Education Books

I can not believe that nearly ten years has gone by since this book was first published. I thought that everyone had read this book, and more importantly was "using" this book. It took a room full of educators and parents indicating that no one knew of this book for me to write this review. It is less a review than a sales pitch, but it is a pitch that needs to be made.

From personal experience as both parent and teacher, this book changed my outlook on both. I have experienced considerable success at both, and it has to do with a fundamental switch in thinking. In fact, once you read this book, and get the point, you will see how simple it really is to help students become capable. But, everyone has to have their oars in the water and be working in the same direction.

Just yesterday, I heard from one my students that he and his partner won Bronze at the Canada Wide Science Fair. This is the third time we won Bronze, and incidentally we scored Silver a few years ago. This book helped me "coach" kids. I had little to do with the science, but I believe that I was influential in the primary aspect of this book - pointed out the paradigm of their only capabilities - their success.

I have an email from one of them, and it has squarely hit this point.

Earlier last week, at a wonderful seminar on Assessment by Damian Cooper, I was struck by the way that he also used questioning techniques of the participants, but as well the students in his videos. He uses the materials in this book to a tremendous advantage. I see strong similarities, and attribute his success for working along these paradigms.

Seven Strategies for Developing Capable Students is MOST DEFINITELY A MUST READ by any parent and/or teacher. It is a wealth of information, tips, and tricks, but more importantly allows any parent or teacher to focus on the student - making them capable, and feeling this as well.

Let me quote a passage which I see as prophetic as it is more of a problem today, than it was ten years ago.

"Parents often FEEL they must run to school to CONFRONT the teacher or principal with the responsibility of solving children's problems. This may be called for at times, but such occasions SHOULD BE RARE, and should only take place after we have done all we can to EMPOWER OUR CHILDREN TO DO ALL THEY CAN TO SOLVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS."

The capital letters are my own, and should point to the emphasis for which I see as integral to proper parenting. SADLY, there has been an apparent increase in this type of CONFRONTATION. It is wrongheaded, and is actually bad for the student. While it might make the parent feel good, and this is also problematic, makes the child see a FICTION for which they must bring to the REALITY of life. It arms them with the inappropriate tools of success. When the school unions need to add language to their collective agreements that protect them from this type of confrontation, it is clearly a sign that there is a problem - a problem to the process of parenting.

"We do a DISSERVICE to children when WE communicate a perception that everything is SOMEONE else's problem rather than theirs. 'You are doing poorly in school because the teacher doesn't like you'. 'You didn't make the team because the coach is prejudiced.'" p. 53

While it could be rumour or gossip, I have heard that this is said quite often, and am shocked. There are a considerable number of parents who blame a teacher for many different reasons. As a teacher, there is no defense to this type of claim. The logical fallacies riddle the event, but it is nonetheless pointless to argue - a parent's mind is made up at this point.

BUT, I have spent 25 years at teaching, and NOT ONCE HAVE I EVER HEARD ANY TEACHER say anything close to this. I can't imagine any teacher being so very shallow that they would willingly and knowingly do this to a child. In STARK CONTRAST, to help a student who might even be trouble in a classroom, to experience success would be something that would help the student not be a trouble maker. It is in the teacher's BEST INTERESTS not to be like this, and for this reason, I believe that blaming someone is a parental fiction.

I believe that the problem with many students now-a-days is that they come to teachers with the meta-understandings or the paradigms of "shields up", if I can use an old Star Trek phrase, where there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, and they simply need to sort out who to blame.

This book will help anyone see the problem with this thinking, and get them to think towards helping the student develop a capable nature.

"The perceptions of being capable, significant, and able to influence one's own life are powerful confidence builders that instill the courage to take healthy risks, improvise, and transcend failure. PARENTS WHO INVEST TIME HELPING CHILDREN INTERNALIZE THESE PERCEPTIONS ARE GOING A LONG WAY TOWARD ENSURING THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND ENJOY LEARNING".

This book is WELL WORTH the read, and I hope that every parent read this. Form discussion groups, and share your observations and creatively work toward making this happen. It was relevant 10 years ago, and is more relevant today.

Some times faces are not deceptive. The face, they say, is the index of heart; and so is the book in hand. No kidding about this fact.

Was wondering why don't such creative visualization minds write a similar book for adults (i.,e other than children and parents).

Nevertheless, 7 Strategies is a value-added resource for the concerned group. I envy the readers of this book. This book directly works as a guide on the three R's: Responsible, Repectful and Resourceful.

For some strange reasons, I am always attracted by books with the magical number `7' (seven) in the titles or sub-titles. Remarkably, they often turn out to be great stuff. Some of these books have already been reviewed here & there are more to come. Partly, my obsession with the number has probably to do with my impressionable exposure since I was a kid.

When I was twelve in the early 60's, my first `blood-thirsty' movie was the Japanese cult classic, The Seven Samurais, which reportedly inspired the Hollywood epic, The Magnificent Seven. Both movies became my perennial favourites & I have seen them countless times. In both movies, a ragtag group of fearless fighters helped a poor village to deal with & outsmart a gang of marauding rogues.

In this book, the magical `7' (seven) takes on a more serious & sober stance. It refers to the critical attributes that are embodied in the seven resources & skills necessary for your kids/teens to become capable - responsible, respectful, & resourceful - in dealing with today's complex world.

Firstly, let me reveal the author's Significant Seven resources & skills of capable students:

- strong perceptions of personal capabilities;
- strong perceptions of personal significance;
- strong perceptions of personal influence;
- strong interpersonal skills;
- strong intrapersonal skills;
- strong systemic skills;
- strong judgment skills;

I have always hold the view that understanding perception is the key to peak performance.

Maxwell Maltz started the ball rolling by coining the term as `psycho-cybernetics', even though ancient masters in the East have known about it for a very long time. Edward de Bono, the guru of lateral thinking, calls it 'First Order Thinking'. Steven Covey relates some insightful anecdotes about perception in his `7 Habits for Highly Effective People.' Joel Arthur Barker, a process futurist/consultant, considers perceptual understanding as one of five strategic tools necessary for navigating your future. Other consultants, like Mark Brown, Philip Kirby, to name a few, have talked at length about the intricacies of perception & their impact on personal as well as business (or organizational) performance. In the field of stress management, the research people at Institute of HeartMath, creator of the cutting-edge Freeze-Framer Technology, have linked `stress' to `perception'. Even in the world of esoteric practices, Harry Palmer, creator of the expensive Avatar training program, thinks along the same lines, as far as reality creation is concerned.

Henceforth, it is exciting for me to note that these two authors have drawn an excellent & compelling parallel in the academic arena.

I fully concur with the authors that, in the case of our children, strong perceptions of one's personal capabilities, personal significance & personal influence are the precursors to building one's strong assets in dealing with a world that is hurtling at us with breakneck speed, & compounded by hurricane-force changes.

Surprisingly, the book, written by two educators by profession, is presented in very clear, easy-to-understand language.

I highly recommend this book to all parents & teachers. This book can help you develop the resources & skills for your children/students to become capable adults.

I would go further to recommend parents & teachers to take a look at the following books, as supplementary reading:

1. What Kids Need to Succeed: Proven, Practical Ways to Raise Good Kids, by Peter Benson;
2. What Young Children Need to Succeed: Working Together to Build Assets from Birth to Age 11, by Jolene Roehlkapartain;
3. What Teens Need to Succeed: Proven Ways to Shape Your Own Future, by Peter Benson;

Just when you thought you knew everything about teaching; along comes another book claiming to do it better.

Well, this little book packs a punch so powerful that you might well be forced to re-evaluate your thinking and un-learn some ineffective habits and replace them with some of the recommendations offered by H. Stephen Glenn and Michael L. Brock.

Even if you have been teaching for some time, these ideas are fresh and simple enough to begin applying during your next lesson.

Even though the advice is geared towards the parent, it can and should be thoroughly studied by teachers of all levels from Primary to University. An awareness of the comparative stages of mental ability and emotional development will enable the teacher to identify and adapt the appropriate approach needed.

The book is not long on theory, it cuts straight to the heart of the matters discussed with practical and concrete recommendations.

For example, a anxious and impatient parent at a Parent-Teacher Orientation meeting, wanting to know the single most effective thing they can do to promote their child's lifelong success in education, is promptly told:

"Sit down to dinner with the television off every evening for 30-45 minutes".

So, at least for me, its "Back to the Drawing Board"; time to clean the mental attic again on the road to becoming a better teacher.

Thank you, H. Stephen Glenn and Michael L. Brock for sharing your ideas.

Does your child's notebook explode upon opening? Does your child do homework every night after supper and yet bring home dozens of missing assignment reports from school? Does your child come home with the book but no idea what the assignment is? Or perhaps with the assignment and not the book? Does your child frequently have no idea what the words of an assignment actually mean? Does your child weep over the tedium of homework assignments whose worth they cannot comprehend? Does your child go off to school in the morning moderately happy but come home looking beaten down by life? Are you looking for help for such a child? If so, don't look for the answers in this book. There is not a whisper of how to help the organizationally-impaired student. (P.S., If anybody knows of such a book, or can write such a book, please let the world know.)

This book is IDEAL for anyone who is going to train or teach anything. How to cut the fluff and deliver the required facts.

I am not a professional trainer by trade. However, I was recently appointed training coordinator for my department. The Accelerated Learning Handbook has definitely helped me approach my job with a fresh perspective. The information, ideas, and techniques presented have enabled me to more effectively train those in my department as well as those in other functions. Before reading the AL Handbook, I thought all that was needed to effectively teach someone was simply to make sure all of my PowerPoint slides were logically put together. I now have a broader view of how people learn and a sold framework to use when putting together training materials on any topic. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to engage the audience and create meaningful, effective training presentations.

I have worked with adult learners for more than fifteen years and have always tried to incorporate whole-brained, participative learning. This book provided some excellent theoretical background as well as a lot of new instantly usable ideas. I wasn't even all the way through before I applied a couple of the techniques and got an excellent response from my client.

Finally, teachers and administrators have a useful tool to recharge their classrooms/schools. We have become so test oriented that many times we forget that the process of learning comes from the doing. The statement comes to mind that we utter with new approaches," When do I have the time to get it all in?". That is where the problem lies! We are so pressured with these new demands that we loose sight of what is important, the process. This book will give us a clearer picture of how we can recharge our teaching and can provide the key so we can use the ideas to change the way we teach or approach the students' learning who are in our care.

I was getting ready to prepare a training program for 44 persons when I read this book. Immediately! after I used the guidelines to prepare my session. Preparation was fast and easy -and fun! I really couldn't believe that it was that easy to apply and it has been one of my best sessions to date. I refer to it when I need a refresher or a new perspective. I definately reccomend this book for trainers who need to keep their material fresh and interesting (esp. in-house trainers).

As a retired teacher, I think that, 'And No More Sorrow' is a must read for every 5th through 12th grader. Adults also should take note of this true story. Students and adults will feel a surge of gratitude.

Sonja, the main character in 'And No More Sorrow,' teaches the reader that ultimately it's friends, love and family that motivate and guide us through our most challenging moments.

These words come to mind: inspiring, brave and forgiving, not unlike the story of Anne Frank, who grew up a few blocks from Sonja.

Well done.

I read "And No More Sorrow" in 2 days which I don't take the time to do often. It was so compelling that I hated to put it down, painful as it was to read about the horrific conditions of the Jews in Holland during WWII. It's been years since I saw "Playing for Keeps" and "Schindler's List, both which haunted me so that I swore it'd be a very long time, if ever, before I would expose myself to read about fellow children of God being treated in such inhuman ways! This is not the only example of man's inhumanity to man. I think of "Life and Death in Shanghai" and "The Rape of Nanking" as other horrific examples. How could humans possibly treat other human beings this way? Thank you so much for sharing your mother's story of survival, Liliane. I pray that it has been a healing experience for both of you. Glenna Lee

I could not put this book down. I have nothing to gain by saying this except that it will make our world a better place.

Easy to read. A time of history that we must not forget. If you are a person who enjoys movies such as "Life Is Beautiful" you will love this book.

I thought I knew something about the Holocaust, but this book has shown me that I really understood very little. In such a personal way it has involved me and taught me so much. A must for every history student and anyone who would like to understand a little bit better.

Over the years I have bought two text books on this difficult subject, and never could get past more than two chapters. In contrast, this book is both readable and extremely well organized with a summary of the main points at the end of each chapter. For any formulas used in the text, he defines the symbols along with the formula. No looking back to early chapters.

Highly recommended.

Even after having collected and read quite a few of the modern textbooks on architectural acoustics, Egan's Architectural Acoustics (1988 hardback edition in my case) still stands as the most accessible first foray into the subject. I frequently use this book in my consulting practice when I need to illustrate a fundamental concept, such as sound isolation, auditorium shaping, or the basic acoustical conditions necessary to support various styles of music. Even though the binding has mechanically failed, I have not yet been able to bring myself to part with the book long enough to have it rebound. Perhaps the new softcover binding will actually hold up better to repeated reading, as this book will surely receive and deserve!

Since first encountering Egan's text a little more than 20 years ago, I've continued to return to it for solid information. Complex material is presented in a way that allows me to apply it to unique conditions at hand. Some of the world-class acoustics consultants with which we've had the privilege to work rely on Egan to help communicate complex ideas. Without compromising too much real technical nuance, the ideas are so clearly communicated that I was able to offer the book to members of a church in eastern Europe working to improve the condition of their worship space.

I'm a architecture student and I think this book is like a bible of acoustics in architecture. It brings detailed info for designing places with good acoustic performance whit various technics and for the most different type of places like a simple residential to auditoriums and concert rooms. I have other acoustics books (like William Cavanaugh's) and they always make mention to David Egan's book. If you're in search on books about architectural acoustics, I think that must be the first one to buy. It's a must have in any architect biblioteque.

I am an acoustical consultant... I have read a lot of books onarchitectural acoustics. I found this book unique of its kind. The concepts are introduced by plenty of figures and illustrations with informative text that make the discussed subject easy to read and comprehend especially by the architects. Writing on the figures and using checklists added a lot of understandibility. Also the text itself is informative and directly address the subject. In other words, the book is excellent and comprehensive.

In its third edition, this text has been a tried and true collection of positive behavior management for over 30 years. The collection of skills and strategies for teachers to use include a proactive approach, having a classroom discipline plan in place, building positive relationships, and using positive feedback to motivate students to behave. The tools offered in this text are designed to facilitate a safe, healthy, respectful environment in which students can learn and teachers can teach effectively.

The idea of positive behavior interventions has recently become very popular in the public school systems with which I have been involved. Although these strategies have been developed by these authors for years, their implementation through school wide reward programs and emphasis on giving individual student positive feedback just begun at my son's elementary school this year. These concepts for behavior management, as developed by the authors, were revolutionary for the American school system 30 years ago, and still hold in awe those who are new to the idea that power and control are not always negative in nature, but can in fact be helpful and even necessary to maintain an environment conducive to achievement. As a student in the field of education, and from my own experience in the classroom, I agree with the premise in this text that stud

The best thing I can say about this book is that the advice is easy to implement and it really works. I have other books on discipline but this one is the most helpful. I was arguing with one of my kids over something the other day, caught myself, remembered the advice in the book and instead of arguing gave him choices (rewards or consequences). The issue was quickly resolved. I wish I had read this book when my children were younger.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who works with children. I've been working with kids on and off from 1992 from infants to elementary school and this book is a must have. It provides techniques to set limits and consequences while giving the child the ownership of their behavior. Children learn to be responsible for their choices and their dignity is maintained.

Discipline is always a challenge. Lee Canter points out that a significant fraction of teachers have seriously considered leaving the profession because of student misbehavior. And how many have already left? Discipline issues lead to failure in beginning teachers and burnout among experienced ones.

Classroom rules should be posted and observable (e. g., not something unobservable such as "Be considerate.") and limited to about five. Of course, classroom activities themselves should be subsumed under the rule, "Follow instructions the first time they are given." A list of escalating consequences should be given for any rule broken. Teachers should never fall for the "You are unfair!" or "My parents don't care!" lines given by misbehaving kids. Something that the teacher cannot or will not do should NEVER be a consequence.

Canter believes that teachers are not as successful in discipline as they could be because they enforce rules inconsistently and because they are afraid that students will not like them. This, of course, especially applies to novice teachers.

When the hierarchy of rules and consequences is not working, the teacher needs to "drop down" to more severe consequences. When the entire classroom is briefly in disorder, the teacher must apply the "Freeze!" technique. In severe cases of persistent classroom disorder, the teacher needs to apply an individual-reward and/or classroom-reward system. Canter rejects contentions that this procedure constitutes bribery, or that it ignores intrinsic motivation in kids. In fact, Canter believes that intrinsic motivation is rare in children.

Canter also believes that, in cases of severely recalcitrant children, the teacher must try different approaches and adopt an "I will not go away" attitude that is clearly communicated to these children. In his more recent publications, Canter also has emphasized the teacher's development of positive relationships with tough kids.

This is probably the best book on behavior management! I have used "Assertive Discipline" and it is very effective. The rules, consequences, and rewards are clearly stated from the start of school. I like that it places the choice of a consequence or reward clearly on the students' shoulders.
I purchased this book for a friend of mine, who is a new teacher and she loves it! I think they should include this book in ALL teacher preparation courses. It's easy to use and it works!

This book was very helpful with my daughter's transition into school dept recently. She turns 3 in July and I had been told in my transition meeting that she would not qualify for ESY because they would not know if she would regress.
I sat in her IEP and explained that it was my understanding of the law that we did not have to prove regression just loss of emerging skills. A statement that I would never have used before the book. My daughter got ESY without a fuss from the Special Education Director who had been the one to tell me that she would not :)
I would like to see more than about the IEP from a little ones experience though. I feel that the book will become even more help as she grows.

Be sure to definitely read this before your child's next IEP.

I've been dealing with IEPS and special education programs for my son for several years and this book still taught me a lot! It is well written, very easy to read, and covers almost everything you have to contend with.

Sadly, the quality of a child's special education program relies mostly on the parent's ability to advocate. This book will empower you to be a much better advocate for your child.

This book is a valuable tool for navigating the complex world of special education law and programs.

I'd also like to thank the author and editor for all their work putting this book together -- it is going to help so many parents and children!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an autistic child. Some of the information has been so valuable and has helped me become aware of rights that I didn't even know existed. Don't believe that the school knows your child's needs better than you do. Arm yourself with the information this book provides. You are the strongest advocate for your child.

This is a very well written, informative book on being an advocate for your child within the school system. I recommend it highly!

This book is a must have, especially for those who have a newly diagnosed child with autism. If memory serves me correctly, US Rep. Dan Burton had a grandson with autism and he went to a school meeting because his daughter was having such a hard time getting an appropriate education... my point in sharing this is that you need to be prepared from the very beginning (being nice and/or influential is not going to do it for you, you need to be knowledgeable regarding your child's rights) and this book will do that for you. It is an easy read with many excellent templates for letters (some with the applicable law referenced), and it is a breeze to find just what you need. I also like that it is written especially for parents of children with autism. I have a 19 yr old now and wish I'd had this book a long time ago!

Thank you for an excellent guide for online shopping! If you are looking for great Internet guides for Kids & Family, High School, and College students, please check out the You Are Here Internet series!

Online stores come and go, especially the big ones, but this book lists hundreds of terrific small online stores that carry really unique stuff. I especially liked all of the stores that sell natural cosmetics and natural fiber clothing for me and my kids. I've had this book 2 weeks and already its saved me lots of time.

I was tired of seeing the same old online stores over and over again. This book pointed me to some real winners. It's a big time saver. Very easy to find what I wanted quickly.

I learned a lot about online shopping that I never knew before. But the best thing about this book is all the online stores, listed by categories. I found some neat stores. Loved the party section.

Before picking up this excellent book, I was wary of online shopping -- and I still am, but now I'm intelligently wary. The authors do a marvelous job of helping understand what you can trust and what you can't, how online shopping works in all its various manifestations, and what strategies to use when you do shop online. The book showed me that online shopping is not (as I had thought) just for shopping addicts who need a fix 24 hours a day, but a great space for intelligent and discerning consumers. I'm still not a big spender online (or anywhere), but I've used the book to help me find some things I couldn't find anywhere else and at surprising prices. I think this book is going to go down in the so-far brief history of online commerce as a milestone achievement. It has certainly changed my views about WWW commerce and made me a better consumer. I can't say enough about this expansive, easy-to-use, fun, and informative work. I hope they plan to update this work regularly.

As a requirement for The Summer Reading Clinc at Miami University, my colleagues and I were required to read "Beyond Tradtional Phonics" by Margaret Moustafa. This book was enlightening, one of the best I have read in a long itme. Throughout my course work to prepare for our reading clinic, I had become familiar with many of the concepts covered in this book, but Moustafa covers these topics : the need for the access to books of the appropriate reading level, the importance of teaching phoincs surrounded in literature and the fact that letter phonemes mean little to children if they are not able to read, in such a matter that I was thrilled to hear it again, and couldn't wait to share the books with fellow teachers at my school. The section of the book that I found to be the most alarming is the fact that so many children have less that .4 books on their appropriate reading level in their homes and that these studetns may attend schools that have less that .5 books per student available. This study contniues to report that in these schools, the students are seldom able to check out books to take home, because of the small number available in the first palce. This just reinforces the importance of have a variey of reading levels in your classroom library. All students need to find books that allow them to experience successful reading episodes. Moustafa's book makes you more aware than ever of the need to provide a wide reange of reading materials in your classroom library. I will work to diversify my book selection this year, and I hope many other classroom teachers will join me.

This book looks beyond our old assumptions about how children learn to read. Moustafa presents research to support the fact that traditional phonics drills do not help children learn letter-sound correspondances. Rather, children naturally use onset and rime to make these correspondances. Children also use onset and rime to figure out unfamiliar words in a text. Moustafa then presents ways to help any reading teacher improve their reading instruction based on this research.

This book is very easy to read. Moustafa uses language we can all understand. She does not try to speak over everyone's heads. Her ideas about the differences between traditional phonics instruction and a more modern approach to phonics instruction reaffirmed my own ideas about the role phonics plays in the teaching of reading. I used to teach in a more traditional way of taking parts and moving toward the whole. Then after inservices and courses I took on teaching reading I began to use a whole-to-part approach. Moustafa cited research that supports this type of approach. She also discusses the importance of giving children reading materials on their levels and providing time for shared reading experiences. In the research she presents, children experienced the most success when they were given time everyday to read and be read to. Reading teachers, especially new reading teachers, should read this book because most undergraduate programs do not provide enough instruction on how to teach children to read.

Margaret Moustafa's book explores the realms of language development beyond that of traditional phonics instruction that has continually plagued our educational systems. As a middle school language arts teacher I was pleased to see an appropriate instructional book written clearly and concisely in a matter that makes sense. Moustafa proves reading to be something we do naturally. Teachers need to teach kids to read in a natural way with authentic and practical language experiences. Moustafa also discusses the importance of a blend and balance of phonics and whole language instruction within the classroom.

On page 56 of her text she says, "If children are pronouncing print but do not understand what they are saying, they are not reading." As an educator, I believe Moustafa's statement summarizes many of the misconceptions children have about good readers. Reading is not just a performance-based activity, but rather more of a means of exploration and a transportation vehicle to knowledge. Moustafa helps teachers and parents understand that children need to see reading as a more natural occurrence that is attainable by all children.

This book is a must for all educators; undergraduates, graduates, veteran teachers, professors, and administrators in the school buildings and out of the school buildings. This book describes the process that children learn how to read-through meaning. Moustafa relates how phonics lessons do not allow children to make a connection with the outside world; reading within context does. Moustafa describes how important the learner's prior knowledge and experiences tie into learning how to read. She explains the difference between reading words and understanding the text being read. There is a difference, and we need to acknowledge that. In order to do this, the appropriate leveled books must be purchased for daily use in the classroom and used as take home books. Teachers need a vast amount of books on different topics and a range of levels.

My kids are 4.5, the preschool cards were a little easy. the kindergarten cards are about right. Now usually with them I find the age ratings on toys are accurate, like other reviewers said the brainquest products are rated a little too old. Some of the concepts are beyond them but about 80% of the cards they are able to do at this age.

This item was delivered very quickly. My daughter loves to do Q & A type flashcards and this is perfect for her to do. We have purchased the previous two BrainQuests as well and will continue to purchase these as our daughter grows.

My grandson looks forward to bedtime each night just so he can do this "learning." He loves these cards and I have seen him learn so much. We also have the preschool set.

These are great stocking stuffers. My daughter received hers the Christmas before she was to start Kindergarten so she could become familiar with the curriculum.These became her favorite flash cards. It also opened doors to teaching things she didn't know like time. Highly recomended

I highly recommend Brain Quest. We now have several sets and I plan on buying additional. Such a fun way for kids to learn. Since they are compact they can go anywhere. We've taken them on car trips, to the doctors office, shopping...just about anywhere. The kids think of it as a game, not as sitting down and learning. This is a great gift for someone as well.

I could not put this book down, because I needed to see how it ended. There is much pain, human challenge, dedication, unbelievable risk, and even humor. The ultimate result leaves the reader wanting to know more. Personally, I would like to see a sequel to find out how this all comes together as this young child develops. The fact that it is based on truth is amazing, because the events themselves read like fiction. This is one determined, incredibly resourceful family unit. Bring hankies!

A fast paced retelling of life experiences none of us would envy. Van Sher has provided us with a very clear picture of how the very best of intentions often cannot avoid disaster when we are raising children. Walk in the characters shoes as they travel through the world of drugs. . .
A must read for parents raising children in a world so deeply influenced by the culture of drugs.

A true story of one family's tragedy dealing with their son's drug addiction and ultimately the loss of their son. Very moving story!

"A Breath Away" is quite simply a poignant family saga that should serve as a wake up call to all "ordinary families" who go through life with their heads in the sand thinking that nothing terrible can happen to their family.

Terrible things can happen to even wonderful families from all walks of life. There is nothing that can tear a family apart and lead it into directions that were never thought imaginable more than a child with a drug problem. Some families fall apart other families are brought closer together and can come through the darkness stronger than before.

That is just one of the lessons taught by this gripping, life lesson by Van Sher. I cannot comprehend that one family had to go through so much in such a short time. A sequel telling the continuing story of the grandson will be welcomed in a few years. A movie about "the first chapter" would be a great movie for the time. I for one cannot wait.

One of the books that "catch" you within the first few pages. I found myself peeking ahead to determine how each episode played out. The undertone of humor shoulders the unbelievable pain, risk and challenge Ed and Cindy confronted. We never want to believe addiction is in our own backyard. No barriers exist. Addiction doesn't discriminate. The commitment of the parents is surreal. Each page tugs and pulls at you. You never know where you are going. I TRULY believe a sequel is in order and a movie a must. It was a one-day read for me. Couldn't put it down !!!