Educational Books

It is filled with lots of good stories. We use it for my nine year old son and he likes it and we like the stories very much!

This book is very helpful for getting the child's imagination to come out. My daughter loves writing a lot more by doing these stories. She is also able to teach my younger son by reading to him and having him come up with the rest of the story. I highly recommend this book.

I am a homeschooling mom of a 6 year old girl and a 9 year old boy. We just received this wonderful book by Karen Andreola and have only tried it out once so far, but I have flipped through the book and read some of the stories. There are many different kinds of wonderful stories to chose from. I did one with my 6 year old daughter and I actually walked her through the writing process instead of just letting her write, as she is so young, but I think she learned a lot from it. She asked me the very next day if we could "do another one"...and the next day. Karen has a whole section in the front on how to use the book and writing tips that are very helpful. I think this is a wonderful book and look forward to using this with my children.

We're just getting started, but our children ages 9 & 11 love this! And this concept could lead them to other activities, too.

This book was carefully thought out and well written. So far, we are all very impressed and glad we made this purchase.

We've been a homeschooling family from the beginning and my kids are 10 and 12 now. Teaching writing has always been a struggle for me, and the kids did not like writing at all. This book has the beginnings of very interesting stories, and the students' job is to write the ending. Each story starter also has guidelines (have the characters speak, describe the scene) suggestions for "vivid verbs", "artful adjectives" and more. My kids, who have NEVER liked writing, got so into it, I had to give them extra time to finish. The book has a section for educators that has a lot of useful information. Before I bought this book, I checked it out from the library to make sure I liked it. I ended up ordering it on Amazon before we started the second story!

"Teaching Virtues" adds to our understanding of the connections between the teaching of virtues and the practice of moral reciprocity within community. -C.A. Bowers, Professor of Education, Portland State University and author of "Educating for an Ecologically Sustainable Future" and "The Culture of Denial"

Here is an educational approach that honors the interconnectedness of the world and helps our young people engage it with wisdom and integrity. The result is a refreshing perspective on character education. -Ron Miller, author of "What Are Schools For? Holistic Education in American Culture" and publisher of "Paths of Learning Magazine"

This book offers a new but ancient perspective on teaching virtues. Like the American Indian people who practiced it for thousands of years, it does not allow us to separate character from content, and by this, makes it possible for us all to "walk the talk." -Sunita Gandhi, President-Worker, The Council for Global Education and Dignity

With clarity and directness, the authors provide an inspiring and practical guide for teachers to infuse character education throughout the curriculum. Their framework adds much needed meaning and integrity to learning and honors the creativity and wisdom of each teacher. -Rachael Kessler, author of "The Soul of Education: Helping Students Find Connection, Compassion and Character at School"

I read this book with much interest. The topics addressed here are of great importance for educational practice, and hence, as the authors rightly emphasize, for the larger society. They approach the issues of character education from a variety of directions, including a highly suggestive American Indian perspective that has been far too little understood in our culture. "Teaching Virtues" is a stimulating and thoughtful contribution. -Noam Chomsky, Professor, M.I.T., and author of "Language and the Problem of Knowledge" and "Manufacturing Consent"

The Upanishads illuminated that the Self (Atman) is connected to the all-pervasive Brahman, and that to realize the Self and the connection to Brahman is to attain Enlightenment and escape from the cycle of Samsara (Moksha). While I am not an expert on the Sanskrit or its translation, this version is very accessible, and has been around for over 50 years. It has stood the test of time. It illustrates the Upanishads and their concern with attaining Moksha and awareness of the inexpressible, unknowable Brahman. This itself can be both illuminating, and repetitive. I recommend it to those who also read the Bhagavad Gita, where a stronger sense of ethics and duty are spelled out. This abridged version is short and accessible.

The Upanishads holds the core teachings of Advaita Vedanta - Brahman is all there is. It is a good book to be read by any serious seeker - along with Nisargadatta. The book has many footnotes which attempt to explain the meanings behind much of the commentary.

This particular translation of the Upanishads is a highly recommended read.

I was talking to my brother-in-law's father about favorite spiritual books. He's been a dedicated meditator for decades.

I carry a copy of this Upanishads translation in my shoulder bag always. I pulled it out and asked, "Do you read these ?"

He chuckled with bright eyes and said, "Oh, I can't read those. They just make me meditate." He went on to explain that after only a page or two he spontaneously slips into meditation.

My experience is quite similar. It's as if this volume speaks directly to my Spirit, navigating its way through my critical mind to the essence of my inner Divine. It brings me peace, it fills me with faith, it melts my fears. I meditate easily after just a few sentences sometimes.

To me the Spirit is so profoundly expressed in here that I have no trouble with dogma or rhetoric, with symbolism or mythology. To me this translation serves as an invitation from the ancient mystics to join them. I can feel the Spirit welcome me.

This is less a review and more a personal experience. That's what this book is all about, though ~ a guidebook to direct personal experience of Spirit.

It's a frantic world we live in, fast and busy and complex. I find that this wonderful translation can help lead me to a stillness within, to a unity with all that is, to a feeling and understanding and connection with the magic of life.

What brought you here to this page ? Perhaps you seek a deeper spiritual connection with your inner Divine. I can only tell you my own story. I don't read this for scholarly theology. I read this as a guide for my journey within. This book brings me to my home, to my heart. I can't remember when I bought it, but the price on the cover says $2.95. It has held up wonderfully, and is the best three bucks I ever spent, hands down. I'm buying several extras to give and lend to those I love.

Welcome.

I used to think that for reason Upanishads were huge texts, but author explained that upanishads are found in the end of vedas. It is beauty piece of work. when they are not sure, they will have a footnote and tell you that what could the other translation could have meant. It only happened 2-3 times. They are very enlightening. Brahman (God) is everywhere, literally. =)

The Atman is the Soul. It is our real Self, God residing within us. We are to submerge the ego, and discover the Atman (Self). Uncovering the Self leads to nirvana, or enlightenment. This is the essence of this book. We will differentiate between what is Real (unchanging)and what is illusory (changeable). And as Jesus said, the Truth will set you free ...

Easy to learn, fast play, and compact -- play on any flat table. Probably best with 3 or more players but fine with 2. Basically uses the exact same part of your mind as scrabble but has is faster, more intense and also more complex.

The tiles are acceptable but they could be a little nicer. And it would be nice if they gave you a bag for the tiles -- the tube is fairly easy to carry around but a small bag would make this game even easier to bring along on trips.

Lots of fun and well worth having in the house.

Very Fun! If you like word play, try this fun and challenging game. It's compact packaging makes it a great game to take on vacation. My 10 year old daughter thought it was too much thinking for summer time, but the adults and other kids really got into it. It can be played at several levels depending on players sensibilities, from a "learning" mode to cutthroat. I highly recommend it.

I was in an Airport in Vermont waiting for 3 hours for my next flight home when I first played this game! It is perfect to carry around in your bag. IT's light, and tons of fun! It not only makes you think fast, you also have to have fast reflexes to snatch the word! Love this game! It can be played with lots of people or just two!

This game is great -- easy to learn, and moves much faster than scrabble! Much more engaging, as everyone has to pay attention all the time. We gave it to our parents for Christmas, and the family became instant addicts.

This is a clever new word game which is simple yet incredibly addictive. My husband and I play this game almost every night. It is cleverly packaged and takes up little room, so we keep it accessible on the kitchen table and consequently, play often.

It has a simple premise and scoring method, is fun for 2 or more players, and keeps all players involved in the game. It takes little time to play one game, so it's a great option for after dinner. It only takes a game or two for new players to become very competitive with experienced players, and thus is great for mixed groups. Good spelling is a help, as is a good vocabulary, but even those skills are less important than being able to track the words and letters in play and keep possibilities in mind for when the right letter appears. My 17 y/o stepson can routinely beat us, and he's not an avaricious reader as we are, he just sees --and seizes-- the opportunities available.

The game is great fun for all ages and I highly reccomend it.

Excellent and well written. A collection item for university level instruction and home library.

William H. Watkins writes about the power of education and how it "can be used both to oppress and to liberate." (pg.1) Watkins shares with us how research and science in the last century validated the belief that Whites were the superior race. This belief has played a great role in the development of the school system and curriculum we have today in America. The "White Architects" have used the school system to keep races of people oppressed. He clearly defines who the architects were and the role they played in orchestrating the school system we have today.

I believe that in order to see more success among minority students in schools today we have to restructure the whole school system. Watkins book strengthens my belief. He states "public education was product of historically, politically, and socially constructed ideas." These ideas need to be updated and remade to include all races equally.

Mr. Watkins walks us through an historical and turbulent era of education that continues to have ramifications in our present educational system. Watkins journey through the maze of black education exposes the political and socioeconomic influences of the dominnant and affluent white culture of the north. He reveals to the reader the influences of the corporate magnets of the north who wanted cheap labor and subserivent workers. They used their philanthropy and the educational system to imposed their own philosophy of education on the black population;while promoting subserivent lifestyles for those who participated. Mr Watkins is able to convince the reader about the political and economic hold that the corporate world imposes on the black population and the disregard these men had for how the black population wanted their education to progress.
Mr. Watkins continues to show us the need for continued political and socieconomic justice for all people and warns us of the continued influence that corporate America has on all of us.

William Watkins pointedly and proudly explains how people other than the African Americans have guided the principles of Black education in the United States from the Reconstruction era to post World War II. Whether these people acting philanthropically as John D. Rockefeller or as "evil geniuses" (Chapter 6), they have shaped Black education then and some would argue for all time.

In his writing, Watkins shows that there is a view of the history of American education that does not come from the larger culture. Watkins view is from the "other side of the fence" that is not written by the victors but rather a survivor. This view is equally important as it establishes the fact there are always two sides to every story. "History is made by people in struggle" (p.179).

Generalizations tend to pervade Watkins' writings as the use of the words "few" and "many" are consistent. But this is understandable considering little or no empirical research was being conducted regarding Black education during this time period.

Pointing to the past for blaming is not the purpose of Watkins in his book, but rather an enlightenment of the history presented by a survivor of slavery, segregation and racial inequalities that have existed for generations. Truly, Watkins has offered a view of history in which we can reflect upon and use to help guide a new generation of architects.

William H. Watkins is subtle in his story of the "white architects" who developed Black education beginning in 1865, just at the end of the Civil War. Watkins shocks you with his "scientific racism" platform that he explains "presented human difference as the rational for inequality" and that it "can be understood as an ideological and political issue" (pg. 39). The reader senses a calm attitude about the author as he speaks of the Philanthropists, beginning with John D. Rockefeller, Sr, who was most concerned about "shaping the new industrial social order" (pg. 133) than he was for providing a useful education. "The Rockefeller group demonstrated how gift giving could shape education and public policy" (pg. 134). In their support of Black education, by 1964,the General Education Board (GEB) spent more than $3.2 million dollars in gifts to support Black education. This captivating book begins with a forward written by Robin D.G. Kelley who reflects that she learned one lesson from Watkins, "If we are to create new models of pedagogy and intellectual work and become architects of our own education, then we cannot simply repair the structures that have been passed down to us. We need to dismantle the old architecture so that we might begin anew" (pg. xiii). Why don't the school reformers who mandate educational laws experience such an awakening?

This book has been in my family for four generations, the 1912 edition having been given to my father by his grandmother in 1948.

The premise of the story is given in the introduction; the narrator happens upon a marvelous clock in Father Time's attic, which strikes the hour with songs and puppet dances. Twenty-four stories follow, one for each hour of the day. Each story begins with a verse that corresponds to the hour of the day: lighting the fire, preparing breakfast, sending the children to school, making the noonday meal, milking, tea, bedtime. The verses alone are fascinating, as they bring to life the househould routines of a very different era.

The stories are illustrated with Howard Pyle's remarkable drawings. Each tale has a frontispiece for the title, and the beginning of the text and each picture caption is heralded with a large ornmental letter like those in illuminated manuscripts. The illustrations are gorgeous. Pyle was fond of capturing scenes of nobility and royal splendour, pastoral life, and witchcraft. Some are stylized portraits of princesses in exquisite gowns and classic poses, while others demonstrate Pyle's gift for caricature and expression.

The stories themselves are wonderful, full of heroes and heroines, bravery, beauty, wits and trickery. Although there are allusions to mystic and Christian themes, and to folklore and fables, most of the stories will be unfamiliar and fresh to modern readers. The langauge is rich with metaphor, droll imagery, and dialogue that is made to be read aloud. As with Aesop's fables, the stories are meant to instruct, but the morals take a back seat to the storytelling, at least until the conclusion of each tale, and a great deal is left up to the reader to interpret.

This was my favorite book as a child, and I still turn to it on sleepless nights. But our beloved family heirloom is growing very delicate, so I am very glad that the book is still in print. I hope to share it with my own children someday.

This is the most wonderful collection of fairytales, which I first encountered in the third grade and have reread countless times since. I'd rank it with the multicolored Fairy Book series by Andrew Lang as world class for this genre. A classic!

My father heard these stories as a child. He read them to me. I read them to my kids and my grandkids. The vocabulary, the cadences, the varied plots and the sheer magic of these tales is timeless. The poems at the beginning of each chapter are related to the hours. Kids insist that you read them too. Pyle always sees to it that bullies, evil magicians, cheaters and older nasty siblings get their comeuppance. Little ones enjoy that aspect. Great archaic words are dusted off along with long disused similies and metaphores. It's the kind of book that comes to mind when you meet a bright eyed new child who has read everything else or seen everything else. At age 70 I still keep a copy in my bed's head board. Rap, tap, tap he knocked at the door.

The narrator of the twenty-four stories (plus an introduction) finds a special clock in Father Time's attic, which strikes on the hour with songs and puppet dances. "Four and twenty marvelous tales, one for each hour of the day" all start with a verse to coincide with that particular hour. Drawings are included to add further depth. Each ends with a morality lesson, which never interferes with the story, but helps wrap up that entry.

This nineteenth century collection is remarkable in different ways depending on the reader. The tales provide insight into daily household life and the morality of a bygone era. The contributions also furbish delightful fairy tales for the young at heart that are enhanced by superb figures of speech and tremendous illustrations with a finale moral lesson. This collection is a winner and will send many a reader searching for other works by Howard Pyle.

Harriet Klausner

I have been searching for this book for quite a while. The stories included are gloriously written and the illustrations are phenomenal. The reason I started looking for it again was because my Grandson will soon enjoy it. He is only 5 years old, but again, I started reading it (repeatedly) starting at age 7. I think I re-loaned it until my card was worn out! I will get him his very own copy and I know he will enjoy it as much as I.

My daughter loved this book, in fact the whole series is wonderful. There is so much information and detailed pictures, It's almost a shame to let a child color them in! lol I like to color them with colored pencil as well. The pages are nice and thick. A great gift!

This is a beautiful book that an older kid could really appreciate. I bought it for my 3 year old because she's very into horses right now but she will not do it any justice. An older child with artistist ability would love turning these black & white images into stunning pictures. Would work great with colored pencils as the pages are much nicer than the usual "crayon" type pages of kids coloring books.

Very realistic pictures for children or adults to enjoy coloring to their heart's delight. Focus can be realistic or fantasy colors. Nicely done.

This is a very good coloring book. John Green is an excellent artist and with a little colored pencil or crayons the pictures come alive. I bought this book for myself, and I love it.

Page after page of beautifully drawn horses in various poses, many of them are action poses.

A few of the pictures feature riders but most are just of the horses--which was my preference.

The drawings are large and easy to color, and there is also lots of background with mountains, trees, rocks and even rivers/streams.

I am an adult colorer, but I think anyone from about the age of six would enjoy coloring in this book.

I highly recommend it.

Can any of us ever agree with 100% of the opinions and recommendations of another professional? No, it just doesn't happen. However, we can appreciate well written and organized reports with detailed recommendations that make implementation a breeze for the reader (be they parent, teacher, therapist, etc.). This CD can significantly add to your library of precise and detailed recommendations. It works well with WORD and other word processors, is searchable, and transferred without a hitch. Will it make you competent in areas you weren't competent in before you got it? No, again. But it will improve your options and offer you new material to consider incorporating. Give it a try, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Great seller and great book for the series WJIII student. It has case examples that are essential to put the pieces together from testing to recommending accommodations. I used this text to give presentations in class and to figure a lot of things out on my own. If you are in a program and you feel you are own your own learning the WJIII you need this book.

I already had the book, but this cd was recommended as you could actually cut and paste the recommendations, etc. It is a fantastic resource and worth the money.

I found this book very helpful in developing strategies and interpreting data from the WJ-III. It's a great tool for anyone who assesses children or adults.

Thanks. Book arrived. Great condition, fast service. Am happy with it. But I was under the impression it was supposed to come with a cd... ?

My kids love this book. I find it challenging for them and that is why it's so good.

I have used these problem of the day sheets in my classroom everyday with great success. I would highly recommend them to any parent or teacher.

This book is a great warm-up or starter for your math class. They are really good higher order thinking questions that provide a great way to begin your class!

My 8th and 9th grade special education students loved these problems. Since I have to do a lot of reviewing with them, they enjoyed the challenge and different format of the problems. I would like more of the same for other topics.

An absolutely great book -- I use for my kids and they love it. I just wish it could be more complete so that it can be used for every pre-college student. I just found a free online resource (K12 Math Problem of the Day) It seemes to target every K12 student.

As an ESL teacher, my students are always telling me how they need to build their vocabulary. Sure, someone can do this by reading more. But, non-native English speakers are often confused by many common English words.

This book has 504 vocabulary words that native speakers use often, but which can be confusing to non-native English speakers.

With clear but simple definitions, examples and exercises, people who read this book can easily build their useful English vocabulary.

This is the book i highly recommend for middle school students to increase their vocabulary. It has words that are higher level, but not outrageously so. It just concentrates on vocabulary words, not words a student needs for multiple subjects...just high-use words. The activities are good reinforcement and practice. Try this book first and don't waste your money on others for this this age group.

2 of the reviewers used the word "learnt"!!! Think they should learn that's not a word... apparently not covered in the book :)

I homeschool my son and this book has been very helpfull, would recomend it to anyone who needs assistance with spelling.

My ESL teacher uses this book. It is a good one. You must like it.