Stations Books

I think my son has read this book 30 times now. I don't think I need to say any more.

It is more than obvious that Joanna Cole (author) and Bruce Degen (illustrator) had the time of their lives bringing this book to fruition. Penned in 1997, "The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip" is packaged to the bursting point with anything and everything that has to do with electricity. There's so much going on here that a simple one-sided scorecard just won't suffice upon delving into Ms. Frizzle's latest adventure. It is Cole and Degen's most action-packed and tightly-woven collaboration yet. One senses from just taking in the first few pages that author and illustrator poured every fiber of their being into the Friz's ninth science-related field trip for children.

Our story starts off with a bang when a surprise guest bounces into class, positively charged with energy. She looks to be the spitting-image of Ms. Frizzle, only much younger.

"Hello, Aunt Valerie," says the girl, kissing the Friz on the cheek.

"My niece, Dottie Frizzle, is visiting today," adds Ms. Frizzle. "Dottie, we're learning about electricity!"

And so, while a thunderstorm rages on outside, our favorite frizzy-haired teacher begins her lesson for the day. She starts by breaking down a diagram of an atom. Then she points out the relationship between electrons (tiny parts of the atom that circle around its core) and electric current (where electrons are pulled away from their hosts and form a steady stream of movement). This is what gives us electricity.

Then, before the Friz can move onto magnetic current (the cousin of electric current), the lights all over school suddenly go out and the classroom is plunged into total darkness. Outside, a hearty roar of thunder echoes over the students' heads.

"There's no electricity!" someone yells.

"We're experiencing a blackout," notes Ms. Frizzle. And according to Gregory, a student in the class, a blackout happens when electric current stops flowing from the power plant to the community.

Why has this occurred? What can anyone do about it? Will this be the end of our story?

"To the bus, everyone!" orders the Friz, brandishing her trusty umbrella like a valiant knight's sword. "Let's find out what happened."

And so begins the wildest adventure Ms. Frizzle and her students have ever undertaken, one that will start at the heart of a power plant and, zooming along with millions of electrons, lead them all over town -- the library, Jo's Diner, student Phoebe's house, and back to school again.

Readers and students alike will learn all about electricity; its many uses, how it is made, and the safety hazards of working with it. They will come to understand the very important role magnetism plays in producing large amounts of electricity. They will familiarize themselves with terms such as "transformers" and "volts."

And that is only scratching the surface of this most densely-packed field trip to date. It would be hard for any author-illustrator team to keep upping the ante nine books into a series. But Cole and Degen prove themselves just as fresh and inspired as ever. "Electric Field Trip" will require second readings to fully grasp all the concepts presented in this book, which Cole and Degen fully acknowledge within the story. Electricity, atoms, watts, magnetism -- it's highly sophisticated and complicated material, even for the most advanced readers. And the fact that Cole and Degen plowed full steam ahead with the subject matter without batting an eyelash is to be commended. Readers will most certainly be rewarded for the time they spend poring over this book.

In keeping with tradition, Cole and Degen leave readers with two familiar mainstays at the end of the tale. Clearly explained are the things made up for story purposes. What's nicer is that Cole and Degen have added a new twist this time around, which makes distinguishing fact from fiction in the story more enjoyable than ever. And then there is the enticingly sweet tidbit to leave readers with a sampling of what's next in store for the Friz and her posse. It's hard to put a finger on what it could be, exactly . . . but one senses that it will quench your thirst for knowledge, you hear?

As Ms. Frizzle herself would say, "If there's no flow, then it's no go!"

This book is a great book to learn about electricity. My daughter wants me to read it to her over and over, and I have learned from it, too!

My daughter needed some different approaches to understanding multiplication. This book provides engaging exercises using language that is relevant to children. It provides truly multi-sensory opportunities to learn multiplication - stories, games, songs, and suggestions for using manipulatives. I highly recommend it, whether your child is struggling with multiplication or not.

This book has many good ideas for helping children with multiplication--including songs, stories, and other pneumonic devices.

Whether you are a homeschooler, or you just want to give your child/student extra help in multiplication, this is a MUST HAVE book that beautifully supplements any math curriculum. The book flows effortlessly from zero to ten times tables in an entertaining step-by-step format. Each section is chock full of games, stories, songs, word problems and puzzles that are fast to do with children, and involve little or no equipment. Examples include a quote by Shakespeare's King Lear "Nothing will come of nothing" (for learning anything multiplied by zero is zero); Using fairy tales to learn how to multiply by one ("Once a upon a time there were three bears", "Once upon a time there were seven dwarfs"); the cute, memorable folktale of Mr. & Mrs. Yam, a couple who made a fascinating discovery in their back yard, for learning to multiply by 2; Using a calendar and the concept of eating three meals a day to teach the three times table, and a host of other practical, enlightening suggestions.

The latter part of the book contains reproducibles and teaching aids for use in the home school and classroom -- guaranteed to keep your student(s) busy for hours! When I used this book with my 8-year-old daughter, I don't think she realized how much she was learning. We ended up putting her regular textbook on the shelf for a few days while she had fun working from this book. When she was finished, I just used the speed drills and tests from her regular curriculum to test her comprehension and retention. I found she consistently scored in the high 90's - 100 on every test. Every family is different, but it took us a solid two weeks (working 5-6 days a week for 35-40 minutes per day) for her to have the zero-ten times tables memorized cold.

This book is so effective because it is easy for the teacher/parent to use, and is a fun way for kids to learn this sometimes confusing concept. Even older students will appreciate the hints, songs, games and poems partly because they are great strategies, but mostly because they are really fun!

Definitely the most entertaining and useful of all the supplementary materials I have reviewed for multiplication (and believe me, I have looked at many!!!). I would also recommend the Multiplication Songs Kit from Audio Memory, Inc. as another source to use in conjunction with this book and your regular curriculum.

5 Starts. Enjoy!

I am thrilled to come across this mimeograph dealing with the important 1955 Potato trials in Wyoming! Although I have not read this particular mimeograph, I am well aware of the Potato trials in Wyoming of 1955, and it is an episode of our country's history that has never really been addressed. Far too few people know about the events that eventually led to the Potato trials in Wyoming, in 1955, but hopefully mimeographs like this one will help educate the public. It is important that we remember the past, so as not to repeat it. The Potato trials in Wyoming, 1955 may be in the past, but they did happen, and who is to say similar events may not happen again. But this time not in Wyoming, and not in 1955!

Those @%*& Irish think they do it all. The leaders world-wide in horse trials, and dog trials - days long show events, the Irish tried to steal the potato trials from the good ol' U S of A. We all know that the "Irish" potato is really just a good old fashioned Russet by another name. And now in his authoritative work "Potato trials in Wyoming, 1955", William A Riedl has unveiled to the shocked world the true story behind the attempted theft by the Irish of our beloved potato trials. So controversial it had to be mimeographed.

A documentary, both compelling and informative, riveting and shocking, rife with espionage, counter-espionage, and good old fashioned bitch slapping, we see the 1955 trials from an insider's perspective.

Never forget, never waiver. Against the forefront of pomp and circumstance unfolded dramatic events in the back rooms of potatoery that have never been surpassed. Don't deny yourself the undocumented, true story, and it's equally shocking sequels, "Potato trials in Wyoming, 1956", "Potato trials in Wyoming, 1957", and "Potato trials in Wyoming, 1958". You'll never tire, but beware of later, related works by K. E Bohnenblust, such as "Potato variety trials in Wyoming, 1968", and "Potato variety trials in Wyoming, 1971".

Let's face it, no one covers the Wyoming potato trials like Mr. Riedl.

This may be the most relevant question in regards to William A. Reidl's "Potato Trials in Wyoming, 1955." In a criminal trial, determining guilt is of the utmost importance. However, the word "trial" sometimes refers to an experiment or test, rather than a legal proceeding. Be that as it may, Mr. Reidl's title (say that ten times fast!) is intriguing. One imagines potatoes being cross-examined; potatoes refusing to answer the question; potatoes accusing each other of unspeakable acts. One also imagines potatoes mashed, slathered in butter, and topped with sour cream. Ummm ... oh yeah.

To be clear: I have not read William A. Reidl's book, nor will I. And, yet, I feel confident in giving it a five-star rating. Bravo!

Love this Border Collie doll. My daughter adores the books & sleeps with this doll. Good quality & ultra cute!

I purchased this doll because, as a kindergarten teacher, we read the Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten story first in our reading series. I thought the doll would make the story more meaningful to the students and help welcome them to kindergarten each fall. We have all of the Miss Bindergarten books and use the doll to make the characters in the stories come alive for the students as we read each one respectively. The kids pass her around and hug her and love her as the stories are read. She has a special shelf that she sits on in our classroom and watches over us as we do our daily activities. I recommend this doll for any teacher who uses the Miss Bindergarten books, as the kindergarten students have made her an important and much loved part of our classroom.

What could be nicer than tucking Miss Bindergarten into bed with your child? She can whisper math facts and reveiw phonoics all night long!

I am the illustrator of the Miss Bindergarten books and the staff of MerryMakers allowed me to help design this wonderful dog doll. She is big enough to hug and small enough to tuck into a backpack.The little details such as Miss Bindergarten's necklace, reminder post-it note and checkered shoes were carefully designed to be child safe and true to the books. MerryMakers is a wonderful small company based in Oakland, CA and run with a personal touch.

I was given a copy of the game by one of the designers, and brought it home and taught it to my boyfriend's kids (ages 5 and 10) that night. They LOVED it. Now every time they come over they want to play "The Spaceship/Rocket Game". It was easy for them to learn and the strategy to win keeps them interested. The fast pace makes it great for adults too, trying to keep your launch on schedule and get to the hub the fastest.

Great game! Very fast to learn. Kids love the idea of political intregue and fast play. You never know who will win till the last card is played. Everyone has a chance.

I like it because the concept is interesting: get your space station modules into orbit and locked on to the hub. Don't suffer booster failure, or loose your launch window.

The graphics are beautiful and very well done, which gives it a more real-world feel to it than other games.

I specially like that it's very easy to teach and learn, so it's easy to get new or younger players involved. The rules are simple and clear.

The rules also make for a fast paced game with many twists and turns. You really have to be on your toes and think on your feet.

Very nice! The Schwartz/Toman team came up with another winner!

The book is really an excellent reference in RF propagation models. The book covers all of the basics of RF propagation and environmental noise and in a well written and organized way. I like the book and I strongly recommend it for those who work in this field or interested in it.

This book covers all of the essentials of radiowave propagation and environmental noise and in a good level of detail. I have numerous other books on the subject and, while others may outshine it on individual topics, it offers even, well thought-out coverage of all the essential topics within radiowave propagation for Land Mobile radio. It is a must for those who design Land Mobile Radio networks.

The book is really a very good reference in RF propagation models. Also, topics like diversity, fading, sounding techniques, multiple inteference issues are thouroughly presented. I strongly recommend it to all of the GSM, PCS, and CDMA network designers. Diffraction is very well explained and there should be no problem applying it in the real world after reading this book.

eventhough the cover is of a grandmother and her granddaughter, my son enjoys this book. He loves his grandma

This is a really beautiful book; I gave a copy to my mother for the grandchildren, and had to get more copies for other family members. When my mother saw it she grabbed it and held it to her chest. The illustrations are warm, and the story is really sweet. This is definitely a favorite in our collection of books.

This is a lovely picture book representing a strong bond between a grandmother and her granddaughter. There are sweet little surprises found in the pictures...every time I read the book to my daughter we find something new. It is an easy read for a young child, simple text with warm pictures.

Chichikov wastes little in his poetry, and still lavishes a reader's mind with considerations while giving simple beauty for his heart. Very basic meter and very deep spirit seize no epic attempts. He just has one thing to say to one thought or idea or Sacrament or Mystery or Station. He makes it one finest thing, and does it well.

For more than a decade, Pavel Chichikov has been writing devotional poetry of the highest calibre. He has a very pure voice and a rare expertise with metrics and with strict verse-forms. An admirer of good poetry will be delighted with this book, but for a person also interested in spiritual experience, Chichikov offers something more. These poems invite the reader into a contemplative state, into a quiet encounter with Christ in the mystery of his earthly life. Chichikov is always a good poet, but I wonder if this may not be his masterpiece, where poems like "The Annunciation" will bear comparison with the best religious verse written in our time.

As a frequent reader and long standing admirer of Pavel Chichikov's work, I was quick to place an order for this publication. My excitement on its arrival was extreme, and my delight began even with my first feverish touch of its smooth, soft textured hard cover and magnificent photograph, which in itself demonstrates Pavel's remarkable artist's eye for texture and effect.

Each page presents a masterpiece, capturing the essence of each of the 20 mysteries of the modern rosary. The second section honors the 14 stations of the cross in like manner, illuminating each scene with words and imagination in much the same mysterious manner as the cover photograph of Christ's passion.

Though not a metaphor with which Pavel is likely to agree, I see in his work a reincarnation of another of my favorite poets, Gerard Manley Hopkins, in his appreciation of the Divine and His creations, and his ability to capture and express this appreciation so as to enrich our inner spirit.

Whether used by Catholics as a companion to sacramental acts and devotions, or by Christians as a means to more closely and deeply approach the key events of the redeemer, or by word lovers as a poetic enrichment, Mysteries and Stations deserves to be a delight to be shared with a wide audience. Acquire a copy, delight in it, and share it with others.

Now I turn to my dear wife and ask: "Can I have a look at it again, please? It is my turn!"

My Grandparents met @ this Great Camp on Lake Lila in the mid 1930's, both employed by the Webb family. I found it an interesting live history read from the same era my grandparents were there. Beautiful descriptions of the Adirondacks and life in woods in the early 1940's.

Both my husband and I enjoyed this book. How many women would have even considered watching a fire tower middle of the Adirondacks back in 1942? The book is well written, easy to read and contains some interesting history from that time. I highly recommend it.

There are many autobiographical books concerning the Adirondack wilderness, but few come as close to the heart or reality as Frances Boone Seaman does. Set during World War II, the author describes wilderness life in great detail and realistic dialogue. Having grown up in the hamlet of Long Lake, N.Y., the author has the opportunity to first be a waitress at the famed luxurious mountain retreat of millionaire Dr. Seward Webb, the man who built the first major railroad through the Adirondacks. Working as a waitress at this lodge on the remote Lake Lila, Francis experiences the lives of the rich and famous. The people as well as the incredible beauty mesmerize her. Later, she is asked to be the first woman to occupy an extremely remote fire tower for the duration of the fire season. During this stay she experiences isolation, bear confrontations, severe thunderstorms and the constant fear of another major fire. Meanwhile she longs for her boyfriend who has since gone off to war. Never losing her sensibility or her love for her wilderness job, Frances takes the reader to a period and a place that few have had the opportunity to experience. It was another time long gone, but the sheer romanticism she writes about is immensely rewarding.

Absolutely wonderful book! Perfect for children! I am currently in the field of early childhood education and my children loved it! You can use this as a sing-along story. Wonderfully age appropriate for preschoolers. GREAT book!

This book is similar to "I'm a Little Teapot" in that the story follows a runaway dog through zany adventures through sightseeing in New York City, mountain climbing (my daughter laughs hard on this one), surfing the ocean, exploring the desert, being in a rodeo (love the cowboy boots on each of his four feet--lol!), and examining a cave.

The reader sings the story (twelve stanzas) using the familiar tune of the book's title. My daughter loves this and all Iza Trapani books for the colorful, funny illustrations as well hearing the songs. Singing books are entertaining and educational, teaching your child valuable listening skills and understanding pitch. My daughter sings right on key and has a good sense of rhythm and I believe Iza's books have greatly helped her achieve this. Thanks, Iza! How about a kitty book? Takeaway value: There's no place like home.
Soar!

Bought this book when my first born was about 1 1/2 years old. Until then she would not sit and listen to stories. She (and I) fell in love with "Oh Where Oh Where...". She is now five and still will pull it off the bookshelf often. Now her two younger siblings are joining the fun of singing the story. We have a whole collection of Iza Trapani books but this is still our favorite.