Education Books

I find this such an amazing book. I loved it so much. I am using this book for a book report and I find that it will be the best.I am doing a bookseller's day and I will try to sell this book. I feel that it will be successful for me because this book is so interesting. Sometimes it is so touching it can make you cry. Jean Little is such a brave girl and into such a talented young lady and to a real grown up person. I feel that this book will teach you a great lesson by having someone sharing their past with you and everyone around. Everything in the book is so real because all those things have probably happened in some school. People getting bullied. But the thing is, no one ever stands up for themselves and I find Jean Little such a spectacular person.

If you like sad but happy or a lesson to learn in a book you will like Little By Little. Jean has one of the most popular books help you in life. The genre of this story is autobiography. It will change your point of veiw as a reader and as a person because you know the things she goes through really happen. I like this book because when you get into the story it's hard to get out. The story is about how Jean, little by little, succeeds in different things like reading, school and many more. For example, when she's trying to learn to read, she didn't give up. She went through stages during lerning to make new frieds,and getting through school. Jean uses very interesting words to make you feel like you're there. For instance when it's her first day at school she explains how she felt and what she felt like doing. This book taught me that it's hard to live a normal life if you have a disability.

So I've been steadily working my way through the greatest children's books of all time for just over a year now. To do this, I've been attempting to use a variety of already existing lists, so as to bulk up my cumulative kiddie lit knowledge. One of these lists is the New York Public Library's "100 Favorite Children's Books". This list includes everything from "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" to "Freaky Friday". Now I had been doing quite well on these titles and was pleased with its choices right up until I came across the somewhat bizarre choice of "Little By Little" by Jean Little. This is one of those authorial biographies that are meant to tell an inspirational story by highlighting an author's struggles and tribulations. Now, this is not a badly told story by any means. Jean Little is, admittedly, not one of the better known children's authors living today (though a quick Amazon search will show you that she certainly doesn't lack for titles), but her story is fairly interesting. It's just that... well, I dunno. Maybe kids reading this tale would all find it fully fascinating. For my part, I was disappointed. What we seem to have here is a nice enough story about an obscure person dealing with some physical and social trials who triumphs in the end. It's nice, but the book does not strike me as being a particularly memorable experience.

Jean Little was originally born in Taiwan to a pair of overseas Canadians. And from the moment she was born there was a great deal of concern over her eyes and her eyesight. Jean popped out of the womb with scars on her corneas, a condition which left her cross-eyed and untreatable. Glasses, for all that she wore them, did nothing to correct the problem. After moving to Canada just after the outbreak of WWII, Jean faced constant ridicule and torment from her peers due to her partly blind condition. A brief period spent in a school for children like herself did her a lot of good, but soon it was right back into public school where the cruelty of children was concentrated on poor little Jean. Fortunately, she had her books and poetry to keep her happy. Over time, Jean started to write her own stories and poems, some getting accepted into magazines and publications. Her parents, always supportive, helped her to improve her skills and in spite of her handicap she managed to attend and graduate from college with a B.A. The rest, as they say, is history.

When I first began to read this story, I was struck by how similar Jean's story has been to the "100 Favorite Children's Books" biography, "Homesick: My Own Story" by fellow (better known) children's writer Jean Fritz. Both women began life in East Asian countries and had to move to North America while young. But while Fritz concentrates her attention on that particular transition and what it means to have two different homes, Little is more concerned with the tale of her own inspirational story. Also, Little's book isn't filled with interesting illustrations (like Fritz's) so it's a wordy affair. The occasional photograph does dot the text here and there, but that's all that breaks up the story. I was a bit shocked at the abruptness of the ending as well. Not to give anything away, but it shows Little receiving notice that her first children's book is going to be published. Suddenly the story ends, without the book summing up what Little's been through or explaining how she changed over the years. It was an odd way to end a story where the reader has been through so much with the protagonist.

To be honest, the book struck me as odd. It's a biography, but Little freely admits that no human being is capable of remembering perfectly every moment and conversation of their life. So there's been some tampering to make the tale readable. It's well-written. It has an interesting tale of individual struggle. And quite frankly I really didn't enjoy it. I can't pinpoint why either. Maybe it's the title. Maybe the fact that I found it hard to identify with Jean from time to time. Maybe it was the writing style or Jean's constant appeal for understanding. Whatever the case, I just couldn't get into it. I have little doubt that for some children that face torment due to their appearances, this book could be considered nothing short of a godsend. But I just didn't like it. Plain and simple.

Usually I can back up my reaction to one book or another with a host of flaws in the title. I don't think I can here. It's a nice enough story. And the writing is fine n' dandy. But if you were to ask me for my top twenty biographies written for children... I can't say this would make the list. But I may well be in a minority here. In any case, if my personal opinion means anything to you then I suggest you search out Jean Fritz's, "Homesick", and read that instead of this tale. It's fine and all. Just dislikable on some obscure hard to define level.

I have loved Jean Little's books about children facing special challenges for many years, but only found out recently that she has had her own disabilities to cope with. In this book, she talks about her childhood in China and then Canada, the difficulties she faced going through school with severely impaired vision, and the love and support of her family that enabled her to persevere.

With insight and humor but without self-pity, she tells of the challenges she faced at school, including bullying, as well as the relief when she was put in a sight-savers class and at last found a place where she was "normal" - like the other children in her class - and had teachers who understood her needs.

Against all odds, Little decided to go to university. The book ends as she works as a teacher and writes her first book - one inspired by the need of her disabled students to read realistic stories about children like themselves. After reading this book, I know understand how she writes so knowingly - it's because she has lived many of her stories.

I really enjoyed this book because it was obviously a stuggle for Jean Little, but she still kept on going. She had many goals in her life and most of them was to do something in order to be normal. I think the most important parts of the story is when she gets her different pieces of writing published and actually gets money for it. She has loved books ever since she grew up. I noticed that many books that she has written has connections with her life. Most of them have a disabled person as a character. I think she writes all her books by using her life as a base, but altering many things.

My son read this book to me for reading but it can just as easily be read for health or science. He really likes these books while he does not care for the shows much. In this one they take a trip through Ralph's body and learn about the main systems - digestion, circulatory, nervous... Recommended for ages 6-9 years and 3rd grade reading level.

My daughter has been reading Magic School Bus books in school and we bought this one for her this past Christmas. She probably enjoys this one more than any other so far. It is well written and very educational with great illustrations. If your young reader likes science, then this is definitely a great choice!

Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen outdo themselves in "The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body." It is their most ambitious collaboration yet, and it definitely doesn't disappoint.

As is the custom, the third book in this science series (written in 1989) picks up where the second story left off. Ms. Frizzle is showing her students a filmstrip about the human body. "We're going to learn all about ourselves," she says. Then she announces the next field trip - the class is heading to the museum to "see an exhibit about how our bodies get energy from the food we eat." However, anyone who has even an inkling as to the kind of person Ms. Frizzle is should know that things rarely, if ever, go according to plan. A field trip is never just a field trip when you're taking a ride aboard her magic school bus.

The Friz and her students stop at a park for lunch before arriving at the museum. Afterward, everyone goes back to the bus . . . except for Arnold! He's still sitting at a picnic table, daydreaming and eating a bag of Cheesie-Weesies. And before the class realizes what is happening, the bus shrinks to the size of a Cheesie-Weesie . . . where it is promptly downed in one gulp by Arnold!

"I thought we were going to the museum," says one student.

"There's been a slight change of plans," explains Ms. Frizzle. "We're being digested instead."

Why visit an exhibit about the human body when you have a magic school bus and a teacher like Ms. Frizzle who can take you directly to the source?

If "At the Waterworks" was like priming the pump, and "Inside the Earth" was like getting the ball rolling, "Inside the Human Body" is like plowing full-steam ahead. Cole and Degen have firmly established themselves as a literacy force to be reckoned with; this is proven in the confidence of the writing and the boldness of the illustrations. There is so much going on in this story that you almost need a scorecard to keep track of it all. It seems as though Cole and Degen are bound and determined to one-up themselves with every book they come out with.

A list of some things Ms. Frizzle educates her class about would include: blood cells (red and white), blood vessels, digestion, germs, the heart, lungs, molecules, oxygen, plasma, the small intestine, etc. Do you know what villi are? You will after you read this book! Any idea what the cerebral cortex does? Ms. Frizzle will show you! Ever wondered why you sneeze? The answer resides in this story!

"Inside the Human Body" deserves just as much, if not more, a home on a person's bookshelf as does "At the Waterworks" and "Inside the Earth." Cole and Degen loaded their latest adventure to the bursting-point with information. You can see the growth author and illustrator have taken since their inaugural effort with "At the Waterworks." They prove that some things do, indeed, get better with age.

At the end of "Inside the Human Body" is a true-false test to help readers distinguish what things were true in the story and what things were made up. And, of course, Ms. Frizzle drops another clue as to where her next great adventure will take us. I'm pretty sure the class will think of their next field trip as out of this world!

It doesn't seem possible, but Cole and Degen managed to improve upon an already-winning formula. They are both in top form with "Inside the Human Body," a field trip that will take you from the brain to the small intestine and back again. Well, what are you waiting for? Hitch a ride on the magic school bus!

As Ms. Frizzle herself would say, "Seatbelts, everyone!"

This book is really out of this world. I have been hooked on the magic school bus series. I can't wait to read more books in the series. The inside the human body book is full with very interesting facts and I learned so much from reading it. Arnold doesn't know where the bus is and is trying to find it. He doesn't even know that it is actually inside him. Then Arnold sneezes and finds the bus right next to him. He doesn't understand how he didn't see it before.

Ms. Frizzle is taking her class on a memorable field trip through the human body in this entertaining book featuring the beloved eccentric teacher and her curious class. My only complaint is that the pages are so busy with information that it's impossible to sit and really read the whole book, but perhaps it's best to let a child's curiosity guide you through a number of readings rather than trying to get everything in at one sitting. Concepts are expressed clearly and with humor. Justly popular with young students.

I am pleased with this book. It is written in a non-technical, professional manner and provides practical, useful strategies that I can do with my child. I would encourage anybody with add kids to read it.

This is the only book that I have come across that presents ADHD in a positive light. Additionally, it provides many helpful strategies for both teachers and parents. The only knock that I can say about this book is that it doesn't talk much about medications. All else is great.

Cimera, Robert E. (2002) Making ADHD a Gift: Teaching Superman How to Fly. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Education.

How you teach children about ADHD could set the tone for the rest of their lives. You'll have to paint an honest picture of the condition but also be very positive .... Talk to them about their favorite superhero.... Bring up the fact that each superhero has different abilities.... Then explain that people in real life are a lot like superheroes-everybody has different abilities.... The super abilities of kids with ADHD include having a lot of energy and being able to run around a lot without getting tired. They can also be very creative and intelligent. The purpose of school and IEPs is to get children with ADHD to control and utilize their super abilities for "The Good"... You are teaching Superman how to fly (p. 97).

This is the gift of this book. Robert E. Cimera is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh who was diagnosed with ADHD-C as an adult. He views ADHD as a positive ability. Each chapter begins with a chapter outline; a case study, illustrating elements that will be addressed in the chapter; questions for consideration, for understanding the case study; and a discussion of underlying elements, concerns and strategies. The information is conveyed in a conversational style suitable for the layperson or student educator.

In the first chapter he gives an overview of definitions and diagnoses of the four types of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder): ADHD-I (Inattentive), ADHD-HI (Hyperactive-Impulsive), ADHD-C (Combined), ADHD-NOS (Not Otherwise Specified). This information serves as a basis for understanding the case studies and discussions that follow. Each chapter gently carries the reader through a critical thinking process of application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

In the chapters that follow, the author covers the topics of: inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, social skills, educational programs, and strategies for ADHD children, adolescents and adults. Cimera also has the reader consider the possibility of other conditions or situations that could mistakenly be diagnosed as ADHD. The last chapter contains resources for individuals with ADHD and resources for their teachers and parents. It includes booklists, periodicals, videotapes, contact information for organizations and support groups and an annotated list of Internet sites. Most of the materials had imprints from the early nineties and late eighties. Only one of the websites mentioned was not currently accessible. The website annotations were quite pertinent to their content with the exception of the U.S. Department of Education site, which has been drastically revised since the publication of this book. Although there is a very detailed table of contents, there is no index. The addition of an index would have been useful.

Overall, Cimera provides a positive, supportive and informative voice on the subject of ADHD. I found the examples of students and their goals (pp.130-131) especially illuminating in exploding my own preconceived attitudes toward ADHD. Special education students, classroom teachers, parents and adult individuals with ADHD could find valuable information and insights in this book. It provides an accessible introduction to the condition and provides the reader with the educational, environmental and behavioral accommodations and strategies that can help ADHD students, their parents, teachers and classmates create supportive scaffolding for success...

Positive and informative. I big help for teachers or parents of children with ADD. Loads of strategies and resources.

Somebody at a CHADD meeting suggested that I read this book. I am happy that I did! It is so well written that I couldn't put it down. I read it in one evening. It gives many practical strategies. But the best feature is that it views ADHD as a gift that should "be utilized, not repressed!" I can't recommend this book more highly. Get it. You'll be happy that you did!

Debbie Diller has written another fantastic resource for reading teachers. This book is full of helpful ideas for teaching each of the five areas of reading and give tips on organizing. Well worth the money--one of the best resources I have seen in 27 years of teaching.

Couldn't put the book down. This book has a wealth of information. Coupled with Debbie Diller's other book about work stations, this is a must have.

Educator Debbie Diller reveals her thirty years of experience as an educator, including classroom teaching of children in grades PreK-10 as well as teaching in small groups and independent work, in Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All, a practical guide to the teacher's role in small-group instruction. An in-depth resource packed with tips, tricks, and techniques, Making the Most of Small Groups particularly focuses upon instructing small groups in the five essential reading elements: comprehension, fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary. Packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for organizing one's time and space as well as the nuts and bolts of teaching, and rounded out with black-and-white photographs, sample lesson plans, reflection questions for professional conversations, references, and much more, Making the Most of Small Groups is an invaluable guide for reading teachers of young students everywhere.

This book has very good ideas and practical information and lessons. I like the section on vocab. and comprehension.. I find it to be helpful in working with reading groups.

Loved this book. Great resource for the new teacher since it's packed with across the grade level details for elementary school teachers. This book made me want to check out other books by this author.

This novel is one of the best I have read. Alex Haley and Stevens express a kind of compassion from a grandmother/mother that no one could do better. It's a very emotional book, and touches everyone that has ever experienced a good book. Once you start it, you can't put it down!

This book made you feel apart of it. I loved it! I loved the history, the story, the emotions and how it wove a story of a loving family working their way through life. This is a must read.

Pretend that there is a really good review here. I loved reading this novel. It is one that is vary hard to put down because you can't help wondering what is going to happen next.

At the center of Mama Flora's Family is the indomitable spirit of Mama Flora, the matriarch of an extraordinary family of destitute Tennessee sharecroppers. The characters are so real and believable it made this reader feel that I was right there with them experiencing all their trials and tribulations, as well as the joys. This book is much more than a poignant, hard-to-put-down story of a Mama Flora and her descendants from 1920 to the late 1990s. It, for the most part, effectively weaves into the plot much of what has transpired in American/African-American history during this time period (e.g., life for African-Americans in the South, the rise of the Civil Rights movement, the Black Panthers, the Nation of Islam, the Viet Nam war, political repression under Idi Amin, etc). Mama Flora's Family is a rich, resonant family novel that cuts across the barriers that divide us to touch the hearts of people of all races and backgrounds. I highly recommend this excellent, emotionally-packed posthumous novel written by David Stevens based on Alex Haley's notes and research.

Reading this book is like cozying up with a warm blanket. The authors provide so much detail that you feel like YOUR grandmother is sitting in front of you, recounting the tales. The book spans the decades, from the early 1900s to the late 1970s and throws in a bit of history/current events to place the family's hostory in context. Great book!

I think that "Meri Strikes Back" was a great novel for fun reading. It's witty, fast-paced, and is a definite page turner. It leaves you at the end wishing that the next book "Dark Cindy" was already released, so that you could continue the tale of Cindy Bixby and Alpha Beta Delta...

I didn't think it was possible to top Hazing Meri Sugarman but M. Apostolina has done it. This latest offering of teen debauchery, Meri Strikes Back, has the reader engaged from start to finish. The heroine, Cindy Bixby, goes up against arch enemy Meri once again while at the same time searching for her own authentic self. This book gets into more detail with Cindy's cohorts, my particular favorites are Lindsey and the vulgar yet lovable Bud Finger ( hasn't everyone dated a Bud Finger at least once?!). The action was nonstop and I could not put the book down. As I finished each chapter, I was giddy with excitement wondering what awful predicament Cindy would find herself in; on pins and needles as I waited for Meri's deliciously torrid next move. The only thing this book left me wanting is more, more, more! Can't wait for the next installment, Dark Cindy.....Will the tables be completely turned on Meri once and for all? Will CIndy finally find a solution for that "tragic hair?" Will the journey for CIndy's authentic self take a deep, dark turn??????
I look forward to going on more adventures with Cindy and the gang at Rumson U.
Go, Meri , Go!!

Meri's back and even more devious than before! The rivalry between her and Cindy is totally intense. And I love how Patty Camp psychoanalyzes everyone. Hilarious! Can't wait for the next book!

Just when poor beleaguered Cindy Bixby thinks it's safe to go back to her college sorority, after vanquishing uber-_itch Meri Sugarman in Apostolina's debut Hazing Meri Sugarman, Meri rises in Martha Stewart-like phoenix fashion to return to Rumson U. What devilish plans does Meri have for Cindy this time and how will Cindy fend her off? Readers absolutely do not have to read the books in order, since each stands alone, but it is fun to do it that way. As for this reader, I can't wait for more adventures with Cindy and the sisters - good and evil - of Alpha Beta Delta.

MERI STRIKES BACK is a continuation of the story introduced in Hazing Meri Sugarman. Meri Sugarman, evil sorority president whose downfall was brought about by Cindy Bixby and her friends, is back. Criminal charges against her amounted to nothing but a few hours of community service to be done. This time around, Cindy is being set up so that her sorority sisters will think she's the crazy one, instead of psychopath Meri.

Meri's not alone this time, either. Even though her old vice-president, Gloria, is in prison, Meri has gotten the help of some evil Catholic schoolgirls--miniature Meri Sugarmans. With their help, Meri's plan is working. Everyone sees Meri as the victim, and Cindy as the crazy girl who just won't forgive poor, apologetic Meri Sugarman. Only Cindy knows the truth, and she's got to convince her friends, the Dean of the college, and the rest of Alpha Beta Delta that Meri's just as dangerous as she ever was.

Readers of Hazing Meri Sugarman will love its sequel! It might be even more hilarious than book number one. The great characters are back as well. The only reason this book might not live up to the very high expectations set by the first book is the ending. MERI STRIKES BACK ends in a way that is very obviously setting it up for a continuation. Cindy's last diary entry hardly wraps up any loose ends, and even creates several more questions. Certainly, I'm glad there will be another story, but it would be nice if each book was also a story in itself, not just a continuation of one long story. Hazing Meri Sugarman stands on its own very well, but this novel, unfortunately, does not.

Still, though, it's a great read that is not to be missed! It's not entirely necessary to have read Hazing Meri Sugarman first, though it is recommended (certainly don't read that one after reading this one; there are a lot of spoilers). MERI STRIKES BACK is a fairly quick read that will have readers anxious for the next book about Meri and Cindy, Dark Cindy.

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

As other reviewers have recounted, it is difficult to read this book without shedding tears. It's a marvelous story of a Russian village's return to church. The story is sweet without being cloying, the historical context is spot on (yes, Communists destroy churches, kill priests, and imprison believers), and the iconographic illustrations are nearly divine.

But--the author betrays on one page an unfortunate ignorance about Orthodox Christian worship, especially in traditional Orthodox cultures such as Russia. She has the people waiting patiently in the church for something to happen, and they are SITTING, and then the priest appears, walking down the AISLE.

There are no pews in an Orthodox church hewing to the traditional mode of worship, as would no doubt be the case in Russia.

Still, the book is wonderful and worth getting and giving for Christmas.

After reading the customer reviews, I ordered this book, which came, unfortunately, too late for either Western or Orthodox Christmas. But that doesn't mean it is NOT going to have primacy of place NEXT year!

The truth of the Bolshevik/Communist revolution, their COMPLETE dedication to the utter eradication of the Orthodox, Christian, Caucasian culture of Imperial Russia, is given in this book. (It is historical fact that the vast majority of the early Bolsheviks were 'ethnic foreigners' in Mother Russia; see Wilton's 'Last Days of the Romanovs' for a contemporary account.) This truth is clearly, beautifully laid out in the pictures of this book, which astoundingly can do what a GOOD work of children's literature always does- teach TRUTH.

Moreover, the miracle of a town utterly bowed down before the antichrist agenda of seventy years of Communist rule, springing to new life, is THE most joyous moment in the story. The miracle of the Incarnation in Bethlehem, is made manifest in the miracle of the 're-incarnation' of Christ within the hearts and souls of these simple Russian folk in the village, who can once again, 'worship God aright.' This book is SO much more than just a 'nice story'- it is a parable, a beacon for future generations, that the Church must 'never forget' that those who tried to kill Christ (either then, or nowadays in recent memory), can never succeed at their task, for indeed, "He is risen!" And lives within his faithful people always.

Marvellous book and illustration. It explains poignantly the truth of where "Santa Clause" originated. It is no tale. Saint Nicholas was a real ordinary man who became a great priest of God and Saint by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well for the glory of God.

Being a Russian Orthodox Christian and also first-generation born American, it was very touching to me. I loved it. It made me cry. A story of sadness that turns into great joy. Beautiful artwork!!!

Our family has read this book countless times, often at our children's request. The frustrating part is that both parents have yet to make it through the book without shedding tears! A touching book based on real-life experiences of people throughout the former Soviet Union, in a format eminently suitable for young children. Highly recommended.

The wonderful title of Gray Temple's book has a metaphoric and layered meaning for me, much like the earth's sediments, and indeed the magma just below the earth's crust is molten. So is Gray's conception of "soul" as earthy is it is rarefied and transcendent. As a nontraditional believer, atatvistic contrarian, and long-lapsed Episcopalian, I have a little trouble with some of the theory that underpins Gray's arguments, but his writing is so rich without being dense, his good humor so evident, his knowledge so extensive yet lightly carried, that I fall easily and completely under his spell and more than willingly suspend disbelief as he spins his always compelling narrative. He joins ranks with the Thomases Aquinas, Moore, and Merton as one of my favorite writers on religion, a writer who challenges and comfortably abrades my reasoning stones. His faith and simple decency shine through his intellect, and his picture of Jesus's duality is the most complete and coherent I have ever come across. I now only await his correlative monograph on the George W. Bush administration and Dante's Inferno.

Like one of Temple's best sermons, this is a message that one must sit with and ponder. Most of us have either observed or personally experienced what Temple describes-- an individual who undergoes a profound conversion, then becomes an artifically different person with an answer for every question and a judgmental or condescending attitude toward anyone who does not agree with them. This book will provide hope to those who have been turned off to institutional religion due to this attitude. For more traditional believers, there are many comments that could alienate them. However, if they will press on through the material that challenges their beliefs, the reader will find truth that can transform their relationship to God and to people who are different from them. Temple is also consistently fair in pointing out the risk of rigidity in all traditions-- from social activists to fundamentalists. This fairness and insight reveals that this work was not written by an elite ecclesiastic with an ax to grind, but rather by a person with deep faith and a pastor's heart. I highly recommend this book to all who will read it with an open mind-- and even more to those who need to have their certainties challenged.

I found Gray Temple's book The Molten Soul the smartest concise work on the history of Christianity I'd ever seen. It's the best explanation of religious conservatism in print, and it has wonderfully interesting things to say to readers who are not preoccupied with what Gray has set out as his main problem: what to do with their own or someone else's sudden religious conversion. Gray makes his points with brilliance and humor--he's a guy who keeps his Phi Beta Kappa key next to his Slim Jims.

Like one of Temple's best sermons, this is a message that one must sit with and ponder. Most of us have either observed or personally experienced what Temple describes-- an individual who undergoes a profound conversion, then becomes an artifically different person with an answer for every question and a judgmental or condescending attitude toward anyone who does not agree with them. This book will provide hope to those who have been turned off to institutional religion due to this attitude. For more traditional believers, there are many comments that could alienate them. However, if they will press on through the material that challenges their beliefs, the reader will find truth that can transform their relationship to God and to people who are different from them. Temple is also consistently fair in pointing out the risk of rigidity in all traditions-- from social activists to fundamentalists. This fairness and insight reveals that this work was not written by an elite ecclesiastic with an ax to grind, but rather by a person with deep faith and a pastor's heart. I highly recommend this book to all who will read it with an open mind-- and even more to those who need to have their certainties challenged.

The Molten Soul is Gray Temple's vivid metaphor for what happens to us Christians in our conversion moments, those times when we actually come face to face with God. With conversational warmth, Temple confronts the opportunities and problems presented by religious conversion through lenses of the Christian life, faith, doctrine, and community. He tackles questions that we all ask - such as, why are we so powerfully motivated by the fear of death and the dread of God? Once we allow God to get through enough of our defenses that we can visualize that a mutually loving, trusting, and lasting friendship is possible, what then? How do we keep our faith from ossifying into rigidity? As we encounter God's grace over and over again, how can we be spiritually ready to accept and use it to build a visionary Christian community? Where, indeed, can Job go to church?

In his foreword, theologian Walter Brueggemann writes, ". . . Temple urges `moltenness,' the process of being melted down, liquefied, rendered supple and open for new congealing that must not be too firm or full, but that readies the soul, in good gospel fashion, for the next melting that is the good work of God." Temple is a theologian, a preacher, and a priest - he meets his readers on all of these levels as he prods us to stay molten as individuals and as community. The Molten Soul makes righteousness meaningful for today. I'll be reading this book more than once.

I have been photographing a Monarch metamorphosis and looking at many books - this one is by far THE BEST!

Anyone who opens its covers...children, teachers, parents... agrees that award winning MONARCH MAGIC is one of the best resources for Monarch Butterfly enthusiasts. The full color photographs are outstanding. The text was originally reviewed by the honored Dr. Lincoln Brower, the country's most well-known authority on monarch butterflies and habitat preservation. I highly recommend MONARCH MAGIC for classrooms everywhere! My students LOVE it!

My second grade students loved this book! They were thrilled to have an autographed copy. The activities were age appropriate and fun follow up activities to support our study of the Monarch's lifecycle. We took photos of our butterflies and the kids thought that we should submit them so Lynn Rosenblatt could have them for her next book. Thanks for the great resource.

Monarch Magic has served my early childhood classroom well! We have found the pictures to be very captivating for the young learners, the crafts are great and easily adaptable for young children. I highly recommend this book to educators, the students instantly became interested in nature and excited to find and learn more about monarchs.

I am an educator. Speaking professionally, this is a book both the child and parent cannot put down. The pictures are amazing and the projects are extremely well conceived and easily accomplished at home or in the classroom. The history and explanations provided are extremely comprehensive, yet very easy to understand. I highly recommend this book to students, parents, and teachers.

This book is really a $50 book. I'm not sure why these people are asking $150 for it here. Anyway, this book is definitely worth owning. It has beautiful illustrations and is a smooth, easy read. Lots of good ideas.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1HTW4GY7MK4IG I have enjoyed using this book as a resource for parents and myself as an Early Intervention Specialist. It is very user friendly. It is not too intimidating for parents with a child that has been newly diagnosed with ASD.

Our son was recently diagnosed with ASD, and I have been reading constantly since then. A child psychologist told me that she felt this book was so important, she would buy it herself to give to parents who couldn't afford it. This is far and away the best book I've found to teach us how to communicate with our child. It is easy to read and offers actual instructions on how to help your child understand you and respond to you. It takes many principles from Greenspan's books and puts them into practice. I actually bought it from the NC Autism Society's bookstore and it was soooo much cheaper! (By the way, you can order online or over the phone from them.) I would highly recommend this book to any parent of a child with ASD.

I have always been pleased with resources from Hanen and this book is no exception. As both a pediatric speech-language pathologist and a mother of a wonderful toddler with autism I highly recommend this cutting edge, informative book. I love that the book takes our children's sensory preferences and interests into major consideration during interactions.
The book is clear and simple to follow.

The information on the internet regarding autism can be overwhelming and complex, even for the rare parent like myself who has been in the field for several years. The More Than Words program makes language and social skills acquisition enjoyable and manageable for parent and child. The parent does not need to add daily therapy to their already long "to do" list. Therapy is ongoing from morning till night during all of your interactions with your child. We should always have goals in mind, but the therapy is constant as long as the outlined principles in More Than Words are followed. Similar to a sensory diet. This is our children's communication diet. I also like that the pictures in the book are emotionally uplifting. It is not easy having a child with ASD but this book offers the parent a feeling of wellbeing and hope as they help their child climb the developmental ladder of language acquisition and social skills. Horray for Hanen. You've done it again!

This book was written for parents of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Written by a speech-language pathologist, this book provides a step-by-step program that trains parents to help children under the age of six learn to communicate through everyday activities. The chapters are divided into four color-coded levels of communication so parents can easily locate those strategies that are best for their child. The book contains a wealth of practical information, and the colorful illustrations positively depict a variety of communication activities. Please visit our website to obtain a copy of this valuable resource at the actual list price.