Education Books

This is the first magic school bus book we got. It is written for 4-5 years and up to 3rd grade. I was expeting it to read easier, but got use to it and enjoyued it. There are lots of bubbles or boxes on each page. They all have very intersting tidbits & information, but is is hard to know what to read first. Good intro to the solar system, although they are drawings and no pictures. Also, note that Pluto is no longer classified as a planet as it says in the book!

This book came out when I was pretty young, and it got me interested in astronomy since the age of five. Now planetary science is my career, and I put that down in part to the influence this book had on me as a kid! :)

the magic school bus get lost in space is a very good book read it all the time you will love it

All the magic school bus books are fantastic. This one is no different.
It is great for learning about the solar system.

My 5yr old son is a huge fan of Magic School Bus series.
Especially, Solat system and human body are his favorite among them.
He memorizes the order of all the plantes in the Solar system. Draw pictures about it and make planets with playdough. Great book!

The way Malachy Murry brings the reader closer to New York and the great history behind the big city is both exceptional and breathtaking. If you have the slightest interest to know anything about New York - this book comes highly recommanded.
In mid-August this year my wife and I had the pleasure of taking the full tour with Circle Line around Manhatten and our tour guide, Mr Murray, made that the most interesting, informative and enjoyable tours we've ever attended.
Thank you,
Janne & Trond, Norway

Visited NY the last of August for the first time. Malachy was the tour guide on the Circle Line boat tour my son and I took around Manhattan. For everyone who thinks history is boring, you will thoroughly enjoy how he gives you a recap of the how's,when's, where's, and why's of NY. This book models the tour talk he gives while you look around at all of the history and famous sights.
It's light reading that leaves you with an education! He published this by himself so enjoy a handmade product full of his humor and unique twist on the Big Apple. Want to know where that phrase came from? This is where to look!

I ordered Malachy Murray's book after meeting him aboard the Circle Line Tour Boat on August 30th on the 4:30 pm tour. He is one of the most interesting people I have ever met. The book itself is truly unique in that it covers information and facts that a person would never know about unless they delved deeper into archives or lived the experience. Worth every penny and much, much more. My trip to NYC began on the Circle Line and will continue for months while reading and rereading "Unique New York"
John P. Hayden

If you ever get to NYC, take the Circle Line Tour and request his tour. He's great! He's funny, informative, serious, inspirational and takes great pride in his city.

We were lucky enough to get on a boat of the NY Circle Line where Malachy Murray held a microphone in his hand - and the attention of his audience as well. He made history come alive, and through his colourful comments on NYC the two hours on that boat went by without a boring minute.
This book is a fabulous way to remember this great tour of Manhattan, providing anecdotes and facts, and all of it in Malachy Murray's unique style.
Well done, Malachy :-)

FOUND THE GENERAL INFORMATION OF SPECIFIC DISEASES AND ITS POSSIBLE TREATMENTS. VERY GOOD AND PRECISE INFORMATION.

We purchased the Mayo Clinic Eeference guide to serve as a family medical book. We are very pleased with the descriptions and information about comon medical issues. I highly recommend this book for individuals who want more information about common and not so common medical difficulties.

This is a book no household should be without. Very informative and helpfull. The index is great and the information is to the point... Excellent photos and drawings. Only drawback: a bit bulky!

The Mayo Family Health book is a "wealth of information."
My husband recently became ill and was hospitalized. We were able to pinpoint symptoms in the book which helped us along with our health provider get appropriate testing and treatment for his condition.

With healthcare today, we must be "informed consumers".
I have worked nearly 35 years in clinical laboratory medicine and I still learn something new everyday....this book certainly helps.

I like the format of this book. The six sections seem designed to truly make the work user friendly.
They are:
Part I: Living Well II: Common Conditions and Concerns Through Life's Stages III: Making Sense of Your Symptoms
IV: First Aid and Emergency Care VisualGuide: Anatomy and Common Disorders Part V: Diseases and Disorders
VI: Tests and Treatments
The great prayer is that most of what one learns from reading and going through this guide will not have to be useful or relevant.

This is great trivia for those who already have a basic knowledge of the middle ages. It's filled with gross and gristly bits that will entertain and inform. Don't let the juvenile presentation of the book deter you. A really fun read for teens and adults alike. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

Who says history has to be boring and serious? Measly Middle Ages tells the history of the middle ages while completely entertaining the reader. The book itself is filled with lots of interesting information, surprising facts, and insider jokes. It's great fun!

Measly Middle Ages is part of a series of Horrible Histories which teaches history in a interesting, fun, and humorous way. All of these books have great titles like Rotten Romans, Awesome Egyptians, Groovy Greeks, and Vicious Vikings. A copy of these books should be in every local school library.

This great, enchanting, and captivating series attracted me since i was a child. Not only is this an educating experience, this also provides information in a very enjoyable way. Attractive to the most intelligent minds, and interesting to every child, this makes a great gift and also a great reader.
It will make you smile and even laugh out loud as you read book after book. My only question is, why would they ever stop priting? I ask Scholastic to continue print so all who desire a book can recieve one. Thank you.

The book really had no main characters. This book was an informational book covering the Middle ages. The book covered such great people in history as Queen Isabeau, King Richard II, and King Richard III.

The plot of the story is about the middle ages. Also about
how the people changed history and life as it was during the Middle Ages. The history that I learned was a lot different of how it is today. The story also focused on famous kings and Queens and important people who changes history forever and their improtant contributions to the Middle Ages.

The setting of the story is during the Middle Ages which is from 410A.D.-1453A.D.

The Measly Middle Ages is about the people in life that made a diffrence for the people of today. It also tells you about important events and the historic importance of individuals of during the middle ages.

One of the resons I liked this book is because I am realy into history. Another reason that I liked reading this book is because of the awsome illistrations throughout the book. I also enjoyed how the book kept my attention throghtout the story and this is why this was one of best books i have read in a long time.

I came across Terry Deary completely by accident ~ in a gift shop in Scotland, shoved amongst other more "scholarly" hardcovers. As my graduate area of study is the Middle Ages, I was intrigued and bought the book on a whim ~ and haven't stopped buying Terry Deary's books since! Are the books chock-full of historical facts guaranteed to allow someone to walk away thinking they know everything about the Middle Ages, Greece, Rome, France, or any of Deary's other topics? No, of course not. Are the books a wonderfully entertaining (and illustrated!) way of addressing what can admittedly be a bit of a dry topic? Of course! I say any books that can make someone, young or old, become interested in history should be embraced fully. And, hey, I learn something new from every book I read, which is an added bonus! Further, I think these books definitely appeal to adults who have an interest or education in history ~ much as what "The Reduced Shakespeare Company" teaches us about Shakepeare is true about Deary's treatment of history: the better you know the original, the more funny and entertaining the condensed versions are.

I bought these books for my son who is 16 months old. He loves them and I find him taking them out and turning the pages while smiling or laughing at the bright pictures. We go over the pages together too. I think they are great and they are also very durable.

Our kids will bring these books to us over and over pointiong to animals objects and look at us waiting to hear the name of the object. It's become one of our favorite things to do.

My son is autistic and we have several books from this author, but this set of 3 is my favorite! There are so many wonderful pictures and the pictures are of things that are very interesting to little kids. I've also used many of the pictures in these books as part of our PECS program. My son just loves these and even my 6 year old daughter likes to try to read the words in the books. They're so sturdy they'll last me through my infant son's childhood as well.

These books are so great!! My twin girls got them when they turned one, and they have learned so many words from them! They can name so many different things! The animal book is also really great! The only complaint I have is that some of the pictures are so generic that it is really hard to even tell what it is, but that is really hard to do in a book. That is when you go and get the real thing and show it to your toddler and name it for them!! They do put some less common things in them as well, though, to really challenge them and expand their vocabulary. There are a few animals in the Animal Book that I hadn't even heard of!! These are great for the car because they will keep your toddler occupied for a while. They will flip through the book naming everything!! I was amazed at how fast my girls learned so many words. They are 22 months, and they know all their letters, all their colors, all their shapes, most every animal and its sound, and I think these books have helped them learn a lot of those things! I don't even know how many words they know, but they pretty much know everything in all three books! These are their favorite books and have been for months and months. They will not get tired of them quickly because there are soooo many pictures! This also makes a great gift for a first birthday!

My son is 18 months, and these have been his favorite books for a long time. Compact, a good size for him, and good for travelling. The photos seem to appeal more to my son than the cartoon graphics in many childrens book.

They are so popular with my son, that they have been used so much that they will need replacing before too long. Not that this any problem with the books themselves, just heavy use!

You cannot go wrong with this set.

I bought this book for my Nicholas. I love it more than he does. What a wonderful book. You will enjoy reading it to your children.

I read these many times in French (I grew up in French Canada). My son, a native Californian, discovered them at the library in English, and now wants to own them all. We both loved these books...it's like reading about Calvin without his Hobbes. He's a funny kid.

With all due respect to Ms. Coogan, contrary to her Editorial Review published herein, there is an earlier English translation of Le Petit Nicolas; published under the title, Young Nicolas.

It was translated into American English in 1961 by Ms. Stella Rodway for Hutchinson & Company and published in 1962. I know because I received a copy of this book in 1967.

The Phaidon Press version, published in 2005, is actually a 1978 Anthea Bell translation into British English.

With all due respect to Phaidon Press and Ms. Bell, I much prefer the American English translation over the Phaidon Press' Anglicized version (which renames all the key characters, changes a key nickname, and includes British phrases like "He looks a right twit with that bunch of flowers!").

Personally, when I am reading stories about an adventurous French student, I expect to find French names and phraseology. And who could forget Monsieur Dubon, "the Potato", saying, "Look me in the eyes!"

Fortunately, the humor of Monsieur's Goscinny and Sempé transcends all these minor concerns and thus the book deserves the score given.

What a sweet and funny book! I bought this for my own Nicholas when he was about 8, and I read it to him aloud. During the chapter about Old Spud, we were both laughing so hard I couldn't continue! It is such a simple story of a little boy's everyday escapades, but I love its old fashioned charm.

Written in 1959, it almost pre-dates television (Nicholas is hoping that his father will buy a TV, but he has seen it at a friend's house). Nicholas and his friends play games that would now be politically incorrect, but back then were just good fun.

My Nicholas is approaching his 10th birthday, and he still re-reads it, and considers this his favorite book.

I have a young, mischievous son named Nicholas whose reputation is known throughout my family. My sister came across the Nicholas series in a book catalog and mentioned it to me. I checked the first book out at our local library and thoroughly enjoyed it, as did my 9-year-old daughter. Although the series was written in France in the 1960's, one can still relate to its humor today. I have bought the 3 available books, plus pre-ordered the fourth. Hopefully, my Nicholas will enjoy this series when he is a little older, too!

A very nice book, with remarkable trees, however, from the cover I suppose I wrongly assumed they would be beautiful trees. Quite a lot of the book is spent on African trees of a very strange nature, and to my husband's suprise, very little was done on the banyan tree. I was looking forward to large, ancient trees myself. All in all, it is still a wonderful book, it just wasn't what we were expecting.

Great Book will enough the wonder hopefully they have it in the school systems or county systems

Trees are grouped by various, sensible categories that other books on trees might neglect: Giants: Gods, Goddesses, Grizzlies; Dwarfs: For Fear of Little Men, In Bondage; Methuselahs: The Living and the Dead, Shrines; Dreams: Prisoners, Aliens, Lovers and Dancers, Snakes and Ladders, Ghosts; and Trees in Peril: Do the Loggers always Win? and Ten Green Bottles. Pakenham's text is great fun to read, as can be viewed from those sectional titles, and individual tree titles such as "Tie up my feet, Darling, and I'll live forever" for the Bonsai tree that is the In Bondage section.

I suppose coffee table books really shouldn't be considered exceptional items to read - view, yes; read, not so much. This is an exception. Tolkien's Ents are invoked for a handful of trees, and rightly so; geography students who get a core borer stuck and (somehow) get permission to cut down what had possibly been the oldest tree in the world just to retrieve it are warned against; and, of course, it is mentioned that any fool can climb a gum tree. I've read this about six times this year, high time I count it officially.

beautiful book. Bought it as a gift for my brother.
I already have a copy for myself.

In fall 2006, Lansing's forestry department planted a tiny gingko biloba tree between the sidewalk and the street in front of my house.
It had four and a half branches, all oriented in one plane like the candlesticks in a menorah. You could barely roast a wiener with it.
I scrambled into the house for a book I had bought, by sheer coincidence, the previous day -- Thomas Pakenham's "Remarkable Trees of the World."
Yes! There, sprawling across pages 110 and 111, was a gingko nearly 1,000 years old, still living in Tokyo, measuring 30 feet in girth and 66 feet high.
Pakenham, a British historian with Irish wanderlust and a gentle sense of drama, has traveled the world to photograph and research the history and lore of 60 of the world's most remarkable trees.
This oversize book, just now out in paperback, is so relaxed and un-sensational you picture Pakenham walking from tree to tree, a Haydn string quartet playing in the background, not minding the continents and oceans in between. It's a follow-up to another book that's just as good: "Meetings With Remarkable Trees," in which Packenham confined his wanderings to the British Isles. The response to "Meetings" was so warm that Pakenham packed his bags and expanded his search to global proportions.
Pakenham's style is that of a curious, intelligent pilgrim. He pairs generous full-page or double-page images of his subjects with un-fussy, lightly conversational background information. He clearly respects local lore and legend, but doesn't go overboard with it, nor does he bog the text down in scientific details. The result is almost a set of personality profiles.
The images are spectacular -- given the subject matter, most of them can't help it -- but sensitively chosen and framed, with an eye toward the unique setting, mood and attributes of each tree.
It's a low-key approach, but if this book doesn't awaken your sense of awe, nothing can. That little stick of a gingko in my front yard, for example, belongs to a hyper-ancient species/order/family that predates dinosaurs. Its peculiar lineage (it's related to ferns) is betrayed by unique, fan-shaped leaves that have no central fold.
Of course, trees have their own agenda, and don't care whether they get into a coffee-table book or not (it's tempting to think they'd rather not, insofar as books are made of paper). But it was hard not to think of Pakenham's gargantuan gingko as a thundering encouragement for my little tree's stressed-out, brown-fringed leaves and spindly trunk.
For one thing, Japanese Buddhists believe the gingko, not the Bo tree of India, was the tree under which Buddha found enlightenment.
If lore doesn't thrill, Pakenham serves up history and science. For example, a gingko 800 yards from the epicenter of Hiroshima threw up new sprouts even after the atomic bomb hit.
But enough about gingkos. In this book, the reader will meet a panoply of the world's most amazing creatures: General Sherman, a mega-giant sequoia in California that weights 1,500 tons and is probably the largest living thing on Earth; ancient teapot-shaped African baobabs out of a Dr. Suess illustration; the leaning Italian cypress said to have been planted by St. Francis; wind-lashed cypresses clinging to the rocky California coast; great oaks with hollows where 20 people can sit down to a banquet; bristlecone pines now into their fifth millennium of existence.
Some of these magnificent trees are near roadsides or chained off in parks, all but ignored by passersby. The wonder of this book is that it tunes the mind to the low-frequency, centuries-long chords only these creatures can hear. Looking at trees that have lived the better part of a millennium make you wonder whether there will be a California -- the home of a disproportionate number of these giants -- or a Lansing in 1,000 years.
My bet's on Lansing, which is far less likely to slip into the ocean before my gingko grows up.

Ms. Sargent has produced a work of inspiration. As a 37 year old man taking his first baby steps into the world of higher education, I suffer from not only various fears, but from complete confusion as well. Where do I start? Should I follow the recommendations of well-meaning friends and attend school at night while working full time? What the hell is "matriculation?" Of course, no one book can answer every question you might have about returning to college, but "Traditional Degrees for Nontraditional Students" comes very close. There is extremely useful information on applying for schools, navigating financial aid offices, and choosing a major. But more importantly (because it means you will actually ENJOY the book), the author strikes a pitch-perfect tone: warmth and humor tempered with enough authority to let you know she's had much experience, and knows whereof she speaks. I HIGHLY recommend this book - buy two copies in case your first one gets lost. The bottom line is that it was Ms. Sargent's book that inspired me enough to...get moving on a long-postponed dream.

How often is it that one book answers all of our questions about any given topic? How often is a reference book a one-stop-shop for all that we're looking for? My typical experience is, more often than not, having to read several different books before I can locate ALL of the information I'm looking for. Finally, an awesome great book that answers every possible question about nontraditional higher education!

I was absolutely thrilled, and amazed too, that "Traditional Degrees for Nontraditional Students: How to Earn a Top Diploma from America's Great Colleges at Any Age," turned out to be a one-stop-shop reference book that met all of my needs. I attended college, many years ago, but never finished the degree I wanted. Like so many others, life sort of got in the way of my dreams, and I chose work and family and let my education go by the wayside. I had reasons for making the choices I did, but my goal of earning a "Top Degree" has not left me and I needed some professional guidance to help me fulfill my educational dream.

I bought this book about 60 days ago, frustrated with myself for not having completed a degree program in a timely manner. And even though my resume appears to be quite extensive and impressive, the lack of having a completed degree likely prevents me from obtaining the kind of career I'd really enjoy. Many years have passed since I made my first application to a college or university degree program. Can you imagine how anxious I was about even considering applying to one of America's many "Great Colleges"? Would I be accepted? Could I work, raise a family and go to college all at the same time? How could I afford a "Top Degree", even if I my application was accepted?

Miraculously, each and every question and concern I had was answered, accurately and thoroughly, in Carole Fungaroli Sargent's totally comprehensive guide. First, I selected the colleges that offered nontraditional degree programs in my field of interest, Abnormal Psychology, and then narrowed my choices using the helpful guides that are included in her book. In the same amount of time it would have taken to go grocery shopping or take the family to the movies, I was able to complete the entire online applications to the colleges and universities that I was interested in. Additionally, the book guided me to the proper web sites that would allow me to apply for any possible State and Federal financial aid. Without the awesome assistance and direction I received by reading this book, it's very likely that I would have become all-too frustrated with the confusion and paperwork and, once again, would have put my dreams on hold. Instead, I felt confident and decided that I would persevere until I completed my longstanding goal.

I was accepted by 4 of the 5 "Great Colleges" that I applied to and was elated beyond belief! I was convinced they were going to find something, just anything, that would keep me from getting my Diploma. However, I kept focused on the one university program that I was most interested in and followed every suggestion and strategy for acceptance that was outlined in Sargent's book. Within a period of less than one month, I had received a formal welcome and registration package for the Nontraditional Degree Program that I was about to enter into. As explained in the book, I also promptly heard from the Financial Aid Office of the University and was told that I would qualify for a partial Pell Grant, along with 3 options for Federal Student Loans.

I had been accepted by the University and also by the Department of Psychology's Graduate Degree Program. I can still remember how excited I was to hear all of this incredible news and to remind myself that I was finally on the journey I had dreamed of for years. Many of the credits that I received in my past attempts, years earlier, were accepted by the University. I had so many great choices to make now and I was amazed that all of these classes were being offered at local community colleges and the State Universities, but all credits earned would be applied directly to the Nontraditional Degree Program I would complete in less than 18 months.

I've already completed 2 courses, both of which I loved taking. Although they were considered "Fast Track" Courses, and would require a great amount of concentrated studies at a very fast pace, I found myself in absolute rhythm with the demands of the classes and passed both classes with flying colors. My next course will begin in about 2 weeks and I've already received the text books and study guides by Federal Express.

If you could see my face right how, I think you would see someone who is finally showing a spark in his eyes. The guidance I received from this book is changing my life in so many positive ways! Even my fear of being the oldest person in my first class was relieved by a fellow student who was in her 80's! I guess it's never too late to complete your collegiate dreams and to reach "reach for the stars!"

There is no doubt in my mind, that without the help of this wonderful book, I'd still be dragging my feet and finding excuses for not going back to school. I knew that I didn't fit into the "Traditional Student" category and feared that I'd never finish a very important dream-to be the very first person in my entire family to finish a college degree. My suggestion to all, from someone who shares this honest review to help others, is that you reach for your goals and complete your dream of getting a great degree from any of a number of "Top Colleges" throughout America.

Good luck to you! I hope this review has helped in some way. If I've failed in giving you enough information about this book, feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to share more with you. Maybe I can inspire you to buy the same book that has already changed my life.

You, too, can earn your degree. And you'll be surprised at how easy it is to complete a "Top Degree" from so many of America's "Top Colleges"-no matter where you live and no matter what your financial resources are. I am doing it and so can you!

Warm Regards to All!

Peter V. Cannice from Scottsdale, Arizona
Contact me at Horsepete@aol.com if I can be of help to you!

Although Fungaroli's book is geared to adults who haven't finished college -- and some who never started -- returning students can benefit at any age and any degree level.
Her information is dead-on accurate. She's frank and realistic about options of attending prestige schools, finishing up those last few credits, ending unsupportive relationships and more.
A friend of mine was just like one of her interviewees: needed a few credits and sold himself short. A quick letter to the registrar and presto -- he got credit for life experience and an extra summer school course!
I'm recommending this book to my clients who ask, "Am I too old for school?" As she would say, the answer is always a firm NO.

At one time, I may have owned the largest collection of college bulletins in the world. In each of the past ten years since my high school graduation, the stack has grown higher and higher. Each contains a glimpse of a world I promised myself I would return to someday; each contains the promise of a brighter future. One day, I read Dr. Sargent's book Traditional Degrees for Nontraditional Students. Then I threw out all of those bulletins: I needed room on the shelf for my textbooks.

With the sage guidance one would expect of a professor from a prestigious educational institution, and with the empathetic advice one would count on from a friend who has "been there" herself, Dr. Sargent completely addresses the challenges and rewards that await the adult college student. This book is a treasure for any adult who is considering going back to school.

I was glad to find this gem of a book. As a distance ed dropout, I blamed myself for difficulties in sticking with undergrad correspondence courses and grad level online programs. The socialization element of traditional programs, as the author points out, was critical for me to stay interested.

That being said, I don't think we should throw the baby out with the bathwater and discount distance ed "techniques" that would prove themselves useful supplements to traditional college; email correspondence with the prof, asynchronous student chat rooms, videotaped classes, use of virtual science labs, etc.

However, we needed a book like this to counter the distance ed hype, and help readers make intelligent decisions about their learning goals.

This book has it all when it comes to grammar. It teaches the parts of sentences and how to put them together to write a report, what is and isn't good grammar, and how to sound like you're not an illiterate; and, on top of all that, it offers exercises. I showed this to my boss who said she would buy several copies for the office so that staffers didn't make grammar mistakes. The author put this all together in one thin but rewarding book...worth every little penny you pay.

For years I wondered about when to say "good" and "well," or how to avoid double negatives, and a whole slew of other problem areas in grammar. Well, this book made it easy and simple. I highly recommend it. Nice job, Professor Hayes.

Whether you're in elementary or high school, being homeschooled, or run a business, this is the best supplemental text on grammar to have on hand. I learned so much from it in such a short period of time. It focused on all the grammatical problems we have when presenting or writing. I own a Ford dealership and have copies of this book all around the showroom and in each of my sales associates' office for use as a quick reference. I want my staff to sound educated and act with class. Speaking poor grammatically isn't the answer. Buy this book. I don't usually review or recommend books but I'm making an exception in this case.

Troublesome Grammar is one of the most helpful books I have come across to point how errors are unknowingly made in speaking and writing. This author hit right on the problems we all have, such as when to use well or better, which verbs to use for past tense, how to use hyphens and so on. This is worth the few bucks it costs.

I'm from Scotland studying here in the States. I saw a student on campus using this book to do an English report. I asked him to let me look at it, and, wow!, was I every surprised that someone was smart enough to wrap up all the grammar problems we face in one easy to read book. Thanks, Dr. Hayes. You made my work here at college easier. I hope everyone gets as lucky as me and finds this book.

It's one thing to have a great idea, but it's something else to take that idea and truly bring it to life - but that's just what Jennifer Bouani has done in this first book of the Future Business Leaders' Series. Tyler and His Solve-a-matic Machine wildly succeeds on two levels: entertaining its target audience of ages 9 to 12 with an excellent, fun fantasy adventure and offering its young readers a number of very sound lessons in the principles of entrepreneurship. If you're a parent, your child might not remember how to spell entrepreneur after reading this book, but he will be familiar with most of the basic concepts behind the term - and could very well be excited about the prospect of becoming an entrepreneur himself.

Tyler is an orphan who dreams of sailing around the world like his late father did. One night, while slogging his way through a homework assignment, he dreams up the idea of a machine to help him do all of his homework quickly. Then a strange voice leads him downtown to a magical high-rise building, where it reveals itself to be Sote, the Great Spirit of the Entrepreneurs. After hearing about entrepreneurship and its potential rewards, Tyler accepts Sote's challenge: get to the top of the hundred-floor building before sunrise if he really wants to realize his dream of having his very own boat.

Obviously, it's not as simple as just taking the elevator or stairs up to the top floor. The stairways are locked, different elevators in the building take you to different levels, and Tyler must find the keys to several special elevators. Along the way, he will also meet up with certain individuals and groups determined to stop him from succeeding.

Tyler's entrepreneurial quest basically takes him through the process of taking his idea of a Solve-a-matic Machine and turning it into an actual manufacturing business. Bouani came up with some really brilliant ways to illustrate the kinds of obstacles entrepreneurs must deal with in the real world- and that's really the key to the book's success and eminent readability. Even as your child is reading this entertaining fantasy adventure featuring all kinds of exotic locations and animals, he/she is actually learning how to take an idea and turn it into a marketable product by coming up with a design, assembling the necessary tools and resources for production, hiring and managing workers (including dealing with unions), setting prices and production levels, etc.

I have a degree in economics, so I know how boring this subject matter can be. Bouani deserves major kudos for taking such a potentially dry subject as entrepreneurship and communicating its basic principles in such a fun and entertaining way to younger readers. She actually gets kids excited about the prospects of becoming entrepreneurs themselves, and that's an amazing accomplishment. Similar books involving Tyler and his friends are forthcoming in the Future Business Leaders' Series, and I am sure they will build upon the strong foundation this first book has already established.

This is a fantasy adventure story for children between, say, 9 & 12. However, it isn't just a fantasy adventure story. It has the purpose of entertaining while it introduces children to the basic topics of becoming an entrepreurial businessperson. To an adult inured to the typical squishy values of much children's writing, the frankness of the pro-business ideas might seem jarring. However, it is unlikely the kids will have such feelings of strangeness.

Tyler is an lives in an orphanage and all he has of his father is a picture of him. I may have missed it, but I couldn't find any explanation of what happened to his mother. He ends up going through the floors of a very magic tall building and has to solve projects on each floor in order to get to the penthouse by the next morning to win his dream.

The projects do discuss topics that every entrepreneur will have to face, but not in a realistic way. That isn't the purpose of the book. It is a fantasy adventure and wants to start children thinking along certain lines. No one faults the squishy literature for presenting human relations in unrealistic ways. It is just that there is so much of it we have come to accept it.

However, this book seems to cover even union busting. Is that really a topic a nine year old will understand in any way? It might be that in some states the kind of behavior the adventurers engage is illegal in some states! I don't know.

Anyway, it is a fresh kind of story. I am not a person who reads a lot of children's literature so I don't know how the writing fits for its target audience. Even when I was a child, I didn't read children's literature. The language isn't beautiful or particularly enchanting. However, it does get its point across and that is probably more important to its goals.

This is a very inventive and brilliantly written book about a young orphaned boy who invents a machine to do his homework and embarks on an adventure in a fantasy sky-scraper where he meets all the people who he needs to start his own business. It is not only informative but encouraging for youth to know they can suceed in the world of business.

A great introduction for kids.

Seth J. Frantzman

Jennifer Bouani, Tyler and His Solve-a-Matic Machine (Bouje, 2006)

The idea of kids' books teaching libertarian values is one near and dear to my heart. Unfortunately, I've never actually found one that gets it entirely right; the author either softpedals the values and mixes in some of the usual left-leaning kids'-book malarkey or overstates the case and ends up writing something more polemic than kids' book. Tyler and His Solve-a-Matic Machine, however, is as close as I've found to a book that manages to keep its balance.

More than anything, it put me in mind of Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth in its writing style. Bouani, like Juster before her, creates an entirely believable character and then thrusts him into an entirely unbelievable situation (and for much the same reason). Tyler, our hero, is ten years old. Like most kids, he's not fond of homework, but unlike most kids, he's actually got some ideas in his head about a machine that will help. There are forces who are willing to help him build his machine, but first they must teach him the basics of being an entrepreneur.

First things first: let's get the bad stuff out of the way, and when I say "bad stuff," I mean two minor niggles. First, the font in which the book is typeset is non-standard, and can take a while to get used to, so be prepared. Second, if you're a unionist, prepare to be absolutely outraged. Tyler and his friends' solution to the problem of the striking union members is the kind of thing that got people killed in the seventies. (Needless to say, it's also the correct answer.) Some of the characters are less well-developed than I'd like, but the afterword states that this is the first book in a series; I'm certainly willing to give Bouani the benefit of the doubt that the characters will become more developed as time goes on. Why? Because, despite the fact that this book could have easily gone the way of the lecturing instruction manual (viz. The Girl Who Owned a City), Bouani realizes that, yes, there is a story to be told here, and that the lessons the book wants to impart are better related through the construct of the story. That puts her ahead of 95% (if not more) of those who write books like this already.

My biggest problem with the book was that I wanted more. Yeah, I know, it's the first in a series. This is why I don't normally read series until they're all out, because now I have to hunker down and start the interminable wait for the second book. However, while I'm waiting, I will recommend Tyler and His Solve-a-Matic Machine without hesitation; I've already given my copy to my daughter. ***

Young Tyler Sogno has big dreams - he would like to buy a big boat, and sail all around the world. But, being an orphan, and a bit of a slacker, he knows that his dreams will never come true. However, when a disembodied voice tells him that there is a path to that brighter future, Tyler sits up and take notice. The voice tells him that to make his dreams come true, he must become an entrepreneur! What does Tyler have to do to become an entrepreneur? He (and we) are about to find out!

This book is a wonderful lesson in capitalism, presented in the form of a story. I am tempted to say an allegorical story, but in fact few things are veiled here. This book teaches the young reader all about what it takes to become an entrepreneur, everything from coming up with a product, getting the patents, developing the plant, and hiring employees.

I must admit, I wish I had had this book a couple of years ago. For a high school class, my nephew and some other students were supposed to develop the idea for a business to place on an island. They came up with exporting coconut bikinis and monkey butlers. They understood so little about what running a business meant, and this book would have told them.

Overall, I think that this is a great book, one that should be required reading in all American schools! I give this book my highest recommendation.

Oops, I almost forgot to mention...I love the characters in this book, especially the monkey J.J. Junglehammock, Attorney at Law. He cracked me up!