Language Arts Books

No fiction writer can afford to be without this book. I have used it for years and have placed much work because of it. Buy it now!

This book is invaluable to me as a writer; the many well-researched markets open up doors for me to send my writings; I've never found anything not to be true in this handbook. I'd urge all writers and would-be writers to purchase this valuable guide.

The fiction writer's ultimate resource is celebrating its 25th year in print. The writing opportunities within the 500+ pages cover everything from contests to book publishers.

The complete market list includes:

* Small Circulation Magazines
* Online Markets
* Consumer Magazines
* Book Publishers
* Contests and Awards
* Conferences and Workshops

One of the most informative sections of the book is "The Business of Fiction Writing." These nine pages show you exactly how to approach the various markets and offer sample cover letters and queries.

You also get writing help from authors like Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ford, interviews with authors like Big Fish's Daniel Wallace and specific tips for romance, mystery and science fiction writers.

What makes this annual guide a must year after year are the hundreds of pages of listings. Contact info, market needs, submission terms, pay rates and so much more valuable information are updated every year. You could spend an entire year trying to locate a fraction of these potential homes for your work on your own or you can get the current year's guide and focus on your writing.

I found this book to be just what I needed for agent info/for submission info. And the interviews with writers/publishers were really informative. It's a road map book for writers & there's nothing like having a map to follow!

If you are a writer, you should definetely get this book. It shows you everything. Where the publishers are, what consumer magazines want your stories, where the literary agents are, and even some helpful words from accomplished author's. This is a definite MUST READ and MUST BUY if you are a writer who deosn't wanna sit on your butt all day but want to get your stories out there.

We've used the Bob books, Diego phonics, Curious George phonics and by far this is the best "set" of books for my 4 year old boy. Each book focuses on a different phrase, so the repetition of certain words builds confidence.

The stickers have been a great reward system, for us. Generally I am selective about when using rewards - I'd prefer my son learn to read simply for the enjoyment of reading, and not for the sticker - but I have to say that stickers work! I volunteer for 1st & 2nd graders who are "behind" their classmates (something I really don't agree with in our public schools) and stickers motivate them to read, even at that age. It also becomes a quick way for them to see how many books they've read.

I commend the teacher who started this set, and hope more educators are able to put their real-life expertise out for parents like me!

We tried the BOB books in addition to tons of other early reading books and we were always disappointed! They were too hard or easy and not progressive. The stories were boring.

We started this series of Books while my daughter was in Kindergarten. She loved them!!! Earning a sticker every time she correctly read a story was a HUGE incentive because after 3 stickers she moved on to the next story! The repetition was incredibly helpful with word recognition and the comprehension questions are a great tool that we now do with every story we read! We read this series all summer long and now my daughter is in an advanced reading group in first grade! I recommend them to anyone who has a child with a basic sight word list.

My daughter who turned 3 in April loves this book; she received it as a gift last Christmas. It's 10 little books that pull out of clear plastic sleeves. She likes to pretend to read,and the way these stories are written and illustrated, it is very easy for her to do so. I just bought a couple more in the series; I hope they're as good.

I recommend this book to anyone with a child ready to read. It is a step by step phonics based system. Other books I've looked at have black and white pictures or boring stories. The colorful pictures add to the story and I often hear my son laughing while he reads even the simplest books. I have both sets that are in Level One, and both sets for Level two. I'm sure I will be purchasing Level Three.

My daughter LOVED this series!!! One comment though, the description has preschol readers as the reading level.. but actually the INDEPENDENT level is about a second grade level book. Nice pictures, easy text, graduated vocabulary, and high interest topics. I only wish they had MORE on the independent level than they do.

Now that I have purchased this one as well as Verismo, I have come to love this one even more. I again have many, many favorites and was very difficult to choose just one favorite! But, through reading more and more, I have found one to call my own!
Again, thank you Dech, for making my mind go deep inside my inner souls of souls, and realize the ways of our worlds. I
Love you my friend and I CANNOT wait to get my hands on Puppets mountain!

Decheonbae is a very good writer and he really knows his stuff. Iwas given this book for a gift now I buy this book to give to others!

Pearls of Justice seems to cover everything in a poetical way-life, dreams, and society. This is not your run of the mill poetry book! This is a book of reason and Justice for self and humanity, I am confident that Decheonbae is only going to higher levels in his next set of writing's but somehow I think he did it now. I can only be amazed of what this man do next because he is breaking all traditional barriers! I must say he is a challenging young indivisual with a extreme view on life and I am glad that I finally recieved my book! I must say like the others, this book is definetly 'something new and promissing"-this man got talent and from what I've been hearing "VERISMO" is a must have! I just want to say keep it up Decheonbae Jones, I can tell you have what it takes thus more.

Hello every one I am new to Decheonbae Jones poetry and must say he is a GOD in my book. You can not deny him and the treasure he posses in the meaning behind his works. I am a very shock on the way that he just jumps out on you and really explains the humanity of truth, I swear he is bonafide and gifted in the arts. My job seems so much easier now with his knowledge,I don't see how he can possibilty do better than VERISMO but if he do I will be there. "Hey DECHEONBAE if you write a novel what is it going to be about, I really want to know more of your mind!"

'Love it was robust..."

This is Poetry of an different style, Evil; but sacred genius of description- Possible but Known Humanity, Robust passions in a way of grains, Plus love of non-fictional-bless too beyond mistakes, My pattern yet they are lost into jeopardy- Perhaps I am of who you thought, So Behold I am in danger but Love was Pre-hemp too past tense then Rehearse of cause general, ... - By Decheonbae Thanks you Jones, ...

THE ONLY POET...-:!!!111,

The new book sooner than you think my love "PuppetsMountain,"

Decheonbae Jones- Welcome'

Hey everyone! Mr. Frank was my teacher last year and was a...GOOD teacher. And I haven't read the book yet but Mr. Frank is a great writer and all my friends read it and tell me it's great and very entertaining and educational!!! Mr. Frank is a great guy who's very nice and very talented and his book is great so I just sugest you buy it...IT'S MY RECOMENDATION! :D

Okay, you may not belive me , but Mr. frank was my sixth grade teacher. This was his first book and it took him ten yars to complete, it payed off well. This book is great for school students and even if your not one, you should still by this book NOW! If you read this review , Mr. STEVEN Frank it's comming from the kid Director in 7th grade.

A charming, funny, and thoroughly entertaining book on the craft of writing which is appropriate for students at the middle school level and above. Even grown-ups will find the book most enjoyable. Mr. Frank has many illustrative stories and annecdotes which make the book so worthwhile. A great tool in or out of the classroom.

A delightful book on writing which substantially raises the bar for all works in this field. It teaches, motivates, elevates, and entertains students. When I look at the sorry state of "approved" books in this subject and compare it to Mr. Frank's masterpiece, I feel we teachers need to cast our votes strongly in Mr. Frank's camp. Students cannot help but be inspired to write--and write well--with a text like this.

In addition to books about writing term papers and how to properly study, in THE PEN COMMANDMENTS, Steven Frank has written a guide for the novice prose writer. Other authors and experts have covered this topic, but Frank's book is one of the most accessible I have read. Full of common sense suggestions, easy-to-understand explanations, and a cogently organized process, the book is one to which every new writer should turn.

Drawing on his experience as a high school English teacher, the author walks the aspiring reader through all parts of the writing process. He's structured the book in the form of 10 Commandments (i.e. Thou shalt not Kill Thy Sentences; Thou Shalt Describe Thy World, Express Thy Opinions, and Preserve Thy Past; Thou Shalt Overcome Writer's Block; Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Writer's Prose). Humorously and in an engaging-sometimes laugh-out-loud-style, the author demystifies the writing process and makes it seem fun. Particularly useful are his suggestions for recommended reading and an appendix of the top ten grammar mistakes to avoid. The book is durably composed with no messy slip cover, and it's the perfect size for any novice to carry in a book-bag or purse.

Any new writer serious about exploring the world of writing should get thee to thy nearest book outlet, purchase this book, and read it from cover to cover. The few hours spent will be immensely worthwhile. Highly recommended. ~Lori L. Lake, author and freelance reviewer for Midwest Book Review, Golden Crown Literary Society's "The Crown," The Independent Gay Writer, and Just About Write.com.

This book arrived quickly and in an excellent condition. A wonderful and useful guide to teaching phonemic awareness to our youngest learners.

I am a new teacher and I am trying to build up a library of resources. I bought this book hoping it would be helpful. I am so glad I purchased it. The activities are simple and concise, but they were developed with the children in mind. They will enrich your higher kids and strengthen your lower readers. Great for Kindergarten to intro basic phonics, super for first grade!! They will be fun to use in the classroom. The book is also FULL of information about phonics and linguistics. Do not hesitate purchasing this book.

If you are teaching kindergarten through second grade, you must have this and use it in your classroom. It has activities that covers every area of phonemic awareness. It gives you many activities for each section so your children will never get bored with your lessons. Uses all modalities. I can't say enough good things about this book.

This is a great book to use with prek students as well as kindergarten and first graders. The lesson plans are there to use as is or to be modified to fit the needs of your students.

I have found this book wonderful. It brings us tools to teach phonemic awareness to children that are struggling readers. It has a lot of activities they like and step by step are taking them to the beautiful world readers have.
This book is a must for every teacher!

I ordered this for my son who just graduated Kindergarten. He has a lot of difficulty writing his letters on the lines, in porportion to each other, printing them correctly.. I actually don't think they taught him any of the actual procedure of printing correctly in Kindergarten (not even how to hold a pencil!! Anything I tried to teach him was de-taught at school the next day) so I bought this to work with him over the summer. One week in and he has not complained once about doing 10 - 15 minutes of writing out of this book where as during the school year it was like a major war to just get him to write one word! There are a lot of 'printing games' in this book which help to make it funner for him. I am hoping by the time the summer is over he has a better grasp on his printing skills. So far - so good! Like one other reviewer stated, the lines are solid and are not created the same as primary writing paper lines that preschool - first grade are taught on, but my son can see how it translates to it and there is no issue for him to go from writing in the tablet to writing on primary paper. I never thought I would see my son actually WANTING to practice his writing. Hooray!

These books build writing skills step by step. They are great for beginners and more advanced learners.

This helps your kids learn how to make letters the proper way. No frustration. Great program!

I thought my 7 yo might have dislexia, he had so many letter reversals, but after only a month using HWT, the improvement is amazing! He really enjoys his handwriting time now, and often does more than one lesson a day. I think he has discovered he is good at handwriting, and it is truely motivating him to improve even more. I only wish we had started with this program!

I bought this book to help my son with his poor penmanship and to prepare my younger son for cursive writing. This book is wonderful and has really improved my son's penmanship. I have also purchased the cursive writing for grades 2 and 3 so we're ready when the time comes!

After my third client remarked, "the Boice book is what got me through my dissertation," I knew I had to read Professors As Writers. As an academic coach, I work with professors by telephone to accelerate their rate of writing and publishing. In this guide, Boise gives detailed suggestions on how to manage the primary challenge faced by my clients - a lack of external structure to support regular writing. He also addresses the crucial (but often overlooked) issue of how to build social support for academic writing and publishing. Academics who have wished their appointments came with a set of clear instructions on how to write easily and productively will appreciate what Boise offers in this book.

If you are writing a dissertation, thesis, or engaged in other regular academic (or other writing) writing this book is a must read. Boice's sage advice is based on years of experience with and (yes, empirical evidence) research on helping academicians produce necessary writing -- regularly. He includes self-assessment questionnaire on writer's block that enables you to target your areas of strength and weakness so you can focus on exactly the areas that hinder your progress. The book is short (180 pp including excellent anotated bibliography). He answers the agonizing questions about why you don't write when you want to and desperately need to write. He discusses, in clear, concise detail, the phenomenology of writing problems, while providing both short- and long-term strategies for ensuring writing productivity that are actually do-able. His writing style is easy, conversational and reassuring. He takes you through his actual consultation process, session by session (a rare insight and a true bargin). Simply stated, the book is just great.

This book is fantastic. Just when I thought I'd read it all, I stumbled across this book while surfing the Internet. It is by far the best book I've ever come across to help someone overcome procrastination or any other writing "problem."

The first chapter is a bit overly academic in tone, but the rest is down-to-earth. He does an exceptional job discussing free-writing and clustering; and then he goes on to give further advice regarding how to manage your social and environmental situation to encourage your productivity. His advice works very well -- and it is not just for academic writers.

This is one of the best books out there for academics who need help getting themselves to write. I'm a clinical psychologist who coaches faculty, post-docs and grad students, and this is one of the first books I recommend. Almost all of Boice's prolific body of work is useful - and his suggestions, both in books and journal articles, are backed up by research - this makes his contributions unique in the genre of self-help books for academics.

Face it, all of us academics would like to think that someday a muse will descend upon us and infuse us with the capability to write the great work in our field without self-doubt, procrastination, etc. Boice shows empirical evidence that demonstrates these hopes are in vain (which is no big surprise to anyone), but even better, he provides the solution: writing is like physical exercise--the more you do it, the easier and more pleasant it becomes--if you write a little bit every day, even if you think it's pointless, at the end of a six month period, you will have 150 pages of writing to edit. It makes sense and it works. He even talks about reasons that people want to resist this truth, and how to trick yourself out of your writer's block. Grad students especially should benefit from the strategies he suggests.

REA's Handbook of English Grammar, Style, and Writing (Reference) This is a very good book for anyone needing a brush up on English grammar and writing, or someone in school needing a reference manual. It breaks the sentences down and helps you through with exercises in each chapter. I really enjoyed studying with it and will keep it by my computer when I am doing medical transcription for proper usage of punctuation marks.

This book is very comprehensive..... I highly recommend it for those who are studying English.

I found this book to be the perfect reference guide for basic English grammar, style, and writing skills. Its concise presentation and well organized approach to the rules of English grammar make this book a pleasure to use. The numerous written examples used in the book to illustrate the various grammatical and stylistic rules were very straightforward and clear, allowing readers to immediately incorporate these rules into their own writing. I recommend this handbook to anyone seeking to learn the important fundamentals or refresh their knowledge of English grammar and writing style.

This book was very informative and helpful.

I liked the book, all of the lessons were easy and acceptable including exams - I'm very happy to have found this book - thank you for the refresher course!

I like this book, along with part 2 as well. The answers are in the back for self study, and the pace is quick, but the vocab comes slow so you can keep up with the grammar without getting slowed down by a ton of vocab. It takes a little while to come to the verbs but when it does, it really does. There are plenty of exercises, and there are entire chapters dedicated to review. I really liked Athenaze. However, it's slow moving for someone who already knows the linguistic jargon that comes with learning a classical language. So, overall, I thought this book to be better.

Homeric vs. Athenaze:
1. Faster pace with less vocab intake (in the beginning). Athenaze: very
slow pace with lots of vocab throughout.
2. Primer for Homeric epics. Athenaze: a little of everything.
3. Answers are in the back. Athenaze: I'm not sure about the latest
edition but there was a 3rd book, which was an answer key.
4. The entire 1st year comes in one book (unlike Athenaze).
5. There is a 2nd book that is a reader for a part of the Odyssey.
6. The pace in general is just different; I like it.

Having just finished Book 1, and begun Book 2, I can say without a doubt that it was primarily this text that enabled me to make the progress I have. I have examined both this series, and the Athenaze, and would very much recommend this one, not becuase it is better, per se, but because it is more rewarding. Indeed, I have finished just one year of a language, and can already read one of its most famous authors! To a highschool student who has already taken 5 years of another language, and still cannot read classic Spanish literature for want of elevated course rapidity, this is astounding. I will say that this pace does require some level of devotion. There were times (around sections 25-30, and again at sections 50-60) when I was convinced that I could go no further. Yet, I have made it to Book 2, and say that anyone else can as well, just so long as they put the work into it, persevere, and occasionally can talk to a good tutor. This last point is really the key. I find this text far more useful than the Athenaze, but I must also relate that, as with any language, it is best to learn it at least partly from one relatively "fluent" in it. A tutor is a must for almost all. With that said though, I will restate the fact that this is a wonderful and rewarding text to study from, and one that will undoubtedly amaze any who would never consider themselves able to read ancient Greek. Just give it a try--as long as you stick to it, you will eventually succeed.

This excellent 3rd edition, including some well-chosen revisions and supplements, retains all the advantages of Schoder and Horrigan's measured approach while improving typography and readability, expanding the (extra-Homer) readings, and speaking more clearly to the preparation-deprived student of our time (earlier editions pretty much took for granted conceptual understanding of grammar and syntax). The book's pace is excellent and so is its well-phased introduction of new concepts as the student progresses. Self-correcting exercises are also included for the first time. Selections from the Odyssey begin halfway through the book, after the student has acquired sufficient knowledge and cultural background to appreciate them.
Highly recommended. I hope that Collins Edwards, the reviser, is even now working on Book 2, last republished (2nd edition) in 1986.

"A Reading Course in Homeric Greek" is a wonderfully-written text, filled with warmth and wisdom. This is a key to the genetic code of Western Civilization!

If you want to read ancient texts in Greek, the best way, now pleasantly-surprisingly feasible with this book, is to start in Homer (however many individuals you believe actually composed the works under that name). I say this for two reasons:

1. Literarily, Homer's works function in almost all ancient Greek and Roman literature in the same way that the King James Bible and Shakespeare's works function in English literature.

2. Linguistically, it's always easier to go forward in time through linguistic changes than to go backward. English speakers today have to work at first to get the right feel for Shakespeare's English, and even the later ancient Greeks (after the time of Alexander the Great) depended on their scholars to explain "difficult" parts of Homer's language for them.

This textbook is good. It rewards you with frequent, and real, accomplishment at each step. However, if you're a complete beginner in Greek who has never "declined" nouns and adjectives in any other language, you'll get much better results by taking a class based on this book or else by meeting frequently with a qualified private tutor. If you are comfortable declining nouns, and you are able to teach yourself a language efficiently, you can profitably work through this book on your own.

Fantastic, helpful book. It includes many wonderful ideas for improving my students retention and comprehension of reading materials. The book contains many graphic organizers that are clever, up-to date and adaptable to any grade level or ability. Some of the instructions on the use of the graphic organizers are vague, however, they can be self explanatory once looked over. I would and will recommend this book to my fellow teachers, as I recommend it to potential buyers.

Unlike other books that just give you graphic organizers without the reason or strategy behind it, this book shows how and why to use the great reproducibles. She also tells how teachers should initiate a retelling or get kids to revisit the text. Her techniques are much like what I learned in my literature-based course but she gives a simple format to use instead of me having to think of my own. These reproducibles can be done with any age and are great to use where certain children have weaknesses. I highly recommend this book! This is not a book that will be stuck in a shelf! I have many great resource books that are almost a necessity but for a majority of the time I never touch them. I have used this book time and time again with great success!

This book is an easy supplement to any Language Arts lesson. Linda Hoyt describes each activity in a very no nonsense way. She tells you exactly how to use a lesson, the objective and provides a template. Why invent the wheel when you have a book like this? I keep it on my desk at all times!

I went to Linda's workshop that went along with this book and I left with more ideas than I have ever gotten in any workshop or college course!! This book is a must have for any elementary teacher, elem. student parent, any Special ed teacher or ESL teacher. I keep the book and my notes right next to my lesson plans. The ideas for reading comprehension are so creative and a wonderful escape for learning from pencil and paper questions.

This book contains an incredible amount of useful information and ready to use strategy sheets for students. Includes wonderful pre, during, and post reading strategies to help students with their comprehension. Also includes great student self-assessment sheets. Extremely easy to use for teachers! Highly recommended!