Educational Books

I just completed reading this book. I am on the Governance Council for a small montessori school, where my three boys have attended for 5 years and still going. I loved this book, but I must point out that this is from an AMI teacher and school not AMS. There are some differences that an AMS teacher or parent will immediately notice in the book. That being said, there isn't a better book that I've read regarding inclusive and peaceful negotations with children. Donna is a role model for all of us in how she interacts with the children, how she challenges the class to be involved in each child's challenges and truly loves and believes in each child. I have purchased a second book to have in our "parent resource" library for our school.

This book illustrates how a skillful practitioner and an artful teacher can make a difference in a child's life. It shows why our traditional methods of consequences and punishments, of making demands and rejecting children who don't live up to them create and maintain our hostile educational systems thus our society. Goertz demonstrates another way; a path toward healing and peace. She strengthed my resolve that respect, community and time are the way and that some children are on a unique journey.

It should be a must read for every teacher, especially teachers of young children.Children Who Are Not Yet Peaceful: Preventing Exclusion in the Early Elementary Classroom

Laurie Prusso M.Ed.
Professor of Child Development
Modesto Junior College
Modesto, CA

This is a great portrayal of the Montessori educational philosophies. It profiles students considered challenging in traditional educational systems and shows how they were welcomed and thrived in the Montessori school.
It shows how traditional educational systems based on competition have failed many young students.
The author is a fantastic teacher and advocate for the success of all children.
Must read for all parents considering Motessori or Waldorf. Also for parents of children who have been labled at an early age.

This is a wonderful book. Donna Bryant Goertz makes a strong case that 'problem' children should not be tutored, medicated, put in remedial or disciplinary classes or otherwise excluded, but allowed to develop emotionally and intellectually at their own pace in a respectful, loving, supportive, and highly structured environment. Arranged as a series of case studies, the stories of these young students dramatically support Bryant Goertz's thesis, and the personalities and voices of the children shine through. In addition, parents (or others who work with children) can learn much from the discussions of how to approach behaviors that are disruptive to a Montessori community (or household, or playgroup).

My very first Montessori teaching experience was in Donna Goertz' classroom in Austin Montessori School (her name was different then as was mine). I remember situations in the classroom and on the playground, which, to be honest, terrified me as a newly trained Montessori teacher serving as Donna's assistant. She would often step into one of those "terrifying" frays, placing herself strategically in the middle of everything of importance, and handle the children with respectfulness, fearlessness, and creativity. I still remember those situations with awe, and as I work with the children in my current Montessori school, sometimes wish for the really excentric and challenging children who teach us all so much. My late husband, also a Montessorian, wrote an article entitled "Why Difficult Children Are My Favorites." He remembered the stories I brought home from school as I was learning from Donna Goertz. I recommend this book to any Montessori teacher who finds him or herself silently and guiltily cursing that child who disrupts and seems to defy the normalizing effects of the Montessori approach. It is a gift to all of us.

This is an awesome way to give kids history and also bible base. I have twins that are 8 and a child that is 12 and this book allows me to use it for all of them. I just love that I don't have to buy them separate curriculm for history. Cant wait till we get to the next volume. The kids are excited and eager.

I wanted a history curriculum that was chronological, christian-based and engaging for my 4 yr old and this is it. He has loved the hands on activities and actually requests his history lesson. Thank you Lisa!

Great for multiple grades. Hands on activity for each week. Makes learning fun and adaptable for all ages.

WONDERFUL BOOK VERY INTERESTING AND KNOWLEDGE PACKED. CAN BE USED FOR MULTIPLE GRADES/AGES AND COULD EVEN BE USED MULTIPLE YEARS AND ON DIFFERENT LEVELS.

While not a dreary textbook with it's details, this is an incredible overview of the intermixing of the Bible and history. We loved the extension activity ideas and the extended reading/video ideas in the back. I am learning right along with my kid. This is the best homeschool materials we have.

I enjoyed the book and it has an incredible amount of resources in it. It addressed a lot of homeschooling concerns for gifted kids. I don't feel it is a stand alone resource and maybe after a few years and some revisions it will seem more "complete".

I read several dozen books on homeschooling when I decided that my kids were going to be homeschooled. Creative Home Schooling by Lisa Rivero was by far the best book I came across. Initially I just checked the book out from the library as I did with the rest of books on homeschooling I read. I actually bought this book and am happy about it. Most of the home schooling books are designed for the average family that pulls its kids out of school, often for religious reasons. Ms. Rivera targets the audience of people who homeschool because their kids are just too smart for normal public school. She discusses different learning styles, the differences between gifted children and high achievers, child-directed learning, and asynchronous learners.

This is absolutely the best book I have read about homeschooling. It is intended for gifted children, but is so much more than that. It talks about all types of homeschooling methods, suggests materials, gives experiences from parents already homeschooling - it is just wonderful. I have given this book to friends considering homeschooling and they agree - this book is a MUST READ!

Book provides many helpful hints for homeschooling gifted children. It does focus more on families that are newly considering homeschooling so it was less of a help to me than expected. It still helped me with some insight into alternatives for gifted children and provided many lists of resources.

If you are new to homeschooling and your child is gifted, this book is a must-have. The different styles of homeschooling are reviewed and presented in an objective manner. The first section of the book deals with gifted children and why homeschooling is an ideal solution for many. The next section helps you to find your homeschool style, and the final portion is a resource guide. Informative quotes from kids and parents are liberally sprinkled through the text. Go ahead and borrow it from your public library, but you're going to want to buy it after you see it!

I'd highly recommend this book for people who already know something about Catholicism, but need a bit more depth in order to understand why Catholics believe what they do. I have used it as a resource for people who are Catholic but it has been a long time since they have had catechesis, or for non-Catholic Christians who want to understand more about Catholicism.

It may be a bit too detailed for someone just beginning the Inquiry or RCIA process unless they want a thorough resource book, but in this case I would definitely pair it with a simplified copy of the Catechism.

It makes a great gift book too!

This is required reading for the Catholic, literally as many catechism classes require it. It is also very useful for those wanting to learn more about their faith or the Catholic faith in general. It is full of useful information laid out in an informative and well written manner. It is easy to find information and questions. That being said it is also very dry, but its hard to make a book like this a page turner.

I use this text frequently for inquirers into the Catholic Faith. Every one says it is witten in a very interesting style. Many can't put it down once begun. Well written and faithful to Catholic Church teaching.

My seminarian friend recommended it to me. At times Opus Dei can be too black-and-white with no gray in between, but this book is still a wonderful way to connect all of Catholicism. I go to Mass regularly and have gone to a Catholic HS, but I still didn't feel like I knew my faith. This book was able to show me how we do know a lot about our faith, but we just have a problem making sense of what we know. Also, his analogies are brilliant. I use them constantly in explaining Catholicism to others.

I've owned this book now for about 3 years and have read it through all the way, once. I've gone back to sections for refresher information, many, many times. What I like the most about this book is, if you do not have the capacity (time, or stamina) to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) all the way through - this is an excellent way to get "more than the basics" of what is in the CCC in a very clear, concise manner.

From the very first page (just like all catechisms of the Catholic church) it starts with the three fundamental questions. Who made me? Who is God? Why did God make me? Just that first page will have you hooked and you will not want to put it down. I constantly recommend this book to anyone over the age of 13 because it is that clear in it's method of explaining the faith. I do not believe this book is for anyone looking for a "dumbed down" version of the faith, and by that I do not mean there is anything wrong with the book written by Fr. Tregilio called "Catholicism for Dummies." Quiet the contrary, these two books are just for different types of readers.

Another interesting observation on this book is the different kind of people that love it. I have met such different personalities and ages of people (13 to 79) who love this book that I think that fact is also a recommendation of the book.

Read it, it's good for answering all your questions AND will untangle any misconceptions you have developed along the way, or just remind you of what you may have forgotten.

I highly and unreservedly recommend this book.

We absolutely LOVE this book. I pulled my son out of Kindergarten to homeschool him because he was miserable with all of the worksheets and it made him hate writing! This book saved us. These games are fun and it doesn't really even feel like "work". Writing doesn't have to be boring. He has improved 100% and no longer complains about writing... It's even fun for me!

This book has lots of good ideas that can be implemented in writing workshops for any age.

This book gives great ideas on how to stimulate your child's interest in writing it's ideas are so practical and user friendly that anyone can start to apply it right away.

This is a great book. I just received it and have put it to good use with my students. I look forward to using it with my own children too!

This is a wonderful book for the homeschooling environment. First, the author is a tutor for children struggling with public school methods, so she offers enjoyable, imaginative alternatives to the plug and chug kids get in school. Second, as a tutor, the author works with children primarily one-on-one. These games, therefore, lend themselves naturally to the experience of home schooling. Third, the author provides meaningful explanation of the kinds of writing and thinking skills each game addresses; in this sense, these games are more than games. Finally, many of these games can be tied in easily to whatever other content you may be covering at the moment. For example, I found a wonderful game in here that I plan on using when my son and I cover the artistic concept of "line". I also appreciate the chart in the back of the book that categorizes each game according to grade level.

On the whole, the author takes a "bottom up" approach to writing. Ditch the spelling tests and grammar grind for now, and teach kids to love writing by providing writing exercises that they'll love. She respects and celebrates the kidness of kids.

You can really get several years of use out of this book, even with no other writing book.

When I first read this book its warmth and compassion reduced me to tears; I was then 68 years of age.
Now, eight years later, the message has the same effect.
Such charactaristics in a book constitute the book a classic.
I feel blessed that Pilkey's glorious and deeply moving message graces my library shelf.

Being enchanted by gargolyes, the title caught my interest. But this is NOT an architechtural lesson. It's about prejudice, fear, support, and love, told in simple verse and illustrations. My grandson knows this is Grandma's favorite book and he hears it over and over. As the song from South Pacific goes, "you've got to be carefully taught." God Bless the Gargoyles is such a moving story, one for both children and adults. God bless the Gargoyles, God bless us all!

Today is the Friday following the tragic attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. For some reason, I went through my stacks of children's books this evening (I'm a teacher BTW), and I had to pull this one out. I've never been able to get through this story/poem without my voice cracking and tears in my eyes, but this evening - it was full scale balling! The words and images just seem to fit so well with the way we're all feeling.
"God bless the hearts and the souls who are grieving
for those who have left, and for those who are leaving.
God bless each perishing body and mind, God bless all creatures remaining behind.
God bless the dreamer whose dreams have awoken.
God bless the lovers whose hearts have been broken."
Buy this book and share it with those you love!!

I've been a fan of Dav Pilkey's stories and illustrations for a long time, but "God Bless The Gargoyles" is my absolute favorite. For adults as well as children! Don't let the title put you off: the message in this story is for EVERYONE, regardless of which Higher Power you choose to believe in. It never ceases to make me cry, and yet feel better at the same time. I can't recommend this book highly enough!

great book, beautiful illustrations. I bought several copies to give my daughter's teachers. It sums up how society treats people who are different and really brings home to kids and adults how we need to change our thinking and actions towards everyone. Dav Pilkey expresses these thoughts through beautiful illustrations and thought provoking words. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a gargoyle in their lives- God bless them.

Dear old Rosemary Wells. If you've ever read her books about that famous bunny Max or classic titles like, "Morris' Disappearing Bag" then you know that her stories, while disjointed, can often be truly charming works of preschool art. So when I discovered the McDuff books (written by her but illustrated by someone else entirely) I was ill at ease. I mean, Wells draws such cute little bunnies. How could anyone else adapt to her words? On reading the first book of the McDuff series, "McDuff Moves In", I was amazed to find myself suddenly on the oposte side of the fence. The pictures in this book are really quite charming. From the cute little Scottie named McDuff to the 1950s setting, visually this story's a charmer. But strange as it may seem, Wells's words are out-of-place here. Though a brief tale with little in the way of plot, somehow this book is not as direct or understandable as it might be. A pity.

On our first view of little white McDuff, he's sitting in the back of a city pound truck. After a providential bump in the road and a quick escape, the solitary doggy goes down a nice suburban street in search of food and shelter. Door number one at the first house growls at him. Door number two at the second house hisses at him. But door number three at the third house is just right. There, a friendly couple take him in, feed him, give him a bath, then decide they haven't room for a doggy. Fortunately an attempted car ride to the pound proves that maybe this couple has grown a bit attached to their shaggy new friend. Happy ending and shortbread biscuits for all.

The book bears a striking resemblance to Lyn Rossiter McFarland's subsequent similarly plotted picture book, "Widget". The difference, however, is that "Widget" is the stronger story. Though I was with "McDuff" through the beginning, about the time he stumbles on the kindly couple I found my eyebrows slowly beginning to lift. For example, when McDuff appears outside the third home, the book says the following: "Somebody opened the door and asked him to come in. It was Lucy. 'This is Fred', said Lucy". Looking at the picture of both Fred and Lucy staring at the pup on their porch, I naturally assumed that now the dog was named Fred. Not so much. The text and the pictures don't mesh particularly well either. When the book says that Fred checks McDuff's collar, the picture shows Fred sitting on a chair with McDuff hiding underneath. Plus the language is oddly stilted. It ends with the words, " 'How happy we are!', they said in their dreams", which is half an inch shy of hokey and a sneeze away from outright saccharine. I don't think I'm conveying the book's inability to tell its story convincingly to you. Nevertheless, I strongly urge you to flip through this story long before you decide to buy it. Long before.

Which is not to say that the pictures don't almost make up for its narrative flaws. Illustrator Susan Jeffers has a Caldecott Honor Award under her belt and it shows. From Lucy's painted toenails and felt hat spotted bathrobe to the image of the three new friends happily munching on McDuff's shortbread biscuits at the tale's end, this book seeks to enchant. Seeks and, were it not for the words, would succeed. I loved the fabulous 40s-50s decor. I liked the scared little McDuff turning into a confident happy pup in a loving home. I liked how realistic these images were and how original the setting became. Obviously if Rosemary Wells had illustrated this tale herself she would've done it in an entirely different way. It's just her own bloody good luck that she found herself paired with such a supremely talented artist.

So it's entirely up to you. "McDuff Moves In" has much in its favor and much against it as well. Personally, I suggest that if you are looking for a tale of a cute little white Scottie finding a home then you should seek out "Widget" by Lyn Rossiter McFarland forthwith. If, however, you're a fan of the period picture book genre and you like Susan Jeffers's work, "McDuff" may be a great choice for you and yours. It is not Rosemary Wells's best writing and the story is pretty touch n' go. Still, there are things to recommend it. Definitely give it a trial run.

When I was a working librarian, I read this books (and the others)to my storytimes. When I retired I started to volunteer in an inner city school. I was not certain how the children would react to the book. I am now in my sixth year reading to Preschool, Kindergarten and First Grade. They hear the first four books each year and they always ask me to repeat the books. The line about "no one had ever asked him to come in" always gets a great response. I think everyone should read these McDuff books. So many classes can't be wrong!

I am a 2nd grader at Anna Merritt Elementary School. My name is Ashleigh. I have been reading books by Rosemary Wells. My favorite book is McDUFF MOVES IN because it makes me feel happy when McDuff finds a home.

I own this book, as well as others in the series. They are just great! My mom owns a Westie, perfectly named Duffy(he got the name before we new about the books), and the illustrator captures the essence of the Westie. Every picture is perfectly drawn to show the character of a Westie. I love the author as well. I have been a teacher and have always read Ms. Wells' books to my students and the McDuff series is loved by all. McDuff moves in is just a fun book to read and I recommend it to all ages.

I am a 2nd grader. My name is Ashleigh. I have been reading books by Rosemary Wells. My favorite book is McDUFF MOVES IN. I like this book because it makes me feel happy when McDuff finds a home.

...and I look forward to reading it myself. My son liked the characters and the story line, was intrigued by the name "Nitro," which led to a dynamite conversation, and told me he thought I'd like the book a lot too.

Though the protagonist of this well-written novel is a "normal" sixth grader, I wonder whether the erudite family and school setting he is privileged to have would be something a "typical" American middle-schooler could really relate to. That said, this could be an excellent book for a teacher to read and discuss with a middle school class; parents who regularly read books together with their older kids could also use it as a great discussion starter for all kinds of topics and issues that develop throughout the book.

Any text that includes discussion of John Donne's poetry, background on Good King Wenceslas, Pele and Mia Hamm, and excerpts from T.S. Elliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats in a way that younger readers can understand and even enjoy is definitely to be recommended.

I had the curious experience of meeting Devin Brown before I knew much about "Not Exactly Normal". He was one of the authors at a festival showcasing largely YA books. While I knew practically nothing about the others, I knew that Mr. Brown had previously written a book on Narnia so, when I arrived, I went to the B & N tent and purchased "Not Exactly Normal" (plus two other books). I loved the title at once. It reminded me of a friend-therapist who says that no one is "normal" as we think of the word. We're - everyone - just a little bit a-kilter from that abstract center-point of humanity. (That's a very reassuring observation if you consider yourself to be "unconventional".)

According to the blurb on the back cover, the protagonist (Todd Farrel) sounded like an interesting kid. For a start, his best friend is named Nitro & his dog Cathode. He likes swimming and soccer amongst other things but he's also interested in having a mystical experience. The blurb even mentioned "seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary". Mystical experiences? Yowsa! The book sounded like a far cry from the usual one-note "school story" books.

Well, I managed to miss Mr. Brown's talk at the festival but I was curious about him so decided to wait out the autograph line in order to exchange a few words. When it was my turn, I mumbled something about my own experience with the mystical or "numinous" (as Lewis or Tolkien would have termed it). My words elicited a keen look of ... understanding or ... recognition. I realized that Devin Brown had written from personal experience. (Yowsa #2)

I've read the book with slightly different expectations than the other reviewers maybe, For one thing I was looking for any bit of authenticity in the protagonist's search for the mystical. Yes, I found lots of evidence pointing to experiences with the mystical by the author. At the same time, Todd Farrel and his friends, Nitro and Leda, came across as absolutely realistic. Some scenes were thought-provoking but many evoked nostalgia and some were outrageously funny.

I found Todd's family perhaps a touch too close to the extraordinary family in Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time series and Mr. Phillip's sixth grade class perhaps a trifle close to the class in The Dead Poets' Society. But please don't misunderstand what I'm saying here! I'm not talking about "literary clones" but about an author breathing life into an extraordinary class and family and making them as real as, well, as "normal" ones - whatever they are.

Every word of what I just wrote is backwards, the more I look at it. Really what the author has achieved is showing us the extraordinary in an ordinary classroom teacher and in ordinary family members. He does this throughout the book with various settings and experiences - subtly highlighting brief outdoor scenes, moments of perfect teamwork between soccer players, and encounters between Todd and Leda all of which embody something "other" - something beyond the norm. As Todd says in one case, it was a "shimmery" moment.

This is a "shimmery" book. Maybe I was just lucky, but I found a lot of goofy ordinary school scenes and a lot of shimmery moments long before "the pivotal emergency" near the end of the story.

I hope that you will do so as well. Just keep looking for the extraordinary.

Sherry Thompson

(Oh, take a close look at the moon on the cover. It's not exactly normal. ;)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! So much of modern literature fails to provide a satisfying ending. You invest time and energy into getting to know the characters, only to have an ending that does not ring true to their traits or story arc. Not so with NOT EXACTLY NORMAL!!!

Mr. Brown artfully finessed the ending to leave you feeling complete and satisfied--in a true storyteller fashion. I felt rewarded for the investment I made in Todd Farrel. Mr. Brown also does an excellent job of conveying weighty, moral topics in a simplistic, easy to digest manner. While undertaking this task it would have been easy to cross the line into pedantic and preachy (many fine authors have slipped across this line), NOT EXACTLY NORMAL never feels that way! Mr. Brown seems to respect the reader and their ability to glean the moral issues rather than hitting you over the head with them.

I also felt the characters were deftly drawn. The kids did age appropriate things, interacted with each other in a realistic fashion and spoke with voices that sounded like sixth graders (and not like an adult man trying to sound like a sixth grader).

I whole-heartedly recommend this book for adults, as well as young adults! In NOT EXACTLY NORMAL, Mr. Brown has refreshed the art of good storytelling.

My wife and I very much enjoyed reading Not Exactly Normal. Travel along with Todd Farrell, who is an ordinary 6th grade student going to a private school in a small town. Ordinary events, however, become extraordiary as Todd searches for a mystical experience as a part of his big Social Studies project. The characters are very vibrant and easy to identify with. There are many teaching moments in this book and it would be great for literature and/or religion classes in middle school and high school.

Sicerely,
Richard Galentino

Tobin is a train and kids love trains. This little train teaches young children and those with social problems how to make friends. I recommend this book for classes of special education children or those with Asperger syndrome. It's really appropriate for any young child who is beginning to realize the world is a social place and skills are needed to become a member of a group where each person has a role and follows rules.

I am a pre-school teacher. I took this book out at the library because we were studying trains. I had no idea how much it was going to help some of my students. This book helps all kids.

My son with Autism and my son who is on target love this book, it is a great book to help get my sons to discuss proper behavior to make a friend

I am a teacher of children with Autism and use this book in order to help my students' classmates to understand that everyone makes mistakes when they are learing how to make friends. We discuss the mistakes Tobin makes and how the other engines forgive his mistakes because they know he is trying very hard to be a friend. I also read the book to my students section by section as we learn the rules for making friends. This book is wonderful for many populations and can be used in so many ways. Other books by this author are just as wonderful.

I bought this book originally at a Future Horizons and love it so much that I'm donating this one to my sons school. It's a great book for those children that have an awkward time making friends. I highly recommend this book.

My daughter received this book (along with I Can Draw Animals also excellent!) for Christmas (which was 2 days before her 5th birthday) and she LOVES it! Very easy directions she can follow all by herself and something she uses over and over again! Great book for little artists!

My 6 yr old gets this book out and starts drawing lots of things from it.. Good book to have.

This is a great book. I went to not being able to figure out what my 6 y.o.son was drawing in school. With this book it has helped him draw things all by himself. We absolutly love this book! My 4y.o enjoys this book also.

Although, we seem to use I Can Draw Animals and I Can Draw People more, this book is also great. My 4 year old daughter and my 4 year old nephew received these for Christmas. They both use these books for hours and we also do it as a family. These (I Can Draw Animals, I Can Draw People, What Shall I Draw Today) are the only ones we have so far, but they are super. Not only are these books teaching my little girl how to draw, but reinforcing time alone drawing, group activity, sharing and "Please pass the yellow", etc... Every child should have these books.

This is a great book to start to learn with. Colors are nice and small children like it.