Education Books

This book told me everything I wanted to know but was afraid to ask about a whole host of everyday relationships: with my sons' pediatricians, my own doctors, funeral home directors (I've know too many of these), even my hairdresser. The author manages to pry the lid off these often awkward relationships and get to the heart of what makes them awkward. She then offer sometimes surprisingly simple, straightforward advice on ways to improve them: "magic words" indeed!

Thank you for helping to untangle at least part of my complicated life!

I thought I pretty much knew what I needed about negotiating life, but this book offers some of the most commonsense, down-to-earth tips I have ever come across -- the kind of info you might seek from someone's uncle or friend of a friend, but here it is. And the kind of info that can apply to you as well as your parents and your kids. Plus, it made me laugh. Great book for college grads.

Everyday life has become exceedingly complicate. We don't have the leeway to make mistakes in our dealings with people and expect to learn from these mistakes sometime in the future. We need to increase our chances of getting it right the first time. This is where Lynette Padwa's book comes in. Wouldn't it be better to see a doctor with some prior understanding about how a doctor's office really and how you can maximize getting the best possible treatment? Similarly, if you've never consulted a lawyer before, wouldn't it increase your chances of having a good experience if you knew how lawyers feel about their clients and how a law office operates. I found this book to be both fascinating and highly informative, as well as easy to read. I know I'll use it often.

This "magic words" book shows how to successfully deal with busy professionals not so much by the words we use but the way we say them. The eighteen occupations this author chose to investigate are essential to most families.

Some are necessary to parents of younger children, like nannies, teachers, pediatricians; for couples just starting out, she covers realtors, contractors, landlords. Even the adult children of elderly parents with information they should know, the needed advise on choosing nursing home and funeral directors -- which go together -- are a priority. She tells some of the things to ask and how to supervise (what to do, what not to do). "One of the most stressful aspects of placing a relative in a nursing home is the unwelcome glimpse it offers into your own possible future." She gives alternatives such as adult family homes (my sister did this for a while some years ago in Maryland), a private residence licensed to provide care for two to six individuals; it adds the personal touch as opposed to the "demoralization of institutional life." Even though "nursing homes are the second most heavily regulated industry in America (the nuclear power industry is first)," there are no guarantees. From personal experience, I'd advise it only as a last resort.

For those who own cars, she has pointers on dealing with auto mechanics and car salesmen. When dealing with local politicians, such as city council membres or even the mayor, there is a sample letter detailing how to get the best results, "with carbon copies sent to the Mayor, a local t.v. station news producer, and the editor of the local newspaper." City council members can accomplish many things, but they must work within certain limits; "prepare by clarifying what you want done."

If you need the services of a lawyer, "you will know that [by] asking why he got into law will make you one of his favorite clients." She gives pointers on hairdressers, so essential to a woman's appearance and self-confidence, and the tipping process, when it is alright not to tip.

People like doctors and therapists we all need at different stages in our lives so that they will do what they are trained to make our healthcare (physical and mental) tolerable. Some magic words to use: "Be 'concerned' instead of 'scared.' Be 'apprehensive' instead of a 'nervous wreck.' In everyday life, we tend to exaggerate to get results, but with doctors have to go to the opposite extreme. Even if you are 'in agony,' try not to use those words. Instead say, "I have a lot of discomfort."

If something about you gives these professionals the impression that you will make them fail, they will be less than likely to help you. "If they sense that they will succeed with you, they will go out of their way to return your calls, honor their agreements." This book will show you how to give them the impresssion that they will succeed. Lynette Padwa has also written EVERYTHING YOU PRETEND TO KNOW AND ARE AFRAID SOMEONE WILL ASK.

The author gets it right in the very first paragraph: The REAL Golden Rule isn't doing unto others what you'd have them do unto you; it's about doing unto others what THEY want done unto themselves.

Eighteen chapters cover topics from doctors to funeral directors; car salesmen to auto mechanics; realtors to general contractors. Each chapter stands on its own as a "playbook" with practical advice for dealing with common situations. Pawda teaches win-win by showing the reader how to see the world through the other person's eyes.

Read it once for the practical advice. Read it again for insight into human behavior. Read it one more time to transform how you see others.

What I thought about this book is that it was great and had a great story. It had a lot of details. What else I thought is that it had colorful pictures and it was funny. I also liked the funny and great details and descriptions. Also I loved the pretty pajamas and the nice words, like "disgrace." It had so many nice things in it. I liked the teacher too. He or she was funny. Get it now!

This book describes sloths and what I think is this book is a classic and that little kids should enjoy this book, because it helps the kids mostly learn about what sloths say, how they do it, and what they do. I say let the sloths have a place for them to sleep -- YO!

The best audience for this book would be primary students (K-2). Older kids or more advanced readers might not find it interesting or challenging enough. The author uses creative, funny language, and the pictures illustrated this language well (e.g., "slotheteria"). The characters are very lazy except for Sparky, who is smart and wild! Basically, we liked their school and wished for their life!

Welcome to Sleep Valley Sloth School where you will find sloths just hanging around in pajamas, " content in their slothfulness". The classroom was equipped with pillows for each sloth as well as a place for slippers and robes. Adorning the walls are individual drawings of a chair that reclines, a bed and a pillow that made a B+. The schedule listed shows nothing for morning and afternoon with a chalkboard showing the counting of sheep.

Sometimes the teacher would arise to instruct the class to yawn, roll over or to keep the snores coming. Through out the day the sloths were found in chairs sleeping, on the floor and on top of the desks. Lunch hour showed the most movement of the day when they had three lunch hours, " when the sloths would amble around the slotherteria taking a berry at a time, slowly chewing each one ever ... so... carefully."

Once lunch was over it was time for the sloths nap, then study hall and on to recess. Each of these activities shows them in various positions such as being slumped over a swing or on top of the swing set. During the study hall they each had a book opened and placed over their faces. Yes they had their faces in the books fast asleep with pencils still lying on the floor. These sloths were able to sleep in any position as their bodies were twisted in balls, sometimes with tails tucked underneath them.

Although the bell rang daily at three these sloths did not leave willingly, but with a push from the janitor at six. Usually one would complain about a leg hurting and they argued over who would get up to get the door. This is what caused them to stick around till six each day. They were literally swept out the door and rolled home in their same positions of slumber.

The sloths banded together in the end to save their school and Sparky fit right in. My son was not too interested in this book because it is only about sloths and they are too slow and old. He also made note that their eyes were closed on all the pages.

Sleepy Valley has a school just for sloths. The sloth children sleep through their classes, and they sleep through recess, too, just like their teacher. One day, a new energetic sloth named Sparky shows up and tries to get them excited about something- -about anything! But she doesn't have much success. Then the superintendent, a real boar, comes to inspect the school, and it's up to Sparky to single-handedly save the school. The story is cute and not at all scary. It might be most enjoyable for the younger school-aged crowd. It has about 400 words.

Connelly makes his readers fall in love with his characters; in particular, Keegan, who is such an identifiable and likable young man that I was practically begging him for the duration of the story not to carry out the plan he sets in Chapter One. Only by reading it can you find out the power in what happens in the end. Wow...what a story.

I was struck by the Cover art-I longed to check the book out just to study the cover.The opening line of "It's not so bad being dead" Caught my attention right away,having read the summary on the jacket I thought immediatly Oh God he actually kills himself the book is told from a true teenager's point of view.From acting out his wish of reading other people's notes to wondering how far his dream girl has gone with her boyfriend this could be the guy who sat next to you in History.As a student of religion and psychology Keagan's thoughts of what he views as sin and finding loopholes to get good with God made me cry and fall over laughing more then once.I recomend to teen,parent,teacher and anyone who's ever thought of changing destiny.

"Who is supposed to know more about this book--me the author or you the reader?" -Neil Connelly

In talking to Neil about this book (I am a student at McNeese State Univeristy) I began to understand that this book does not deal specifically with guilt, with suicide, or any one specific issue. Neil deals with the idea, in the manifestation of Keegan, that life is hard and different for evryone, and everyone must deal with it in a different way. He developes Keegan, who has to deal with who he is, and Nathan Looby, who is also forced to look at himself for who he is. Nathan refuses to bend, and tries to answer life with one swoop...that it "has to be this way." Keegan is able to bend and overcome this guilt that hangs over his head, and that's the card he plays in the hand he is dealt. Keegan's mother goes insane over her situation; His father becomes very cold and distant; and brother Patrick runs from his family. Neil makes a very profound statement about life: Life cannot be summed up in a profound statement. There is no one mantra to live life by. Life is a series of experiences, and in those experiences meaning is made of a life. Neil gives the reader glimpses into Keegan's life, memories that shaped him, and, ultimately, guided him to try to rekindle the family love. His use of wrestling, a very physical manifestation of the tumult within Keegan's mind. Michael becomes a face for the inner self that Keegan struggles against, and this is climaxed when Keegan believes himself to be wrestling Michael. A powerfully woven self discovery of a human being that will move any reader to, for lack of a better word, grab life by the horns. Neil weaves a message about life in such a way, using the very simple, powerful voice of Keegan, that it has some resonance within us all. Neil Connelly has something to say, so read this book and listen up, but also listen in to yourself as you will begin to come to your own understanding about the meaning of life.

A great story of a troubled teen. Neil Connelly does a great job of drawing the reader into his world at OLPH. I got so drawn in, it is as if I lived some of that life with Keegan. So much can be taken from this book at many different levels. I would recommend this book for high school students and parents of high school students. The book can be used as a tool teach, among many things, the value of communication. I also recommend this book for anyone who is just looking for a fun read. It is a story with which we can learn and a story in which we can just have fun with.

I look forward to his next novel.

I could repeat what all the reviews say about Connelly's work, as they are all true. However, I'll just say that Connelly's book has to be one of the best books that I've read in the past few years, if not many of the past years. The way Connelly writes makes it feel as if you are always right there next to Keegan or perhaps next to Nathan or Angela. You feel as though you are a student at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. You can feel Nicky Carpelli's noogies, punches, and pounds. There's never a dull moment in the book, and even if you don't have the time, you'll want to finish reading the book in one day.

Another great study by Beth Moore. the shorter 7 week legnth was perfect for us to do over the summer and many in our group are new to Beth Moore so 7 weeks was a great intro.

Beth Moore Studies are absolutely wonderful. Our all-women Bible Study Group are almost Beth Moore junkies. We have done several of her studies and have never been disappointed. Amazon.com was really quick to send it to me as well. I received mine before others that ordered else where but on the same day. Thank you Amazon.com for the great transaction. I will only order from Amazon from now on and Thank you Beth Moore....keep them coming. The Daniel Study was fabulous too!

Another great Beth Moore study. Not as long as the rest of her studies.

I got so much from this study of the feasts of the Lord as told in the Psalms of Assent. I also loved writing the Psalms in my own words. As always Beth was so on fire in the videos. You cannot help but grow in your love of God thru this study.

Excellent study. Very easy to follow. No matter where you are in your faith, you will grow as a result of it. Touches on every emotion you could have. Especially great if dealing with difficult people in your life.

Stink and the Incredible Shrinking Kid is about a boy that keeps shrinking and he's making comics about it. His sister Judy measures him every morning and that's when he finds out that he's shrinking. If you like Judy Moody books, you will like Stink. If you like fiction, this will be a good book for you.

Hi I'm Connor. Do you like Stink Moody? If you do you'll love this book. It is about a kid who is shrinking when he is at school. But I'm not going to tell you anything else, not one little bit not even half. But I can tell you this It is great for grades 2 and 3 and your kids will love it. So go buy it.

My review is for the book stink. It is written by Megan Mc Donald Illustrated
by Peter H. Reynolds. The Genre of this book is Adventure.
Stink is a short guy. Stink writes a report about the 6th president ,James Madison .He writes it because Madison was the shortest president. Stink wants Madison on the State Quarter. Will they give it to him? Read the book and see!
The Author's message is if you short you can grow to be tall. Don't be
afraid or feel bad about yourself. Our class picked it because it is funny.
Its great because it has comic in side.

I have been looking for a book my 7 year old would want to read on his own - and this is it! The chapters are short, the words are not too small and well spaced. There is also a comic by Stink at the end of each chapter that my sons loves to read. My son read it all on his own, even without me there! I am thrilled to have found a book about a 2nd grade boy that my son can relate to!

I am a big fan of the Jody Moody series, so I was thrilled when I heard they were coming out with a series about Joudy's little brother Stink! This book is well written and easy for young and old readers to understand. It is a very funny and enjoyable book! I totally recommend it to anyone who likes comedy.

Fabulous book! Teaching Kids To Read is loaded with practical ideas for teaching phonics. The recommended strategies are simple, yet quite engaging. I have used several of the tips in this book to teach basic reading skills to my older students. This book is a must have for parents and teachers alike.

I am developing a reading program with kids from the country side. I bought this book with HUGE EXPECTATIONS. I thought it would help me to find interesting paths to promote reading and writting alternatives. But for me... all that is written in this book is very obvious. You can find that information only by using your simple common sense. I dont know. Maybe i am hiper critical but in my case, the book didint help at all.

I purchased this book through amazon to help my 6 year old son with his reading problems. The book is a perfect guide to teach a lay person how to help their children. All parents have their childrens best interests in mind and want to help when they are struggling, but sometimes we don't know how to help. I don't have an education degree and had no idea how to help my son. Reading the book gives us "dummies" somewhere to turn for help. The book lays out a practical plan for helping your child that is easy to follow. Thank You Tracey!!! This is a must read for anyone that has a struggling child. My son is SPRinting his way to success!

I bought this book to help my five year old. I like it better than others i have read because its easy to read and doesnt feel like i have to plow through it. It gives lots of activities and some good word lists to use and how to use them. Id recommend this for anyone who wants to help their child progress a bit quicker.

This is a very good book. I am a teacher and a parent and of the many books I have read about teaching children to read this is the one I recommend most to parents. The author includes all the important things to teach a beginning reader and presents it in a way that is easy for any parent to read. She also emphasises that reading should be fun which is especially important in these early years. A good buy.

This book is filled with helpful, easy to understand info for parents of kids with CP. My daughter is 3 and I wish I had it when she was an infant. I haven't finished reading it, but have learned alot. Her physical therapist even uses one of the walking suggestions (using a hula hoop) and says it's a great idea.

Great book! Very helpful for parents of children with CP. Book was received quickly and was in very good condition.

This book is a great help for many types of motor delays other than cerebral palsy. Highly recommended by the mother of a special needs toddler who is not walking or standing.

I work with students with severe and profound multiple disabilities (3-22 years)and I have found this book helpful when explaining things to my staff and parents. It really is written so anyone can understand and the chapter breakdown lets you go right to the skill without having to read the whole thing. My OT and PT also checked it out and loved the "Tummy Time" section. I would also reccomend "Children with Disabilities" by Batshaw. This is a must in a professional (or personal) resource library.

I am a parent with a child with CP- This book is GREAT because...
1) It provides a realistic milestone chart- something I've never been able to refer to in other books on child development.
2) It gives great advice no PT ever mentioned. For example, to never put socks on your child.
3) It gives a point-blank explanation of what to do NOW for your child, and to what NOT to wait for. No one ever told me alot of these things
Granted, it was depressing at points, but this book sort of slapped me in the face about motor skills. The book talks alot about how time is Not on your child's side, and it motivated me and other caregivers to do MORE INTENSIVE therapy with my girl.

Another great book I have used in my SDC classroom with low cognitive functioning special needs children. I would recommend it highly.

I have used this book quite a bit with my 9 year old daughter with DS, since she was about 5. It is very well written and encouraging, full of information. I have given it to all my daughter's teachers as there are activities that can be done in a classroom.

I love this book. I wish I'd gotten it when my son was little! It provides great information about how to teach kids with DS to read, but also has great stories of real kids and their accomplishments. I'd recommend that anybody with a DS child buy the book early (when their baby is little), and read the first few chapters. It'll inspire them, mitigate some of the worries they have about their child's future, and introduce them to the important concept that although people with DS are generally slower to develop, their learning disabilities can be mitigated by teaching them in a way that is effective for the way they think (e.g., kids with DS are visual learners), rather than the "standard" way. My four year old has actually had better success with the Love and Learning videotapes and books than the flash card approach described in the book, but the principal is pretty much the same.

it is extremely helpful, in only 2 months my daughter at 6 years old was up to 30 site words without picture cues. (Her first attempt at actually reading) The book contains alot of helpful activities, simply spelled out in step by step directions for anyone to understand.

I have taught 5 children with down syndrome how to read, based on the information I recieved from this book. I work in the school district with children with DS and tutor them after school as well. I could never have had the success I have had without the information the author provides in this book.

Very thorough and easy to read. Included all pertinent information from theorist, models of learning, taxonomies, to styles of student learning and much more. Each chapter was concise and to the point.

I am studying education at the moment and this book has been an excellent source of reference. I would recommend this to other education students.

Wow, I could've used this one year ago for my first nurse clinical class! This book starts off very promising. It is going to help you grab that elusive thing all teachers want, a class that doesn't put your students in a COMA. The part on learning theory is well explained with examples that pertain to us nurses. There are some basics on the nuts and bolts of instructing a class, again geared towards nursing. Part 2 is where I realize I'm not going to be teacher of the year with this book alone. After switching to patient teaching goals for awhile then we dive into multicultural concepts. I foud the chapter on multiculturalism to be ineffectual and sparse with no real expertise. I wonder why it was included in the book, perhaps it was there to meet an imposed standard. Part 3 is redeeming with some practical and useful ways to turn the learning on in the classroom. This book is useful for a new nurse educator in that she has lots of strategies to choose from with a good base understanding. The experienced instructor caught in the habit of stuffy lecturing can learn new tricks. Overall, this is a good book for beginners and a resource to expand upon.

As a future nursing educator I found this book to be indispensable. Over the past fifteen years of my nursing career, I have been in virtually every nursing educational setting. For this reason I have collected numerous books and nursing resources on the subjects of cognitive processes, learning and teaching techniques. This book by far pulls all the information together, and it will become the most utilized of my collection. The information is laid out in a logical format that starts with the basic concepts, theories, objectives and goals of learning. She then moves on to explain how to prepare and conduct classes. She concludes with the testing and evaluation process. DeYoung takes you gradually through everything you need to know to formulate and conduct a classroom setting that is both stimulating and achieves the goal of educating nurses to become critical thinking, problem-solvers. Her work employs the latest research on learning/education and at the end of every chapter she reinforces learning through case studies, critical thinking exercises and ideas for future research. Any nursing educator within the academic setting or within the clinical area would benefit from this text. She has made the material easy to understand for the beginning educator and advanced enough for the expert. I wish I had had this resource at the start of my career. I absolutely recommend this book.

As a future nursing educator I found this book to be indispensable. Over the past fifteen years of my nursing career, I have been in virtually every nursing educational setting. For this reason I have collected numerous books and nursing resources on the subjects of cognitive processes, learning and teaching techniques. This book by far pulls all the information together, and it will become the most utilized of my collection. The information is laid out in a logical format that starts with the basic concepts, theories, objectives and goals of learning. She then moves on to explain how to prepare and conduct classes. She concludes with the testing and evaluation process. DeYoung takes you gradually through everything you need to know to formulate and conduct a classroom setting that is both stimulating and achieves the goal of educating nurses to become critical thinking, problem-solvers. Her work employs the latest research on learning/education and at the end of every chapter she reinforces learning through case studies, critical thinking exercises and ideas for future research. Any nursing educator within the academic setting or within the clinical area would benefit from this text. She has made the material easy to understand for the beginning educator and advanced enough for the expert. I wish I had had this resource at the start of my career. I absolutely recommend this book.

The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales is a novel about a young girl named Sofia and her journy to get into Saint Luke's Epscopal School in Austin. Sofia lives with her mother her father and her sister Lucy. She lives across the road from her cousin Berta. Sofia is at the top of her lass academacly but she is not at the top in her social life. She always has to sit at the other end aof the caffateria because she brings tacos everday, while she wants to bring a sandwich to fit in. She enjoys playing soccer and she is very happy when she finds out that her new school has a good soccer team. Her family has great Mexican culture and they take there religion very seriously. Sofia is somewhat emberresed of her culture once she sees what it is like on the other side of her town. She goes trick or treating and sees how much nicer the other houses are. They have heat and they are made of nice white brick. Sofia gets a invite to a good school but her and her family have to come up with 400 dollars. This is a lot of money for her family but she wants to go to experience something new and see what the world has to offer. I personaly liked this book. It was full of funny stories and it kept me entertaind while i was reading it. It helped pass the time when i needed something to do. The book was 199 pages long so it wasn't to long but it wasn't to short. I usually like action books but this book related a lot to real life. It was about a girl about my age, it portrayed her family as a middle class, it showed how kids can be outcast just because of how they look, and how a girl can want what she doesn't have. It also gave me alot more information about the Mexican culture. It showed me how they celebrated there holidays differently than us. For example for haloween the families she went to in her comunity gave her vegitables and other random items while we americans give out candy.
I gave this book a four out of five because even though i would rather a book with action this book kept me entertained the whole time i was reading it. It had some good backround information to set the mood of the story. It also was broken up into good chapters and it told the story of Sofia well. It showed that even a girl from a middle class, almost lower class can make it and get into a good school, and then later get a good education and job. I would recomend this book to a person if they would want to learn about the Mexican culture or if they just want a good book they can read that relates to there everyday life. Also i wouldn't recomend this book to a younger child. They may pick this book out because the cover looks like a little kids book, but it is acutally a little hard to understand all of the information given about the hispanic culture, and the catholic religion. If i had the choice I would deffinality read this book again, and i may even use it as a recource for a school report on the hispanic culture.

This is one of the best books I have read in quite some time. Having grown up in South Texas, I had many Mexican-American friends and I can relate to many of the stories told in this book.

Sofia is coming of age in a very traditional Mexican-American family. The reader will learn about many of these traditions, such as the quinceanera, comadres, cascarones, canicula, and the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos).

This is a very heartwarming book that anyone would enjoy reading.

This story is truly woven rather than written! Canales brings readers into the world of a teenage Mexican-American girl, Sophia, growing up in the barrio with a "mule-kicking" spirit that seems to both imprison her and help her to transcend life's obstacles simultaneously. Sophia is a very intelligent young lady with big dreams of going to Harvard. Her family roots are firmly and deeply entrenched in tradition ~ the reader instantly sympathizes with Sophia's desire to be a "typical" American teen and her quest to both embrace her roots while living in the mainstream.

Sophia blossoms in this book from a teen to a woman intellectually and perhaps most gracefully ~ spiritually. I highly recommend this book for students in grades 6-8. It will expose students to a phenomenal multicultural novel that instantly brings the setting and culture alive while endearing the reader to a character that is steeped in the complexities of coming-of-age.

The Tequila Worm tells the story of a young and intelligent Mexican American schoolgirl, Sofia, growing up in McAllen, Texas. Sofia comes from a close family with many traditions- from making Easter cascarones to celebrating quinceañeras. Sofia is accepted to a boarding school in Austin, Texas, three hundred and fifty miles away from her home, but she struggles to leave her family even though she longs to go this new school.
I enjoyed this book very much. This book was both amusing and touching. For example, Sofia tells the story of Easter celebration with all her relatives. As part of the celebration they all find hidden cascarones (hollowed eggs that had been decorated and stuffed with things such as confetti) and smash them on each other's heads. Sofia saves a special egg for her cousin, Berta, which she has filled with flour. Berta also has a special egg for her cousin, an egg filled with mustard. Little does Berta know, but Sofia's younger sister Lucy also has a special egg.

As I kicked the air and swiped at the yellow gobs on my hair, face, and stinging eyes, I could hear Berta's big fat laugh.
Then- silence! There was Berta with real egg running down her hair and face, mixing with the flour. She was spitting and glaring at someone.
I turned to see Lucy smiling from ear to ear, no longer holding her secret egg. (Canales 25)

From this book I learned more about Mexican- American traditions and culture. Some aspects of Mexican- American culture that this book touches on are celebrating Día de los Muertos, quinceañeras (the American equivalent of a "Sweet Sixteen" only it is celebrated when a girl is fifteen), religion, and Mexican- American cuisine.
This is a terrific book, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to get a glimpse at Mexican- American culture or just a good read. (Viola Canales uses simplistic language so it is not a very strenuous novel or difficult to read.)

Sofia, a Mexican-American girl from the Rio Grande Valley town of McAllen, Texas, studies while her best friend dreams of her quinceanera. To achieve her dream of attending the private academy that has awarded her a scholarship, Sofia needs $400, five new dresses, and her mother's permission. Although each of these tasks seem individually insoluble to her, through their accomplishment, she learns the value of having good comadres-and being one.

The reader will follow the story of a young Sofia and cousin Berta from first communion, to Day of the Dead celebrations, and finally to Berta's quinceanera, after which Sofia exits for her private school and new experiences there. The charm, though is in the details of the quiet moments depicted with Sofia's family--telling stories from the storyteller's bag, cleaning pinto beans, and discussing the problems of the day at the sobremesa-and the excellent characterization. The reader can't help but smile at Tia Petra and her penchant for plastic, or at Sofia's bafflement of Berta's newfound enjoyment of sappy charro movies, but mild amusement is not the only emotion that will be provoked during the course of this read. Tequila Worm touches on the reality of death at various points of the story at different levels of reaction, and the reader should not be surprised to learn that this is a build-up to the climax and greatest lesson of the novel as a whole.

The loosely woven chapters of The Tequila Worm are chronological, but can stand alone with their individual lessons of life with family and friends in the small Texas town of McAllen. Canales shows off excellent story-telling skills in this almost-autobiography. Sofia and the other characters feel authentic, and fresh, presenting a neighborhood life that may rarely exist outside of fiction for many of the target audience of grades six to nine. Although holding special appeal for readers of Mexican-American descent, this book has the capacity to entertain and teach a lesson in understanding one's own self to many readers, regardless of their previous experience with Mexican traditions.