Awards Books

Transitions can be difficult for the toddlers and those in early elementary school age. Change is everywhere. As children advance from one grade to the next, they seek and test new identity, and new teachers and friends emerge or fade. Yet, it's also a time when kids need and look for sources of stability and continuity. Diane DeGroat covers these developmental dilemmas with perfect pitch in "No More Teachers, No More Books," the seventh in her "Gilbert and Friends" series. Youngsters will easily identify with the varied emotions of Mrs. Byrd's first grade graduating class of hedgehogs, raccoons, bunnies, ducks, and other smallish animals.

The manifest conflict is Mrs. Byrd's (questionable) decision to give awards to her students, and her students wonder whether they'll get one. Ms. DeGroat knows that even at this young age, kids have a sense of who's good at what, and worries over whether they'll be looked over, especially in front of friends and family members: "Phillip is the best reader, for sure," Gilbert said. "Frank is good in math," Patty added...." "And you're the best speller, Patty," said Gilbert. "I know you'll get an award for that." Gilbert, however, hears Patty pause when she tries to tell Gilbert what he's best at, and, despite Lewis' reassurances that "everybody gets an award," Gilbert wonder if it's really true.

While one wonder whether Mrs. Byrd (she's an adorable penguin, by the way) should know better than to foster this anxiety in her little animals, your kids may be aware of such social comparisons whether they are formalized as awards or not. DeGroat's acute sense of what kids feel and how they reveal these feelings is remarkable: Kids will identity with her characters, and sensitive adults will share her empathy. Mrs. Byrd strikes one as a teacher who balances a fairly hard line with large doses of love and a good sense of humor. Apparently, she had earlier confiscated some of Lewis' chewing gum, and, as the class goes through the ritual of cleaning u p their desks, tells him that he can have it back now. When Lewis says, "You can keep it to remember me by," Mrs. Byrd gives a fond retort, "I don't think I could ever forget you, Lewis!" She also give Frank the time-honored advice that he can dispel some of his stage fright by pretending that the audience, including his grandparents, are sitting in their underwear!

The awards are to follow songs and poetry recitations. As one might expect, some kids perform as expected, while others falter in front of the audience, and with the prospect of awards looming before them. When the expected reading winner, Phillip, forgets his lines, Gilbert, in a natural and spontaneous action, starts reading for him (which prompts Phillip to remember the last line). By this time, it's becoming clear that Gilbert's award will not be strictly academic (pun intended). When Gilbert gets the "good friend award," he's quite surprised ("now he knew what he was good at"), and his classmates confirm this by remembering Gilbert's acts of friendship throughout the year. There are tears from both teacher and students at the conclusion of the school party, some precociously wise observations that while Ms. Byrd can always be visited next year by the new second-graders, "it's not the same," and finally some cheering up for all the kids at a nearby ice cream shop: "No one looked sad at all. Everyone was happy that summer vacation was finally here." This theme continues on the last page--"Especially Mrs. Byrd!" who we see riding a shiny bicycle with a sleeping bad and fishing pole attached to the back, waving like renegade to Gilbert, who can scarcely believe it's the same Mrs. Byrd he loved in first grade. This is a warm and wise book, enlivened immensely by Ms. DeGroat's shiny, lively illustrations. The "messages" are subtle rather than overbearing, woven into the realistic storyline rather than patched on, and the overall feeling is one of humor, realism, and growth.

This biographical encyclopedia will interest college-level libraries, providing a strong set of profiles of over four hundred scientists who've won the Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, or medicine. Entries provide basic bibliographic information along with details on the scientist's career and other achievements. An excellent reference.

The stories in 'Old Wives Tales' are notable for their depth, attention to detail, and variety. Dodd's characters are real and her writing is rich and difficult to put down. One of the best collections of short stories I've read

its a short book in which the author reveals many of his experiences, and in what he belives...

These photos will make you nostalgic for all of America. The photographer has an eye for the details of everyday life, especially rural America--and a wry sense of humor. Glad I bought it.

This book is a very simplistic story of taking wool from sheep and making mittens. My son loves it! Cute illustrations.

If you've always wondered whether advertising is the carreer for you,
take a look at what's inside this book.
If it turns you on - you're probably have 50% of what it takes to be a creative advertiser.
If you think "Hey, It's all nice but I can do better" - Send your CV ASAP.
It's the "How to do" Art directors' guide. The "Playboy" of copywriters. The Carrot for the donkeys creative teams worldwide.
If you wanna buy one ad book - Get this one. It should suffice.

One thing, though - In past One Show Annuals the book came along with CDs conatining awarded movies, radios and Interactive works.
The CD that is enclosed to this issue contains only awarded radio files. a pity.

One small place by in a Tree takes the reader on an imaginary journey to a forest where a brown bear is clawing a tree trunk. A hole is made from the claw marks. Then timber beetles eat away at the wood inside. The hole grows bigger and bigger. It starts to die inside because bacteria has set in. The tree then becomes home to many woodland animals.


The book was very informative. I learned a lot about forests and ecology while reading this book.

I would recommend it to all parents who wish to give their child an appreciation of nature, and to every teacher as a curriculum-enrichment aid.

With this work, Colin Rule, who is one of the pioneers of ODR, and also an excellent writer, has given us much to consider about dispute resolution in cyberspace. The book is written for "managers, employees, union representatives, and others who are looking for a better way to handle conflict in their businesses and organizations." There is a interesting overview of the development of online dispute resolution. Also the author discusses his personal experiences in the field, which adds to the overall credibility of the book.

ODR originated in online disputes for which traditional means of dispute resolution were not suited. With as many as 500 million plus people online worldwide, as more businesses and individuals come to realise this significant point, ODR will flourish.

Challenges arising from ODR are covered in sufficient detail by the author and not only alert us to the issues, but also to suggest realistic ways of dealing with them. The author believes that businesses will come to use ODR as matter of course. His book makes a persuasive case for such an outcome.

This is a practical work on an important aspect of ADR.

Optimistic Outcomes is a flip-style book you can leave on your desk to inspire you on a daily basis as you seek the best education for your child. Maureen McKay is a mom who has found a way to organize ideas in a unique way so busy parents can find ideas fast. Each pages covers a topic like math, life skills, study strategies, language arts, memorization and projects.

The skills in this book encourage a child to study independently, maximize learning styles, simplify school work and improve family communication. Maureen McKay gives excellent advice when discussing critiquing work. She recommends: "Start by pointing out that you are going to make comments on things you like and things that might need fine tuning." She tries to remain positive all while providing constructive criticism that will help a child improve their writing.

"Some children tune out if they see too many red marks on their work. If your child reacts this way, try another color for editing and proofreading marks." ~ Card 5.04

This book also arrives with a companion CD-ROM. Teachers, caregivers and parents will enjoy this book as it has many ideas teachers can use in the classroom and parents can use while helping children excel when doing their homework. Icons on the pages indicate learning strategies for auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners. Some of the main ideas include:

Understanding Directions
Reading Comprehension
Writing
Spelling
Computation
Test Taking
Mnemonics
Understanding Time Management
Managing Self and Possessions
Communication ideas for Parents in regards to Your Child's Teacher
Parenting Perspectives

Some of the great ideas include keeping a "Homework Tool Box" in a place where your child does their homework. Ideas are given for what to keep in the box and there are also ideas about making sure children have a snack or food that can make them more alert when doing homework.

~The Rebecca Review