Resources Books

My 20 month old daughter loves it. I'm not sure that she connects it to her 2 month old brother, but she sure enjoys having us read it to her. She pulls it out again and again and screams along!

I read Alligator Baby. I liked this book because it has funny pictures. In the book I read that the "gorilla grabbed her mom's ear and the father's ear and they both yelled Aaaaaaahhhhhaaaaa!" This helped convince me that it was a good book.

I love Robert Munsch and this is one of his books that the kids in my 2nd grade class loved the most!

This is a good book for when bringing home baby. We bought it for our toddler as a fun way to explain that we are bringing him a baby brother from the hospital.

I really liked this book, because it was funny. Kristen's parents kept bringing home animal babies from the zoo instead of a people baby. Kristen saved the day because she went to the zoo and got the right baby from the gorilla's cage. But it was funny at the end when all the mommy animals break into the house to get their babies back

My daughter loved, loved, loved this book. She loved the readings, activities, notebooking, and especially the projects. She used it when she was 11 and was able to do most of it independently. This book makes learning geography fun.

This is more than your typical geography book. In addition to such mundane terms as the equator and the hemispheres that we are all familiar with, you'll learn about the atmosphere, seismic waves, the hydrosphere, cartography...166 pages may not seem like much but this book has a lot to offer. Its conversational style and well thought out activities will make it a welcome addition to your homeschooling library. Examples of activities are making a model of the atmosphere, making an edible earth out of ice cream, investigating the earth's plates with play dough (including a recipe for making your own play dough), making a clock to tell the world's timezones, and much more. It includes a CD with templates for some of the activities as well as copywork.

But what I love about this book is its focus on the fact that this is God's world, not ours and how awesome His world is. The quality of the book itself is very good, the pages are thick and glossy, and full-color pages are alternated with black-and-white pictures.

My only real qualm is that this book is not available in hardcover, preferably a library binding, because I know I'll be using it for many years to come!

Our family enjoyed this book last year in our homeschool. It gives a wonderful, rich, homey feel to the study of the earth and its geography. It is written directly to the reader and makes an excellent read aloud. The explanations of difficult to understand concepts (such as why it is hotter in the summer when we are farther from the sun, and colder in the winter while we are closer to the sun) actually clarified some of my own thinking. One of our favorite projects was tracking the "ship wrecked shoes" using lattitude and longitude. Talk about making a dry subject interesting. This is a lovely book that will appeal to many people (especially to those following a charlotte mason philosophy) and has been an asset in our home.

We bought the e-book version of this when Knowledge Quest first created it, and we loved it so much we bought the hard copy of the book when it came into print! (Snuggling on the couch with a good book with my five children is so much better than reading from a computer screen.)

We used this book in correlation with another Geography curriculum; we loved the way the narrative style incorporated all the things that we were learning in a grand story of the incredible world that surrounds us. Highly recommended by everyone in our house!

Our homeschooling family downloaded the e-version of this book, and we are enjoying this vocabulary packed curriculum. The writers do more than just talk about the geography of the world, they give reason and direction and inspire the reader to think. There are pictures and charts, ideas for exploring outside of each chapter, and we are taking our time in order to glean everything we can from the book. We recently discovered that there is even a review section in the back, which I am using as a basis for testing them on the covered material. We LOVE this book!

I enjoyed the book and it has an incredible amount of resources in it. It addressed a lot of homeschooling concerns for gifted kids. I don't feel it is a stand alone resource and maybe after a few years and some revisions it will seem more "complete".

I read several dozen books on homeschooling when I decided that my kids were going to be homeschooled. Creative Home Schooling by Lisa Rivero was by far the best book I came across. Initially I just checked the book out from the library as I did with the rest of books on homeschooling I read. I actually bought this book and am happy about it. Most of the home schooling books are designed for the average family that pulls its kids out of school, often for religious reasons. Ms. Rivera targets the audience of people who homeschool because their kids are just too smart for normal public school. She discusses different learning styles, the differences between gifted children and high achievers, child-directed learning, and asynchronous learners.

This is absolutely the best book I have read about homeschooling. It is intended for gifted children, but is so much more than that. It talks about all types of homeschooling methods, suggests materials, gives experiences from parents already homeschooling - it is just wonderful. I have given this book to friends considering homeschooling and they agree - this book is a MUST READ!

Book provides many helpful hints for homeschooling gifted children. It does focus more on families that are newly considering homeschooling so it was less of a help to me than expected. It still helped me with some insight into alternatives for gifted children and provided many lists of resources.

If you are new to homeschooling and your child is gifted, this book is a must-have. The different styles of homeschooling are reviewed and presented in an objective manner. The first section of the book deals with gifted children and why homeschooling is an ideal solution for many. The next section helps you to find your homeschool style, and the final portion is a resource guide. Informative quotes from kids and parents are liberally sprinkled through the text. Go ahead and borrow it from your public library, but you're going to want to buy it after you see it!

This is a great book. all the developmental areas have been discussed. Good resource book for parents and for early childhood teacher just lke me.

If you plan on working with the younger crowd, then this is a great book for you. It has a lot of creative ideas to help children in your classroom along developmentally. If you are running out of ideas for your classroom, I suggest buying this book. It will ensure you never get into an idea slump again.

I ordered this book when I started teaching in an infant/toddler classroom. Despite my five years of college, I had little knowledge on what these little guys could do. This book has been an AWESOME resource. I love how the lessons are separated by age groups. It provides detailed explanations as well as additional information on why and how each activity is developmentally appropriate. Of the several books I ordered, this one is most professional and designed for teachers. I highly recommend it!

This is and excellent and useful guide to help you determine what you can do with your baby each day to help him/her develop skills that prepare them for school. The book take time to explain what exactly you are helping to develop and each day can be something different.

Creative Resourcees for infants & Toddlers (Creative Resources for Infantas and Toddlers) is a great book, I wish that I would have gotten it alot sooner. It has really helped me with my homework assignments.

I'd highly recommend this book for people who already know something about Catholicism, but need a bit more depth in order to understand why Catholics believe what they do. I have used it as a resource for people who are Catholic but it has been a long time since they have had catechesis, or for non-Catholic Christians who want to understand more about Catholicism.

It may be a bit too detailed for someone just beginning the Inquiry or RCIA process unless they want a thorough resource book, but in this case I would definitely pair it with a simplified copy of the Catechism.

It makes a great gift book too!

My seminarian friend recommended it to me. At times Opus Dei can be too black-and-white with no gray in between, but this book is still a wonderful way to connect all of Catholicism. I go to Mass regularly and have gone to a Catholic HS, but I still didn't feel like I knew my faith. This book was able to show me how we do know a lot about our faith, but we just have a problem making sense of what we know. Also, his analogies are brilliant. I use them constantly in explaining Catholicism to others.

This is required reading for the Catholic, literally as many catechism classes require it. It is also very useful for those wanting to learn more about their faith or the Catholic faith in general. It is full of useful information laid out in an informative and well written manner. It is easy to find information and questions. That being said it is also very dry, but its hard to make a book like this a page turner.

I've owned this book now for about 3 years and have read it through all the way, once. I've gone back to sections for refresher information, many, many times. What I like the most about this book is, if you do not have the capacity (time, or stamina) to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) all the way through - this is an excellent way to get "more than the basics" of what is in the CCC in a very clear, concise manner.

From the very first page (just like all catechisms of the Catholic church) it starts with the three fundamental questions. Who made me? Who is God? Why did God make me? Just that first page will have you hooked and you will not want to put it down. I constantly recommend this book to anyone over the age of 13 because it is that clear in it's method of explaining the faith. I do not believe this book is for anyone looking for a "dumbed down" version of the faith, and by that I do not mean there is anything wrong with the book written by Fr. Tregilio called "Catholicism for Dummies." Quiet the contrary, these two books are just for different types of readers.

Another interesting observation on this book is the different kind of people that love it. I have met such different personalities and ages of people (13 to 79) who love this book that I think that fact is also a recommendation of the book.

Read it, it's good for answering all your questions AND will untangle any misconceptions you have developed along the way, or just remind you of what you may have forgotten.

I highly and unreservedly recommend this book.

I use this text frequently for inquirers into the Catholic Faith. Every one says it is witten in a very interesting style. Many can't put it down once begun. Well written and faithful to Catholic Church teaching.

I read this book after visiting Arcata this summer. While there, I went on a BLM ranger-guided hike into the Headwaters, the "lush, mysterious, ancient, holy" (p. 82) subject of Dunning's book. I wanted to see for myself what all of the protesting was about. Enjoy this book, then experience the Headwaters' redwoods.

Dunning's book is about many things. Trees. Community. Redwood politics. Bearing witness. The destruction of "one of the most magnificent ecosystems on Earth" (p. 3). Saying "enough!" Non-violent civil disobedience. Protecting America the beautiful. It is also about Dunning's personal journey, or "metamorphosis" as she calls it (p. 239), from naturalist to activist. "What is an 'environmentalist'," she reflects, "but simply a citizen who has shed denial, who has opened his or her eyes and said, 'it does matter nature does not have an infinite capacity to heal herself, himself, itself . . . I am responsible'" (p.228).

Dunning's book reads like an insightful journal, in which she sets out to tell it like it is. "This book is not about happiness," she warns her reader on the first page. Rather, it is about "yielding to conscience. It is about a forest, and it is about us" (p. 1). She reveals that the destruction of old-growth forests like the Headwaters isn't someone else's problem, but our own. Dunning reports that in 500 years, we have destroyed more than ninety percent of our country's ancient forests, leaving only 3.5 percent to protect (p. 263). By saving the redwoods, we save ourselves. Dunning writes, "I want nothing more than to dissolve the polarity that plagues this county and this country, to bring us all back to center--the owls and the pussycats, the loggers and the environmentalists, the business community, everyone--to put us all in the same life raft, which is our Earth" (p. 61).

Dunning also reports that redwood civil disobedience is nothing new. We learn, for instance, on November 19, 1929, Laura Perrott Mahan (1867-1937) lay down in the area now known as Founder's Grove in California's Avenue of the Giants to halt redwood logging. Dunning also writes, and her collaborator, Doug Thron's photographs show that clear-cutting "is an act of violence that affects trees, rivers, air, water, earth, and every person, owl, toad, or human who lives there" (p. 88). "Our whole earth is suffering from the cumulative effects of a million minute daily actions" (p. 240).

Although much of Dunning's book is downright depressing, her real message is this: "Find a corner of the world and fix it" (p. 240). Turn your driveway into a garden. "For each of us," Dunning says, "regardless of where we live, there is a valley, a mountain range, a beach, a whale, a peregrine, a gnatcatcher, that if we merely give our time as a witness to the loss, will gradually unite the being of its existence with our own, will ground us by putting us in touch with what is wild and speechless, will empower us when we speak out in defense of the powerless" (pp. 14-15). (Those interested in how each of us can make a difference might also enjoy Thomas Berry's, THE GREAT WORK (2000), which I also recommend as one of my favorite books.)

In addition to Thron's amazing color photographs (note the cover photo), Dunning's book is also illustrated with her own drawings of redwoods (p. 17), salamanders (pp. 25, 174, 179, 260), a banana slug (p. 41), flying squirrels (p. 56), frogs (pp. 67, 187) and an owl (p. 103), among other subjects.

In our world of "Cars. Cars. Cars." (p. 124), Dunning's book triumphs in showing the value of silent, "dark, dripping, ancient" (p. 37) redwood forests, that tell us to "Be still." For its insights, photographs, and drawings, this book about the wonders of tall trees should not be missed.

G. Merritt

I learned so much by reading this book. Joan Dunning has a way of tackling difficult, cumbersome and emotionally charged subject matter and making it easily digestible. It's a compelling read and the photography by Doug Thron is extraordinary.

No book has ever moved me the way this one has, I have tears in my eyes as I write this. I've just read many of the other reviews, and I don't have the way with words that some do, but they tell it like it is. Joan tells it like it is. Books don't get any better, and this one will change your life, like someone said it isn't all about happiness, and I have become informed and aware of too much to not so something about what is being done to our Redwood Forests, and what is being allowed to be done to our envirnment and watersheds. It's a true story, happening right now, this book documents it succinctly with amazing one of a kind pictures. It will open your eyes. Something needs to be done about Charles Hurwitz from Houston, Texas and his company MAXXAM. He is savaging The last of the Virgin Redwood Rainforest in California. I cannot beleive the CDF and the department of Forestry are "letting him get away with it." Not to mention the way he "aquired" the land, which is explained in the book. Please read this book. This book will light a fire in you, and like me you will have to do something. There are several websites listed in the back to point you in the right direction. I beleive this book is THE BEST one on the subject and if you plan on reading only one this should definitely be it. It has the most facts, information, and insight and is so well written, I couldn't say enough. And 57 pages of priceless color pictures! I am buying used copies for people, I would give one to EVERYONE if I could, and I have only said that about 2 books, and I read alot. The book is priceless. Thank You Joan

I had the opportunity to listen to Joan read from this book. It touched my soul, and I have started to give it to some of my friends to read.

This book explains in simple terms the descruction that P.L unloads on our earth. We are all suffering from the greed of hurwitz. When they "take" a tree alongside a stream, the sun hits the water. Then the water becomes silted, and the water heats up. Then the salmon do not come anymore. Then the eagles have nothing to eat, so they leave. With no trees, no air is cleansed, and with bad air we die. Somone else needs to leave.

Several years ago my daughter and I saw this book on Between the Lions. We instantly fell in love with it. I missed the title and author. I've been looking for it for years. I finally found it! My daughter is now 6. She still loves it. I don't travel much, but we have family far away and are preparing her for her first extended stay with grandma. This book is perfect for reassuring her. There are books that I hope to give my daughter so that she will share with her children many years from now. This book is definitely one of them. This books portrays all the sentiments of what I would like to do for my daughter

This is a great bedtime story in general, but it is even more applicable for those moms who travel for work and want to reassure their little ones that they will ALWAYS come home to them. (e.g. via airplane, riding a leopard, the space shuttle, etc) Wonderful illustrations! Also highly recommend her other book "I love you Stinky Face".

Kinda have to slow down reading it to my son as the pictures are so intricate and he likes to see every aspect of them, but a great story.

My granddaughter has chosen this as her second favorite book next to the original Stinky Face book..... as always it asks questions that are probably on the minds of children with whimsy answers that are reasurring... lovely pictures too!

Like other reviewers, we have two copies. One comes with me in my suitcase so I can read bedtime stories and the other one stays home so my sons can read along.

Since my company has an idea program which I believe could be improved, I've read this book. It's short and to the point. It addresses the importance of small ideas for the improvement of the company and the engagement of its employees. It accompanies most of the points with real case stories which make the point even more compelling. Also very important is the chapter related to rewards and the counter-intuitive effects.

Alan G. Robinson and Dean M. Schroeder's IDEAS ARE FREE is for employers who would tap into the riches of employee ideas and insights. Employees are quite opt to recognize both problems and opportunitiestheir managers pass by - but most organizations don't encourage sharing such insights, much less reward them. IDEAS ARE FREE: HOW THE IDEA REVOLUTION IS LIBERATING PEOPLE AND TRANSFORMING ORGANIZATIONS shows how to tap this hidden wealth.

Ideas Are Free: How The Idea Of Revolution Is Liberating People And Transforming Organizations by Alan G. Robinson (Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts) and Dean M. Schroeder (Associate Dean and Director of Graduate Programs in Management at the College of Business Administrations at Valparaiso University) is an innovative guide to saving money, effort, time and also provides an informative introduction to entirely new ways of doing business with front-line employees, making the most out of opportunities and maximizing the benefits of sound, effective management. Robinson and Schroeder aptly examine the intricacies of the business life and include an analysis of a more prosperous, ease-filled advancement for opportunities granted to all, and situational manipulation for a more competently finalized project. Ideas Are Free is very highly recommended reading for all business consultants, corporate executives and departmental managers.

The authors show how important it is to gather ideas and encourage people to think creatively. I wish they would have described more how they could gather these ideas more effectively.

If you are starting a suggestion process or revamping an established one, this is the book to read and apply. Robinson and Schroeder have boiled down a thousand pages of material and years of research on the subject into 218 readable pages.

Excerpt from review on bsmDigest.com:
"Mark Lutchen's groundbreaking book continues to influence technology leaders with its vision for building mature IT organizations. As more CIOs and CEOs grapple with the challenge of applying effective management processes to their increasingly critical technology organizations, this engaging book offers very practical advice for doing it successfully. Drawing on his experience both as an actual CIO managing a large, global IT organizations and as a management consultant working with many large organizations, Lutchen delivers a clear, integrated vision for enlightened IT management."

Great help for someone that has just upgraded
from IT Management to a CIO role and needed to
upgrade as well his agenda. Excellent source of inspiration
and perfect guide for a profession that is still
under transformation. Definitely a must have.

The book is focused (and written by) on world class CIO positions,
but I found it equally useful for smaller scale CIOs.
It's exactly there that it lacks some information
on the organization of smaller IT groups (<20 persons).

If you are a CIO then buy it. If you are an IT manager
you need something else.

Managing IT as a Business provides a readable, pragmatic approach to the challenges of the IT `black box'. Too often these books attempt to `dumb down' the reader with bromides directing managers to `just do this' or `that' to bring about success. Mark successfully brings the pieces of the process together (using actual cases for added focus). He provides direction to show Managers how to get maximum overall value for the IT dollars invested. An IT `Tour De force' and a must read!

This is a fabulous book for experienced or aspiring IT managers whose goal is to prepare for ascension through the ranks, especially to the CIO level. In simple yet rich language, Mark presents a clear picture of the future of the IT organization and the competencies needed in the CIO and senior team heading up this professional services operation. The examples and case studies are rich with insights. In short, this book is pragmatic and weighty, yet also highly readable and I dare say outright enjoyable. I highly recommend it as a must read for anyone who wants to develop an effective IT career roadmap. Thank you Mark Lutchen.

Joe Santana,
Co-author Manage IT

I have only one simple statement - where were you Mark when I started my IT career 17 years ago? Today I would have been a CIO! I highly recommend this book for those starting out their careers in IT as it gives a big picture look to the field. Own it and refer to the clear and relevant graphics in the book.

This is an amazing series! I first read it in the early 70's as a fifth grader and as teacher I read it every year to my third, fourth and fifth graders. They love it.

I remembered reading these books in the 70's and got this book for my son. My "reluctant reader" fifth grader loved the entire series. A great pick for kids who are more interested in straight fiction "real" characters and plots, as opposed to fantasy/science fiction (which can confound less strong readers). I wish the entire series was in print.

The third book in the series has mighty big shoes to fill but it lives up to expectations very well.
Other reviewers have expressed concern over the lack of stories with the main character (Tom), but this book is true to it's title and deals with the younger Fitzgerald in very well.\

I applaud the author for taking time to focus on the troubles of a younger sibling when his older (and more conniving) brother is absent.

I enjoyed this book very much when I was younger, and still enjoy it now that I am an adult and father.

This series is one that I hope to share with my children as they grow up, and I hope they will get as much pleasure from the stories as I did.

This book presents a very nice change of pace in the Great Brain series. The Great Brain has gone off to boarding school, and J. D. thinks that he will fill the Great Brain's shoes and try to swindle the kids in town. All of J. D.'s plans backfire, and he learns that swindling people is not something that is to be admired or done. The main focus of the book is on J.D.'s family's adoption of Frankie, a little boy whose parents were killed in an accident. It's a very heartwarming portrayal of a family's acceptance of a new member, and it is not at all lacking in comic relief. Mr. Fitzgerald's humor is not at all lacking in this book, and perhaps is even better than in the rest of the series. I definitely enjoyed this book.

Overall grade: A

I read these books as child by checking them out of a library. Now almost 20 years later, I have decided to reread them all starting from the beginning. In this book, J.D. decides that he can fill the Great Brain (T.D.)'s shoes, while T.D. is away at the Academy in Salt Lake City. It turns out to be a humbling experience, thus the title, Me and My Little Brain. While some people may tell you that this book isn't as good without the presence of the Great Brain, I found this book just as entertaining as the rest. The storytelling is as superb as the rest. You don't want to miss this book because it introduces the character, Frankie, who allows this book to still be about brothers. Towards the end of this book, we find out that J.D. can still do some amazing stuff even though he has a little brain. This book and The Great Brain at the Academy are parallel books, which describe events happening at the same time, however, you should read this book first to have things make sense.