use books, magazines, maps, and the Internet, especially park websites and videos showing the spectacular wildlife and locations they will see. 

Bring Water and Food Kids Love: Hand out needed extra energy and water as needed on the trail. Pack their favorite snacks and bring plenty of water. Stop often for a drink and a snack. 

Pack Fun Items: Let young children fill their adventure pack with a bug catcher, magnifying glass, binoculars, a camera, a map and compass, whistle, or flashlight. Let your little adventurer take ownership and pack a few items of his own; even if it’s not hiking-related. 

Play Games and Bring a Friend: Play I Spy using your surroundings as you walk along. Create your own scavenger hunt in search of animals, plants, and views along the way. Make up rhymes and sing songs as you walk. Pack a plant and animal identification guide for your older child. Let your social butterfly bring a friend, with parental permission. Intrigue your computer-savvy child with the high-tech hiking gadgets like a GPS, headlamp, flashlights, and pedometers. Use your GPS and take your kids on a geocaching adventure. 

Take Advantage of Park Activities and Guided Nature Experiences: Utilize and enjoy the amazing services and resources offered by our parks, trail and recreational system and associations. This will help ensure that the experience is enjoyable, memorable, and even life-changing. 

Suit Up in Comfort, Style, and the Latest Technology: Take this checklist with you shopping so you get the bases covered:

  • Footwear: Until your kids are walking consistently on their own (birth-3), fit them with a comfortable pair of water-resistant shoes. Make sure the three and older kids are wearing lightweight trail shoes or boots with a sturdy sole. A Vibram sole with a waterproof breathable liner is preferred. Wear non-cotton, moisture-wicking, synthetic or wool socks.
  • Clothing: Dress for the weather! Wear non-cotton synthetic, wool & fleece clothes and dress in layers. Wear multipurpose clothes like pants that zip off into shorts or shirts with roll-up sleeves. Pack a waterproof breathable rain parka. Dress for the season with a fleece hat & gloves or a hat with a wide brim for sun protection.
  • Packs: Get age- and size-appropriate backpacks that fit each hiker comfortably with hydration hose capability.
  • Trekking Poles: Get a pair of adjustable, collapsible poles with an ergonomically designed handle for each person.
  • Fresh, Clean Water: You can get a hydration hose system for your pack or just use bottles. Disinfect wild water using hi-tech portable treatment water systems such as a UV wand or micro-straining filter.
  • Communication: Bring a smartphone so you can take lots of pictures and if there’s connectivity, email to family or upload to your online blog or Facebook page. Carry a GPS unit to keep you located on the trail and for geocaching.
  • Other Must Haves: Pediatrician recommended suntan lotion and bug repellent containing Deet or Picaridin; First aid kit that accommodates the whole group & first aid knowledge to go along with the kit. Bring a compass & map and brush up on how to use them. Learn how to make a shelter to keep you warm and dry. Keep matches and a lighter in a dry place and know how to make a fire to keep warm. Carry a whistle and a signal mirror in case you get lost. Pack a survival knife with a locking blade. Bring a headlamp flashlight, extra batteries, 50 feet of rope or twine, and always have several feet of duct tape for that unexpected repair.

The Adventures of Bubba Jones: Time Traveling Through Grand Canyon National Park arrives in bookstores on August 3rd, 2020. Visit Barnes & Noble or Indiebound to pre-order your copy today.

The Adventures of Bubba Jones #4

In the fourth book of this award-winning national park series, Tommy “Bubba Jones” and his sister, Jenny “Hug-a-Bug,” uncover amazing facts about the Grand Canyon while on a mission to solve a park mystery. This is no ordinary brother and sister duo; they are part of a legendary time travel family with a mission to preserve and protect our national parks and have developed a reputation for solving mysteries. As they time travel back hundreds, thousands, and millions of years, they not only learn about the past, but also experience it. They encounter all sorts of wild creatures and plants, meet the people involved in the establishment of the national park, learn about the Native Americans that call this land home, and unravel some of the park’s secrets. 

About: Jeff Alt, Hannah Tuohy

Paperback: $9.99 (ISBN: 9780825309274)

E-book $4.99 (ISBN: 9780825308116)

Juvenile Fiction/Science Fiction

200 pages

Age range: 8-12

Order Here: