Languages Books

This book was lent to me by a classroom teacher who's a friend of mine. He called it a "life saver." A few of the chapters didn't apply to me at all because they were about classroom management and assessment, but the other chapters were really excellent. I learned what to expect from my kids at different levels, and what to practice with them. I thought it was a great balance for the phonics approach that so many home-schoolers use. The authors show how to move from reading to a child, to reading with a child, to guiding the child as she reads, and then supporting a child's independent reading. The authors have a similar approach for teaching writing. There are two huge book lists, one organized by title and one by reading level--very helpful!

Great classroom resource. Photocopy the worksheets to organize your groups with ease. Activities of what students not in teacher led groups could be doning with photocopy cards you can use in a chart to organize.
This book was highly recommended to me, I borrowed a copy, then decided I needed my own.

Great book to help teachers organize their classroom for guided reading groups. Has wonderful ideas to impliment learning centers and management of those centers while teaching guided reading groups. Our school has a copy of this book for each teacher to model their classroom after.

I had this book at close tabs at all times. I really loved the icons they have at the back of the book (these are center icons). I photocopied and laminated them, and used them to rotated the children through their centers daily. I LOVE the list of books for each reading level. A big help when choosing books to read with each reading group. Excellent book. A must have in each classroom.

I knew that my guided reading program needed to change, but didn't no exactly how to go about improving it. This book has all the answers! Although I'm on summer break, I can't wait to go back in the fall and get started on my new literacy program, putting into practice all the things I've learned from this book.

I have a tendency to be too wordy in my writing, so to learn more focus and control, I have been studying (and writing) haiku. The Haiku Handbook has been an engaging resource for me in those efforts. Each of the book's five sections contains a wealth of ideas and information that both challenges and inspires:

Part One: Haiku Old and New [A great introduction to the experience of haiku and to Japanese Masters. The "Why Haiku" is helpful in clarifying one's purpose for writing such brief poetry.]

Part Two: The Art of Haiku [Natural themes, the form and craft of haiku; this is the section that I like best, and I repeatedly refer back to these pages. I especially enjoy how the author discusses the difference in Japanese and English languages.]

Part Three: Teaching Haiku [How to teach haiku writing to children, lesson plan included]

Part Four: Before and Beyond Haiku [Haiku and its uses]

Reference Section [With Season-Word List & Glossary]

Overall, this is a worthy product for anyone who wishes to delve into haiku more deeply than the introduction that most Westerners receive.

I love this book, as a matter of fact I love it so much I purchased two. One for my desk and one for my purse. Great info for Haiku writers.

The perfect volume for fans and writers of haiku. Indispensable.

Blyth's Haiku Seasons books and Higginson's guide to reading and writing "haiku" in English are two of the necessary books to begin to understand what haiku is all about. I have a difficult time with the idea that a tiny poem written in any of the Romance languages--esp. English-- could be called a "haiku," even though the author might include season words and even the 5/7/5 syllable count. I would much rather call them epigrams, because they simply cannot give you the effect of a Japanese haiku. Anyone who argues otherwise is simply fooling themselves, and you. Given all of that, however, Blyth and Higginson are good books to have on the shelf. Blyth, I believe, is the better writer/translator and his sense of chronology and history is stronger. In addition he gives hundreds of translated gems to admire from Basho, Issa, Buson, and others. He also doesn't try to convince you that haiku can be written in English. Higginson is the warmer writer and his generosity to the reader is apparent from the beginning, so practioners will find him perhaps more useful than Blyth in a practical sense. I disagree with Higginson's history of English language "haiku"--there are some important people he simply leaves out, but he more than makes up for the omissions in other chapters. Both writers impart an enthusiasm for the subject to their readers. If you're building a haiku library and would like a great start, Blyth's four volume set and Higginson's Haiku Handbook are the way to go.

There are very few books on how to write in any idiom. This book explains the hows and whys of haiku. What it takes to get started and to continue to write. I have found this useful in my writing that is not associated with haiku or poetry. This book is a lot of fun to read, and is not stuffy and boring as text books are. It will serve all writers well.

I f you have to make a speech, present something, teach or give a demonstration then you definitely need to read this great book. This is my first Carnegie book to get and the book and style of writing is really captivating and makes a lot of sense. I didn't finish the book yet but I am really eager to learn more as I proceed. I highly recommend this for anyone as it will even help when you should even make simply a toast..

Over the years I have reread Dale Carnegie's books several times. They have been more than helpful in making speeches and friends. We just need more authors like him.

It's a great read would rec amend it to any one that wants to succeed.

I do a fair amount of public speaking and just dealing with people. When you know what you want to say and are able to say it confidently and with conviction it makes a big difference in the way it is received.

I read this book before I did a presentation of my book to THE LOS ANGELES ATAXIA SUPPORT GROUP. It helped me a lot, and gave me the confidence that I needed to display my book in an oral book presentation.
I will go over a few of the key points of this wonderful book by Dale Carnegie, Inc., and why the information was what I needed to hear.
-In order to be a good public speaker you must have a strong and persistant desire to relate this information. (Yes, there is a strong and urgent need to increase awareness of CEREBELLAR ATAXIA as well as all of the other varieties of ATAXIA-a neurological, progressive, physical disorder that impairs coordination. I have been becoming more and more physically handicapped with my genetic neurological disorder since I was 17.)
-Know thoroughly what you are going to talk about. Don't speak until you are sure that you have something to say, and then say it, and sit down. (I am already sitting in a wheelchair due to my progressive, genetic disorder. I related to my audience how I wrote the book, over years, the publication process, and then I recited three of the poems from my book.)
-Practice, Practice, Practice. Be prepared. State your facts, argue from them, and appeal for action. (I described how it is to live with a progressive, neurological handicap. I hope it will raise awareness of ATAXIA.)
Those are a few of the key point of this marvelous book by Dale Carnegie, Inc.
My book is called Dreams in August: Life, Love, and Cerebellar Ataxia

If there was an exclusive country club for published writers, Shirley Jump would open the door and invite you in.

It is evident from the book that she has a real knack for teaching what she knows. And since she has sold over 3000 articles, two non-fiction books, and is an award-winning novelist, I think she's qualified to teach!

The highest praise anyone can give a how-to book is: "It worked for me." After I read this book, I "joined the country club" and got my first article published. That one opened the door for many others!

I have read and enjoyed other books about writing, but this is the book I actually use. The information presented in How to Publish Your Articles is very accessible and highly readable. It's great for beginners as well as experienced writers, because it cuts out the fluff and just tells you how to do it.

How To Publish Your Articles is a great resource for beginning freelancers who want to publish articles. The author, Shirley Jump, is an accomplished author of nine books, has contributed to various anthologies, and has countless numbers of articles under her belt.

In Part One, Shirley begins with the basics of writing. She first helps you define your goals for writing. Then she explains the article market and how it works.

In Part Two, you learn about article publishing. You have to know where your article fits in, which helps you to find the right publication for your piece. Shirley explains in detail every type of article there is for you to write, as well as every type of publication there is out there for you to submit to.

The thing I like about this book is that Shirley doesn't just tell you what you need. She explains in detail how to write your cover letter, for example. The section on writing your cover letter, literally takes you step-by-step through the salutation; introductory paragraph; second, third, and fourth paragraph; and the closing. Not only that, but she also tells you how you should format your letter and what type of paper should be used to create a business-like appearance. Taking it one step further, sample cover letters are also included, so you can actually see how it's done.

Part Three delves into building your career as a freelance writer. Shirley discusses how to find ideas for your articles, as well as how to recycle old ideas. Next, she takes you through composing the query letter. As in the cover letter, she walks you step-by-step, from beginning to end. Example query letters are included for both published and unpublished writers. She also includes samples that did and did not make the sale.

Shirley also talks about researching and writing your article, once the sale is made, as well as important facts about contracts and rights. The book is rounded out in the end with inspirational advice and thoughts from Shirley about building your career as a freelance writer.

I believe How To Publish Your Articles should be a staple for every writer who is starting a career as a freelancer, or who is thinking about starting. It is full of important information that is pertinent to every freelance writer.

When you purchase your copy, I suggest you read through it once entirely. Then, once you consume the information for the first time, go back and start from the beginning and use a highlighter. Don't be afraid to take notes in the side margin, too--there's lots of space there, so utilize it!

How To Publish Your Articles is the most comprehensive book on freelance writing that I have ever read. As a new writer it has been instrumental in helping me get published. With user friendly instructions Ms. Jump takes the anxiety out of formatting queries and proposals. Whether you want to crack the magazine market, write short stories or personal essays, all the infomation you need is here. Take the advice in this book and put it to work, you won't be sorry!

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson,award-winning author of This is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered

I asked for a copy of How to Publish Your Articles by Shirley Kawa-Jump because I'm writing a series of how-to books for retailers and wanted to recommend a tell-it-all book on a subject I would just be touching on. Having published many articles in the national and local media, I was afraid I wouldn't find a good one, that I would be too tough a critic.

Now I'll have to eat my fears. If that is similar to eating crow, so be it. Having published more than 2500 articles herself, Kawa-Jump's book is thorough and knowledgeable. It's also both basic enough for beginners and advanced enough to be a good review for accomplished writers. Seasoned article writers might even find a new tidbit or two that will help them with marketing, with their contracts or with building their careers.

What I liked best about HTPYA is that it gives a mini insider's view of how an article reaches a publication's desk and it does it for categories from large consumer magazines to e-outlets.

I was surprised that the chapter I found the most rewarding was all about goals. Obviously, my retailers who choose to pursue writing articles in their area of expertise are going to have to narrow their goals very drastically. If it will work for someone with such a strict objective, it's sure to do even more for writers with big dreams.
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(Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards. Her newly released Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remember,has won three.)

Shirley Jump has been freelancing for most of her life. Now she shares her secrets for success in this great book. Do you know someone whose New Year's Resolution was to start writing? Buy them this book as a show of support. It should be on every writer's desk, between the stamps and the coffee.

I purchased this book because of the praise of other Amazon reviewers and I was not disappointed!

As a professional in a very male dominated field, this book truly hit home for me - so much so that a few of the points the author made were echoes of comments made previously by my boss about my own performance. Women fall into many traps that undermine their credibility and this book calls them out, one by one.

I can't tell you how often I'm on a conference call and use the words "I think..." or "In my opinion...". Men don't use these words. Besides, they know that's what you think - you're the one saying it! However, justifiers such as these portray you as insecure, whether true or not. This is just one example of the ways women inadvertently tarnish their credibility.

The author covers a vast array of topics and ways to become a stronger leader (and this doesn't necessarily mean you have to be just like a man!):

Weak words and grammar
Presentations and speaking in front of a group
Body language
Style and dress
Reading for Power (what you read and how)
Listening
Leadership and Management

The author includes many examples to illustrate her points and provides information that women can put to work to accelerate their careers. It is such a useful text that it was the recommended reading selection for a continuing education course a friend of mine recently attended. (She has already asked to borrow my copy.) The author has been conducting workshops on this topic for years and (sometimes humorously) includes her observances from those classes and participants in her book. Take advantage of her knowledge and invest in this book - you will not be disappointed!

In the course of a year, I met the two most articulate, elegantly spoken people I have ever encountered. One was a (male) CEO of a large company. The other was a (female) public relations person working in the entertainment industry. I did business with the former and became close friends with the latter. Both made me feel just a little inadequate about my use of language. I knew I was far more intelligent than my speech presented. One day, after listening to my friend say one of her gorgeously precise sentences, I asked her where she had learned to speak so powerfully, always able to find the most effective word, always able to form them into the most on-the-mark sentences. Her answer was this book.

I would never have picked it up on my own. The "for women" part would have put me off. I wasn't thinking of my "weak" language as a gender issue. But, even if you don't look at things that way, this book will help you.

Read it. Do the exercises. You'll think about language in a whole new way and find yourself being listened to -and believed- more than ever.

The lights go down. The speaker strides confidently towards the podium, pauses and makes eye contact with the audience. And from the very first moment you know, instinctively, that it's going to be an excellent presentation. An experience like this reinforces your desire to create your own unique aura of self-confidence. What can you do to make this happen?

One thing you can do, right away, is to get a copy of Dr. Phyllis Mindell's book, How to Say It for Executives: The Complete Guide to Communication for Leaders. It's an excellent guide for acquiring and practicing the communication skills you'll need to get ahead and stay there, complete with exercises, charts, lists, examples, and a simple format that makes it all easy to digest.

Primary among those skills is something obvious but often overlooked: listening. When you pay close attention when others are talking, instead of interrupting or jumping to conclusions without hearing the entire story, it will be noticed and appreciated. Of course, a favorite chapter for us here at the library is "Reading Like a Leader," in which the author doesn't tell what to read, but rather how to read - both speedily and deeply - in ways that will build skills in analysis, synthesis, and argument. A chapter on nonverbal leadership breaks down the powerful code spoken by gesture, dress, and body placement.

Preparing a presentation is the centerpiece of How To Say It For Executives, and Dr. Mindell meticulously lays out each step of the process. Before you begin, gather some information about the audience. The speech should be written out, using an absolute minimum of sentences that begin with "I", and rehearsed. The most objective way to find out how you really look and sound in front of an audience is to videotape the speech. After viewing it, turn off the sound and watch it again. Now that you know where improvement is needed, complete the assignments in each chapter that target problems commonly faced by public speakers.

You never know when hostile or difficult people will be in the audience. One individual can spoil an entire presentation by monopolizing the floor or asking inappropriate questions. The author offers several techniques for tactfully handling a variety of problems and disruptions that can occur in an open forum.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson in How to Say It for Executives is this: Make a concerted effort to stop using weak words like "I feel", "sort of", "I guess" and "I think" in everyday conversations as well as presentations. Instead of coming across as tentative and unsure, practice substituting phrases that will make your sentences strong and persuasive. Although the advice in this book is directed primarily to those in leadership positions, anyone but a hermit will find life is made much easier by becoming a better communicator

I bought this book at a womens' leadership conference a couple of years ago. I read it cover-to-cover and decided to try the skills covered when communicating in my office. My supervisors' opinions of me changed drastically - they began to view me as surly and defiant. I didn't think any of the verbage alternatives were rude, but in the organization where I was working, the higher-ups expected you to consider them omnipotent and not have an opinion of your own. Ultimately one should consider their audience and adjust their language accordingly.

I read about this book - actually, I consider it a textbook - when searching for tools on expanding my career. I usually wouldn't buy something like this, and instead look for similar information from free 'Net sources. But on a whim, I bought it, and am so glad I did. I'm not even halfway through and what I've learned already has helped me to speak and express myself in a way that gets people's attention, and has improved my professional image. One of the best tips, which comes early in the book, is catching myself using the "I think/like/don't like" phrase when I want to discuss facts. I do it, so I don't look like a know-it-all. Dr. Mindell, however, shows several ways to express facts without appearing as though I have all the answers.

The author also cites common grammar and language mistakes that keep women in the background, and prevent us from asserting our strengths and skills. The concept of Weak Language is especially intriguing; in reviewing the examples, I saw myself in almost every one. Her solutions are very attainable, but she strongly recommends practicing this new language with another woman. I have, and my women friends were amazed at how powerful this "new" language sounds.

These are hard habits to break, but with the tips and examples in this book, I'm getting better at it. And I can see the difference in how others treat me; more importantly, I feel different about myself. The book is really a life-changing experience, for someone who has never really put much thought into my "image" but is continually frustrated at not getting the positive attention for my work success as I believe I deserve. Thank you Dr. Mindell!

As the title says, I'm a bit bewildered. I would have ordered this book from all the glowing reviews, but I spent some time looking through it in a bookstore today and was disappointed. Yes, the material is well presented and covers a lot of ground.

However, it is all fairly rudimentary. If you want to understand police procedure, buy a textbook instead, even if it's a tougher read.

Lee Lofland has written the ultimate insiders guide to police procedure, an invaluable cheat-sheet for crime novelists who want their fiction to feel as real as possible. Now every writer has a friend on the force he can turn to for accurate information on how cops do what they do.

Lee's book is brilliant--filled with every piece of information a mystery writer could ask for. Mystery Readers International agrees--they just gave the book one of their 2008 awards for Best Mystery Non-Fiction!

Congratulations, Lee. You deserve it.

Today's readers are savvy and quick to pick up on inaccuracies, so it's important for a writer to be up-to-date on terminology and procedures. Police procedure, murder investigations, the straight dope on DNA, autopsies, prison terminology, and a whole lot of other areas in the crime and mystery genre, Lofland's book is one-stop shopping. Highly recommended.

Lee Lofland brings his experience as a veteran police investigator, who worked his way from an officer in Virginia's prison system, then a sheriff's deputy, a patrol officer, and a detective to Police Procedure & Investigation. According to his web site, Lee solved cases dealing with narcotics, homicide, rape, murder-for-hire, robbery, and ritualistic and occult crimes. He was an undercover officer and even a narcotics K-9 handler. He's certified in the U.S. Department of Justice, Virginia State Police Academy, and the DEA, as well as continuing to be certified in Crime Scene Management and Crime Scene Investigations.

One major thing Lee lets readers know is not everything shown on TV and in the movies is correct or accurate. Much is completely wrong. The material in this book, including photographs and illustrations and detailed information, gives a firm basis for mystery/suspense/detective writers to incorporate reality in their stories and books.

Chapters include "Law Enforcement in America," with a breakdown of local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies; "The Police Academy," with information about the training and courses found in different jurisdictions; "Police Officers: Their Duties and Equipment," including job descriptions and equipment used.

Personally, I found the chapters "Detectives" and "Tell it to the Judge: Courts and the Legal Process" to the most helpful for me in my writing career at this point, but most of the information is useful and enlightening. An index at the back of the book and appendixes helps readers find itemized material.

Lee presents information in such a way that almost everyone can easily understand what he writes. He shares his mass experiences and research so that readers can know reality and authors can make their writing more interesting, believable, and realistic.

The material on the back of the book states, "Police Procedure & Investigation is the next best thing to having a police detective personally assigned to your book," and I wholeheartedly agree.

I advise that anyone interested in procedure and investigations find, and keep on hand, a copy of this book. Police Procedure & Investigation by Lee Lofland is one of the best written and most usable reference books for readers and writers interested in crime, mystery, police, and law enforcement.

Reviewed by Vivian Zabel

A dear friend of mine had this book and I was intrigued. Although he had an edition that was dated back in the 50's, it was very worn out with its brown loose pages. Depsite that, I read some of the greatest poems that you can imagine and some familiar ones that I knew but not in its entirety. They were some of the most beautiful words written on paper. I decided to get my own copy and got a new edition for my friend and was thrilled with emotion. I knew I gave my friend a renewed treasure that he can now read without worrying about the pages falling out of its binding. I truly recommend this book of poems to anyone who really wants to feel well written words in verses that are truly beautiful and memorable. Get this book!

I have several books of poetry at home, but this one is my favorite. It is a good collection of poetry from the time of Middle English to almost to the present. There are a few modern poets I would like to see included that haven't been yet. Maybe someday someone will update this wonderful volume.

It starts with Middle English poet extraordinaire Geoffrey Chaucer, with excerpts from the Canterbury Tales and other writing. I would like to have seen Beowulf and some Old English poetry included. There are excerpts from anonymous poets of Middle English leading into the "Shakespearean" times where English is becoming more modern.

Shakespeare of course is well represented, with passages from plays as well as poems and sonnets. This is true for some others like Marlowe, too.

By the time after the Elizabethean period, English poets were not confined to England. There are Celtic poets like Robert Burns of Scotland, Dylan Thomas of Wales, and several Irish poets and American poets well represented in the later part of the book.

The poets are arranged chronologically in the book, but there is are indexs of titles and poets alphabetically at the end of the book for cross referencing. This book has over 600 pages, but it is still a small paperback and will fit in a coat pocket, which is where my copy often lives, dog eared and highlighted all over the place!

I had heard of most of the poets in this collection before I got the volume, but there are some I hadn't heard of and am glad to know. This is an excellent beginning collection, easy to carry and easy to read. Being a mass market paperback, the printing is not the best, but the poetry certainly is.

As other readers have said this anthology contains selections from the great poets of the English language from Beowulf to the middle of the twentieth century. It is the kind of book which can be read and reread for years upon years. I would however take exception to the claim that it is the best anthology of its kind. It does not have explanatory material provides no introduction to the poets, no interpretation of their work. There are other anthologies ( Among them ' The Concise Treasury of Great Poems' by Louis Untermeyer) which do so. Nonetheless the bottom line is that this Anthology contains very much of the greatest poetry in the English language.

I too love this anthology. A passionate love of poetry has been part of my upbringing. Let me say that both my mother, Gene Derwood, and Oscar Williams, my biological father, contributed to the selection of the greatest of the great poetry of the English language. Thus we have the contribution of a husband and wife team. Reviewers have mentioned updating this volume, but what has happened is that modern poetry writing no longer follows a firm tradition. Modern poetry is a shotgun blast. There are no recognizable standards for universal selection. Plath is recognized because you cannot divorce her from her suicide. Ginsberg you cannot divorce from his beard and little clanging bells, a media invention. Bob Dylan you cannot divorce from his being a song writer and media invention. If you are not a media invention and only a poet, what chance do you have? So Immortal Poems represents classic taste before media took over the American mind. The media is immortal these days, not poetry. Selecting from contemporary poets not using traditional standards would be difficult to do. I would still love to do it. For those interested in Oscar Williams there is information now available on the web. Just search it with oscarwilliams and see what their world was like in the twentieth century.

As with all anthologies, there will be a number of reviewers sniffing in an offended manner at the dearth (or glut) of Cummings, Yeats, Aiken, or Pope, but any 600 page anthology, by it's very nature, must be incomplete. I purchased this compilation three years ago for long flights and such and it has yet to disappoint. For the size and price of this work, one would be hard-pressed to do better.

As for content, all the major poets are more or less liberally represented. Cummings gets short shrift, and several of Yeats' most memorable pieces "An Irish Airman Forsees His Death", for one) are excluded. Yet I am certain novice and old hand alike will find this work passes the time admirably.

Having been with me through several housheold moves, military action, and cramped backpacks no self-respecting piece of literature should have to endure, my copy is now fairly falling apart. Yet when it expires, I will buy another copy. No other anthology, especially in terms of price, convenience, and memories, could ever compare.

Es un libro muy práctico, interesante y sobre todo ameno, eficaz y sencillo,.... tan solo en un mes aprenderás inglés.

DE CHISTES TAN EXTRAORDINARIO COMO "LO MEJOR DE LA PICARDIA MUNDIAL " NI TEXTO PARA APRENDER INGLES TAN EFICAZ, AMENO, DIVERTIDO, BIEN ESCRITO Y DISEÑADO PARA GENTE DE HABLA HISPANA COMO ESTE !

PARA APRENDER INGLÉS...porque gracias a él, lo aprendieron mi esposa y mis hijos cuando regresé a los Estados Unidos... Y además, se divirtieron leyéndolo y ahora, su pronunciación es IMPECABLE !

para aprender INGLÉS SIN MAESTRO:
EFICIENTE, AMENO, INTERESANTE, BIEN ESCRITO...

PARA APRENDER INGLÉS...porque gracias a él, lo aprendieron mi esposa y mis hijos cuando regresé a los Estados Unidos... Y además, se divirtieron leyéndolo y ahora, su pronunciación es IMPECABLE !

I great why to learn conversational Italian in a fun way. Helps with your vocabulary. A great way to reinforce what you are learning with a high school or college level class.

In general this is a very good book to learn Italian. Other reviewers have commented on how it is organized and layed out, so I won't repeat that here. Comments to add though are that it does build nicely upon itself, so in Unit 10 for instance, it will re-emphasize something important that you may have forgotten from Unit 7.
I really like the crossword puzzles as I find that a very effective use of really testing my comprehension. Unfortunately there are the occasional errors in the answers, or the crossword puzzle will spell a word wrong in the cross so that there is 1 fewer box than actual letters for the word. These errors are very few though.

The book has an Italian-English and English-Italian translation in the back. I think it could be improved by adding the page number, or at least Unit number where it is discussed. For instance, I can look up "parlare" (to speak), but it doesn't say how to conjugate it. So I have to flip through the book to the unit that it is discussed it to find out. And there is no index either.

But I still think it is a very useful and comprehensive book.

Well I just began to study Italian by myself at home and I bought this textbook. Its a very good starting point to learning Italian. Learn basic expressions, pronunciation, and grammar. I recommend anyone who wants to start learning Italian to buy this textbook.

I started learning Italian by myself using the Pimsleur (listen only) method and reached a point where I needed to learn how to read and write Italian and also grammar, etc. I tried a few books, but Italian Now! is the only one that I stuck to. It is fun, the lessons are organized in a very effective way; it makes it easy to memorize new information and understand the grammar, without seeming overbearing.

I was looking for an Italian language resource that was both introductory in nature, but not so rudimentary that it could not serve as a building block for future mastery.

Italian Now! is an entry level/college-high school first semester course designed to give the Italian student a solid foundation/introduction and a springboard to intermediate study.

I was impressed by the facility with which the dialogues utilize the vocabulary and the applicablity for daily life. I'm about a 1/4th through this book; I feel that I will be ready to speak this beautiful language when my wife and I travel to Tuscany late next year.

One of the few books on its topic, "A Land We Can Share" provides a meaningful plan for teaching and assessing reading and writing skills for students with Autism. It is an excellent resource, sharing relevant information through personal stories, strategy descriptions, visuals, and graphic organizers. Individuals with a thorough knowledge of Autism with limited time (which is almost every teacher!) could probably skip the first chapter, "What is Autism?". This is particularly true if you have read other books by Paula Kluth, as the information about Autism in similar. However, if you have the time, the entire book is worth reading, and is an excellent source of information and resources.

Overall, "A Land We Can Share" is a much needed and essential guide for any teacher of students on the spectrum. Meaningful literacy experiences are possible for all students!

Nicole Caldwell, M.Ed., Editor of the Autism newsletter, Positively Autism

A wonderful resourse for all that work with children. As a teacher I plan to share this resource with all. Especially with my paraprofessionals so they can explore and apply the strategies to the daily routine. Great resource for all in education or child care.

This book is chock-full of helpful tips on differentiated instruction that will work with not just students with autism, but ALL students. Paula has written yet another masterpiece for all those who work with autism.

I highly recommend anything that Dr. Kluth has written. You will not be disappointed by her common sense thinking and practical tips for teaching.

What a wonderful resource! I was inspired to try some new things in my classroom. All were successful and motivating for my students. I teach early childhood special education and it is always a struggle to keep my expectations high, yet attainable... I LOVE the premise "presume competence" that Paula and Kelly use throughout their work. That statement was a "nudge" to remind me that my students can always do more. I know that as long as I encourage them and offer them the necessary tools, they will succeed. I began using some of my augmentative communication devices (for the students that required more assistance) with some of my stories. WOW!!! Talk about interest level increasing! My students focused on the stories at hand AND all wanted to use the devices to `help' read the stories. THANKS for the great ideas!

A Land we can Share is directed primarily at educators and para professionals working with children with ASD to welcome then into the world of literacy.

My perspective is somewhat different. I am a parent of a 7 year old girl with ASD. We are currently in the throes of teaching our daughter to read (in collaboration with her teachers and therapists at school, of course). Whereas with my older children, the process of teaching them to read happened almost intuitively and naturally (on our part as parents), for our youngest the process has involved more effort. We have had to try more things, read more literature, consider different approaches, test more software programs and reader packages.

And much as parents really just want a simple solution, the instructional rigour of Paula's book is at once insightful, engaging and inspiring. It resonated with us, in that it delved in a practical and useful way into different literacy approaches, and provided examples and suggestions that we find useful, and that can be passed on to classroom teachers and reading assistants. But even more significant than its practical applications were the themes of approach and attitude that permeate the pages. Those messages are the catch cries of so many parents with children on the spectrum. We tell teachers, administrators, friends, onlookers - try different things; children are all different; just because something works for most kids doesn't mean there won't be a different approach that will help the rest of the kids, put aside judgment; practice real inclusion.

I would highly recommend this book (as well as Paula's other books) for parents. Read it. Practice it with your children. Pass it on to teachers and school administrators.