Education Books

I found this book to be great for learning general techniques for playing the Blues. The book starts out with some simple riffs and graduates into more challenging routines while introducing new concepts used by the Blues masters such as progressions, bending, use of the Blues pentatonic scale, etc.

This is a nice introduction to blues guitar. With a good combination of theory and practice, each lesson builds on the previous material. The one confusing thing I've found so far is the fact that the author will introduce some chord forms for a given lesson, then in the practice exercise, a completely unknown chord form will appear. It isn't that the "new" chord is wrong - it just hasn't been covered in the lesson. Guess that keeps you on your toes, tho. The CD has some really nice "studies" that you can play along with. Bottom line - after about 4 weeks, I've gotten through the first four lessons and I'm having more fun with my guitar than ever. Your mileage may vary.

I originally skipped the lessons in this book, in favor of just playing all of the tabbed out studies. Big mistake! The lessons are very well graded, and move at a comfortable pace (the studies kind of throw you in to the thick of things, a bit overwhelming for a beginner). As a teacher, I have used this book to help students out with their technique, performance, and theory.

The actual blues that it does teach is very much on the cliche side of things, but the lessons will have a universal appeal towards other types of music, especially as far as the theory goes. Because of this I have to grade this book with 5 stars, because it is really one of the best in this regard, and with a good mix of learning and playing, it is a great choice for learning and understanding the guitar.

Daniel Page, Guitar Instruction

This book is not really a beginner's book. Some of the licks require a dexterity level beyond what a beginner would be expected to do. This is one of the few books with a method presented in a logical format as opposed to a caffeteria style approach leaving you asking questions. For the most benefit, you should do the following:

1. Get this book as well as the "more Blues You Can Use".
2. Also get "Complete Rhythm Guitar Guide for Blues Bands" by Larry McCabe.
3. Listen to the Rolling Stones' Beggar's Banquet and Exile on Main Street CDs.
4. Listen to Kenny Burell's "Midnight Blue" CD over and over.

I have been very impressed with this book. I am a novice guitarist, but with 30 years experience as a pianist and a degree in music education, I am not your average beginner. So I can tell you this isn't a book for beginners, but you don't have to be very far along to benefit from it.
My teacher, a friend from music school, was teaching me to play blues guitar, and I bought this book just to check it out. He was thrilled to find a book that uses the same method he has been teaching the blues for 20 years, but with the added benefit of some good songs to play. We immediately incorporated it into my lessons.
The structure of the book includes short lessons including scales and chord progressions, followed by some nifty little blues numbers you can play to illustrate those concepts. The book takes you through each skill and concept step by step, and is really fun to play. If I had one suggestion to make, it would be to include backing tracks in addition to the demo tracks for all of the songs on the CD, so that you could play them by yourself instead of just with the recorded version. Otherwise, this is a terrific method and a lot of fun.
I will defintely buy more of the books in this series.

This was a gift for my 9 yr old granddaughter. She told me she loved it.She had rented from the library and was overjoyed to have her own copy.

Be sure to keep reading to reach chapter three where entrepreneurship takes off in the most subtle way, selling mini toys at school. (We had a little trouble getting entranced in chapters one and two.) But soon after, Greg is creating and selling homemade comic books. The comic book assembly is explained (including drawings) which is a nice touch for readers who would like to try and create their own. It's never too early to let your child write and create their own book.

I especially enjoyed the competitive relationship with the girl next door and how feelings (anger, admiration, jealousy, etc.) were expressed throughout. My son would often ask to continue reading as I finished a chapter.

Money, sales and partnership ideas are nicely addressed. You read about advertisement examples kids are exposed to at school (there is a surprisingly long list), ideas on why money is important, compromises needed when working with a partner, and the good feelings that arise from making donations.

I think my favorite part is when Greg realizes (through discussion with the school board) that he was as guilty as all the other advertisers. He was also targeting the children at school. "He was the hunter, and they were the prey." Actually, this is not a bad thing as entrepreneurs need to understand their target audience but it is the first book I have read that addresses this issue. A++

My nine year old son has read my book so I wasn't surprised when he asked, "How come none of the books we read mention taxes?" (We've read a few entrepreneur books recently.) I had to laugh and remind him, "Not everyone enjoys doing taxes... or even reading about it, so maybe the author decided to leave that technical part out."

Of all the Andrew Clements school books I've read, Lunch Money was by far the least engaging. The reason for this is that a large part of the book focuses on numbers instead of people, and where Clements has succeeded in the past is in his ability to make us really like his leading characters. Greg, the lead character in this book, is not very nice. He's largely driven by money and selfishness, and although Clements does try to make Greg more personable by depicting his change of attitude, the change does not come off convincingly.

The concept itself behind the book is terrific: schools are hypocritical because while they profess to be trying to promote certain values and healthy lifestyles, the actions districts take are at times directly opposed to the high moral standards the districts are imposing on the students.

I did enjoy the book, and recommend it to those looking to read more of Andrew Clements' books. I would pick up Frindle, The School Story, or The Report Card first however.

Lunch Money is a good book for money lovers. Its about a boy who has all these good ideas to make money and then he comes up with his best idea yethe decides to make comic books!The princapal disagres but then Mrs Davenport decidesto let Greg sell comic books. I highly recomend this book!

I'm a nine year old boy from NY. This book is funny and serious, too. This boy Greg wants to make lots of money while copycats try to steal his ideas. He makes money by selling little chunky comics. I recommend this book to everyone.

WB

Simple,straightforward and relevant.
I bought this book to help me prepepare for the GRE. Math is not my favorite subject but this book does a good job of tying up all those lose ends. It doesn't cost too much and its small enough to carry around in your bag. I highly recommend it.

An OK review of the material you would find on most standardized entrance exams. Covers arithmatic, algebra, geometry and word problems. The only drawback is it is a small book with small print, and doesn't have much room inside of it for working problems out like larger prep books, such as Kaplans. You get what you pay for.

I ordered this book to help my daughter study for the GRE's. She says that it is very helpful.

I am a private math tutor and a student of mine had purchased this book to assist in his ACT preparation. I found it extrememly helpful as a general math review, regardless of which test one is preparing for, and purchased a copy myself to assist other math students in the future. There is high emphasis on word problems, and almost all aspects of basic math (approaching calculus) are addressed with thorough explanation, answer keys, and knowledge tests. I would highly recommend this to anyone seeking a quick refresher that will aid in understanding math concepts for years to come.

This book is the first that I have encountered that can actually TEACH me math. All of the others that have tried have just gave me a headache. It starts with the most basic concepts and works its way into the more complex. If you are preparing for the GRE or SAT yourself, this book is worth way more than what you'll pay for it on Amazon. Without it, I would have been completely, utterly, lost.

One suggestion, though: If you're planning on taking the GRE, you should also purchase another prep book specifically for the test such as The GRE Test for Dummies, Fifth Edition. That way, you can see exactly what you need to study from the GRE book and skip all of the extraneous material in the Cliffs. This book is extremely comprehensive and without taking this step, you'll likely be spending time on a lot of things that won't show up on the exam.

for a child of any age that has a favorite blanket (blankey)
a plot a young child can follow and relate to.

I read Owen. I would recommend this book. The reason I would recommend it is because it was funny and it made me crack me up. In the book Owen, Owen and Fuzzy were playing captain plunger. They looked silly. This helped me convince me that it was a grate book.

This is a review/evaluation of the book as part of an in depth study on children's picture books. I am a third grade teacher and I use this book in my classroom because no kid is ever too old to read a great story like this. I truly think it is a classic!

Evaluation: In addition to the wonderful illustrations, this Caldecott Honor book is also a heart warming story that is very appropriate for young readers. The illustrations and the story are very appealing to children and allows readers to easily identify with the main character and the situation he is in. The illustrations add to the meaning of the text because they emphasis the personality of the characters. They highlight Owen's playfulness and the love that he has for his blanket. They also add to the worries of the adults in the story because their concern shows in the illustrations. The illustrations also extend the text because they are so clear that a student could understand the story without actually reading the text and rely only on the clues from the illustrations. The background settings are also nicely illustrated and accurately detailed because it is easy to compare and contrast when they are in places in their house that is shared by all of the family members and when they are in Owen's room and his play area in the background. Henkes also adds specific details to the setting that compliment the fact that the main characters are mice. This is reflected in the art work they have in their house and the statues they have outside. The illustrations are done with watercolor paints and black pen for the full-color art. This compliments the mood of the book because the illustrations are very colorful and vibrant. Henkes varies the size and number of illustrations on each page to compliment the plot and to reflect the sequence of events that take place. Each illustration is within black outlined boxes that make it easy to follow the progression of the story. The jacket and cover design expresses the theme and spirit of the book without giving away too much detail. The cover design gives some questions as to why a lady may be looking for the small boy and will spark children's curiosity making them want to read the book. The bright yellow and bold title stands out against a bright blue background. This book is very similar to Kevin Henkes other mouse books. All of his characters face some type of childhood problem that teaches them about growing up. His books are easily recognized by children because the title always contains the name of the main character. Readers also become familiar with the characters because they are in several of his books, even if it is only a picture of them with no reference in the story. The illustrations are all very similar in that they are fun and engaging and add to the story. Henkes commonly includes text in the illustrations that may be a character's thoughts or something they are actually saying. The added text is often more humorous than the story itself. Since Henkes is both the author and illustrator of his books, he has the liberty of making his text and illustrations become one and perfectly balance each other. This book is appropriate for the preschool level, but older children will also enjoy it, especially if they had a blanket or other comfort item that they adored in their childhood. Parents will also like the book if they are trying to teach their child the same lesson. This book is a very nice read aloud and should be part of classroom libraries. It should be on a booklist as a must read for students who are about to start kindergarten.

References:
Henkes, K. (1988). Chester's Way. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Henkes, K. (1996). Chrysanthemum. New York: Greenwillow Books.
Henkes, K. (1996). Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. New York: Greenwillow Books.

I was given this book as a baby gift after my son Owen was born. I have been hooked on Kevin Henkes ever since. I still remember pausing in the story and my son Owen, when he was only 2 saying, "No, Fuzzy is perfect". This is a beautiful story which will be one of the books I hold onto forever. My Owen also has a special blanket that at 9 he still sleeps with- his coldie he calls it. Your kids and you will love this book even if they don't have a special blanket or lovie of some kind. All my children love this book and I have given it as a gift many times- also Lily's Purple Plastic Purse- very loved by all my kids. Enjoy! (And don't worry about what the nosey neighbors think!)

"Owen" is a sweet and thoughtful story on par with all of Kevin Henkes other children's books. Whether you're a teacher looking for a story that students can relate to, a parent searching for a meaninful read for your child, or if you are just in the mood for a story filled with sentiment, you can't go wrong with "Owen."

This book provides an easy to read introduction to sensory processing problems in children and how overwhelming these problems can be for the child and the adults in his life. Many terms that professionals use are are introduced and parents will be able to do further research after being exposed to the terms (examples being somatosensory/tactile systems, proprioception, postural gravitational insecurity, space visualization etc). As an Occuaptional Therapist, I found it helpful to compare the activities that I recommend in home programs with what the author recommends. The author provides many suggestions on how to structure the environment and play to help a child with sensory processing. The book does not include general developmental norms such as when the average child begins to dress himself, hop, ride a tricycle, etc. I think it would be helpful for parents to read about how developmental expectations are related to foundational sensory systems in early childhood.

Great book, very very good!!! You must have this one for your resource shelves. Therapists need the inventory for use in practice. What a great communication tool for parents, teachers and others to communicate with therapists. It helps parents to 'talk therapy talk,' just by filling in the inventory. The sensory secret checklist is great too. If you put this one on top of your list, you will recommend it too. Easy reading, with life changing information!!!

I found this to be a wonderful book for parents just entering the world of Sensory Integration Dysfunction. I explains so many of the terms and theories used by Occupational Therapists. However, this truly is an introduction, and not very helpful to anyone who has been working with an OT for any length of time.

This book is a great introduction to sensory integration and how our senses effect our learning. As A professional who works with individuals who have sensory difficulties, I feel that this book would be helpful for new teacher trainings, as an introduction to sensory integration, or as a guide to help individuals (such as parents) who do not work in an education or medically based industry that need to gain a better understanding of sensory integration. All teachers should use these basic techniques in their classrooms; for individuals who are interested in a deeper understanding of sensory integration dysfunction and other related difficulties, perhaps a book with a deeper explanation of the CNS and sensory systems would better suit their needs. Overall, it's a good quick read!

Of everything that I've read this is the best book. Its a fairly quick read. It's broken down into very specific catigories. It gives you warning signs. It tells you how to work on a problem with professionals. It shows you hundreds of ways to work on each specific sensory motor problem. It also helps you to evaluate your own child and explains how certain holes in the learning foundation could quickly lead to learning diviculties later on in life (early grade school). If you feel that there is a problem with your child and you can't put your finger on it - this is the book that will give you invaluable stepping stones.

After reading a short story in Reading class, my daughters became very curious about the Titanic. This book is a good overview of the ship and the voyage.

this is a good book for kids who are intersted in titanic.my nephew love this book,buys every book he can find on it.

This book is very great for kids who want to get a good glimpse on the inside of the ship and see what the interior actually might have looked like back then.

I have it sitting above my head on my book shelf among a couple of other titanic books.

I definately recgomend this book for any one and not just children.

My seven year old nephew was enthralled by this book. The amazing illustrations fill every page with a wealth of detail for both adults and kids. The story line is excellent too--it follows two families, the Goldsmiths and the Carters, one in first class, one in third, as they make their way across the Atlantic. The book doesn't gloss over the fact that many died, but has just enough detail to hold kids' interest without being scary. A real find.

My 7 year old son has become fanatical about all thing related to the Titanic. I was thrilled to find there are so many good books out there for children of his age, this particular book is no exception. Great copy, wonderful pictures. He reads this one over and over again.

This is a book for the young, but it is also a good book for the parents and everyone in between.
I had this book w/record when I was a little girl and the meaning behind this very small simple book came to mind many times through my life... (middle aged now) It resonated with me because I perceived my family didn't believe in me, didn't think I would amount to anything, treated me as if I was stupid and laughed at me, my dreams... so I grew up trying to be my own "cheerleader"... which was daunting at times... yet, like this boy planting the carrot seed, I also somehow knew (trusted?) inside me there was a seed that would grow with enough positive energy, light and love. It is my passion to cheer my fellow humans on... believe in yourself, believe in your children, believe in the people around you and they will believe in themselves and so on and so on and so on...
We all came here with a gift (seed)... let it move through you (grow) and do not listen to the negative voices/opinions around you, no matter how "influential" they are.
"My story" is done, coaching session over ;-) Cheers to ya!

My 3 year old son knows this book word for word. It is a superb story about patience and tenacity. Yet another library book that become so beloved we turned to amazon....

This book is a wonderful portrayal of perserverence and faith. Delightful to young and old!

i was happy to receive the book. it is exactly the book i remembered and its nice because it is hard.

thank you

This book had a huge impact on me as a child.

Everyone told the boy his carrot seed would not come up. Even the adults. My reaction was this: adults know everything, so why is this boy still trying? I was truly surprised when the carrot seed sprouted, and I clapped and cheered. My next reaction was this: maybe *I* shouldn't give up, even when other people tell me to. This is one of the greatest lessons I've ever learned.

I read this book to my own kids now, and they love it as much as I do.

I heard so much about this book, so I decided to purchase it. What a great resource!! I have done many of the ideas in this book individually, but not together as an organizational piece. Great book! Great examples! Great Motivator!

I am a first grade teacher and wanted to improve my literacy program by getting away from using worksheets during centers. This book offers great practical ideas including lessons and charts to use for "reading to self", "reading to someone" and "listening to reading" which I will implement in my classroom. I currently have a fairly successful Writer's Workshop and do a lot of making words activities but the book offers ideas in these areas as well. So many books just deal with concepts of literacy but this one breaks the teaching procedures into easily followed steps that I am excited about trying out with my next group of students. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to create an authentic learning atmosphere in a classroom and get away from a "packaged" curriculum so every student can work at their reading/writing level independently.

Recieved item on time, right when we were told it would arrive. Book in very good condition.

The Sisters tell how their method evolved over the span of their teaching careers. Their method is practical, gives students responsiblity and keeps students involved in literacy activities. They give step by step procedures for implementing.

This book is a quick read with great charts and information in getting started using this approach. The daily five really streamlines the student activities/routines that are practiced during independent work as the teacher works with small groups. I plan to use this approach in my classroom next year. The best part is that it will work with any school system's standards.

I read this book when it was first published and was completely taken by it. I entered the US Naval Academy in 1968 (Class of 72)--my plebe year was 1968-1969 (I flunked out a year later, joined the Army, went to Vietnam, returned, finished college then joined the Marine Corps, retiring as a Colonel after 31 years total service). The events and characters in this book were so close to those I'd experienced (to include the setting--I was in 32nd Company, my company officer, Maj Stensland, MUST have been the model for Capt Lenahan) it completely blew me away. Most poignant for me is the part about training for jump school...I participated in that; reading the book was like reading a chapter of my own life. If you want to know what this little bit of history was all about; if you want to "taste" a snapshot of the times...being part of an institute demonized by anti-war sentiment knowing that upon graduation you were going to Vietnam (in my case, never coming to grips with what calculus had to do with fighting NVA) this is the book for you.

I bought this book based on the reviews posted on this website. I too, served for 10 years in the Navy. For some reason, I got very bored with the centralized theme: discipline at the USNA. I'll even admit that I started (and stopped) reading this book several times but I was determined to finish it (like Dean running the wall). The transformation of turning teenagers into military leaders is the purpose of the Academies but why does Webb beat you death with this point. I know there are other plots to the book but everything comes back to the discipline element. Webb's military career is well documented and he does a tremendous job bringing the reader into this environment. His character development in Sense of Honor is very strong. The plots are easy to follow. He satisfactorily brings each to conclusion at the end. I am giving it 3 stars because 1) I finished the book and 2) due to the over emphasizing of discipline. It would be kinda interesting if Webb had to choosen to follow up these characters. He did with Fogarty but what eventually happens to Dean might have made a great sequal. This is a good novel but not a real turner.

I wasn't there in the 60's, but I can tell you it was very accurate for 1985. The are still a few Fogartys running around there. I had a squad leader just like him. This is a very good read. Webb is underappreciated as a writer.

"A Sense of Honor" is classic Webb, and that's a good thing. For those readers unfamiliar with James Webb and his works, he graduated from the Naval Academy, went to Vietnam as a Marine Officer, and eventually used his experiences to write his most famous novel, "Fields of Fire". Both "Fields" and "Sense of Honor" have as central themes the warrior's distaste for the tyranny of guidelines and rules over common sense. Webb excells at creating choatic enviroments, where leadership breaks into difficult choices of judgement and morality, where there are no 'right' answers. In particular, I found 'Sense of Honor' great because of its simple contrast of characters. Fogerty is the poster-boy Annapolis First Classman, and consumate warrior. John Dean is the new 'plebe', subject to the whims of the First Classmen (think of a recruit in a Fraternity). Dean is about grades and class; jumping through whatever hoops he must to simply graduate and continue a civilian life. Fogerty pushes Dean, in the words of 'Sense of Honor', to be 'bigger than himself' - to be a leader sacrificing for his companions, rather than a civlian out for himself. This is all set during the Class of 1968, the summer of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, in which Annapolis graduates fought, bled, and died. Sacrifice and death were by no means simple abstractions. Anyone interested in leadership, the military life, or simply a great drama would do well to buy this book. It is as relevent to current events as it was back when 'Sense of Honor' was written.

It's been 15 years since I read this book the first time as a Midshipman. While quite a bit has changed in my life since then, I am amazed at how quickly A Sense of Honor took me back to my youthful days at USNA. As I read Webb's story this time, I was amazed at how differently it affected me and how greatful I am for my own experiences and relationships I took from the Academy. They call Annapolis "the great conundrum" because while you are there, all you want to do is get away, but once you graduate, all you want to do is get back, and Webb's story helps to demonstrate why. While the particulars of the story will be more familiar to former Midshipmen, there are terrific lessons to be learned for everyone and I would recommend it without a doubt.

Words Their Way is an excellent source for teachers to use for word study. It gives great insight into how kids learn to spell.

It's been shown that spelling provides a window to one's reading. This book explains the developmental stages children go through K- adult. The database software on one of the CDs that allows one to analyze the spelling inventories and sort the results is very easy to use. Classroom teachers appreciate the data I have been able to give them on their students. The word games and short videos on the 2nd CD are very helpful. The analytical phonics approach is very kid-friendly right up through high school. This is a very thorough resource that every ELA, SpEd, and Title I teacher should use.

The book is outstanding. The materials in the book is easy to read and follow. I use the activities and word sorts in my classroom each day. I have used the spelling inventory with my class, also.
I do have a problem with the CD that came with the book. I wish the word sorts involving words would be big like the picture sorts are. My students have trouble with the small size of squares.

This is a great resource. It gives many examples of how to impliment the program. One thing I really like about Words Their Way is the fact that is hands on. This will really help my students who are more concrete thinkers.

My children attended a public school where this program was used. When I brought them home due to their various LDs/allergies, I balked at the $40 price tag of this book and opted for the less expensive Spectrum Spelling books for their grade level. I found those to be rather annoying because often my children already knew the words. And the ones they didn't know, they would spell correctly on the tests, but they didn't necessarily continue to spell the words correctly in their writing. Mid-way through the year I abandoned the Spectrum books and purchased this one.

My favorite thing about this approach is how the kids really think about and interact with the words. It is a disciplined program, I require my kids to do a word sort and an activity in their spelling journals every day -- their choice. However, this typically takes less than 10 minutes a day.

The other thing I do is pretest the kids every week to find out which words they need to study. If they already know a spelling pattern, then I don't give it to them and move on to the next one. Sometimes I pull misspelled words out of their writing, and then find the pattern that applies and give them those words for the week.

I will say, that for most homeschoolers, this book is pretty heavy on the theory, and the "how-to" is mixed up with the theory so it may take more work up front to start the program if you are unfamiliar with the idea of spelling notebooks and word activities. But it is quite fascinating, and will give you a new appreciation for a young child's emerging spelling skills, as well as concrete strategies for helping older students with more complex words.

As for content, the book covers spelling from pre-K through at least middle school, perhaps early high school.

And the CD-Rom is a real time-saver too, with its words for sorts and activities.

All in all, quite effective, very interesting, and a great value - you buy this once and then purchase simple notebooks or composition books for their spelling journals, and you are set for years to come.