Language Arts Books

Being a former student of Dr. Cerutti's, I am a little biased. But I took the class to which he refers in his text, and it was even funnier than the book itself. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as did some of my colleagues who also read it. I remember the day he wrote a big "FA" on the board and then proceeded to lecture away, just as he did in the chapter on "fa" and "pha". Overall, a very pleasant adaptation of his class.

Cerutti's previous books have all been Greek to me but this one was written in the universal language of humor, making it accessible even to those of us who are not classicists! This book will teach you about the origins of words and expressions we use every day as well as Greek and Roman mythology. Best of all, you'll laugh your [...] off through the whole thing (and you'll probably blush a bit too). Cerutti's WORDS is for anyone who is educated, who wants to become educated, who wants to appear educated, or who wants to laugh at others who think they're educated. I'm hoping for a sequel!

I greatly enjoyed this book as an introduction to the ancestry of English. It is a fun read and has some really funny stories about word origins.

I bought this book on a tip from a friend who said it helped her hugely on the verbal portion of the GRE, plus she said it was the funniest thing she had ever read. I am getting ready to take the SAT so I read it and she was right! This book makes understanding words not only easy, but fun, too! The author is a great storyteller, and knowing the stories behind the words helps you remember what they mean much better than memorizing flashcards. This book actually makes you feel smarter. I plan to read it again right before I take the test! Wish me luck! But with Cerutti's Words of the Day under my belt, I know I'll do fine.

This book takes you on a roller-coaster ride through the classical origins of the English language from page one! Cerutti has a feel for Greek and Roman mythology that I've never encountered before, and I was a classics major as an undergrad! I learned more about the classical world from reading this book than I did in college. And it's extremely funny! Try "Homer meets Andrew Dice Clay!" I found myself laughing out loud dozens of times. Chapter five, on the sexual exploits of Apollo is worth the price of the book alone. This book would make an excellent gift for anyone with a healthy sense of humor and a keen interest in words--even the "naughty" ones. This book rocks!

I have been teaching for 8 years and love all the Words Their Way books. They help me teach spelling at my students instructional level. Love it!!!

This is one of the best book I've purchase to teach my daughter.
Each page is simple as I wanted and has enough activities with good key points.

This book is easy to use right away and very practical. A must have for K-2!

I've used Words Their Way for the last year and loved the strategies. This particular book gives lots more sorts for spellers in the letter name/ alphabetic spelling stage. It includes consonant blends and diagraphs as well as more short vowel sorts. These hands on materials have been a great help to me in teaching my mildly disabled elementary students, but all the regular lower grade teachers at my school are raving, and using these great strategies and materials.

This is a great resource for first and second grade teachers. Many of the skills addressed are those encountered in your classroom daily. Great companion to Words Their Way, and to offer a hands on opportunity for phonics, spelling and decoding words.

your work is inspirational & maybe a little provocative & that's good. I would suggest that it is not only suitable for writers but also for laymen like me as I have always enjoyed perusing through books of quotations and proverbs.

This book is the aspiring writers' equivalent of AA's "24 Hours a Day"!

Whenever I have a mental block, I simply draw inspiration from Greg's fabulous literary collection. There is something for every moment of every day. No matter where you are up to with your own writing.

Filled with clever quips, bits of advice and inspiration, this book is not just for authors or wannabes, but for any literary minded person. While I can imagine its potential as a daily calendar-page format, I enjoy the book format as I like reading days' worth of wonderful quotes at a sitting. There is also a helpful index of people quoted (Mark Twain is a special joy). From poets to philosophers to presidents, as well as authors, there is something for everyone.

I am an Australian author of several books and have greatly enjoyed reading Greg Babic's wonderful selection of quotations. They are proving a source of wisdom and excitement to me in my own current writings. The quotations are ingeniously arranged under three stages of the writing process and should prove of great help to many other budding authors. Thank you, Greg!

Fred Argy
AM, OBE, MEC, Hon. Doctor, University of Sydney
Visiting Fellow, Australian National University

What a fantastic book!! This book is full of useful, interesting and sometimes provocative quotes, that not only inspire writers, but anyone who has one of those mental block moments.

I am certain that everyone will find something in this book to get them through the day - students, teachers, writers, professionals - everytime you get a blank, this book will provide you with a quote to get over your block and keep on going.

A truly great book and a must to have!!

I purchased the book for my husband. He is a High School English/Journalism teacher. He really wanted to have it on hand for school.

This is a great book that explains how students learn new words and build their vocabulary. It gives you strategies that will allow students to hold onto what they learn and begin to use new vocabulary in their everyday language. Excellent for professional development.

An excellent resource for all teachers. There are lots of ideas to help activate students background knowledge. There are ideas to teach context clues, words walls, prefixes, suffixes, and roots.

My favorite section was an idea on how to use alphabet books with older students. I plan to incorporate this lesson in my classroom.

All teachers should buy this book. This is also a great book for a professional book study.

Regardless if you are teaching elementary school or middle school, you have students in your classroom who are poor readers and writers. Janet Allen's book -- all of them, for that matter -- are comprehensive guides to providing tips and strategies on how to assist them to "own their learning." So many pages of this book are folded down, as a means to remind me to use the strategy in my own classroom. Her book recommendations are also very handy, especially when you want to model different instructional strategies on learning new vocabulary while reading.

I can't say enough about this book and the rest of Allen's books without sounding like I am repeating myself. As an educator, I value good books that help me to become a better teacher -- this is such a book. You will not be disappointed.

Janet Allen has done a terrific job of blending theory with practice. Taking the last twenty years of research on vocabulary, Allen synthesizes the major guiding principles and illustrates a variety of strategies for helping students to acquire and develop vocabulary. As always, Allen writes in a clear, reader-friendly, no-nonsense style--a refreshing change from many of the language arts books in the field. As a reading specialist for the past twenty years, I highly recommend her new book.

The Write Answer is a fabulous tool for teaching various language arts and literacy skills. Although the recommended grades for use is grades 4-8, it can be easily modified for primary grades as well. As a classroom teacher in Chicago, this book has served as a beneficial way to teach across the varied abilities and learning styles of my students. It offers great ideas too! This is one book that every teacher needs to have in their resource teaching library!

This is an excellent resource for middle school Language Arts classrooms. I found many lesson plans that helped teach the 6 Trait Rubric to my students. The lessons in this book were also aligned with my district's curriculum.

A great resource for language arts teachers. Full of creative ideas to bring your curriculum to life!

the curriculum dept. in our school district distributed a half a dozen copies of The Write Answer to middle school teachers. Their general impress after using the book for a semester was that it had many fine ideas and provided them an easy way to plug in ready to use lesson plans.

I thought that the Write Answer was an excellent source of ideas for teachers who are looking for that learning edge in the classroom! A must for TE students as well who are looking for ideas to include in their own lesson plans!

I read the second edition of this wonderful book in preparation for creating a user guide for a software program based on its principles. The book was so effective I used the techniques in it to write the guide. Murray's method actually addresses the creative process, rather than the usual "find a quiet well-lit room and have plenty of paper handy" type of writing advice. Before you know it, you're drawn into trying his techniques and they work

Author, Donald M, Murray, practices what he teaches: he writes with a singular voice. I could picture him talking to me in an earnest, friendly way.
I liked the way he led us through his process of writing an article about his grandmother. I also enjoyed reading drafts of his students writings and their finished, successful product. I was enticed to keep reading and therefore learning.
The book has widespread application. My nephew, a college professor, used this as his favorite textbook, yet I adapted the information easily for younger students. It works for both enthusiastic or reticent writers.
I was going to purchase a later edition at our local college bookstore, but found the topics written about were too controversial for my taste and too adult for me to use to teach younger students.
"Write to Learn", 2nd edition, is more than a textbook. It is a LIVING book!

Anyone who is serious about becoming a writer, non-fiction or fiction, should get this book, write in it, highlight the points and study it like they are taking his course.
He starts you out with writing to yourself. Then takes you through each step of the process of preparing what you wrote for the reader.
Murray talks to you like are sitting in front of you. You feel like he can hear your questions, answers them, and then shows you what he is talking about.
The most important part of the whole book is Chapter 9, "'Read' as a Writer". He analyzes today's writers as a writer, a major step to really understanding the craft.
Other writing books tell you about practice sessions, structure, and voice. Murray shows you how to do the work.
Yes it is a very...book, but weather it is a textbook or not, it is a book of valuable information for those of us who can't work at the Boston Globe or go to Harvard--yet our passion to write is very real.

Possibly written as a college text, Write To Learn is for every adult writer, and for teachers working with children, adults, beginning and advanced writers alike. The daunting, mysterious process of writing successful texts in many genres is presented in easy-to-follow steps with short examples. The book is specific, detailed, based on actual writers' struggles, thankfully short, and worth every dollar. I left this book with the feeling that writing is fun and for everyone.

I read this book for a college english class. We used the book for its every facet, and I got a lot out of it. The book is divided into chapter like sections that made the writing process seem less complicated. His personal writing style appealed to me as I read through the chapters on the begining of the writing process. I recomend this book to anyone with the urge to become a better, more creative, writer, and to anyone with the money to do so. This book is a small paper back...i don't understand the price ($35.00!).

I have developed a life-long habit of taking notes of every book I read. My bookmark is a blank piece of paper on which I write things of interest that strike me as I read along. Within a couple of pages of "The Handbook" I stopped taking notes. If I had continued, I would have had as many pages of notes as the book is long. This book is jam packed with very useful information for those thinking of a career as a magazine writer. I have just begun working in this field, and I must say that there is not an area not covered by the 56 contributors to this work. This is like a college course that instructs you on how to find ideas for articles, how to write a great query letter, the dollars and cents of running your own free-lance business, researching, interviewing, developing a style, it is all-inclusive. If you have thoughts of becoming a magazine writer, you can cut out a lot of the uncertainty, stress, waste motions, and rejections of this business by studying this book. I daresay I'll be turning to this handbook on at least a weekly basis. Thank you to the editor and contributors for a job very well done.

The information covers the entire non-fiction magazine market, not just journalism. Includes the best ways to break into freelancing, and compares small and large markets. Creating a niche for yourself versus generalizing is also covered. Some writing tips are offered, as well, but the focus is on selling your work.

I am very pleased with this book, and I recommend it.

I had to purchase this for an online writing course. I didn't expect much. I have read about half a dozen other books on magazine writing that weren't required reading. But this book is really solid and doesn't meander aimlessly, like a couple others I've read. I'd first recommend Jenna Glatzer's book, but this is a good addition to your writing reference shelf.

The "Writer's Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing" takes information from a wide variety of highly successful freelance writers and edits it together into a seamless instructional manual. It starts off with a discussion of finding ideas that addresses more than inspiration--it delves into methods to find topics that will sell. "Querying" and "Finding Markets" teach you to pick markets for your work and get assignments from them. "Selling Reprints and Rewrites" and "Business and Rights-Related Issues" help you to understand what your work is worth to whom, and how to make sure it remains worth as much as possible to you.

"Researching" and "Interviewing" get you through the information-gathering phase, which can take longer than the actual writing. "Avoiding Problems" helps you to avoid accidental plagiarism and similar legal problems. "Writing Techniques and Revision" deals with general issues of writing magazine articles, while "How to Write Common Articles" delves into specifics on article types such as profiles, roundups, how-to articles, service journalism, art-of-living articles, and even pieces for children's magazines. "Working With an Editor" shepherds you through the relationships that will make or break your career.

Because the book gets into so many specifics (there's even a sidebar on writing book reviews!) regarding particular article types and so on, you're likely to find it useful even if you've already done some magazine freelancing. It's so helpful to know all the little rules of thumb and instructions regarding different types of articles, not to mention what editors are looking for and get the least of in their submission piles.

The chapter on working with editors presents particularly valuable information in a remarkably even-handed and balanced format. It presents a number of ways to maintain a good relationship with your editor, and these tips are useful and specific. A "damage control" section is included, since everyone runs into trouble now and then despite the best of intentions. There's information on "problem editors" to watch out for and how to best work with (or avoid) them, as well as types of writers that editors hate to find themselves working with and how you can avoid being one of these writers.

Quotes from freelancers and editors liven things up and bring a personal touch to the book. Clear, bulleted lists of helpful points are balanced by enough detail to make sure that you can figure out what you're doing in specific circumstances. The information presented is broad enough to be applicable to any sort of magazine freelancer, and specific enough to be applicable to every sort of magazine freelancer.

This book gave me even more valuable information than I anticipated. I recommend it for anyone who may want to write and get published in magazines.

I bought this book years ago because I love stories set in the Medieval and Renaissance periods. What I loved about this book, is that it helped me to get a wide variety of information in short period of time. It provides information about clothing, food, money, the law, and royalty. I used it to create a 30 page story in college.

Because of the amount of information, as well as bibliographical listings for you to expand upon your research, it makes a great reference when you are writing a story set in this period. If you are writing a novel or a feature-length screenplay, you'll need more information than is covered in this book, but for a short story or to supplement information that you have, it is fabulous. You can also use it when you have no idea where to begin your research. The bibliographies are designed so that you can find out information on a specific subject quickly rather than researching the whole period in general.

If your interest in the Renaissance centers on 16th century England, then this book's for you. With chapters arranged by broad subjects, such as Everyday Life, Government and War, and Society, it's easy to locate topics. If you are looking for a quick reference tool specific to the English Renaissance, this book belongs in your collection

Most Americans who would be interested in such things, after all, have probably visited a Colonial reconstruction (like Williamsburg) at some point, and seen the artifacts of the period up close and personal, so it doesn't matter too much that the volume this series offers about Colonial America isn't too well supplied with pictures. But visual recreations of Elizabethiana are thinner on the ground, and it would have helped to have been able to see something of the objects described (I had to haul out one of my costume references to comprehend the description of Anne Boleyn's trademark headdress, for example). That much said, the book is packed with useful information ranging from plots against the Virgin Queen to how much things cost to education, language (including the Scots dialect), and witchcraft. And it offers sizeable bibliographies of other books to seek out in connection with various specialized subjects. On balance, I have to say that I got a lot out of it, and would recommend it as a good jumping-off place for students as well as writers.

The Writer's Guide to Renaissance England is a fantastic resource for everything to Elizabethan clothing, to what they ate, what they believed in and anything you need to research an aspect of English Renaissance culture. It's descriptive, thoural, and extreemely helpful.

Not just for writers, but historians, hobbyists, and anyone interested in the small details of life in other times. This volume, like the others in the series, includes chapters (with figures and illustrations) on food, clothing, family life, work, education, religion, leisure activities, social and political history, etc. Great for browsing, great for research. Recommended.

Every year in December I read a creativity book and take as much time as I can to rejuvinate my creative soul and decide what projects I want to focus on in the coming year. Last year I read A Writer's Paris and this year I read A Writer's San Francisco. Both books are wonderful, inspirational texts that will help any writer find creative energy and meaning through their work. The first book made me want to get out and travel the world, using the opportunity to hone my senses and gather new experiences for my writing. It was wonderful, as far as that goes, but I don't generally have the money to fly off to Paris for a month, or even a week, to feed my creative soul. You can tell Maisel lives in San Francisco, while he himself has been only a tourist in Paris, because the second book brings writing home. It makes you appreciate your own home town, even if it's not as artist-friendly as San Francisco, and it offers an illuminating look inside a successful writer's daily life with out the rules and regulations so often laid out in "a writer's life" type of book. Recommended for all aspiring, struggling, and successful writers.

Armistead Maupin's fictional tales of the city are one long love letter to San Francisco ... and here is why. A must have book for al writers who plan to visit the Bay Area.

From Bernal Hill to Washington Square Park, Alcatraz Island to the West Portal Tunnel, Eric Maisel has traveled physically and metaphorically, and in this beautiful new book, he gives the reader a guided tour of heart, soul, and place.

The physical book is stunningly beautiful. Paul Madonna's colorful drawings of buildings, streets, interiors, and still-life scenes add amazing depth to the narrative. A center foldout shows a typically hilly San Francisco street full of narrow houses and flats with a view to the Golden Gate Bridge. Quotations by Imogen Cunningham, Dylan Thomas, Mark, Twain, and Oscar Wilde on the reverse side attest to the strength and attractions of the city.

Those who have followed Maisel's career, read his books on writing, received his frequent newsletters, and participated in his creativity workshops will be further entranced by this book of reflections, memories, and wise observations, but any author or artist who has fallen in love with a city - or, indeed, any place - will find this "Guided Journey of the Creative Soul" irresistible. Highly recommended. ~Lori L. Lake, Midwest Book Review

I just finished reading A Writer's San Francisco and I'll be buying extra copies to give as gifts. I think this one is even better than A Writer's Paris (which BTW was also very good). With A Writer's San Francisco, Eric Maisel manages to weave history, his personal connections to the city and the best of his creativity coaching lessons together into a delicious mix. The wonderful illustrations by Paul Madonna were paired with the essays to compliment them perfectly.
A Writer's Paris made me consider it viable to go to Paris for a writing vacation. A Writer's San Francisco is even bigger than that--it's a writer writing for writers and revealing why it's important to write, how connection to place and events can be so meaningful and rich, and how non-fiction essays can be creative and satisfying.
This really is a great idea--I can hardly wait to read the next city that Maisel profiles from his unique perspective and writer's experience.

I opened the book randomly to page 33, where the first line of the chapter read, "For a year I dated a schizophrenic poet-- let's call her Carol."

This is a travel guide?!

This essay was about a woman who hallucinated roses and poked strangers in the midriff and ended up institutionalized for some time, but who also wrote and recited poetry when she was "sane." And at one reading, a woman came up to her and said, "You are a real poet." It's the validation every writer craves, and it's the theme of this essay. Sure, the setting is San Francisco, but this is no "You must see this fine little café with the lovely murals" guide.

Having been drawn in by this essay, I flipped back to the first page and began reading. It's even more of a niche book than I imagined. It's written for nonreligious Democrat novelists who consider themselves "artists" and love San Francisco. I am precisely none of these things.

Considering how far out of his target market I am, I probably shouldn't have enjoyed this book. But I did. I enjoyed it despite wanting to toss mackerel at his kneecaps a few times. I enjoyed it partly because of that, maybe. What really matters, above all else, is that he's writing about the lives of writers. And even if I roll my eyes at the idea of "artistes" in coffee houses, we're going to have a lot in common.

The experience of walking into a bookstore and finding out someone else has already written the book you were planning to write, for instance. Trying to write even through tragedy and pressures. Missing a fabulous writing opportunity because you were in the wrong place at the right time. Blowing your first public speaking engagement in support of your book. Having conversations about the meanings of words like "haberdashery."

There are brilliant sentences and paragraphs here, things you'll wish you wrote. There are experiences you'll "get" even if you've never had them. This is part of the brotherhood and sisterhood of writers. The part that believes, regardless of what we write and where we live and what demographic boxes we check on subscription forms, that the merits of our work are still important. That those who try to belittle the craft should have their noses rearranged. That writing matters.

An excellent book full of tips, commonsense and reassurance. At times reading it is like talking to a Dutch Uncle. I highly recommend it. Ms Simon touches all the highs and lows a beginning or even experienced writer has undergone. Get it, read it, savour and recommend it.

Finally, a book about the psychological barriers which writers create and attempt to overcome in the holy pursuit of the word. A great instructive and inspirational book for novice writers.

The Writer's Survival Guide fills a much-needed gap in the marketplace. Inspiring and comprehensive, it details every aspect of the writing life - emotional, creative, practical and professional. What's more, it provides effective solutions to many of the difficulties writers encounter. On top of all that, it's an entertaining and absorbing read - humorous, poignant and universal in its treatment of the subject matter. It is a book every writer should have in his or her library. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

I found this title at the bookstore and felt I must have it. My instincts were correct. As a new writer, I have all these issues to deal with, issues I probably wouldn't have if I had never written a story, such as insecurity, worry about someone stealing your story, finding time and place to write, etc. Her book is definitely easy-reading and affirming. Reading this book was like having a mentor, guiding me through the walks of the writer's life. I highly recommend this to all novice writers.

Most writing books try to be heavy on practical stuff--these three steps to pull yourself out of a funk. These five steps to bolster your confidence. Try one of these six things when you're suffering from writer's block. In contrast, "The Writer's Survival Guide" is rather "soft," or abstract. Yet this in no way prevents it from being helpful!

This book covers issues I haven't seen dealt with anywhere else. Where else can you find out how your friends are likely to react--good and bad--when you get your book published, and how to cope with that? If writing is still a roller coaster ride for you, rife with depressions and difficulties and confusions, then you owe it to yourself to read a copy of this book. If you still aren't sure whether you want to be a writer, or under what terms (full time? Weekends? The occasional weeknight?), then this book should be able to help you find your answer.

The writing is rich and evocative; it would be difficult to read it and not connect with what the author is telling you. Abstract concepts are conveyed in ways that apply to your everyday life and work. Ms. Simon provides interesting and surprising insights into our feelings and actions. She also takes into account both the heavily dedicated die-hard writers, and the "weekend warriors"--something that few writers do. The book is presented in a conversational and friendly tone that makes it easy for you to absorb its lessons.

So if you're still debating whether or not to be a writer; if you aren't sure how to handle the emotional rollercoaster that writing can be; or if you're having problems sitting down to write, this book could help. If you aren't sure what sort of education you need to be a writer; if you don't even know where to start; if you aren't sure how to handle criticism; or you think you've contracted that ill known as "writer's block"--this book might help. If you worry about rejection slips and wonder what success would be like, Ms. Simon can fill you in on the details.

I feel as though I should walk out on the street, find an aspiring writer, hand them my copy of the book, and make sure they read it. Right now.