School Time Books

Four students at a prestigious school decide to study for the SAT together rather than take a prep class. They all breathe a sigh of relief when the SAT is finally over, but then the school finds out that someone cheated... The book switches between POV, which is a little distracting at first, but I quickly got accustomed to it. The dynamics between the four seem very realistic. They are all likable characters, even with their flaws. Leo, Daisy, Max, and Jane all represent different stereotypes, but they're still fleshed out and realistic. A very easy read, enjoyable, not terribly challenging.

Ooh, this is a good one. In Crunch Time, four different voices give us four different experiences of the same events during junior year in an SAT-obsessed high school. Sometimes it's tough to follow so many viewpoints through a story, but here the distinct voices and the clearly marked transitions make it easy. Max, Daisy, Leo and Jane seem just like kids we've known, or thought we knew. Once we accept the somewhat unlikely premise that such different kids would ever really come together to form an SAT-prep group, we can enjoy the fascinating dynamics that ensue--the academic advances, the romantic entanglements, the struggles to determine what is really important, the pain of isolation, the deep fissures created by the cheating scandal, the disillusionment that comes from learning the truth. Through all of this, Crunch Time rings true. It should provoke productive discussions among young people about their goals and their values while it opens their eyes to the possibly different perspective of the kid in the next seat. Wouldn't it be great if the kids Alexandra Robbins describes in The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids actually had time to read it, just for fun?

Reviewed by Janet Gingold
author of Finch Goes Wild

I liked this book way better than The True Meaning of Cleavage. This one actually had a point, and suspense leading up to an unsuspecting ending (of course, I read ahead and didn't do the guessing game. If I were you I would not do that. It spoils the fun of the whole book)
Anyways, I like how four completely different people can be friends all because of the stress of the SAT's. I really liked the truth and honesty of this book. I also liked how you have four points of veiw over the same thing, and it makes the book more interesting.
Way to go, Mariah! Way better than The True Meaning of Cleavage.

Hi, my name is Jason Liao, and an American Born Chinese (ABC), those of you familiar with the Oriental community in the United States are aware of the extreme level of importance Oriental parents place on the SAT's. I liked this book because it showed different perspectives on how the SAT's affected different people. Without spoiling the results of the book, I can understand the action of the certain individual whom cheated on the SAT's. I gave this book a three star rating however, due to the fact that I feel that the action would have been a lot more "justified" (for a lack of a better word) if a different individual in the book had committed the act. I also rated this book down due to me feeling that a lot of the situations weren't extreme enough for a lot of the drama and actions committed in the book, i.e., I felt that a lot of the situations were downplayed. However, all in all I appreciate how the author Mariah Fredericks wrote a novel in which the SATs in relation with the pressure it places on certain individuals was the main focus. It was definantely worth the read.

On the surface, Mariah Fredericks' CRUNCH TIME might be about 4 kids who band together their own SAT prep group because they don't want to do the whole formal class thing. What's funny is how a story like that can delve so deeply into matters of identity, where the worst thing you thought about people turns out to be true and that's all anyone sees. I guess it comes down to who you are at the end of the day.

Are you the sweet guy who never gets the girl? Or the hot guy who never gets to keep her? Are you the girl with nothing who wishes for the world? Or the one with everything who knows the loneliness it has to offer? Or are you the cheater?

Whoever you think you are on the inside, you have to be somebody on the outside. And if you aren't sure who you want that to be, you've got to pretend. Be somebody. "Or else people will make it up" for you.

The 4 points of view in this novel, all told in first person, are woven together so seamlessly that in the same conversation you end up in heads of all four characters. Their psyches are different and their passions diverse enough that their characters prove themselves both unique and separate. Yet they're all eerily on the same path to somewhere, wherever it is that teenage path leads us all.

It's funny how one test, how one stupid number (2110 - 1250 - 1880 - 2400), labels you for life. But it does. It might be the SAT's, a big game, the decision to bare your soul to that special someone, or a nasty rumor. Whatever it is, it gets to decide your future. And, like Leo says in the book, you don't get any backsies. It's not a test you get to take again. You only get one shot. And that's it.

Then comes the rest of your life.

Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

Having worked at several Silicon Valley start-ups and with several visionaries, I can honestly say that innovation, especially the product and new market definition types, are somewhat easily arrived. However, once envisioned, most start-ups/visionaries fail miserably to execute. Visions without execution are just hallucination!

This book not only presents the what's and why's of innovation but also the how's. It details some solid guidelines for being fast and productive in an uncertain environment where disruptive innovations reign.

I would recommend reading this book along with the following books:
- Innovator's Dilemma, Clayton Christensen
- Innovator's Solution, Clayton Christensen
- Crossing the Chasm, Geoffrey Moore
- Inside the Tornado, Geoffrey Moore
- Harvard Business Review's Darwin and the Demon, Geoffrey Moore
- Execution: the Discipline of Getting Things Done, Larry Bossidy et al

At last! An authoritative source of step-by-step information that allows an organization to create what the title promises -- fast innovation. The instructions are crystal-clear and demonstrated with examples of recent developments at leading businesses. The writing is colorful and lively. Altogether, an essential resource for anyone responsible for organizational growth.

Growth through innovation is key to Eli Lilly and Company. To serve our commitment to meeting medical needs and achieve our growth goals requires more innovation, faster innovation and, at the same time, less resource consumption and risk. This book identifies some of the significant changes in strategy and tactics needed for an innovation process to achieve these goals. Every executive concerned with the changing business of innovation would do well to become familiar with the principles contained in this book." -ALPHEUS BINGHAM, Vice President, Strategy, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company

The last time I checked, Amazon and its online partner Borders offer more than 12,000 different books on the subject of innovation. Presumably this number will continue to increase as organizations become more actively involved with strategic planning in a global marketplace which relies so heavily on both technology and innovation.

What we have in this volume is a remarkably thoughtful, indeed rigorous and insightful discussion of how to achieve superior differentiation, speed to market, and consequent increased profitability. Those who have read any of George's previously published books (Lean Six Sigma, Conquering Complexity in Your Business, and Lean Six Sigma for Service) already know that he is an expert on both process simplification and process innovation. The former achieves incremental progress while the latter (with higher risk and higher reward) enables what George and other business thinkers refer to as "breakthroughs." Highly disruptive technologies, for example. The most effective organizations (e.g. GE, 3M, and Allied Signal) are committed to sustaining both process simplification and innovation.

The subject of speed has always intrigued me. The challenge, obviously, is to determine when to increase, decrease, or sustain it. Now more than ever before, organizations must be able to respond quickly to crises, opportunities, etc. However, as James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, and the Light Brigade demonstrated at Balaclava in 1854, when decisions are based on insufficient information and/or poor judgment, the results can be disastrous. Moreover, doing nothing or doing it too late can be just as dangerous as acting impulsively rather than rationally.

George, Works, and Watson-Hemphill carefully organizes their material within 15 chapters as they respond to a number of critically important questions which include:

1. What are the most significant benefits of fast innovation?
2. What is the process by which to design a fast innovation program?
3. What are the most effective strategies when implementing that program?
4. Which tools are most helpful during implementation?
5. What is an "innovation factory"?
6. How to establish an "idea-rich" workplace environment?
7. Within which process should fast innovation projects be deployed?
8. How best to measure project progress accurately?
9. What is the "FastGate Method" and how does it work?
10. How to create "innovation incubators"?

I especially appreciate the authors' probing analysis of several case studies (e.g. Eli Lilly, Home Depot, Intel, ITT Industries, and Procter & Gamble) to demonstrate their key concepts as well as to suggest how each reader can (with appropriate modification) apply those core concepts within her or his own organization. To me, some of the most valuable material is found in Chapter 4 when George, Works, and Watson-Hemphill examine "The Value of Thinking in Three Dimensions": product-service innovation, market definition innovation, and process/business model innovation. I agree with them that products and services such as Microsoft Windows and Voice-over-Internet-Protocol telephony are the cornerstones of most innovation programs, there are perhaps even greater opportunities in the other two dimensions, market definition innovation (which reflects the leverage possible from existing customer relationships) and process/business model innovation (which can create a competitive advantage that lasts longer than that from sustaining product or service innovations).

The key point is, that the most important breakthroughs in innovation are achieved by those initiatives which are multidimensional. George, Works, and Watson-Hemphill also note that "there are many companies that have maintained above-average growth without innovating a single new product or service but rather by exploiting the market definition, or process/business model dimensions of innovation."

As indicated previously, "fast" innovation does not mean hurried innovation. More often than not, as an ancient aphorism suggests, it is often prudent to "make haste slowly." Also, as the authors would be the first to point out, decision-makers in a given organization must decide to what extent (if any) activity in one or more of the three dimensions makes sense. Moreover, although George and his co-authors offer an abundance of information, observations, insights, and recommendations, it remains for each reader to determine which (if any) are appropriate to her or his organization's needs, interests, current and imminent circumstances, available resources, etc. This is not an "easy read." On the contrary, it requires but will generously reward a careful consideration of its contents. Credit George, Works, and Watson-Hemphill with a logical organization of their material, and, an eloquent presentation of it.

If you share my high regard for this book, I urge you to check out George's previously published Conquering Complexity in Your Business: How Wal-Mart, Toyota, and Other Top Companies Are Breaking Through the Ceiling on Profits and Growth and Lean Six Sigma for Service: How to use Lean Speed & Six Sigma Quality to Improve Services and Transactions.

Also, Clayton Christensen and co-authors' Seeing What's Next, Geoffrey Moore's Dealing with Darwin, Tom Kelley's The Ten Faces of Innovation, Yoram (Jerry) Wind and co-authors' The Power of Impossible Thinking, and Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble's 10 Rules for Strategic Innovators. One other suggestion: one of the most influential books ever written on the subject of technological innovation, Eric Drexler's Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology. It was first published in 1987 and, in certain respects, is even more relevant and more valuable now than ever before.

After finishing this book I thought my time was wasted. Actually I should have guessed from the jacket cover that this would be six sigma forced into the popular (an also lucrative) topic of innovation. The book did indeed trurn out to be just that. Hence, lack of coherence. The only useful part for me was the one on Re-Use, which I thought, was brilliant. This was a very good handling of an often neglected but very important issue. But apart from that the whole book could be squeezed into a little article and all the arguments made here could succinctly be made in only a few pages. If you are after a good book on implementation of innovation, I recommend "Making Innovation Work" by Tony Davila et.al. Fast Innovation will not provide answers to most of your questions.

This book is essentially a work that speaks of liberation and freedom in the Christian Life. It is, without a doubt, one of the best works written on the Christian Life and the provisions given to live it out confidently, with rest and peace, solely in faith and hope in the Spirit who has been given so abundantly to every believer at the moment of conversion.

As a Biblicist, Chafer goes to great lengths to exegete the three essential passages that focus in on how to we should live the Christian Life above reproach. These are Eph. 4:30, 2 Thess. 5:19, and Gal. 5:16. Chafer views the Spirit as being given fully and completely at the moment of faith. All that is needed for life and godliness has already been supplied to every believer. The believer does not need to seek other blessings and works of special graces to live a victorious Christian Life. The key to living the life victoriously is to be daily yielded to the Spirit, and through this, the believer is 'Filled' (controlled) by the Spirit and allows the Spirit (already fully given) to manifest His fruit and the immanence of Christ to others. The 'Filling of the Spirit' is not quantitative by any means; Chafer explains that it is a matter of control, which Eph. 5:18 strongly suggests when it contrasts being 'Filled with the Spirit' by not being drunk, for this is dissipation.

Though Chafer says a few things that resemble Keswickian teaching from time to time, such as needing an event of 'complete surrender' to begin the process of a true willingness for progressive sanctification (pp. 91-94, etc.), Chafer does not allow these views to override his essential emphases. His view of the Mosaic Law being fulfilled in Christ is essentially important for his understanding of the 'Economy of Grace' which the Christian now lives under (Rom. 6:14). Chafer ultimately sees the economy of grace as something that has completely superseded the shadows of the Mosaic economy just as the person of Christ has done with respect to the Law of Moses and everything tied to it (explained in the Book of Hebrews). Christ is the final Word of God and is almost a consummation of His progressive revelation. So, as the NT believer is a part of this development in the progressiveness of revelation, so he/she is now to live just as Christ has lived (1 Jn. 2:5-6). This is altogether 'superhuman' in character in comparison to the OT Law which is external in character and cannot regenerate the person but merely lead them to the final Word of God, the Living Word Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 3, Rom. 8, Heb. 1:1-3, etc.).

Thus, to live a superhuman life, known to Chafer as the Christian Life, one must have the appropriate means to achieve this kind of life in a daily manner. God has given this fully and completely to every Redeemed person by way of the Helper, the Holy Spirit. This is why 'Life in the Spirit' is not Law. However, commands are to be obeyed and lived out daily, but this can only be done by way of a continuous yieldedness to the Spirit, and through His filling/control, we are to grow in maturity and in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Chafer's work is liberating in a time saturated with so much biblical ignorance and legalism. He elucidates an utter dependence on God alone to do what we cannot (John 15). We continually let Him work and manifest His life as we are yielded to Him and by this we 'Walk by/in Him'. This is one of the best treatments on the Christian life ever done as it is thoroughly biblical and yet continuously focused on the practical so that we may live victoriously for Him.

Recently this book was chosen by a bible study I belong to and it was written in 1919? What is amazing is the way the author conveys what living in a more spiritual walk can do for those who are Christians in their belief. It takes some of its basis from the teaching of Paul, the apostle, but is also very relevant to today pressures with life.

For me, the book reads a little more like a bible study than an exposition. He does make little undetailed comments, making me wonder if he falls into the ranks of bible teachers who believe that some of the gifts are not for today. Occasionally, there appear to be paragraphs outlining 'distinct' doctrinal beliefs not fully recognized by every author of this subject. Also, inspired dreams/visions appears to be mostly absent from the writing. On the subject of 'yielding' any serious outline should contain solid biblical teachings on the co-laboring nature of the Holy Spirit vs. the 'automation' nature of the dark spirit, as is provided by authors such as Jessie Penn Lewis. Some bible teachers believe, for example that the writers of the New Testament were 'automated', that-is, wrote 'weegee board' fashion, which is fairly dangerous thinking. The Holy Spirit has no interest in manipulating puppets. However even with these missing elements, usage of scripture is extensive, and therefore highly valuable for reference. The back of the book contains a summary index of subjects and a index of scripture references.
Definitly a good book for the library.

This is a wonderful book that needs to be read more than once! It is a great aid in learning how to truly be spirit-led and spirit-filled! I highly recommend it to all Christians seeking to grow in the Lord.

Dr. Chafer was a well respected man of God. As a teacher, pastor, and theologian, Chafer brought to the Body of Christ a desire to teach God's truth by God's Spirit.

This book is not one of my favorite Chafer books. While I have no problem reading books that I disagree with, I did find that this book was quite boring and shallow in its teaching on the holiness of the believer.

Chafer outlines in this book his defense of "no-Lordship" salvation. That is that one can become a Christian but never move beyond mere mental belief in the facts of the gospel. He proposes that those who are spiritual (that is sold out to Jesus) mustn't judge those who appear to not be. God alone is the judge (Matthew 7:1) so let the Holy Spirit lead them to a deeper relationship with Himself (John 6:44).

For a balanced and biblical view of "Lordship" salvation please see John MacArthur's book "The Gospel According To Jesus" and "Faith Works."

This is the perfect series to stack up in your shelves,beside your old Sweet Valley Twins books,which is exactly what I'm doing!I like this series VERY much.Chloe is so funny,without meaning to be.It is hilarious when she drinks cold drinks and gets a brain freeze.The twins also discover that dog training books work on boys!!

This was a good book, at times boring. Just because they wear make up, and are popular, that doesn't mean it's a bad book! It's realistic, because a lot of girls care about how they look. It was also funny, and Chloe must have been embarrassed when she had that brain freeze! It was good. Mary-Kate and Ashley are so cool! But all some people can do is critizice them. They have worked long and hard to get where they r right now. They are incredibly talented.

This was a great book, I thought. It was definately a little superficial, but who wants to read serious books anyway? This book was a lot like their movies: totally great but not a whole lot of plot. Don't get me wrong, I love this type of thing. I'm just saying, if you're looking for something serious, this is not the book for you. If you're looking for something fun with no real point, you'll love this book. It was so funny, especially how Chloe was using her dog training book to snag the guy she wanted!

Mary Kate and Ashley once again deliver a new series that girls can relate to, and any age can enjoy (I'm 14). I know have all 8 of these So Little Time books and enjoy them very much. In this book we are introduced to Riley and Chloe Carlson, their parents Macy and Jack Carlson, their nanny Manuelo, and Larry, Riley's lovesick classmate (and I don't know why Riley doesn't like him because if you watch the So Little Time show you'll see that Larry is really hot).

i really enjoyed every book of mary-kate and ashley's that i have read, and i def. think young people get into reading from books like these. since younger children look up to these amazing people, they want to learn how to read their books. i def. recommend this book if you have a young child who likes mary-kate and ashley, and i def. recommend it if you are an olsen fan, like myself. i have this book, and i love it, and i know you will too!
~*Jessica from TwinTastic ...

My kids love this series. I use them with other resources to bring hisotry alive for them. This gives me the tool I need to help them get into the lives of kids there age.

This was a good book for History. While some of the information we already knew there was a fair amount of new stuff too. It is in question - answered format. The colonial time period was much longer than I thought, People had to make everything, they went to school but not so much to doctors, and a whole lot more. I would recommend it for 1-3rd grade.

I ordered this to reminisce. I remember vividly the pages and drawings that I loved in this book!! Drawings are very precious and expressive. The text of this original 1960s version is a bit dated (mentions Indians as a threat to the lives of settlers - true but not really PC to say it). There is an updated version of the book, which I haven't read. Love this one!

Of all the history on daily life, no book offers more practical insight into the daily lives of Colonists.

The Bible says, "Out of the mouths of babes..." Perhaps the same is true "For the eyes/ears of babes..."

Truly excellent. In all my searching through so many standard old history books, I could not find answers to the questions this book resolved.

Best of all, our kids love it!

Life in New England in colonial times was hard, a good growing year and people could eat well, a bad growing year and there was hunger. Harvest was an especially busy time, as everyone had to work all hours to get all of the food stored away.
This book is about how the children of that time lived. Since everything revolved around the family in their house, this is about family life from the perspective of children. What they wore what they ate, the work they did during the day, what they did for fun, what their schools were like, and how they behaved on Sunday. There were many laws, some of which were heavily enforced and others that were largely ignored.
The tithing-man would rap you if you misbehaved in church or tickle your face if you fell asleep during the service. Nearly everything that was used by the people was grown and made by them, so the explanations of how they made their goods was quite interesting. The list of standard jobs found in every village, such as the miller, blacksmith, barber, tailor and the cooper describes what professions were most valued at that time.
This is an excellent book about the life of a child in New England. While their lives are described as being difficult, they were not without joy, something that is also mentioned in detail.

Whatsisnames friend Aaron is a computer genius who has discovered a way to travel time with the use of the school computers.The 1st half of the book was interesting but the 2nd half not as great.It's Okay though,worth a look.

Would you like to go back in time? In the book Lost in Cyberspace by Richard Peck, you can. I like my book because it is really exiting and you never want to put it down. I also like it because it is science fiction and Peck describes every thing perfectly, it feels like you are in the book. In my book the main character Josh has a friend named Aaron and Aaron has an idea about time travel. He thinks he can just go to the past and come back to the present safely. But there is one problem, he accidentally brought someone from the past to the present and he can't take the person back and the person might be affecting the present.

Lost In Cyberspace

It started out when Heather and Aaron found out how to go forward in time.They found out that bad things would happen.But then they learned they shouldn't mess with the future.
The character Heather likes to disobey her family.Aaron always carries his laptop.They like a lot of the same stuff though.
My opinion is that it's ok.There's nothing really great about it. I would give it a eight out of ten score.

This was a great book, but it didn't have a real plot. It had a couple of sub-plots, but there was nothing big, like that they got stuck in the future or the past. It drifted without settling on anything. But it was still a good book.

I am a person that is very into computers and time travel, but there arn't very many out there. Thats why I thought this book would be an exelent book for someone who really likes computers and time travel. You should try it!

In the 19th century Peter Pan: The Original Story (Peter Pan) was a very important children's book just as Alice in Wonderland.
In these cases a world of fantasy and magic replaces that of science
and realism.
These stories delight the spirit of the young with their honesty and depth.
This sequel is up to the original in content
and keeps the reader's interest and sympathy. Here we have time travel,( Red) Indians,
toy soldiers, nurses , doctors and Texas Cowboys ( and a saloon girl)
interacting violently with the skin heads and school authorities.
And the "secret" like that of Peter Pan remains safe with those young at heart...

The Secret of the Indian is a great book to read. But if you have not read the first two books (The Indian in the Cuboard and The Return of the Indian) you should not read this book because you need to know how it all begins. This is a great book because it has good detail and a great author's message. The author's message is that humans are people and you should not treat them like a toy (even if they're 3 in. tall). Also, it has exciting parts in it like when you figure out that Mr. Johnson knows. and that is why it is a good book.

Did you ever read a book with little action figures brought to life by a magic cupboard? Well if you like books with a lot of action, excitement and danger, a book called The Secret of the Indian is a good book for you. The main idea of this book review is to recommend this book under my opinion. This review is mainly about the end of a book called The Return Of The Indian and the book after that one in the series. It is called The Secret of the Indian. In this story, two main characters, Omri and Patrick, are faced with gangsters who are trying to rob Omri's house. Omri and Patrick chase off the skinheads, but have another problem, how they are going to explain to Omri's burn. A few weeks later, Patrick is trying to tell himself that every thing that happened with the magic cupboard was not real. So after Omri convinces Patrick that ever happened with the magic cupboard was real, both boys steal one of Patrick's cousin's dolls to heal Omri's plastic Indian, Little Bear. After they bring the doll to life and find out the doll's name is Matron, Matron heals Little Bear. Later, Patrick goes back to the time of his toy cowboy, Boone. When he comes back he brings some one back, Ruby Lou. The rest you have to find out yourself by reading the book. In my opinion, the last book in the series, The Secret Of The Indian, is a great book.
I totally recommend this book to someone between the ages of 8 and11. It is an excellent book for someone my age. It has great details, described by the author, Lynne Reid Banks, whose books I now love. The series of books are the kind of books where you could lose in until you finish reading the book. I enjoyed reading these books and I hope you do to.

The book I read is called gThe Secret of the Indian.h It is the 3rd series of the Indian story. The first book is calledh The Indian in the Cupboardh and 2nd one is called gThe Return of the Indian,h and it is written by Lynne Reid Banks. I liked the 1st one and 2nd series also, but I liked the 3rd one best!!! It is full of adventure.

It is an unbelievable story, because it is about the main character named Omri, his friend Patrick, and the galiveh plastic figures. Of course, this is a fiction book. It is the story when Omri accidentally put his birthday present from Patrick, the plastic Indian into the magic cupboard and he turned the keyc the plastic figure turned into grealh Indian. Of coarse he is small, but he is alive, and he has the feeling, and he came form over 100 years ago. They turned more and more plastic figures alive, and it just was great day. Until, they knew that Patrick has to move. But he doesnft want to. So, they decided to send Patrick to the Boonefs (the Texas cowboy which was Patrickfs plastic figure, but turned into the real tiny person) time. They knew that they could send real people to the plastic figures time, which is more than 100 years ago, because they have tried before. If you send the real person to their time, the person is like a coma. When Patrick went to 100 years ago, every body started to search for him. And the people who knows about the magic cupboard is Omri, Patrick, and Patrickfs cousin, Emma. They think that they never should tell any adults, because if they tell any adults, it will be a problem, and I agree with them.

Do you think they can keep the important secret and cause no trouble? I donft think so. But Ifm not going to tell you any more.

The thing I thought through out the book is that is has great narrative hook, and if you start to read, you canft stop it. If you feel like boring, this is the book you should read. It will take you to the miracle world. I think this is the greatest strength of this book. I think this is the one of the wonderful author.

I didnft find any weakness, but I recommend one thing. If you havenft read the first and second series yet, you should read these first, because you will@find couple of things you wonft understand if you wonft read these books first.

I would recommend this book very much, to all the ages, and I especially recommend this to the 4th through 7th or 8th graders, because I know children likes this kind of magical world book than the most of adults.

Anyway, thank you very much for reading this, and again, you should read this book, or you will regret!!!

The Secret of the Indian
By: Lynne Reid Banks
Reviewed By: P. Shah
Period 1

Omri and Patrick are forced to reveal their secret to Patrick's cousin. At first, they couldn't trust her one bit, but as things got out of control, they realized they needed Emma. It all starts with Omri sending Patrick to the time of the cowboys. But when Omri brought back the indians and cowboys to life, they were all injured from a war. Omri only had one nurse so he didn't know what to do. There were about 30 injured and half dead indians in Omri's room. that's where Emma came into help. She knew of a plastic figure that was a surgeon that her sister had. By bringing him to life, the indians were helped and headed back to their own time. Meanwhile, Patrick was in the cowboy time and he wasn't having a good time. When he came back, he figured out that he had injured his best friend, a plastic figure of a cowboy. At first the nurse and surgeon thought he was dead but with Omri's strong fingers he stared breathing again. At school Omri read an essay that he wrote about his experience about his magical cupboard. No one thought it was true...except for the principal. The principal said to Omri," They were supposed to make an invention exactly like that and I have a reason to believe that you have that invention." At the end everyone thought the principal was crazy. So, the secret is being kept secret by Omri, Patrick and Emma.
I really like this book because there was so much activity going on in the story. And it's so secretive! It just makes you want to read more and more! There is nothing that i disliked about this book. Quotes: Clinging precariously to the bottom rim of the ceiling, Boone shouted a yell of help before he fell. I liked this quote because it showed action and awe. Another quote: " You need to send us back," Boone shouted. " We can't! We lost the key!" Omri replied. This quote is scary because omri can't find the key so the indians are stuck in the future.
My favorite part of the book is when Omri and Patrick try to keep Emma from learning their secret. But nothing works out and she finds out. I like this part because it is so suspicious of Emma and it's fun to see what they do.

This is an interesting and important document from a group who have had considerable influence on education policy. My largest disagreement is the emphasis on external testing rather than classroom assessment. Good art and music teachers both teach and assess creativty. There is no external test for this ability; whose importance is emphasized in the report.

The proposals of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce are an insidious seduction to the implementation of Marxism, both in theory and in practice. The report, entitled TOUGH CHOICE OR TOUGH TIMES throws only two possibilities our way: Either we resign ourselves to "continued decline in wages with very long working hours," or we completely revamp or entire educational system by adopting "internationally benchmarked standards for educating [our] students and [our] workers."

At one time, the purpose of education was to accumulate knowledge, and to gain an understanding of the world around us. Not anymore. Now the purpose of education in the United States is exactly the same as the purpose of education in Marxist regimes: to supply a government-orchestrated workforce that is designed by the State and for the State. Our children are no longer our children; they are now designated by the State as "global citizens." The goal of education is to ensure that each citizen lives his life in total submission to the State. Here are some excerpts from the report:

"Our first step is creating a set of Board Examinations... ...Students who score well enough will be guaranteed the right to go to their community college to begin a program leading to a two-year technical degree or a two-year program designed to enable the student to transfer later into a four-year state college... ...assuming they do well enough on their second set of Board exams, they can go off to a selective college or university..."

"Many of our teachers are superb. But we have for a long time gotten better teachers than we deserved because of the limited opportunities for women and minorities in our workforce. Those opportunities are far wider now, and we are left with the reality that we are now recruiting more and more of our teachers from the bottom third of the high school students going to college than is wise. To succeed, we must recruit many more from the top third."

Do you see the racism and gender bias here? Now we have to revamp the system. (This will also ensure that the elite of our new Marxist society will be socially engineered by those presently in power.) Read on:

"We would have teachers employed by the state, not the local districts, on a statewide salary schedule... ...The current policies regarding teacher education would be scrapped. The state would create a new Teacher Development Agency charged with recruiting, training, and certifying teachers. The state would launch national recruiting campaigns, allocate slots for training the needed number of teachers... ...then the task will be to create instructional materials fashioned in the same spirit and train our teachers to use the standards, assessments, syllabi, and materials as well as possible..."

The State will decide what jobs will be available and then train only a select number of people to fill those jobs. Freedom of choice is a thing of the past. The State is self-serving and has a conflict of interest when it comes to education. Here is a perfect example: Have you ever wondered why our literacy rates are so low in the U.S.? Here is the reason according to this report:

"The governance, organizational, and management scheme of American schools was created in the early years of the 20th century to match the industrial organization of the time. It was no doubt appropriate for an era when most work required relatively low literacy levels...and efficiency of a rather mechanical sort was the highest value of the system."

So the "dumbing down" of American students was part of a management scheme. Now we are supposed to trust these same managers with a new management scheme. Schools would no longer be owned by the local school district. Instead, the local districts would be responsible for connecting the schools to "a wide range of social services," like psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, etc. Our kids are all sick, you know. And guess what is in store for disadvantaged kids:

"The additional funds for serving schools with high concentrations of disadvantaged students will make it possible for those schools to stay open from early in the morning until late at night, offering a wide range of supportive services to the students and their families. They will have the funds needed to screen and diagnose their students.... ...and the state Teacher Development Agencies will be charged with making a special effort to recruit first-rate teachers for our minority children who look like them and can connect with these children."

The report previously implied that minority teachers were inferior. Now we will assign these "first-rate" teachers to minority kids. And what about the option of private education? It looks like that will be abolished at the first opportunity:

"A system that pursues the wrong goals more efficiently is not a system this country needs. ...No organization could operate a school that was not affiliated with a helping organization of the state, unless the school was itself such an organization."

This report also proposes that the State invest in high-quality education for three and four year olds. Let's get these kids away from from the influence of their parents at the earliest possible time.

Whenever we hear the words "educational reform," this is what the educators are talking about. It is reform that envisions a peaceful overthrow of our present way of life by educational means, in favor of a Marxist regime run by the ruling elite--the high priests of education. Education today is all about training the workforce that will serve the elite of tomorrow.

One of the best, if not the best book I have seen on the state of education in the USA. It should be a wake-up call to educators and parents, grandparents, and anyone who is interested in the continued growth of our country. Clear, concise, and well written by well respected people in the field of education and commerce. If you want to know the real reason the job market is in such a state, and where our schools are headed, read this. I do research on these issues and this is the best so far.

Citing Winston Churchill, who said America always did the right thing after it had exhausted all the alternatives, the New Commission on Skills of the American Workforce calls for a complete overhaul of American education.

Unlike the Commission Report in 1990, which recommended that we improve our high technology skills and accept as inevitable the movement of low-skill jobs to global competitors, the current Commission draws our attention to the fact that we are losing high-skill jobs to global competitors as well. Such losses are projected to grow geometrically if we fail to act with an integrated whole system response.

The Commission recommends a major overhaul of American education to include how we define needs, develop curriculum, attract and retain world class teachers, focus scarce resources, assess stakeholders, and finance public education. All familiar words, I know, but the devil or angel, if you will, is in the details. Let's look at some of the most important.

Noting the poor scores made by U.S. students on international tests and the prospect that we will lose our leadership position in fields that require exemplary abilities in mathematical reasoning; scientific concepts; writing; creativity and innovation; self-discipline and organization; and teamwork, the Commission calls for regional economic development authorities. These authorities would be responsible for coordinating with existing institutions to develop goals and strategies that would serve as guides for local decisions and channel resources where initiatives contributed to the achievement of such goals and strategies.

The Commission calls for significant changes in school governance. School boards and districts would find their role focused on policy making, facilitation of educational networks, operation of support service centers, reporting, and writing performance contracts with those who operate the schools. Schools would be operated by independent contractors and would have complete discretion to determine spending, staffing, calendar, organization and management ---- all subject to the same safety, curriculum, and testing standards as other schools. States would recruit and train teachers; build standard curriculum and assessment agencies; investigate, review and approve networks; contract for special services; and develop statewide schools to serve gifted children.

Teachers would be employed and licensed by the state. Their compensation would shift from current practices, which are back-loaded to emphasize pensions and defined health care benefits, to one which is front-loaded to emphasize cash compensation. Under a front-loaded approach, pay for beginning teachers would be $45,000. Competent academic-year teachers could receive $95,000 and competent calendar-year teachers as high as $110,000. In addition, incentive pay would be paid to teachers willing to teach in remote areas, tough urban areas, and in fields with labor shortages like math, science, language, and special education. The objective of all these changes is to recruit, develop, and retain individuals who had graduated from the top third of their high school graduation classes.

To discover where much of the money is coming from to pay for these changes, you have to examine their recommendation in the area of assessment. Essentially, the Commission wants to shift American education from a system that is time-based to one that is based on merit, using Board Examinations to control progression. They would allow high school students to sit for the initial board examinations at the end of their sophomore year. If they score well enough, they will be allowed to begin a two-year technical training program or to enter a four-year degree program. Those who scored less well would remain to prepare for the second board examination which, when passed, would allow them to attend a state college or university. Neither progression would permit remediation at the next highest level. In short, no one would be allowed to progress unless they are ready and no one would be held back based on a scheme that honors time more than it does competence. The Commission expects this progression scheme to save $67 billion.

In addition to teacher compensation, the Commission would spend part of the savings on high-quality, universal early childhood education for three and four year olds. Supplemental funding would be made available to help schools with high concentrations of disadvantaged students, e.g. screening and diagnosis, tutoring; community involvement, etc. School financing would be a state, rather than a local matter. And the state would use a uniform funding formula that emphasizes equity over equality. New Federal money would be sought to fund interest-bearing Personal Competitiveness Accounts. These accounts would be funded by the Federal government with a $500 deposit at birth and annual contributions made to age 16. The fund would accept tax-free contributions from employers, states, and individuals. From these funds, individuals could draw to improve their education and skills as adults.

Reactions from the educational establishment have been mixed. Predictably, all favor high-quality universal education for three and four year olds and for injections of more money into the educational system. No one, however, wants to support recommendations that would require substantial changes for their membership. The National Education Association (NEA) doesn't want to support the shift in compensation because their current membership favors back-loaded systems. Neither the NEA nor the National School Boards Association wants to give up local funding and operation of schools. Finally, the National Association for College Admission Counseling cautions against using Board Examinations if they are built on the foundation of European models.

All stakeholders need to realize that the situation has deteriorated to such a point that anything less than a major transformation of American education risks being characterized as rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. As the Commission emphasizes, this is not a set of recommendations to be cherry-picked. Instead, they require a thoughtful, soul searching reflection and authentic dialogue to meet the challenges that are quickly coming into view.

This book by the Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce is well written in clear terms with summaries and simple graphics. It is a must read for anyone interested in the future of the US economy. The Commission points out the risks of our poor pre-university education to the US economy. India and China are now competing with the US in the high skilled labor market (not just low skilled) and at lower wages. With the Internet, many jobs can be done anywhere, and companies will hire the best at the lowest cost (Indian engineers make $7500 annually with the same qualifications as US engineers who make $45,000).

The Commission describes how US universities continue to be the best in the world, but grade schools and high schools have fallen behind. In the 20th century the US pioneered universal education, and received an influx of talent, from scientists fleeing Germany before World War II to a more recent influx of Asian students, who stayed and worked here. But now, other countries have passed us in pre-university education and many foreign students are going back to their own countries after graduating.

"A Nation at Risk" came out in 1983, saying "If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre education performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war." The Tough Choices Commission points out that since then we've had a more than doubling of spending on education (inflation adjusted) with only modest improvement. The Commission concludes that the main improvement, standards testing, turns out to be misguided because it is multiple choice, not essay, and thus doesn't teach the creative, out of the box thinking needed for the US to maintain its lead. Multiple choice tests are by definition "in the box" tests.

"A Nation at Risk" proposals in 1983 for merit pay for teachers were resisted, and teachers continue to come from the bottom 1/3 of University graduates. The Commission proposes merit pay for new teachers, with an opt-in choice for existing teachers, combined with higher salaries made possible by eliminating pensions and using 401Ks instead, like other professions. Other proposals include universal pre-school, school choice with funding following students, less bureaucracy and more independence for individual schools, adult education coordinated with the business community, and inter-city schools and supporting social services being coordinated under one person, such as the mayor. Finally, partial funding can be found by reducing the number of students in the last 2 years of high school by allowing board testing at the 10th grade, with those passing going to community college then a university, directly to trade school, or directly to work.

I have separately read that having funding follow the student to encourage competition among schools has been implemented successfully at the city level in San Francisco. The Commission shows that if pensions and vacation time are included, current teacher salaries are actually somewhat competitive. But talented young people prefer money now, and don't know that they would stay in teaching long enough to earn a pension. Thus, pension money could be moved to up front salary and portable 401Ks, with existing teachers having the option of opting in or staying with their pensions.

The proposal to coordinate social services with schooling to help the disadvantaged, such as by putting all under a mayor has been done in New York recently, with great success. By providing programs for kids until 5 PM, and help to their families, the disadvantages of a poor home situation can be addressed. The US economy is healthy because of the waves of immigration it has had over the past 15 years, and we can't afford not to train those immigrants so our business have a talented labor pool to draw on.

The board exams proposed at the end of the 10th grade will provide badly needed motivation to students, since they can get out of school earlier if they work harder, rather than marking time.

To cut bureaucracy, the commission proposed principals be given free reign on how to spend the money they get (which is based on the number of students). Also, school boards would not run schools, but would contract with others (such as private companies, groups of teachers, etc.). The school boards would then become performance contract managers.

Finally, the report proposes training of people in the workforce, since these people will be the largest part of our workforce for some time, and will need more advanced and creative skills.

Mama Bear has decided she wants to open her own quilt shop because she loves to make quilts. Plus, she is very creative and tailors each quilt to fit the person. (Brother has an airplane quilt.) This book teaches little ones that you can achieve what you love to do. Just like Mama Bear.

Unlike one of the previous readers, I am thrilled to know that Mama Bear has been able to start her own business as a quiltmaker as well as rear her children and maintain her home with Papa Bear. Because Mama is using her skills and talents as a quiltmaker, she is able to work for herself, create her own hours and still be there for the cubs; which UNTIL they are grown and on their own, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT job she could have. If she had become a "brain surgeon", she would definitely have to put her family on the backburner for patients and others. Mama is a true hero, an example of a woman who knows how to prioritize her life, and still be independent. Family first, career later. Way to go, Mama!!!!

This book is a true classic. Everything about it raises the standard for all other works of literature.

The Berenstain Bears and Mama's New Job is but another great book from the Berenstain Bears series. In the beginning, the cubs are a tad apprehensive about the idea of their mama leaving them to start a career as a quilt-maker. But, with a little time and thinking, the two realize they are not losing their mama when she ventures into the career world after all. This book is great and has a wonderful message, as do all the books in the series. The illustrations are wonderfully done as well. I would recommend this book to anybody with children.

Like most of the Berenstain Bear books, the main subject is a matter that worries children or parents. In this case, the stay-at-home mama gets a job, classically over the objections of Papa. The children, excuse me, cubs, express their concerns about this major change and mama tells them how she hopes to cope. Cope they do, and Mama is very happy with her decision to open a quilting shop.

The amusing part is that Mama gets a lot of quilting done as she prepares to open her shop! How does she do it? Most of us find it tough to parent two children and sew, let alone finish a half dozen quilts at the same time as we clean up a shop and organise a business.

The small flaws of this book, as with the rest of the Berenstain Bears books, don't discourage my daughters, and don't detract from the main thrust of the discussion. That is the point of this series, after all.

This provides a nice model for how to deal with the problem of siblings blaming eachother for everthing.

My son loves these books and I love the lessons they teach. We have over 15 of these books. I appreciate how Mom and Dad work together to teach the kids lessons, however this one did not deliver like others. This one ended on a note that seemed abrupt. I even wondered what sort of lesson or outcome they desired. Usually my son wants to read the books again right away, but this one has only been read once, so I think he even struggled with understanding it completely. I still gave it four stars anyway, because we do enjoy the books at my house.

We love the Berenstain Bears in our household. We have 2 girls who are 2 years apart and starting the "blame game" and we found this book helpful. We'll read it with the girls and then discuss it. There are times when we just read it to keep the story fresh in their minds. I found it to be helpful to me also, it's a good reminder that yelling and shouting don't solve the problem at hand and to focus on a solution together is a more productive solution.

This one should definitely be in every library! It's wonderful about teaching kids (and adults) that when things happen, there's always enough blame to go around to isolating one individual is usually not the best so, just chip in and help clean up the mess or fix the problem. Fantastic message - definitely helps with the "she did it" or "he did its" and promotes teamwork in helping to solve whatever problem occurred. Highly recommend!

We own at lease 10 of these children's books! Each story teaches a different life lesson. "The Blame Game." teaches not to waste time blaming others for what is most likely, simply an accident. When sister bear breaks the window, she blames brother bear for pitching the ball so close to the house.

Finally, papa bear steps in to stop the bickering. Mother bear and papa bear work together to get the kids to act more responsibly and stop "the blame game." Great stories for kids!