Projects Books

This book is full of fascinating science activities for young children. Projects range from refrigerator magnets and battery powered fans to building a transistor radio.

I cannot think of a nicer beginning book than "My First Batteries and Magnets Book". The color photographs make a child excited about starting the project. It is comprehensive in how to do the projects and what materials are needed. The only drawback may be the availability of some of the materials needed, depending on the where you are located; however most can be purchased at hardware stores and hobby shops.

The projects are not many in this book but are of quality. Any child that enjoys this book will feel compelled to venture out on their own...searching for more ideas and inventions. Isn't this what we all hope... to inspire a child's mind? This book has it!

Already own all 13 of Rechy's books? ... Got a copy of *Numbers* from a friend once, but never read anything else? ... Only know *City of Night* because it's on that list of "modern classics" you should have read? ... Well, no matter what your level of exposure to Rechy's brilliance, if he's an author you long to learn more about, this CD-ROM can help. Filled with fascinating images from his personal archives, it also contains multimedia pieces which dramatize and synthesize the themes of Memories, Bodies, and Cruising. One feature sure to please Rechy fans who haven't had the chance to meet him, is the use of the author's voice for narrative pieces and book excerpts.

Nonetheless, if you're looking for a definitive bibliography, or expecting a project resembling a flashy "book report" on Rechy, this CD-ROM is not the place to start. (For that sort of treatment, go to the library and/or search the Web). This CD-ROM will not familiarize you with all his writings, or give you biographical trivia, in the traditional sense -- but it does illuminate the style and substance of his work, and reveal aspects of his life, in new ways.

As to the CD-ROM itself: I would have preferred more detailed installation and navigation instructions -- but didn't have any great difficulty getting the various components up and running. Overall content seemed rather sparse once I started exploring it, and I kept wanting more detail and depth -- but that's to be expected. After all, there's only so much space on any CD-ROM, and no amount could be "enough" or "too much" when reveling in the beauty, passion, and glory of a work.

As many times as I have explored this amazing multimedia CD-ROM, I constantly find something new to appreciate. A photograph in a collage that links to an artifact with the voice of John Rechy revealing new meaning...a path through a thicket of trees that reveals the author standing shirtless above his beloved city.... Mysteries and Desire is a masterful, extraordinary work whose technique rises to the level of its subject. Anyone interested in John Rechy, literature, digital content or new media should not miss this experience.

This history of the AIDS Quilt is a poignant and moving look at how America reacted to the HIV epidemic and how the gay community mustered its own resources to educate and deal with loss when others, especially Christian America, turned its back. I shared this book with my 12-year-old son, for its message is one of compassion and understanding. I recommend it to all middle-school (and older) children.

Brimner focuses on the AIDS Quilt from its very earliest beginnings. In clear, candid language, he discusses the prejudice AIDS sufferers faced and the inaction of a government that simply didn't care when it came to a much-ignored minority within our population. The book is both touching in its depth of emotion and incredible when it comes to the reaction of mainstream Americans to the eipidemic. This title should be required reading in every elementary school across America. Unfortunately, I doubt it will be given the attention it deserves because of its "sensitive" subject matter...and that is the saddest indictment of all against our American culture.

The infomration and projects in the book are awesome! Well worth the price of the book.

Showcasing forty-five, do-it-yourself, needlecraft projects (including multisized ladies' and children's vest patterns) designed for the novice seamstress and anyone pressed for time, "Nancy Cornwell's 90-Minute Fleece" uses 'No-fuss fleece' material which is a fabric that sewers can utilize to expedite making projects ranging from pillows and throws, to scarves, capes and vests. Each project is beautifully illustrated in color and features 'user friendly', step-by-step instructions from beginning to end. If you enjoy making clothing and accessories by hand, but are constrained by demanding schedules, the add "Nancy Cornwell's 90-Minute Fleece" to your needlecraft reference shelf!

An excellent reference for teachers and parents alike, this book contains Native legends related to gardening as well as projects based on the tales, gardening tips, helpful suggestions for beginners, recipes to use your garden's new- found bounty, and much more!
Joseph Bruchac is a very well-known storyteller in the Native American community. Along with his various co-authors in his different books, he combines storytelling with various teaching and family-based activities. I collect his books, because they are both a great reference for Native American mythology and belief, but also because my daughter and I can then turn around and learn together about the great past of the United States.

ANY book by Mr. Caduto and Bruchac is both authentic and well researched. This book is another fine contribution by this team. A must have for a science teacher, for Native American curriculum, home schooling etc. I plan to purchase ALl the books by these authors.

This lovely book contains everything you need to teach kids in grades K-3 about Native Americans. (Actually, I have used some of the activities and the information with fourth graders, and it worked extremely well).

In the beginning, it has an introduction about Native Americans, and a map of Tribal Locations. Then, it contains ten chapters dedicated to ten of the best known Tribes, like the Apache, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Hopi, Inuit, Mohawk, and others. Each chapter contains a description of the tribe, their lifestyle and then a short story about a day in the life of a child of such tribe. Afterwards, you will find for each chapter several reproducible activities that kids can do related to what they have just learned from that tribe. Some of the activities, for example, include making their own teepee, making a totem pole, making a mobile, putting a puzzle together, playing a memory game, solving a maze, etc.

Kids love the stories included, and they love wrapping up the lesson with the coloring and cutting out activities that reinforce the learning.

If you want your kids to get better acquainted with the origins of this wonderful country and their own roots, you won't want to miss this book.

What a wondereful resource to have when teaching about Native Americans. This book introduces your students to the different groups of Native Americans. The book provides facts for each group of Native Americans. In addition to facts about each tribe students also have an opportunity to read a story about a child in that tribe. It truly is an excellent book to have to teach about Native Americans.

I was at the library the other day looking for craft ideas when I stumbled across a book entitled Nature Smart. The cover of the book showed eight really neat projects that appeared to be earth friendly, with some even utilizing recycled materials. I checked it out immediately and eagerly awaited a chance to read through it. After getting the little ones settled down for the night, I opened up this book and was immediately impressed. This book provides parents and teachers with ideas for projects that will help children learn more about the world around them while giving them opportunities to be creative.

As a homeschooling mom, I'm always looking for projects to do with my children that will be fun for them as well as educational. Looking at the craft section at the local bookstore or library can be overwhelming! Too often I find crafts which are cute but don't really provide my children with the opportunity to learn something new. I strive to teach my children about Earth-friendly living, so I was happy to find project ideas that incorporated the use of recycled materials as well as items from nature such as leaves and twigs.

The authors of Nature Smart have compiled more than 150 nature and ecology inspired projects for children. Each craft description includes a list of items to gather in advance, easy to follow directions, and colorful images and diagrams that make the more difficult projects easier to understand. Most of activities in the book are also accompanied by background information on the topic which is a really great feature. For example, the pages that describe how to make a butterfly hatchery with your children includes diagrams of butterflies and moths and information about their life cycle. This content can be read by parents as a refresher before they begin a project with their child or it can be read independently by an older child. Of course, parents of non-readers could read aloud to their children in order to further their understanding of the topic.

Here are a few projects from the book that I plan to try with my children:




Rustic Wren House

Butterfly and Moth Hatchery

Seashell Wind Chime

Wild Flower Candles

Corn Husk Flowers

Bat House

Tin Can Marionette

Bean and Pasta Mosaic


This book is truly fantastic. Nature Smart is designed for school-aged children but many of the projects could be modified to meet the needs of preschoolers. This book is an excellent resource for the eco-conscious parent or teacher who is looking for nature-inspired activities to do with children. I highly recommend it.

This is an absolutely wonderful book. W have used it as part of our homeschooling curriculum. There are so many projects and all are reasonable to complete and to fund.

The emphasis on conservation is clear, and this shows more than anywhere in the way in which the projects are laid out. They do not require expensive tools or ingredients, and often use items found around the house. I am overly pleased with this book, and can not emphasize enough how much I think it teaches kids to respect the earth.

I would also recommend other books by Gwen Diehn. We have checked these out from the library and have been very pleased.

I'm starting a support group and I want all perspectives in my repertoire of ideas to help us all with the challenges presented by bipoloar disorder. This is an extraordinary and emotionally revealing series of stories of this illness. I've experienced much of this personally but never seen it written of so beautifully. I am grateful to all the contributors and highly recommend this book.

This is a wonderful reader. I really recommend it to anyone, it provides so much insight into the bipolar world and illuminates on so many other things as well, such as, what does it mean to be labeled as crazy, when the world we live in is insane? highly thought-provoking containing very valuable information. Not enough literature on mental health topics like this is out there.

I found the book to be excellent in the amount of information given and the format. The black and white pictures sometimes failed to show those who are just learning the art a detailed view of the stitch. This would make a great bible of needlepoint for those who want to expand their craft beyond the basketweave and continental stitches. It is a tremendous reference tool for beginners as well as experienced stitchers in that it gives indepth descriptions of the materials used, including advatages and disadvantages of each kind. Materials covered include: canvases, fibers, colors etc. The only such book I have found so far!

In print for almost twenty yesrs, The Needlepoint Book is by far the best and most useful book on needlepoint. Stitches are divided into chapters according to type (cross stitches, straight stitches). Each stitch has a diagram and a clear black and white picture. But my favorite tool in the book is the stitch tables which begin each chapter. Using these tables you can find great new stitches for backgrounds, heavily textured stitches, easy stitches, and so on. This kind of information is tremendously useful, but I've never seen another book which had it. If you never buy another needlepoint book -- buy this one

This is a very challenging and rewarding book. In this day of political correctness, all too often we do not want to acknowledge this contradiction in the formation of our nation. This book is the product of a government project to preserve first-hand accounts of slavery before the last surviving slaves died in the 1940s. As terrible as these accounts are the book acknowledges that many personal accounts were toned down so as not to offend. The resiliant spirit and courage of these slaves who are now free will both encourage and at the same time make you angry. It is encouraging because in spite of the horrific lives of many of the former slaves they were unwilling to allow this to destroy them. At the same time this is maddening as we consider how many intelligent and talented men and women were enslaved with many also being abused or even killed all for the greed and profit of some.
Some of the accounts have been challenged because they are personal accounts based totally on the memories of the now freed men and women with little or no collaboration. However this is also what makes these accounts so valuable. This is their story about their life and what they endured. No amount of legal documents can relate how this affected these courageous men and women.

"The Negro In Virginia" is a book the American School System must include in their History classes! They have done a disservice to the American student! After reading the book, it brought me to shame and pride. Shame on Americans who caused slavery to be part of a nation who was supposedly a "Godly nation". Shame on all the other people, who involved themselves in the trade of slavery: Africans, Dutch, French, British, Spanish etc. Shame on those who preached of God's Love and who held slaves themselves; and on the politicians who wrote the Consitution and held slaves, and for those who used them for their own personal sexual satisfaction.

The biasness of the "white" man is conveyed so eloquently, without offense. Many people who have many fears, misconceptions and are misinformed of African Americans, may thank their ancestors.

I take pride in knowing that although, many innocent men, women and children died as a slave, those who prevailed, helped the cause for Ameican Freedom, not just freedom for the "negro", did so honestly. Many Slaves who fought in the Civil War and other "wars" did so valiantly! The contributions from African American is so well described.

The book allowed me to see through the eyes of the former slaves who survived. The pain of fathers who were separated from their family. The mothers whose children were taken away and sold. The children who never knew who their parents were. For those families who searched for each other after the Civil War. It described how blacks were not only used as commodoties but, used against each other at times.

The strength of the African American is so alive and descriptive in this book; and so is the fear of the Anglo-Saxon. For many Anglo-Saxons who contributed to the freedom of slaves described their, compassion, love, and boldness and perhaps their the true "Godly Fear".

Everything from the American Presidents' African Kings, and Foreign Rulers involvement in slavery to economics to education of African Americans is in this book.

It's a book you cannot put down, especially if you thought you knew American History, as I did. It brought tears at times and amazement, but most of all it has enlightened my knowleged and appreciation for the continual struggle of African Americans.

If you have compassion...It's a must read book!!