Fun and Games Books

My district is implementing guided reading this school year. This book has been invaluable to me. It has helped me understand how to manage my classroom, so that my students will gain the most advantages from such a program. I am looking forward to returning this fall with this program in place. It is an extra bonus that the author is a teacher and has been in the same position.

This is a great book for any teacher using the four blocks literacy model in thier classroom. It is very readable, and not full of jargon. Examples of how to implement guided reading in your classroom are given throughout the book, and there are organization and management ideas offered as well.The book also contains photocopy pages which will be very helpful to you.

This book is a wonderful resource for a classroom teacher using guided reading. It is similar to Guided Reading: Good First Teaching... but more reader friendly, not full of research etc. I would recommend this book for K-3 teachers. It compliments Guided Reading, An Observation Survey and On Solid Ground.

Emergent readers often have difficulty moving beyond the phonics aspect of reading, and Schulman gives the reading specialist many creative and practical ideas along with appropriate literacy selections for closing the gap between the emergent and fluent reader.

A great resource for getting your guided reading program started. User friendly and has reproducibles in the index.

I want to meet this author... She seems to know the problems I experience each day trying to spend quality time with my children as well as getting the day's work done. Organization isn't exactly my strength so her tips are appreciated. Best of all, my children so far LOVE the meals and activities she has recommended. "Green spaghetti" has become a new family favorite! I found the book enjoyable to read and her suggestions easy to implement. I heartily recommend it to everyone, parents, grandparents, baby-sitters, and day-care workers, who want to make their time with children more enjoyable and profitable for all!

Let's face it, parents who pick up this book don't have a lot of time on their hands. That's why this book is such a valuable resource. It's formatted beautifully, with thoughtful and inciteful ideas listed in the sidebars of the pages, making it easy to reference ways to spend quality time with your children, without wasting precious moments leafing through page after page. It's time that is much better spent having fun with your kids! I loved this book!

This is a special book that is more than a guide. It maintains a wonderful perspective that recognizes the importance that tranquility (and often order)in the parent is essential to helping the child find fun. But the fun, it seems, that both lingers and helps the child to grow.

What a neat approach, one that I wish I had had when dealing with the "little ones" on both rainy and sunny days.

Once I got it home and gave it a test run, I knew that each set of grandparents would need a copy also. The activities are fun for the kids, and not too daunting for grandparents to handle. Thanks, Marilee, there is a special place in heaven for people who make parenthood more manageable and enjoyable!

Time seems to be our most valuable asset in today's high tech world, and unfortunately some-times our children suffer due to our lack of it. This book takes us back to the kinder and simpler days of having fun with our parents. Simple projects, innovative fun, clever ideas, inexpensive and original amusement. Best of all, in most instances, NO ELECTRICITY, CABLE, NAME BRANDS REQUIRED! Kids today are so used to having things do it all for them that they forget how to use thier own creativity and make simple pleasurable past-times with thier parents. Parents also today in most instances are so stressed out in trying to provide our kids with all the latest gadgets, electronics, and name brands that the actual time they have available to spend with thier kids is nominal. This wonderful book reminds us that we need to prior itize our time, re-think what is important to us and most of all what is best for our children. It is jam packed full of easy, LAZY, fun-filled ways to find time, make fun, and enjoy FAMILY life. I highly recommend it to any working parent.

I purchased this as a Christmas gift (and was shocked at the price and the fact there are NOT any Gin Rummy specific books out there!)...
The recepient of the book LOVES it and says it is a great book and has really helped.... So it was worth the money:)

The authors have presented an analysis of gin rummy that serves as a critical reference tool, for anyone wishing to improve their game.

A concise introduction to the fundamentals of gin rummy are provided as background for even the novice. The author then gets into techniques for the experience player that wants to improve skills. Practical methods are provided for diagnosing the gin hand as well as the cards held by your opponent. For the serious player the author provides a section on how to remember cards played and how to use this information to analyze your opponents most likely melds and other cards held.

This book has a lot of statistical information in it. It is a lot better than most modern gin rummy books. Read this book plus Jacoby and Wander's books to get started on the right track in gin.

I bought this book, largely based on reviews I had seen on the internet. I was very excited about the "computer studies."

I'm sorry to report that there are many elementary errors, and substandard probabilistic thinking, in this book. The author does present some useful information and some impressive looking charts. But when you delve into the actual material, it is flawed. Starting almost on the first page, there are serious mistakes.

And there are no computer simulations. No real data to back up (MHO) the author's somewhat dubious advice. I don't know what his (her?) Ph.D. is in, but I doubt it's in mathematics or game theory.

This book promises a lot but delivers very little. The guy who originally sold them was a great salesman, Scott even got on Opera once. But after buying the book I don't see why. Very little of it was interesting or of value. However the books are poorly laid out, poorly explained and even worse are the illustrations. I bought them with high hopes to help my child with math. We tossed them aside after one quick read. If you need to learn or teach math get a Spectrum Book. These were nothing more then a waste of money. I always look and find something good about everyone and everything. I found a great use for these books. Not only do the pages line the bottom of a bird cage nicely, they also make great fire starters. Don't waste your money.

I homeschool my kids who like the ideas behind math but find drilling real agony!!! They are beginning to see the fun in it and don't mind repetition any more. Thanks and praise to Scott Flansberg!!!

The book was ok however, I wanted a book for older students. This is recommended for 6 th 8 year olds. The book is in an easy to read format and has breaks to complete exercises to practice what you learned.

There's honestly nothing wrong with this book. A lot of reviewers have used it and found it helpful for their children. My problem is that it's written for children, but it's in an adult format, meaning it's in a hard bound book measuring about 5" by 8" and written in a fairly small type. My 6 year old would have trouble reading "Harry Potter" by herself, she'd have a hard time reading this one too. The writing is at about the same level. And yet the book starts out with kindergarten and 1st grade level work. The book is written in a way that you could read the games and stories to your kindergarten aged child, but the presentation isn't kindergarten level, it's more 2nd grade level.

I wish the book was in a workbook form, with a lot of child-friendly illustrations and places to write. Instead you either have to have your child write in pencil and erase, or photocopy each exercise to keep the book clean. It isn't just that I'm a clean freak, writing in a book this thick isn't easy, especially for a 6 year old.

In the end the math concepts, games and fun drawings could draw children in and get them excited about math, but the book form and presentation could be much more child friendly.

Mr.Flansburg's methods of stressing basic math skills are new and important before algebra or higher math will make sense. His new web site thehumancalculator.com also offers more information about his goal to wipe out innumeracy. He taught me it's never to late to conquer math phobia and fulfill my career goals that never materialized because of math avoidance.

I totally LOVE this product. They are time consuming to make up BUT well worth it.Once the centers are made up, they are easy to maintain. I would highly suggest laminating the pieces. I did and they have held up very well. My students loved doing them. I would recommend for any teachers. Many times I used these as a reward for getting work done in class early. Students were able to pick what they wanted to do after completing their assignments.

This book is my first purchase in the "Take it to your Seat" series, and I'm delighted with it!
These full color activities are of high quality and very appealing to my young learner.
They're easy to use, and offer a nice change of pace to reinforce literacy skills in a manner that is both fun and effective.

I will definitely be purchasing more books from this series, and hope all are as useful and creatively designed as this one.

There are so many wonderful activities for your children to do during Literacy Centers in this book. I highly recommend it for a classroom, or for a parent with a child in grades 1-3.

This book is excellent. It has tonds of ideas and information for centers. If you don't have space for the centers, creating the suggested take to your seats centers is the solution. Great book!

I saw this book in a workshop and had to have it! It was so easy to make the centers... I just cut out the full color peices, laminated them, and put them in the box, folder, or hanger. The games even come with a recording sheet for the students. This is a must have for independent reading centers!

This book was very informative and gave the reader answers to any trivia question about Italy. Enjoy it very much, and would buy from this seller again.

Not worth spending too much time on this book when there are other books on Italy and life in Italy.

I believe this is a great book to have in one's library. I found it to be very entertaining as it helps individuals gain a broader understanding regarding the Italian culture and way of life. It is apparent that the author of this book devoted tremendous amount of hours and energy in researching and writing this book. I applaud his enthusiasm and thank him for taking the time and interest to help a second generation Italian appreciate the beauty and history that Italy has to offer the world.

Ulitmate Italian Trivia is a lot of fun! It is great to use as a trivia game with friends and family by asking the questions out loud and having everyone try to guess the answers. This makes a really nice gift also!

Written by trivia enthusiast and history buff Scott Paul Frush, and featuring a foreword by Chairman Emeritus of the National Italian American Foundation Frank D. Stella, Ultimate Italian Trivia: A Treasure Trove of Fun and Fascinating Facts is a collection of over 1,600 amazing trivia tidbits as educational as they are fascinating. From "What is gnocchi di patate?" (potato dumplings) to "What is Michelangelo's last name?" (Buonarroti) to "For what reason does Italy have scarce mineral deposits and fossil fuels?" (geographically, Italy is too young a continent to have them), the questions range from near-common knowledge to brain-busting obscure. A smattering of black-and-white photographs and additional resources such as a bibliography, the Italian national anthem in English and Italian, a list of Italian publications including where to find them online, thumbnail region profiles and more round out this "must-have" for trivia buffs fascinated by all things Italian.

This has a number of clever and fun games, with useful information right in the Table of Contents that allow you to quickly find a game for your group.

Most of the entries are easy to understand, well written and complete, with warnings and suggestions to ensure safe game-play.

Only a few of the entries (e.g., Frisbee golf) seemed half-done and rushed, with incomplete information to play the games (as if they were crammed in at the last minute).

By and large, though, this is a very useful guide to quickly locating a suitable game and modifying it for the age range playing.

If you want your children to spend less time watching TV and playing video games, this is the perfect book for you! It was designed for car/plane rides, parties, and family outings. However, as an educator, I see the opportunity to give your children the diversion they crave while developing their imaginations. The activities include both mind exercises and physical challenges, so keep your kids from turning into couch potatoes by using this book to have some family fun.

Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (10/07)

"101 Family Vacation Games" is a compilation of activities that can help entertain both children and adults. The games are divided into six main categories - travel, vacation, beach, outdoor, home, and birthday party games. The book title is somewhat misleading because the games, with the exception of some of the beach games, can be easily adapted to be played anywhere. There is also a special section at the end with games parents can use to interact with babies and young children.

The layout of the book is excellent. Listed at the beginning of each game is the number of participants required, the level of difficulty, and whether any props will be needed (i.e. music or a deck of cards). Most of the games are fairly simple and can be completed quickly. Also provided are ways to modify the games so that younger children can also be included. Several of the games are old favorites, such as Charades, I Spy, and Rock, Paper, Scissors, but there are many with which I had not been previously familiar.

The author stresses the importance of making sure everyone understands and agrees to the rules before the game begins. He also states the importance of parents taking part in the games so they can share similar experiences with the child and create memories as a family. Playing provides many benefits including: exercise, learning ways to relate to others socially, releasing stress, and acting as a diversion to forget about one's problems for a short time. Some games help to develop reflexes and concentration skills. Others involve exploring the world around us. The next time you see children playing don't be surprised if they are actually learning something.

I recommend "101 Family Vacation Games" for all parents and children. It will not only help to develop a closer relationship between the two but also allow them to learn more about the other's thoughts and dreams. Playing together develops lifetime memories that become more precious as the years pass. It is important to set aside a few minutes each day to play, whether it is to remove oneself from life's daily stresses or simply to spend time with those you love.

When I first got this book my first thought was ,"Oh great, Another book on parenting that has bad illustrations and is full of syrupy platitudes which I've read before." Lines in the book like, "People who use this book can personally discover the wonderful effects of play." did not help. I started to look through the book and remained unimpressed when I read a few of the games. The whole feel of the book did just not click with me. There was ONE thing about it that I liked about the book on my first time through. The icons that gave you at-a-glance information about each of the games. Having just done a search for games for a Cub Scout den the week before I could appreciate not reading halfway through the game before I figured out it was not an appropriate game for my purposes. After reading most of the prose in the book that wasn't game rules I figured there was really only one way to review a book about games. Time to play some games. I called the kids into the living room and told them I needed their help. We chose games mostly at random easily eliminating the ones that required props we didn't have, a beach, or some other element that would prevent us from playing that game. The next two hours flew by and I had to promise we would play some more games the next day in order to get them to go to bed. I quickly learned that it is not possible to know how fun a game will be just by reading the description. Some of the ones that sounded cool, like Toe Fencing didn't work out, but a simple game like Word Tennis was a great hit. I will be putting this book permanently in the car so we can avoid the Are-we-there-yets on the next family vacation. I still think the book could be presented better, but there is no denying that the games are fun.

Jump-start family fun time with these 101 ideas for games and pastimes. You shouldn't wait for your next vacation to spend some time with these simple, low-tech games.

Right out of the bubble mailer my boys were playing Word Tennis and laughing out loud. On first inspection, I spotted some tried-and-true favorites, like Rock Paper Scissors, which are probably already in most families' repertoire. But for the most part, the games were new to us. I appreciate the useful table of contents matrix, which matches each activity with the number of people needed.

You might think of "vacation games" as "games to play in the car." But that is just the first section of this book. There are categories for: Travel Games, Games at the Destination, Beach Games, Sand Figures, Outdoor Games, Games to Play at Home, Birthday Party Games, and finally Games for Babies and Young Children.

If you are like me, and your brain stalls when required to come up with something to entertain your children, you'll want to have this book handy. I know I will.

A gift to my Grandson on his 2nd Birthday. He likes Bob the Builder and could not wait to open the book. It has 4 stores along with an audio CD. Well worth the price. I think he will be enjoying it for a long time.

My 2 year old loves this. I can read the book to him or he can sit and listen to the different stories and look at the pictures. He is a huge Bob the Builder fan so anything related is usually a hit in our house!

This was a gift to one of my little cousins who is seven or eight and learning to read on his own. This is a fun filled book that even had me interested! I liked the fact that it was a big book so the words were easier for him to follow.

Thanks!

We just gave this book to my son for his 4th birthday. He was so excited. The book plays four different stories, and alerts him as to when to turn the pages. He went straight to bed so he could listen to it, and we didn't hear a peep out of him. He actually asked us to leave his room so he could listen to his book. He really loves this book, and it's a great value.

My son really enjoys listening to this CD. The voices are the same ones you hear on the show and the signal for turning the page is fairly clear. There are 4 stories in this book....they may not be the most interesting stories to me, but he seems to enjoy them. It's a great activity for him to do quietly on his own without my help.

A great Christmas theme book for kids and for a party or gifts for kids 1-5 . It is a touch and feel book and most kids really like it.

This book is great. I bought it for my daycare kids for Christmas and they loved it. It's a lot of fun for toddlers to touch and teel the Christmas tree ornoment, Stanta beard, and more

Goes great with scratch and sniff Christmas

We have several of the touch and feel books in our home and our toddler has always enjoyed them. Kids love touching different things and the touch and feel books give them several different textures to work on. This is a great Christmas themed book where kids can touch Santa's soft, fluffy bear, push the soft, squishy nose of a reindeer, touch the shiny red christmas ornament, and so on...One can, I suppose question the educational value of these books but why must all books be educational? Bottom line is that all of these books are fun for kids to read and touch.

If you want to decorate brown paper packages tied up with string, here are the perfect stickers. You could also spruce up your scrapbook in January when all those picture get developed.

I had great fun with this set of stickers already when wrapping some presents for a friend.

270 stickers

~The Rebecca Review

My daughter received this book for her first Christmas and now three years later she still loves it. The pictures are bright and cheery. You can touch Santa's fluffy beard, press the reindeer's squishy nose, and feel the fuzzy fleece of the caroler's hat. When my daughter was a baby I used to hold her on my lap and help her stroke the different textures. Now that she is older she likes to take down several of the books in thuis series at a time and look through them herself. The text is simple and the pictures are delightful. Best of all this is a well made sturdy book that will last for years to come. I recommend it to everyone.

This collection of plays is good for a large group of diverse ages (including non-readers). However, they would probably not be of much interest to students over 10. The cast sizes are all large, which is something that I would have liked to know before ordering this item.

These scripts are good; my students find them humorous. What is really good about the book is that each part in a script is given a rating (that only the teacher sees) according to how much of a challenge that role might be for a student. This tool makes it easier to match students with the right roles.

There aren't many scripts in the book (five). The scripts have too many roles in my opinion. I prefer to use scripts with small groups of no more than six. However, despite these two weaknesses, I recommend this resource for teachers in the upper elementary grades who are using reader's theater.

I am a [...]teacher in a school where many of the students are ESL learners. I came across this book when I was looking for a way to help my students develop their reading fluency. Let me just say, my class has LOVED acting out these plays! I only wish I had discovered it earlier in the year so that I could have more time to work with this book. I would highly recommend it.

The scripts were fun to do for a drama class of 9- 12 year olds.Some were a little preachy about the point of the story, but the the kids laughed a lot.

I actually got this book for my kids so that we could read them together at night. It turned out that this book is actually written for use in a classroom. (I didn't realize that it was by Scholastic when I bought it.) Fortunately I am just 2 classes away from being a teacher, so I can get some use out of it. This book would probably not be too useful for families--unless you are the Von Trapps and all the cousins are visiting.