Education Books

I loved this book. It has the joy of being young, yet reminds you at any age to be curious and stay enthusiastic. Basically to adventure "within" and meet all your friends in a special place. I loved the art work, and the message...nothing better than a redhead!!

Warm, witty and wonderful, this book keeps my kids away from the tv and provides them with hours upon hours upon hours of wholesome fun filled entertainment. Bravo David Romanelli ! Encore! Encore !

MY SON LOVES THIS BOOK AND ASKS ME TO READ IT TO HIM EVERY WEEK.I CAN'T BELIEVE THE AUTHOR HASN'T DONE A SEQUEL. FOR THE MONEY THIS BOOK HAS BEEN THE BEST BARGAIN AND DELIVERED THE MOST ENTERTAINMENT OF ANY OF HIS MANY, MANY BOOKS.

A thoroughly enjoyable tale with excellent illustrations. Easy to read and rhyme. Perfect for any young child. Certain to spark his or her imagination. Fantastic!

When my children ages 4 and 6 choose this book for their bedtime story (as they often do) I am so happy. This story brings ME right back to my childhood, to the feelings and memories my youth. Sharing this experience with my children at the same time through the wonder of imagination about the unknown and what may be is delightful.

The first book in the Rockett series is the longest one and its totally exciting finding out what the characters are going to do and their reactions, one of the features of the book. Its funny because of the previous war between Rockett & Nicole [play the pM games] and finding out how Rockett uses her Nicole picture to give Nicole what she deserves...or does she?

The book was great! I loved how it accurately portrayed life in junior high. The interactions between the characters were typical of students in middle schools today. Rockett is stellar!

In the book, the main character has to switch schools. Of course, she has to decide who's who. The question is- who CAN she trust?

This is a good realistic fiction book. It's very realistic. Perfect for ages 8-11.
The best parts of the book were the CONFESSION SESSIONs, where you get to see what all the minor characters are thinking.

Definitely a good book.

The first book of Rockett's World was great!!! It sometimes involves friendship problems and solutions that can really help when it comes to me. Really like there is always somebody like Nicole in everyday life. You might not know how to solve it, but after reading this book, it gave me some kind of idea of how to be a true friend and the make decisions.

Who Can You Trust? is one of my favorite books because I was able to find out what the charecters are thinking at the end of each chapter. It focused on how some kids really act and what someone would do in that situation. I LOVED IT!

Mr. Dunning gives his readers insight to real people living in the South through his story of a fictional Mack Oliver, a man who finds himself in a real-life situation where he is unable to help himself. This book is more than a crime novel, as it explores and explains how people are perceived and treated differently because of their standing in society. His portrayal of the legal system's inadequate treatment of the mentally ill is very accurate.

Who's Mack OliverThis book is brilliantly written !!!
I believe "Who's Mack Oliver?" could and should be used as a teaching guide to help individuals take notice how they interact with different cultures in our society today. The way Mr. Dunning depicts the characters within this story is superb !!!

Individuals that read this novel will be pleasantly surprised the way you can follow each character; their role in the story; and, the interaction of each character to the completion of the story.

You may find yourself in one of the characters personality; how they reacted in their situation; and/or how your experiences identify with Mack Oliver.

I recommend this book to everyone with the greatest of pleasure !!!
The way Mr. Dunning designed the cover to the very last page is magnificent and will leave you hoping for a sequel !!! FANTASTIC !!!

This is a book that makes you think differently about the invisible people that we see in our everyday comings and goings. Mr. Dunning brings Birmingham to us with meticulate descriptions and his characters are poignant and real. The issues he tackles are well thought out and intriguing.

Great book, even if you are not an avid reader you will not want to put this book down. It made me feel like I was in Birmingham, AL on the southside of town at the Fountian hearing the music.
It also makes you stop and think about all the homeless people out there.
Could this really happen?

This novel is so real that it seams that you are walking on the Birmingham streets. Dunning plays with his knowledge of the English language using very rich vocabulary; some descriptions are Poet's work. He also has a profound knowledge of the Human behavior and a strong historical background with a clear understanding of what is really happening in this Country; all the silent but brutal racial and religious conflicts. Overall, this is an excellent masterpiece that deserves to be in any best-seller's collection.

This is a nice guide that gives you a nice illustrated overview. It not only describes women's health issues but even touches on subjects such as gastric reflux and strokes. Overall a good guide and good value a bit basic for a health care professional but to the point. Well done!

jon, Milton Keynes

This is an excellent book! A must for every woman's private collection. It is a easy guide that explores a number of current health problems surrounding today's women. This book provides detailed descriptions as well as statistic A must read!

The book gives clear explanations with detailed pictures. It's a user-friendly guide to a variety of women's health issues.

I love this book because it covers so many different topics, yet keeps it simple and easy to understand. I think it's important for women today to take charge of their health. The more you know about your own body, the sooner you can detect what it is and how to fix it. And, as research shows, the earlier the better. To this book, I make a toast, "Here's the women's health!"

We need more books like this... well-illustrated, easy to understand, and highly informative. In fact, I thought it did such a good job explaining the basics of women's health that I bought copies for all my female relatives who span in ages from early 20's to early 70's.

Well, the editors of this reference book tried their best to make it colorful and interesting for "kids," and they did succeed to a certain extent.

I learned that less than 500,000 people live in the state of Wyoming; the Dodgers finished under .500 in 1999; most world currencies, except the British pound, are worth less than the U.S. dollar; and so forth.

One thing about dated reference works, like this one: they quickly become historical reference works.

Another good thing about it: you can thumb through this book quickly and only stop when your interest is really piqued, if ever. Otherwise, donate it someone else. That's what I did.

Diximus.

Rarely is a reference book a popular title in our elementary school library. This is currently our most requested book. It's visually appealing. It's filled with facts and information that kids need for reports, but it's also filled with the kind of things kids are always curious about. It's fun for browsing as well as research. Highly recommended!

I have been reading this book for over 1 year! I got this book for a Christmas present and I learned a lot from this book! This book has information on almost every topic. I can't wait until the book "The World Almanac for Kids 2003" will be published!

I may not have this book but I do have the 1999 edition of the Almanac for kids and it is great. Every chance I get I use it. If i liked the 1999 edition i know the 2001 is even better and I'm sure You'll like it too.

I have two daughters, ages 8 and 13, and they both love this book. It's packed with everything they want to know, and much more. The color pictures make it even more interesting, and they love the puzzles and quizzes. Every parent with kids should get this book!

I can not believe that nearly ten years has gone by since this book was first published. I thought that everyone had read this book, and more importantly was "using" this book. It took a room full of educators and parents indicating that no one knew of this book for me to write this review. It is less a review than a sales pitch, but it is a pitch that needs to be made.

From personal experience as both parent and teacher, this book changed my outlook on both. I have experienced considerable success at both, and it has to do with a fundamental switch in thinking. In fact, once you read this book, and get the point, you will see how simple it really is to help students become capable. But, everyone has to have their oars in the water and be working in the same direction.

Just yesterday, I heard from one my students that he and his partner won Bronze at the Canada Wide Science Fair. This is the third time we won Bronze, and incidentally we scored Silver a few years ago. This book helped me "coach" kids. I had little to do with the science, but I believe that I was influential in the primary aspect of this book - pointed out the paradigm of their only capabilities - their success.

I have an email from one of them, and it has squarely hit this point.

Earlier last week, at a wonderful seminar on Assessment by Damian Cooper, I was struck by the way that he also used questioning techniques of the participants, but as well the students in his videos. He uses the materials in this book to a tremendous advantage. I see strong similarities, and attribute his success for working along these paradigms.

Seven Strategies for Developing Capable Students is MOST DEFINITELY A MUST READ by any parent and/or teacher. It is a wealth of information, tips, and tricks, but more importantly allows any parent or teacher to focus on the student - making them capable, and feeling this as well.

Let me quote a passage which I see as prophetic as it is more of a problem today, than it was ten years ago.

"Parents often FEEL they must run to school to CONFRONT the teacher or principal with the responsibility of solving children's problems. This may be called for at times, but such occasions SHOULD BE RARE, and should only take place after we have done all we can to EMPOWER OUR CHILDREN TO DO ALL THEY CAN TO SOLVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS."

The capital letters are my own, and should point to the emphasis for which I see as integral to proper parenting. SADLY, there has been an apparent increase in this type of CONFRONTATION. It is wrongheaded, and is actually bad for the student. While it might make the parent feel good, and this is also problematic, makes the child see a FICTION for which they must bring to the REALITY of life. It arms them with the inappropriate tools of success. When the school unions need to add language to their collective agreements that protect them from this type of confrontation, it is clearly a sign that there is a problem - a problem to the process of parenting.

"We do a DISSERVICE to children when WE communicate a perception that everything is SOMEONE else's problem rather than theirs. 'You are doing poorly in school because the teacher doesn't like you'. 'You didn't make the team because the coach is prejudiced.'" p. 53

While it could be rumour or gossip, I have heard that this is said quite often, and am shocked. There are a considerable number of parents who blame a teacher for many different reasons. As a teacher, there is no defense to this type of claim. The logical fallacies riddle the event, but it is nonetheless pointless to argue - a parent's mind is made up at this point.

BUT, I have spent 25 years at teaching, and NOT ONCE HAVE I EVER HEARD ANY TEACHER say anything close to this. I can't imagine any teacher being so very shallow that they would willingly and knowingly do this to a child. In STARK CONTRAST, to help a student who might even be trouble in a classroom, to experience success would be something that would help the student not be a trouble maker. It is in the teacher's BEST INTERESTS not to be like this, and for this reason, I believe that blaming someone is a parental fiction.

I believe that the problem with many students now-a-days is that they come to teachers with the meta-understandings or the paradigms of "shields up", if I can use an old Star Trek phrase, where there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, and they simply need to sort out who to blame.

This book will help anyone see the problem with this thinking, and get them to think towards helping the student develop a capable nature.

"The perceptions of being capable, significant, and able to influence one's own life are powerful confidence builders that instill the courage to take healthy risks, improvise, and transcend failure. PARENTS WHO INVEST TIME HELPING CHILDREN INTERNALIZE THESE PERCEPTIONS ARE GOING A LONG WAY TOWARD ENSURING THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND ENJOY LEARNING".

This book is WELL WORTH the read, and I hope that every parent read this. Form discussion groups, and share your observations and creatively work toward making this happen. It was relevant 10 years ago, and is more relevant today.

Some times faces are not deceptive. The face, they say, is the index of heart; and so is the book in hand. No kidding about this fact.

Was wondering why don't such creative visualization minds write a similar book for adults (i.,e other than children and parents).

Nevertheless, 7 Strategies is a value-added resource for the concerned group. I envy the readers of this book. This book directly works as a guide on the three R's: Responsible, Repectful and Resourceful.

For some strange reasons, I am always attracted by books with the magical number `7' (seven) in the titles or sub-titles. Remarkably, they often turn out to be great stuff. Some of these books have already been reviewed here & there are more to come. Partly, my obsession with the number has probably to do with my impressionable exposure since I was a kid.

When I was twelve in the early 60's, my first `blood-thirsty' movie was the Japanese cult classic, The Seven Samurais, which reportedly inspired the Hollywood epic, The Magnificent Seven. Both movies became my perennial favourites & I have seen them countless times. In both movies, a ragtag group of fearless fighters helped a poor village to deal with & outsmart a gang of marauding rogues.

In this book, the magical `7' (seven) takes on a more serious & sober stance. It refers to the critical attributes that are embodied in the seven resources & skills necessary for your kids/teens to become capable - responsible, respectful, & resourceful - in dealing with today's complex world.

Firstly, let me reveal the author's Significant Seven resources & skills of capable students:

- strong perceptions of personal capabilities;
- strong perceptions of personal significance;
- strong perceptions of personal influence;
- strong interpersonal skills;
- strong intrapersonal skills;
- strong systemic skills;
- strong judgment skills;

I have always hold the view that understanding perception is the key to peak performance.

Maxwell Maltz started the ball rolling by coining the term as `psycho-cybernetics', even though ancient masters in the East have known about it for a very long time. Edward de Bono, the guru of lateral thinking, calls it 'First Order Thinking'. Steven Covey relates some insightful anecdotes about perception in his `7 Habits for Highly Effective People.' Joel Arthur Barker, a process futurist/consultant, considers perceptual understanding as one of five strategic tools necessary for navigating your future. Other consultants, like Mark Brown, Philip Kirby, to name a few, have talked at length about the intricacies of perception & their impact on personal as well as business (or organizational) performance. In the field of stress management, the research people at Institute of HeartMath, creator of the cutting-edge Freeze-Framer Technology, have linked `stress' to `perception'. Even in the world of esoteric practices, Harry Palmer, creator of the expensive Avatar training program, thinks along the same lines, as far as reality creation is concerned.

Henceforth, it is exciting for me to note that these two authors have drawn an excellent & compelling parallel in the academic arena.

I fully concur with the authors that, in the case of our children, strong perceptions of one's personal capabilities, personal significance & personal influence are the precursors to building one's strong assets in dealing with a world that is hurtling at us with breakneck speed, & compounded by hurricane-force changes.

Surprisingly, the book, written by two educators by profession, is presented in very clear, easy-to-understand language.

I highly recommend this book to all parents & teachers. This book can help you develop the resources & skills for your children/students to become capable adults.

I would go further to recommend parents & teachers to take a look at the following books, as supplementary reading:

1. What Kids Need to Succeed: Proven, Practical Ways to Raise Good Kids, by Peter Benson;
2. What Young Children Need to Succeed: Working Together to Build Assets from Birth to Age 11, by Jolene Roehlkapartain;
3. What Teens Need to Succeed: Proven Ways to Shape Your Own Future, by Peter Benson;

Just when you thought you knew everything about teaching; along comes another book claiming to do it better.

Well, this little book packs a punch so powerful that you might well be forced to re-evaluate your thinking and un-learn some ineffective habits and replace them with some of the recommendations offered by H. Stephen Glenn and Michael L. Brock.

Even if you have been teaching for some time, these ideas are fresh and simple enough to begin applying during your next lesson.

Even though the advice is geared towards the parent, it can and should be thoroughly studied by teachers of all levels from Primary to University. An awareness of the comparative stages of mental ability and emotional development will enable the teacher to identify and adapt the appropriate approach needed.

The book is not long on theory, it cuts straight to the heart of the matters discussed with practical and concrete recommendations.

For example, a anxious and impatient parent at a Parent-Teacher Orientation meeting, wanting to know the single most effective thing they can do to promote their child's lifelong success in education, is promptly told:

"Sit down to dinner with the television off every evening for 30-45 minutes".

So, at least for me, its "Back to the Drawing Board"; time to clean the mental attic again on the road to becoming a better teacher.

Thank you, H. Stephen Glenn and Michael L. Brock for sharing your ideas.

Does your child's notebook explode upon opening? Does your child do homework every night after supper and yet bring home dozens of missing assignment reports from school? Does your child come home with the book but no idea what the assignment is? Or perhaps with the assignment and not the book? Does your child frequently have no idea what the words of an assignment actually mean? Does your child weep over the tedium of homework assignments whose worth they cannot comprehend? Does your child go off to school in the morning moderately happy but come home looking beaten down by life? Are you looking for help for such a child? If so, don't look for the answers in this book. There is not a whisper of how to help the organizationally-impaired student. (P.S., If anybody knows of such a book, or can write such a book, please let the world know.)

This book was incredibly thought-provoking and practical. Weil has an extremely positive energy that eminates through the pages of this book.

Whether you possess little to great concern about the upbringing of your children, this book has something for everyone!

I wanted the book to be longer because I enjoyed it so much. When is the sequel coming out?!

"Above All Be Kind" is a wonderful book for anybody who cares deeply about the future of our children. Being a teacher myself I would like to recommend this book as a must read for teachers and parents alike. The book reminds us what is really important in life. It invites us to raise our children to become compassionate and caring people who understand and welcome their responsibility for our Earth and all living beings.

Many school teachers will tell you that parents will complain to them that their children don't read at home. The teacher then always asks, 'well, how much do you read?' And the answer usually comes back, 'I don't. What does that have to do with it?' Our children do follow our models, whether we think they do or not. And to really provide a good role model requires hard, hard work, and thinking about it, every day, every second. Instead, we all have a tendency to mouth platitudes and give lectures.

A great read, worth it for any parent, and really, anyone else. This goes way beyond education and raising kids.

This is actually my second time reading this book. The first time through, I was primarily looking for ideas to make my household a bit more peaceful, and while I found the book interesting, it didn't address my specific concerns about sibling rivalry and bickering.

Fast forward a couple of years, and this book is EXACTLY what I need. The idea of trying to live humanely and kindly, each and every day, and to extend the concept beyond one's nuclear family to the world at large (and to all living things for that matter), really resonates right now. Zoe Weil talks about the importance of our actions. Having a sense of compassion combined with a sense that our actions DON'T matter can lead to dispair. Having a sense of materialism combined with a sense that our actions don't matter can lead to exploitation of people and resources.

Anyway, the book does discuss how to empower children to consciously choose humane, compassionate choices. Zoe's approach is highly facilitative rather than dictatorial. She says it is important to:

1. provide information
2. teach critical thinking
3. instill reverence, respect, and responsibility
4. offer positive choices

And there are many examples of how to put this in practice, particularly for children in the middle and teen years.

One of my favorite chapters is chapter 3, "Your Life is Your Message". Zoe says, "I'm very aware of the fact that each of us will be faced with emotions and circumstances that compete with our desire to make the most humane choices." She talks about how difficult it is to be a good role model for our children ALL the time. We will fail - we're human! But she writes, "the task before each of us is to choose compassion in the face of apathy that deadens our spirit, restraint in the face of desires that can harm, and courage in the face of fears that hold us back - and to do so in practical, concrete ways that translate our ethics into action. We will not always make the kindest choice, but by staying aware and remaining committed to making our life the kind of message we want it to be, we'll be able to make kinder choices more and more often."

THIS is something that I can do. The fact I will fail sometimes doesn't absolve me of my responsibility to do what I can.

Chapter 3 is also where Zoe exhorts us to expand humane values to include everyone, and these are some choices she says have an impact on ourselves as well as others outside of our family - what we wear, what we eat, what entertainment we choose, what we drive, as well as choices about our homes, furniture, toys, personal care and cleaning products, among others. I'd been guilty of thinking, "Such and Such Superstore will still exist whether I shop there or not, so I might as well get xyz there because they have the best price." After reading this book, that is not a thought I am going to have again.

Zoe also includes a questionnaire to help people get started on their journey to live more consciously and humanely, as well as several interesting resource lists.

I highly recommend this book.

It's not an easy task to raise compassionate, non-materialistic, and socially conscious children in today's prevailing culture. Above All, Be Kind is a guidebook for parents trying to do just that.

Author Zoe Weil is the co-founder of the International Institute for Humane Education, an organization that teaches young people about more humane ways of living and about how our daily choices impact the world for ill or good. She says living in humane ways is all about living up to the highest human qualities.

Weil gives examples of situations parents will likely encounter with their children ("What do you do when your son asks for a toy gun?" "What do you do when you find pornography in your teen's room?") and how parents can handle those situations with wisdom.

In segments called "Did you know?" she reveals disturbing facts about hot button social issues such as factory farming, sweatshop clothing, and child-targeted advertising. Besides documenting the facts about those issues, Weil takes the process a step further with pages called "Let Kindness Grow," which offer suggestions about what we can do to make more humane choices in relation to each issue.

The most important message in the book is to parents themselves. It is the mantra "My life is my message," which Weil says she has used many times to check her own behavior. The Ghandian quote reminds parents that we cannot expect our children to walk any path that we ourselves are not willing or able to walk.

To that end, Weil lays out a four-step plan she calls the "Four Elements" that can help readers come to a right action for themselves or help their children make about any choice. Essentially, the Four Elements are: Gathering information, using critical thinking skills, turning that knowledge into respect for all, and making a responsible choice.

One of the last parts of the book is dedicated to personal introspection. Weil created a "My life is my message" questionnaire that readers are to work through to critically look at where we can improve our own life messages. The 13-page exercise is a humbling and valuable experience.

Weil provides an appendix bursting with solid statistics, valuable reference books, and tons of resources to help parents locate more information, better products (such as a list of companies that do not use animals to test products) and websites that can help us make more humane choices for ourselves, our children, and the world. As a result, this book is not a one-time read but rather a resource to be picked up time and again. --Dana Anderson-Villamagna

This book is IDEAL for anyone who is going to train or teach anything. How to cut the fluff and deliver the required facts.

I am not a professional trainer by trade. However, I was recently appointed training coordinator for my department. The Accelerated Learning Handbook has definitely helped me approach my job with a fresh perspective. The information, ideas, and techniques presented have enabled me to more effectively train those in my department as well as those in other functions. Before reading the AL Handbook, I thought all that was needed to effectively teach someone was simply to make sure all of my PowerPoint slides were logically put together. I now have a broader view of how people learn and a sold framework to use when putting together training materials on any topic. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to engage the audience and create meaningful, effective training presentations.

I have worked with adult learners for more than fifteen years and have always tried to incorporate whole-brained, participative learning. This book provided some excellent theoretical background as well as a lot of new instantly usable ideas. I wasn't even all the way through before I applied a couple of the techniques and got an excellent response from my client.

Finally, teachers and administrators have a useful tool to recharge their classrooms/schools. We have become so test oriented that many times we forget that the process of learning comes from the doing. The statement comes to mind that we utter with new approaches," When do I have the time to get it all in?". That is where the problem lies! We are so pressured with these new demands that we loose sight of what is important, the process. This book will give us a clearer picture of how we can recharge our teaching and can provide the key so we can use the ideas to change the way we teach or approach the students' learning who are in our care.

I was getting ready to prepare a training program for 44 persons when I read this book. Immediately! after I used the guidelines to prepare my session. Preparation was fast and easy -and fun! I really couldn't believe that it was that easy to apply and it has been one of my best sessions to date. I refer to it when I need a refresher or a new perspective. I definately reccomend this book for trainers who need to keep their material fresh and interesting (esp. in-house trainers).

As the author of two books regarding National Board Certification, I read with interest this author's work on accomplished teaching. I found the content not only helpful, but well-researched and highly applicable to any instructor seeking to pursue excellence in classroom teaching.

Many such books are often pedantic tomes that offer little research, and even less practical usefulness. Not so this one. The author(s) have done their homework. Their bibliography is a 'who's who' of noted researchers in this field, and I cannot imagine any teacher--even one not pursing NBPTS certification--not picking up a wealth of helpful vitae from reading this book.

This work should be required reading in every university education program. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Dr. J.L. Parks, author "So, You Want to Become a National Board Certified Teacher?"

I highly recommend this book for National Board Candidates and National Board Support Providers. I have been supporting National Board Candidates for many years and have found the tips highly helpful in creating a strong portfolio entry.
I wished I had this book when I was working on my National Boards.

I got started on my portfolio rather late (I do work best under pressure) and was stunned to pass in my first round (EA Science). This book clearly helped. It is full of powerful guides and lots of tools to use in preparing lessons as well as preparing the entries. I used the NBPTS Workbook by Mack-Kirschner first to get started then used this one while I drafted out my portfolio. I returned to the Workbook as I was refining my entries. Both were important. I did not find the CD particularly useful, as it mostly provided un-editable copies of the forms in the book. I used the first edition, which was published in 2004.
Lorraine Theroux (the real name) contact me through scienceforall.com if you wish

As a Candidate Support Provider, I have found "Accomplished Teaching" to be the most comprehensive and user-friendly book available to National Board Certification candidates. "Accomplished Teaching" takes the NBPTS standards and portfolio instructions and breaks them into meaningful and manageable chunks for teachers. Completing the National Board Certification process is a rigorous process and teachers need a resource like "Accomplished Teaching " to guide them. This book should be required reading for anyone going through the board certification process. In fact, it should be required reading for any teacher interested in improving their teaching practice!

Working through the National Board Certification can be difficult and confusing. This book breaks the process down into manageable steps and keeps candidates on track. There are many helpful worksheets and planning tools to ensure you complete the portfolio in the best and most informative way. Throughout the book there are brief anecdotes about other teachers' practices and struggles, which is an enjoyable way to keep readers' morale up. I highly recommend this book - it's a useful tool for anyone interested in National Board Certification.

My daughter is 8 years old and she loved this! Our children absolutely need to be taught about acceptance these days. What's been done with Amy Hodgepodge that makes it extra special, is that they also learn other lessons on top of acceptance. Good job!

Wow! If only I had books like this told from a multi-ethnic perspective when I was growing up! As a person of mixed race myself, I appreciated how easily relatable this character's true-to-life experiences are. Unlike the one-dimensional characters in most children's books, Amy is a charming character children of all ages and races can identify with. As a former teacher I would've loved to have had this in my library. As a stay-at-home mom I plan to get the set for my own kids and give it as a gift to other mixed race children to learn about the beauty of multiculturalism from someone just like them.

This story truly touched me. The words Kim and Kevin used made perfect visuals for my mind. The artwork is amazing, but it's one of those books that made pictures in my mind anyway. The authors made me love Amy, love her family, and feel everything she felt. This book would be great for any young boy or girl going thru difficult situations that we all go thru growing up. It teaches friendship, kindness, and gives us ALL insight on how to be good people. when her little friend welcomes her to her new surroundings i was soooooo happy. i am an adult and i read things i needed to re learn myself....that i should ALWAYS be nice and kind and welcoming to new souls.
game on Kim and Kevin !!!!!

As a teacher, I am so grateful to the authors for providing my students with such dynamic reading material. My students immediately identified with the characters and they began to have spontaneous conversations about the issues presented. I am always searching for books that respect a child's perspective as well as their feelings and questions. This series does all three! It is challenging growing up, no matter who you are or what you look like. Finally, a series that addresses these real concerns with humor and love.
Thank You.

I love the Amy Hodgepodge books! I'm so thankful for this modern series where being multiracial is the norm. :-) And the storyline is truly universal. Amy is going through the usual angst of starting a new school, trying to fit in and make new friends (took me right back to my own grade-school years like it was yesterday). I love the way the story is written in the first person ~ Kim & Kevin did a great job of capturing the spirit of a fourth-grader, and it really draws kids in. Even my four-year old boy who has sworn off all things "girlish" wanted to hear more of the story (!). The A.H. web site is fun too. :-)