Education Books

We teach a graduate class at Western Michigan University entitled "Humor and Fun: The Brain's Best Learning Strategy." After much deliberation, we made LAUGH AND LEARN the required text for the course. We love the sound and accurate science on humor and brain function, and meanwhile it is a genuinely funny read. In short, the book both proves AND demonstrates the central point of the course: that fun really is the best learning strategy.

Our students include pre-school, middle school, high school, and college teachers, and even administrators. In spite of the fact that LAUGH AND LEARN was written primarily from a trainer's point of view, we find that it offers good stuff for all. We're delighted to report that the response to the book (and the class) has been excellent. We highly recommend this book for virtually any teaching professional.

As a corporate consultant and trainer, I'm always looking for ways to increase my effectiveness in helping clients really learn the material at hand. Like many, I don't consider myself particularly funny, and worry that I could do more harm than good by trying too hard to incorporate humor into workshops.

Doni Tamblyn does a terrific job not only showing the reader how to easily and safely insert humor, she also references fascinating research that clearly supports why humor is so critical to the learning process. The book is written in a friendly, approachable style that makes it a fun read, and I appreciate the handy index to the "95 Ways" listed at the beginning of the book for quick reference.

I highly recommend this book not only to other professional trainers, but to speakers and presenters of all types. Personally, after trying some of Tamblyn's strategies, I not only feel more confident in front of a room, but hey, I'm having more fun too. You can't beat that!

As a corporate consultant and trainer, I'm always looking for ways to increase my effectiveness in helping clients really learn the material at hand. Like many, I don't consider myself particularly funny, and worry that I could do more harm than good by trying too hard to incorporate humor into workshops.

Doni Tamblyn does a terrific job not only showing the reader how to easily and safely insert humor, she also references fascinating research that clearly supports why humor is so critical to the learning process. The book is written in a friendly, approachable style that makes it a fun read, and I appreciate the handy index to the "95 Ways" listed at the beginning of the book for quick reference.

I highly recommend this book not only to other professional trainers, but to speakers and presenters of all types. Personally, after trying some of Tamblyn's strategies, I not only feel more confident in front of a room, but hey, I'm having more fun too. You can't beat that!

"Laughter and Learning"

I'm reading this book, and I sense it is what I have been waiting for. I believe Doni Tamblyn has really nailed it. She's given structure to what seems to be the very complex art of effective teaching. I'll start giving her methods a try by using the "smooth" vs "crunchy" approach for initiating group/team work, and by finally using some of those cartoons I've been accumulating for years.

I'm also thinking about how I could apply some of her ideas to my online distance learning courses, where teaching and learning are not in a traditional classroom. This environment lacks the needed spontaneity, but I could see what would happen if I divided my online class into small discussion teams competing for bonus points for "fabulous prizes" to be awarded at our once-per-week lab meetings.

I appreciate that Ms. Tamblyn has combined her comedic experience with Dewey's ideas, theories of motivation, accelerated learning, and optimal/compatible brain learning, the
Koran, the Talmud, famous quotes, tips on psychology and comedic delivery, and has taken the time to share her synthesis of them in a book. Her Laugh and Learn is not only a great how-to book, but also a scholarly piece of work. I don't usually find how-to books with an index, references, endnotes, so many examples, and a case study! (Her "anatomy of a creative learning module" is precious.) Thank you, Ms. Tamblyn!"

Recently, an old friend suggested that I read Doni Tamblyn's Laugh and Learn, a "how to" book that delineates various exercises, all intended to increase creative thought. At first I was reluctant to read the book--as a high school teacher I am bombarded by teaching methodologies, each one claiming to be the magic key that will unlock student achievement and motivation. So I was surprised when I discovered that Laugh and Learn was 1) witty 2) entertaining 3) well-researched 4) practical and, best of all, actually works!

Through a combination of data compiled from brain-compatible research, and an enormous catalogue of easy to read, easy to implement student activities, Tamblyn makes the compelling case that creative thought flourishes best when learners are first instructed to avoid being clever and original. While the ultimate goal may be to reach heights of innovative thinking, Tamblyn assures us that such heights will more than likely be reached when the learner's mind is relaxed enough to begin making the connections that distinguish the truly interesting thought from the mundane.

In each chapter, Tamblyn discusses the hows and whys of encouraging learners to lose their anxiety and increase their joy as they discover the creative process within themselves. Although the book is a virtual treasure trove of fun activities for students, my favorites have been the "mind map" and the "finish the sentence ball toss." (You have to read the book to find out why these activities are such big fun!) Again, the idea behind each activity is to "sneak up" on the creative drive before it has a chance to realize that it is being scrutinized and therefore shut down like a wall flower at a jr. high school dance.

At least one or two days a week, I incorporate a Laugh and Learn activity into my lesson plans. My students love the program. And their test scores and projects reflect the influence of Tamblyn's techniques upon greater retention of content and increased motivation for success. This is nothing short of a miracle, when you consider the natural reluctance of teenagers to try anything that might make them look "uncool" in front of their classmates.

Laugh and Learn is both brilliant and of enormous practical benefit--two qualities not often found in teacher training manuals. Tamblyn's book should occupy a special place on every educator's desk. Five stars, Ms. Tamblyn, five stars and more...

These girls are so over the top. I can't wait to see what happens to them in the last of the series.

This book was very good, much like the rest of the series. Except, I HIGHLY suggest reading the rest of the series before this one. You will be lost otherwise, but they're so good you'll finish them in a jiffy. I won't spoil anything, but it was wonderful. And great sensory details - my friend and I agreed you felt as if you were read and at a certain special event[not saying any names!] The only thing is the ending leaves you hanging, but I guess we'll just have to wait until May for the next one.

By the way, I'm 14 years old. I'm no mama or anything :]

Cheyenne Martin's suicide is a shock for everyone at Easton Academy, especially for Reed Brennan. Who would have thought that the ambitious, power-hungry and traditionalist Billings girl would take her own life after she is expelled? But Reed feels undeniable guilt. Apparently, Cheyenne had sent her an e-mail before she killed herself, blaming Reed for her decision to kill herself. As if that weren't bad enough, it appears that Cheyenne had arranged for the e-mail to be resent every Friday. Cheyenne is immediately forgotten -- at least by the other Billings girls -- when Easton students are ostracized and snubbed from this year's Legacy, the biggest and most highly-expected exclusive party of the year. Reed shows a great deal of leadership, which is why, in an unanimous vote, she becomes the president of Billings hall. Wonderful things happen after Reed becomes leader. She gets tons of perks, money she's never had in her life, and power she'd never before envisaged. But will her leadership be threatened when Noelle returns to Easton? Noelle was a senior last year, but after getting expelled from Easton and getting community service, she has to repeat her senior year, and her father threatens to sue if they don't let her back in Easton. Will Reed be able to get invites to this year's Legacy? On top of everything else, she and Josh are having problems. She wants to be a Billings girl and hang out with Noelle, he doesn't. There is also the fact that Reed has a crush on Dash, Noelle's ex, who is now in Yale. This brings a whole new conflict into her already complicated life. To top it all off, someone is watching her, messing with her. Is Cheyenne really dead, or -- oh horror of horrors -- has Ariana somehow escaped from the mental institution she now resides?

This new installment in the Private series brings new drama and conflicts for Reed. At first, the presidency seems like a dream come true. Then everything falls apart, and she asks herself if the presidency is a blessing... or a curse. The Billings girls are as silly and glitzy as ever. A new Starbucks-like coffee shop is built in the school, which will probably become their hangout. Reed does get a little annoying in this installment -- self-absorbed, always after Noelle like a lapdog -- and I wanted to slap her a few times, especially as far as her relationship with Josh is concerned. I won't spoil the reader by supplying details, but she deserves what she gets toward the end. This installment is as addictive and riveting as the ones before it (with the exception of Inner Circle), but I've discovered something about Kate Brian: she is not consistent with the secondary characters' physical description. Eye and hair colors change with each installment. Josh's eyes had been green in other books. In this book, they are blue. London had been described as blonde -- she is brunette in this one. At first, I thought it was me who couldn't keep up with the descriptions, but it appears that the author herself is confused. I wish Brian would keep a file of the smaller characters' descriptions, something like, "Josh -- curly blonde hair, green eyes," etc. Also, the thing with the e-mail isn't resolved in this book. No one knows who, if anyone, was sending it or if it indeed had been an auto-send e-mail. It's almost as if Brian completely forgot to resolve that issue, but maybe we'll just have to wait till the next book to find out. There is, like the other books, a huge twist at the end. I find it hilarious that Reed has gone through so much in such a short amount of time. If this much happened in real life, Easton would have been shut down because parents wouldn't pay to send their students to such a death and tragedy trap, and other boarding schools would probably quake at the thought of welcoming a scholarship student into their school. Other than that, I absolutely LOVE Legacy and I look forward to reading Ambition. Also, it appears that Brian will release a spinoff from this series, starring Ariana. I will definitely check that one out!

Brian has written another amazing book. I'm in love with the Private Series. It is one of my favorite series. It is well written and suspenseful I recommend it for all teen girls. Brian does an amazing job describing the events and the emotions of Reed and other characters. If you haven't read the other books in the series, read them first, it is basically a must to understand this book.

I don't think I will ever get tired of the Private series. Legacy is fantastic and quite different from the first few simply because Reed is in charge and is trying to stay sane while being a Noelle. I love Reed's relationship with Josh but am intrigued by her feelings for Dash so I look forward to the next book in the series to see what happens.

Awesome! Very thorough and easy to understand.

I am a legal assistant and I use this book constantly! It gives you great strategies to work more efficiently while getting better results. I had no idea how many legal resources there are online! This book tells you which sites are the most reliable and easy to use. It also demystifies annotated legal codes, case digests, state reports and many other research tools. But most importantly it is extremeley well organized and easy to use. I wish that I had discovered this book when I was a student!

Legal information can seem confusing to the common person which is why this book was written. You need to understand how to find laws, regulations and court cases (if you are representing yourself in court). This is great even if you d not go to court because it makes you a smarter more diverse individual.

This book gives you a straight forward resource on how to find the laws and regulations, how to read the citations, and how to use the law library. It is good for lawyers, judges, paralegals or the layman. It is packed with tons of useful information.

I recommend it to everyone who has to decide if things are legal or not.

Footnote: Nolo press is the best company that produces law books for the common person. They are always easy to read and pact with good advice.


Enjoy

This is an excellent and necessary legal research book for all paralegals,law students and legal researchers.
The hypotheticals and research questions with detailed answers alone make it a must have volume. The authors skillfully guide the student through the legal research process with these problems and answers.This is the most valuable legal research book in my personal library. Highly recommended.

I find this book to be a great resource for non-lawyers. As adjunct faculty at a community college, I use it to supplement the course text for my Legal Research & Writing Course for Paralegals. Well worth the purchase, and a great value!

I bought this book for myself after I lost my father to leukemia last year. This year at school, I was in charge of doing a fundraiser for the Leukemia Society. To help my first graders understand what leukemia was, I read this book to them. I do admit that I ad libbed a bit, especially when they talked about breast cancer. But my little ones really got it. They understood what being that ill meant. I shared how the leukemia society helped my family out when my dad was in the hospital. The next day, I had students bring in the contents of their piggy banks and give up their snack money to contribute instead. The story is beautifully written, of course, and it was a welcome addition to my classroom library.

There are very few books by Polacco that aren't listed amongst my favorites...she writes with such feeling that most of her work tugs at my heartstrings. This book is no exception. She deals with a difficult subject with such a gentle, yet powerful way that you can't help but fall completely in love with her characters. You'll laugh when they do and cry right along with them. Another beautiful piece of writing not to be missed.

This is the first children's book that ever made me cry. The next night it had my husband tearing up. It is a great story -- and even more amazing because it is a true story. My 7 year old is fascinated by it -- in part perhaps because of the strong reaction of her parents to it. And, of course, it prompts discussion of friends (adults and children) we know who are fighting cancer.

My daughter and I read this book cover to cover. She and I discussed many of our friends and family members who have had cancer and how this book relates. It was a wonderful story with a great ending. I have recommended this book to many people.

Thanks for giving us a wonderful story to share with our children!!

My daugher and I LOVE Patricia Polacco. This was another great book. We love the way she incorporates her own family members or friends into almost every one of her books. This book is a touching story about two best friends and how they deal with a devastating illness. It also describes a special bond the girls form with their teacher, who also is suffering with her own illness. My daughter and I went through several tissues reading this book. The ending was beautiful and I would strongly recommend this book to children (and their parents).

Linux System Security: The Administrator's Guide to Open Source Security Tools, Second Edition
by Scott Mann has advice on starting from scratch when you are setting up a machine to make it secure from attack from the outside.

It looks at everything from the filesystem upwards, and will give you a good starting point for looking at this.

Linux is better than Windows.

Actually all tools described are not Linux specific and can be used for any Unix including FreeBSD and Solaris.

The authors seems to know the subject and really used tools that they are writing about. For several popular tools the book provides some useful info that is difficult to find elsewhere. Pretty decent typography, although it's a little bit too academic and does not use icons on margins that IMHO simplify reading. 

As for the classic open security tools, the book covers PAM(36 pages), Sudo(20 pages), TCP Wrappers(24 pages), SSH(55 pages), Tripwire(24 pages), CFS and TCFS (30 pages), and ipchains.

From the first reading it looks like the chapters are *not* a rehash of existing online documentation. In addition to the chapters about classic open source security tools I like chapters about logs: a chapter on syslog (Ch.8) and a chapter on log file management (Ch.17). 

Now about weaknesses. The chapter on Tiger is rather weak. Moreover regrettably Tiger is a legacy tool, but actually information is not completely useless -- it's not difficult to switch to another tool after one understands how Tiger works. Actually Perl is superior for writing Unix vulnerability scanners in comparison with shell. May be hardening scripts like Bastille would be a better choice for this chapter in the second edition of the book.

Book is incomplete in a sense that neither Snort (or any similar intrusion detection tool), nor open source network scanners (Saint, Sara, etc.) are covered.

Of course there are some typos, but generally not that many. But what is really bad is that the Prentice Hall book page currently is pretty basic with no errata or additional links. The authors do not provide a WEB site for the book.

This book can probably be used for studying Unix security at universities along with somewhat outdated Practical Unix and Internet Security and this combination can somewhat compensate deficiencies of the latter (non tool oriented descriptive approach).

This book is well-written, thorough, and practical rather than academic. I particularly found the chapter on securing network services to be helpful, and was able to identify some potential security problems on the systems I support as a result of information provided in that chapter.

This book is incredibly thorough, and up to date. For example, Red Hat Linux 7 has just come out, and does now has xinetd as a replacement for inetd. Well, you guessed it, this book has about 27 pages on xinetd!

Want info on ipchains? This book has at least 50 pages on the subject!

I could go on and on about this book it is so good!

This book is written by experienced people, not just an author who was assigned another book to write.

You will not regret buying this book!

I find this such an amazing book. I loved it so much. I am using this book for a book report and I find that it will be the best.I am doing a bookseller's day and I will try to sell this book. I feel that it will be successful for me because this book is so interesting. Sometimes it is so touching it can make you cry. Jean Little is such a brave girl and into such a talented young lady and to a real grown up person. I feel that this book will teach you a great lesson by having someone sharing their past with you and everyone around. Everything in the book is so real because all those things have probably happened in some school. People getting bullied. But the thing is, no one ever stands up for themselves and I find Jean Little such a spectacular person.

If you like sad but happy or a lesson to learn in a book you will like Little By Little. Jean has one of the most popular books help you in life. The genre of this story is autobiography. It will change your point of veiw as a reader and as a person because you know the things she goes through really happen. I like this book because when you get into the story it's hard to get out. The story is about how Jean, little by little, succeeds in different things like reading, school and many more. For example, when she's trying to learn to read, she didn't give up. She went through stages during lerning to make new frieds,and getting through school. Jean uses very interesting words to make you feel like you're there. For instance when it's her first day at school she explains how she felt and what she felt like doing. This book taught me that it's hard to live a normal life if you have a disability.

So I've been steadily working my way through the greatest children's books of all time for just over a year now. To do this, I've been attempting to use a variety of already existing lists, so as to bulk up my cumulative kiddie lit knowledge. One of these lists is the New York Public Library's "100 Favorite Children's Books". This list includes everything from "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" to "Freaky Friday". Now I had been doing quite well on these titles and was pleased with its choices right up until I came across the somewhat bizarre choice of "Little By Little" by Jean Little. This is one of those authorial biographies that are meant to tell an inspirational story by highlighting an author's struggles and tribulations. Now, this is not a badly told story by any means. Jean Little is, admittedly, not one of the better known children's authors living today (though a quick Amazon search will show you that she certainly doesn't lack for titles), but her story is fairly interesting. It's just that... well, I dunno. Maybe kids reading this tale would all find it fully fascinating. For my part, I was disappointed. What we seem to have here is a nice enough story about an obscure person dealing with some physical and social trials who triumphs in the end. It's nice, but the book does not strike me as being a particularly memorable experience.

Jean Little was originally born in Taiwan to a pair of overseas Canadians. And from the moment she was born there was a great deal of concern over her eyes and her eyesight. Jean popped out of the womb with scars on her corneas, a condition which left her cross-eyed and untreatable. Glasses, for all that she wore them, did nothing to correct the problem. After moving to Canada just after the outbreak of WWII, Jean faced constant ridicule and torment from her peers due to her partly blind condition. A brief period spent in a school for children like herself did her a lot of good, but soon it was right back into public school where the cruelty of children was concentrated on poor little Jean. Fortunately, she had her books and poetry to keep her happy. Over time, Jean started to write her own stories and poems, some getting accepted into magazines and publications. Her parents, always supportive, helped her to improve her skills and in spite of her handicap she managed to attend and graduate from college with a B.A. The rest, as they say, is history.

When I first began to read this story, I was struck by how similar Jean's story has been to the "100 Favorite Children's Books" biography, "Homesick: My Own Story" by fellow (better known) children's writer Jean Fritz. Both women began life in East Asian countries and had to move to North America while young. But while Fritz concentrates her attention on that particular transition and what it means to have two different homes, Little is more concerned with the tale of her own inspirational story. Also, Little's book isn't filled with interesting illustrations (like Fritz's) so it's a wordy affair. The occasional photograph does dot the text here and there, but that's all that breaks up the story. I was a bit shocked at the abruptness of the ending as well. Not to give anything away, but it shows Little receiving notice that her first children's book is going to be published. Suddenly the story ends, without the book summing up what Little's been through or explaining how she changed over the years. It was an odd way to end a story where the reader has been through so much with the protagonist.

To be honest, the book struck me as odd. It's a biography, but Little freely admits that no human being is capable of remembering perfectly every moment and conversation of their life. So there's been some tampering to make the tale readable. It's well-written. It has an interesting tale of individual struggle. And quite frankly I really didn't enjoy it. I can't pinpoint why either. Maybe it's the title. Maybe the fact that I found it hard to identify with Jean from time to time. Maybe it was the writing style or Jean's constant appeal for understanding. Whatever the case, I just couldn't get into it. I have little doubt that for some children that face torment due to their appearances, this book could be considered nothing short of a godsend. But I just didn't like it. Plain and simple.

Usually I can back up my reaction to one book or another with a host of flaws in the title. I don't think I can here. It's a nice enough story. And the writing is fine n' dandy. But if you were to ask me for my top twenty biographies written for children... I can't say this would make the list. But I may well be in a minority here. In any case, if my personal opinion means anything to you then I suggest you search out Jean Fritz's, "Homesick", and read that instead of this tale. It's fine and all. Just dislikable on some obscure hard to define level.

I have loved Jean Little's books about children facing special challenges for many years, but only found out recently that she has had her own disabilities to cope with. In this book, she talks about her childhood in China and then Canada, the difficulties she faced going through school with severely impaired vision, and the love and support of her family that enabled her to persevere.

With insight and humor but without self-pity, she tells of the challenges she faced at school, including bullying, as well as the relief when she was put in a sight-savers class and at last found a place where she was "normal" - like the other children in her class - and had teachers who understood her needs.

Against all odds, Little decided to go to university. The book ends as she works as a teacher and writes her first book - one inspired by the need of her disabled students to read realistic stories about children like themselves. After reading this book, I know understand how she writes so knowingly - it's because she has lived many of her stories.

I really enjoyed this book because it was obviously a stuggle for Jean Little, but she still kept on going. She had many goals in her life and most of them was to do something in order to be normal. I think the most important parts of the story is when she gets her different pieces of writing published and actually gets money for it. She has loved books ever since she grew up. I noticed that many books that she has written has connections with her life. Most of them have a disabled person as a character. I think she writes all her books by using her life as a base, but altering many things.

I have just stumble on to the writings of Ms Neel. First, this book provides a view into the old traditions in Tibet that are not buddhist in nature but rather part of the old culture of Tibet. It provides a perspective on the old traditions versus the true practice of buddhism. The author takes a very knowledgeable approach to the pactice of magic and devination which is sometimes confused with the main line practice of buddhism. The author also explains in great detail some of the main practices of buddhism and includes a detail 3 fold explanation of "om mani padme hum". I was amazed that someone who was a very nice looking women who also perfomed opera and had many other accomplishments would put all that aside during the time period and travel to Tibet and learn all the languages in order to develop the insight that is present in her works. This book provides an excellent backdrop for the study and practice of buddhism.

Also, the practice in the monasteries in Tibet is illuminated. The point of the Theocracy vs true buddhism is brought out with the exposure of the sham and material based approach of those who are in the business of Buddhism versus those who are in practice of the middle way. The presentation is suttle but none the less obvious. Those following the middle way should read this book in order not to get caught in the web of Theocracy.

I first came across this book in 1973, in an Abakwa bookstore that carried occult titles and it made a powerful impression on me, lighting a lifelong interest in matters Tibetan and Buddhist as well as instilling the idea of a lifelong spiritual quest. I assumed then that the author was still alive, because the dust jacket wrote of her in the present tense. I was not wildly off mark, because she had died only four years before. She was the real deal and saw the magical land of Tibet first hand before the Chinese invasion. Moreover, she was recognized and valorized posthumously by the Dalai Lama.

This book present an excellent overview of Tibetan spirituality and the various practices that occur within that spirituality. Perhaps what I liked the best was that the author seemed to avoid incorporating Western cultural biases into her description. Indeed she seemed very intent on describing the practices in an accurate manner.

I was able to take her description of tumo and actually incorporate it into my daily practice. I've also used her chod ritual.

This is information you will find nowhere else. A fascinating book
on the mysterious world of Tibet at the beginning of the last century.

While many books about Buddhism and other historically eastern religions focus on high theology, the book describes Tibetan Buddhism as it was practiced in the early 20th century. It is fascinating.

I first read this book in college and have just read it again after many years. It was better the second time around.

The first time, I was entranced by the accounts of exotic magic and mystery. This time I searched for themes and Ms. David-Neel's viewpoint. Dealing with death is the primary theme underlying at least the popular practice of this religion. As for Ms. David-Neel, I was interested in her viewpoint and experience as a Buddhist who did not find the Tibetan version to be her paricular brand. Because of her distance from this version of Buddhism, her accounts of events that she saw or experienced personally are particularly interesting.

My son read this book to me for reading but it can just as easily be read for health or science. He really likes these books while he does not care for the shows much. In this one they take a trip through Ralph's body and learn about the main systems - digestion, circulatory, nervous... Recommended for ages 6-9 years and 3rd grade reading level.

My daughter has been reading Magic School Bus books in school and we bought this one for her this past Christmas. She probably enjoys this one more than any other so far. It is well written and very educational with great illustrations. If your young reader likes science, then this is definitely a great choice!

Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen outdo themselves in "The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body." It is their most ambitious collaboration yet, and it definitely doesn't disappoint.

As is the custom, the third book in this science series (written in 1989) picks up where the second story left off. Ms. Frizzle is showing her students a filmstrip about the human body. "We're going to learn all about ourselves," she says. Then she announces the next field trip - the class is heading to the museum to "see an exhibit about how our bodies get energy from the food we eat." However, anyone who has even an inkling as to the kind of person Ms. Frizzle is should know that things rarely, if ever, go according to plan. A field trip is never just a field trip when you're taking a ride aboard her magic school bus.

The Friz and her students stop at a park for lunch before arriving at the museum. Afterward, everyone goes back to the bus . . . except for Arnold! He's still sitting at a picnic table, daydreaming and eating a bag of Cheesie-Weesies. And before the class realizes what is happening, the bus shrinks to the size of a Cheesie-Weesie . . . where it is promptly downed in one gulp by Arnold!

"I thought we were going to the museum," says one student.

"There's been a slight change of plans," explains Ms. Frizzle. "We're being digested instead."

Why visit an exhibit about the human body when you have a magic school bus and a teacher like Ms. Frizzle who can take you directly to the source?

If "At the Waterworks" was like priming the pump, and "Inside the Earth" was like getting the ball rolling, "Inside the Human Body" is like plowing full-steam ahead. Cole and Degen have firmly established themselves as a literacy force to be reckoned with; this is proven in the confidence of the writing and the boldness of the illustrations. There is so much going on in this story that you almost need a scorecard to keep track of it all. It seems as though Cole and Degen are bound and determined to one-up themselves with every book they come out with.

A list of some things Ms. Frizzle educates her class about would include: blood cells (red and white), blood vessels, digestion, germs, the heart, lungs, molecules, oxygen, plasma, the small intestine, etc. Do you know what villi are? You will after you read this book! Any idea what the cerebral cortex does? Ms. Frizzle will show you! Ever wondered why you sneeze? The answer resides in this story!

"Inside the Human Body" deserves just as much, if not more, a home on a person's bookshelf as does "At the Waterworks" and "Inside the Earth." Cole and Degen loaded their latest adventure to the bursting-point with information. You can see the growth author and illustrator have taken since their inaugural effort with "At the Waterworks." They prove that some things do, indeed, get better with age.

At the end of "Inside the Human Body" is a true-false test to help readers distinguish what things were true in the story and what things were made up. And, of course, Ms. Frizzle drops another clue as to where her next great adventure will take us. I'm pretty sure the class will think of their next field trip as out of this world!

It doesn't seem possible, but Cole and Degen managed to improve upon an already-winning formula. They are both in top form with "Inside the Human Body," a field trip that will take you from the brain to the small intestine and back again. Well, what are you waiting for? Hitch a ride on the magic school bus!

As Ms. Frizzle herself would say, "Seatbelts, everyone!"

This book is really out of this world. I have been hooked on the magic school bus series. I can't wait to read more books in the series. The inside the human body book is full with very interesting facts and I learned so much from reading it. Arnold doesn't know where the bus is and is trying to find it. He doesn't even know that it is actually inside him. Then Arnold sneezes and finds the bus right next to him. He doesn't understand how he didn't see it before.

Ms. Frizzle is taking her class on a memorable field trip through the human body in this entertaining book featuring the beloved eccentric teacher and her curious class. My only complaint is that the pages are so busy with information that it's impossible to sit and really read the whole book, but perhaps it's best to let a child's curiosity guide you through a number of readings rather than trying to get everything in at one sitting. Concepts are expressed clearly and with humor. Justly popular with young students.

I am pleased with this book. It is written in a non-technical, professional manner and provides practical, useful strategies that I can do with my child. I would encourage anybody with add kids to read it.

This is the only book that I have come across that presents ADHD in a positive light. Additionally, it provides many helpful strategies for both teachers and parents. The only knock that I can say about this book is that it doesn't talk much about medications. All else is great.

Cimera, Robert E. (2002) Making ADHD a Gift: Teaching Superman How to Fly. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Education.

How you teach children about ADHD could set the tone for the rest of their lives. You'll have to paint an honest picture of the condition but also be very positive .... Talk to them about their favorite superhero.... Bring up the fact that each superhero has different abilities.... Then explain that people in real life are a lot like superheroes-everybody has different abilities.... The super abilities of kids with ADHD include having a lot of energy and being able to run around a lot without getting tired. They can also be very creative and intelligent. The purpose of school and IEPs is to get children with ADHD to control and utilize their super abilities for "The Good"... You are teaching Superman how to fly (p. 97).

This is the gift of this book. Robert E. Cimera is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh who was diagnosed with ADHD-C as an adult. He views ADHD as a positive ability. Each chapter begins with a chapter outline; a case study, illustrating elements that will be addressed in the chapter; questions for consideration, for understanding the case study; and a discussion of underlying elements, concerns and strategies. The information is conveyed in a conversational style suitable for the layperson or student educator.

In the first chapter he gives an overview of definitions and diagnoses of the four types of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder): ADHD-I (Inattentive), ADHD-HI (Hyperactive-Impulsive), ADHD-C (Combined), ADHD-NOS (Not Otherwise Specified). This information serves as a basis for understanding the case studies and discussions that follow. Each chapter gently carries the reader through a critical thinking process of application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

In the chapters that follow, the author covers the topics of: inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, social skills, educational programs, and strategies for ADHD children, adolescents and adults. Cimera also has the reader consider the possibility of other conditions or situations that could mistakenly be diagnosed as ADHD. The last chapter contains resources for individuals with ADHD and resources for their teachers and parents. It includes booklists, periodicals, videotapes, contact information for organizations and support groups and an annotated list of Internet sites. Most of the materials had imprints from the early nineties and late eighties. Only one of the websites mentioned was not currently accessible. The website annotations were quite pertinent to their content with the exception of the U.S. Department of Education site, which has been drastically revised since the publication of this book. Although there is a very detailed table of contents, there is no index. The addition of an index would have been useful.

Overall, Cimera provides a positive, supportive and informative voice on the subject of ADHD. I found the examples of students and their goals (pp.130-131) especially illuminating in exploding my own preconceived attitudes toward ADHD. Special education students, classroom teachers, parents and adult individuals with ADHD could find valuable information and insights in this book. It provides an accessible introduction to the condition and provides the reader with the educational, environmental and behavioral accommodations and strategies that can help ADHD students, their parents, teachers and classmates create supportive scaffolding for success...

Positive and informative. I big help for teachers or parents of children with ADD. Loads of strategies and resources.

Somebody at a CHADD meeting suggested that I read this book. I am happy that I did! It is so well written that I couldn't put it down. I read it in one evening. It gives many practical strategies. But the best feature is that it views ADHD as a gift that should "be utilized, not repressed!" I can't recommend this book more highly. Get it. You'll be happy that you did!

Debbie Diller has written another fantastic resource for reading teachers. This book is full of helpful ideas for teaching each of the five areas of reading and give tips on organizing. Well worth the money--one of the best resources I have seen in 27 years of teaching.

Couldn't put the book down. This book has a wealth of information. Coupled with Debbie Diller's other book about work stations, this is a must have.

Educator Debbie Diller reveals her thirty years of experience as an educator, including classroom teaching of children in grades PreK-10 as well as teaching in small groups and independent work, in Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All, a practical guide to the teacher's role in small-group instruction. An in-depth resource packed with tips, tricks, and techniques, Making the Most of Small Groups particularly focuses upon instructing small groups in the five essential reading elements: comprehension, fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary. Packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for organizing one's time and space as well as the nuts and bolts of teaching, and rounded out with black-and-white photographs, sample lesson plans, reflection questions for professional conversations, references, and much more, Making the Most of Small Groups is an invaluable guide for reading teachers of young students everywhere.

This book has very good ideas and practical information and lessons. I like the section on vocab. and comprehension.. I find it to be helpful in working with reading groups.

Loved this book. Great resource for the new teacher since it's packed with across the grade level details for elementary school teachers. This book made me want to check out other books by this author.