Educational Books

It is a rare children's book that can touch so many senses, and span so many generations. This one is meant to be read aloud with a child on your lap. The illustrations are so charming that you can almost reach out and feel the fur of the dogs, hear them romp and chase through the city streets, and even smell and taste the steamy foam of Ms. Brady's latte. And the rhythm of the delightful poetry adds the right pace to its characters, and literally keeps the story moving. But its true magic is its heart: an intelligent and touching story. It is exactly what every adult yearns for: a means to convey life's hard truths and challenges in a way children can hear and enjoy them. This book is really an experience, that children will want you to repeat -- again and again, as children do -- but that you will also want to.

A fabulously illustrated story about the true meaning of friendship and the importance of inclusion and tolerance. A wonderful story for children. Both of my children loved the book!

My son loves dogs. I came accross it when I was looking for a book about them. Nice book, very good illustrations, I highly suggest it.

Delightful adventure story about the ways we learn to recognize a true friend. Fabulous illustrations bring the readers heart into identifing with the dog and flea.

The most loveable types are often the most unexpected. This sweet book
about a most unusual friendship is funny, wise and moving, and the images
filled with life. Great if you are a dog lover, and if not, it might
convert you.

This book is a joy to read and is written in a very clear and concise manner, it's almost like taking a class with a knowledgeable easy to understand instructor teaching you, any artist even not one interested in animation would apreciate the information contained in this book, I know I will use this book as my main guide in my pursuit creating animations with camera angles and keyframes and such, this book is filled with great pictures that serve as examples as the writer explains in short paragraphs what is required to achieve objectives as an animator. It starts with writing and character creation, progressing to storyboards and staging scenes with different camera angles and explains everything you need to know about the aspects of animation from beginning to end. Although the information is mostly for traditional animation made with hand drawings, cells and so forth it can be applied to computer animation with a 3D or 2d animation program, this book seems to get overlooked by looking at the number of reviews compared to other animation books. I can't say enough a must have book for an aspiring animator.

I found this book really by luck and was thinking I had too many animation books already - until I opened it and took a look. I realized I didn't! This is the most comprehensive and detailed book on the art of 2D animation - and can directly be used by 3D animators as the principals are the same. It is deceptively simple looking, but that is because it is one of the most well-designed books I have ever seen. If you are learning animation, brushing up on your skills, or even already doing animation this is the best book I have seen so far. Get it! Your library will thank you!

This book is amazing...it's a resource that any student of animation should not be without. It not only outlines in detail the process of drawing out the animation, it also explains to some degree every aspect of producing the piece. It is an easy read and a great reference, and I wouldn't want to be missing it in my collection.

As an animation teacher, I went through a lot of books as support for my 2D class; this one is on my top list and I would recommend it to any animation student new to the field who want to learn about the process and the principles of animation.
The book is clear, with beautiful illustrations. Many animation books use styles that often turn me off as being too cartoony or dated but this one is very appealing. Each chapter is well documented with simple explanation and visuals. I was particularly impressed by the clarity of the layouts and X.sheet section, as those are usually a nightmare to explain to students.
It offers a wonderful overview of the fundamentals of animation and covers all the aspect of the profession, from storyboard to animating to editing. Even if this is about hand drawn traditional animation, those principles can be applied to 3D and computer animation.

As an animation artist, I am familiar with the author's work and eagerly awaited the arrival of this book. It did not disappoint!
It is good for beginners and seasoned veterans alike. The sequential animation drawings - along with their respective numberings and spacing charts - are worth more than the price of the book. They are an excellent way for the student of animation to see how the drawings are spaced to provide the true 'spark of life' so necessary in the success of the animated image 'coming alive'. The book ranks up there with the Preston Blair books, Thomas and Johnston's ILLUSION OF LIFE, and Richard William's THE
ANIMATOR'S SURVIVAL KIT. The chapters on Storyboarding, Layout and Background, along with many other animation gems, are there as well. A true tour de force!

What a wonderful resource! I checked this out at the library for my 2 year old son to combine with his lesson plan at home. Creating the letters together has helped him to understand what they mean. He loves to play with the crafts after I make them and at the end of the week I tape them to his wall to look at. It's such a great book! I will have to see if Judy Press has done others like it.

I love this book. My 4 year old twins look forward to the art projects everyday. Even my almost two year old participates! My favorite part is that the projects use items that any house with preschoolers will have: construction paper, glue, paint, empty toilet paper rolls, paper plates, ect. Don't skip out on the finger plays. My kids love to move like the animals they have made in the projects. A must have for parents of preschoolers!

This was a fun book to use with my daughter when she was learning her letters. It gave me lots of creative things to do for all the letters and my daughter loved doing all the crafts. We ended up tracing all the letters and decorating them as suggested and put them along the wall of the playroom. My younger son now always points to them on the wall and tries to sing his ABC's. I would definitely recommend it! It's a great, fun learning tool.

I obsessed over this book wile I was pregnant and finally bought it for my daughter's second birthday (it was really for me). She's 2 and half and, although she isn't coordinated enough to really do a whole lot on her own, we have great fun with this book. She pulls it down from the bookshelf herself and looks through it. The illustrations are great and the instructions are easy enough for an adult to follow. I delegate the gluing and some coloring to her and we discuss shapes and colors--as well as letters and numbers-- while assembling the pieces. While not all (but most) of the materials are easily found around the house, I have found the ones that aren't in dollar and discount stores for next to nothing. She loves watching ordinary household items like an empty toilet paper roll transform into an alligator with some tape, a marker, scissors, green paper and glue. Her eyes light up like I'm performing magic. I have read, in teachers' journals and the like, that children retain information better when it is presented in a way that emotionally impacts them. For myself and my child, this book was well worth it, and I intend to look into some other titles by this author and from Williamson. Publishing.

Great source for an Early Childhood Curriculum. This book gave me wonderful ideas on every letter of the alphabet. This book helped me plan lessonsfor my home toddler daycare. This book is a MUST HAVE for home daycare providers and home schooling parents.

I am an idiot when it comeS to this type of math. I used to hate it and would have panic attackS in class when asked to go to the fronT of the class. Now, I'm the first one to rasing my hand! This book has changed my life lol. Its sounds cheesy but it's true. GET IT!

I got this book to help my 5th grader who is weak at math. This book has been very helpful in getting her to understand and it also gives her extra practice. I like the test that go along with each section. I would recommend this book to anyone needing help in basic math.

I work for a major corporation that requires employees who apply for other jobs within the company, to take and pass the "Universal Test Battery". A part of this exam is arithmetic, including addition, subtraction, division, multiplication and percentages. I am a 54 year old who has been using a calulator for 30+ years! This book is indeed a 'workbook' that reviews all arithmetic and clearly explains the problems and how to do them all the way to sucess!

This is the book that my daughter's tutor recommended. My daughter has a hard time remembering the steps to solve math problems. My tutor recommended this book vs. math worksheets because no matter how many worksheets my daughter does to practice, she will have a hard time remembering the steps. This book, on the other hand, gives examples that she can follow and refer back to. It makes her more independent because she can pull the book out and find the concept she's working on and see the steps outlined. I've reviewed and purchased dozens of math books and practice books, and this one is the best.

I bought the second edition of this book several years ago when our company (USWest) was closing departments and we knew we would have to start testing for job title changes. It was one of the most helpful purchases I have ever made! I retired, and now I'm going into real estate. Naturally the real estate classes (and the state test) have lots of math and math problems. As they say...what you don't use you lose!!! There were several of us in the classes who were having a difficult time with the math problems and formulas. This book was once again a life saver. At first glance one would think it's too simple...more for children than adults, but it isn't. Mr. Williams makes math super simple for any age!!!

The first few chapters are basic math...addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Roman numerals, etc.

Chapters 6-8 are fractions...changing improper to mixed numbers...subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions...unlike denominators, etc.

Chapters 10-13 cover decimals...comparing, rounding off, adding, subtracting, multiplying mixed decimals.

Chapter 14 covers percents...changing percents to decimals, to fractions, and finding the percent of a number.

Chapter 15 covers measurement.

There are pre-tests to see if you need to study the chapter, word problems, practice examples, and practice tests after every section.

I recommend this book for everyone...young people who find math difficult, as an invaluable aid for parents of school age children, for anyone who is making a career change and is faced with job testing, and for those...like myself...who have been out of school for years and need a brush up on math skills. The price is minimal!!!

Thank you, Edward Williams, for writing this book. Thank you for the difference it has made it my life!!!

I used this book to study before taking the Foundations of Reading MTEL. It was an excellent resource. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs some help in preparing for any Literacy Instruction exam.

This book is an excellent resource to use when preparing for MTEL's foundations of reading exam. I have bought many other books but none of them cover exactly what you need to study than this book. I would definitely recommend that you use this book and its a great price too.

This book was my one & only source of study for the MTEL F.O.R test. I had heard nothing but horror stories from people who had taken this exam. I have been out of college for 18 years and therfore out of practice taking exams. I used this for the F.O.R and not only passed but did very well. I also bought MTEL (the yellow & black book) for the Communications & Literacy and passed with flying colors. Good Luck!!

I just want to say how helpful I found this book. I do not have an education degree, and have never had a course in teaching reading or anything like it, but reading and studying this book helped me pass the MTEL Foundations of Reading the first time! Everything you need to know really is in this book. I am usually very skeptical about the claims of books like this, but I am definitely a fan. Many thanks to Chris Boosalis.

I took the MTEL Reading Foundations test and everything that was in this book was on the test! It was amazing. I am so happy I bought this book!

This is my textbook for CNA class in Colorado. It is very thick and full of good information, but the quizes at the end of the chapter are not as nice as I would like, and the answers are not in the book. There are also some things listed in the book that are different depending on the state and the facility, so just keep that in mind. Over all it is a great resource with really details procedure notes and lots of indepth information.

This is a great book if you are studying for your CNA. It explains all the clinical work in the detail you will need to pass your test.

I really like this text book it is really useful and answers lot of my questions

This book is a wonderful guide to get you on your way to becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant. This is a wonderful career to have in the medical field. Helping people as a CNA is extremely rewarding.

Even if you're not looking to become a CNA, this book has excellent information for anyone who is in a caregiving situation. It has information ranging from infant care to elderly care.

I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to pursue a career in the healthcare field or anyone who has someone they take care of.

I am currently studying to become a CNA in the state of Maine. This is the textbook and workbook we are using. I have found this text to be very thorough and I enjoy it very much. I would recommend it to any CNA or CNA student.

This book has been very helpful in designing lessons for teaching students to become more proficient, creative writers. I highly recommend it for anyone who teaches upper elementary! The CD contains an abundance of great prompts!

This book is well worth the price!! I was able to turn average writers into stronger, self confident writers. Students buy into the ideas presented in the book, and take off in their writing. For the students who just need a little boost, for dramatic flair in their writing, this book is the ticket. Start today! Your students and parents will thank you for the metamorphsis they see in student writing. Share with colleagues and you'll be a star.

After my first year of teaching and experiencing the stress associated with preparing for the state writing assessment, I knew I had to find something that would help me know how to prepare my students for this important test. As I stood in the middle of a teacher's store, I spotted this book. I wondered if this would be of any help. Since I was open to any ideas, I decided to take the chance and make the purchase. Happily, I admit, this was perhaps the best purchase of my entire teaching career. Mrs. Kiester's simple four-step plan was a "God-send." She puts into print each step a teacher should follow to help her students became extremely proficient writers. I have followed her plan for several years and have had great success with my students. I believe my students truly understand the writing process, and it is all due to Mrs. Kiester's Blowing Away the State Writing Assessment Test book. Hooray, Mrs. Kiester!!! This is the answer we've all been looking for!

This book, along with other tools for your classroom, is yet another excellent source to turn your mediocre writers into advanced writers. The strategies are also excellent for empowering your students to pass your state writing assessments.

This is just what I was looking for: a step-by-step writing program that includes examples of student writing that I can share with my students. I couldn't be happier.

This four-book series is a goldmine for educators looking for practical ways to engage their students in substantive character education. The book's materials, developed and tested at one of our country's truly outstanding schools, merge solid academic content with character education. Together the books reflect a complete plan for engaging a school-community in the misson of character development. Central to the authors' [John Heidel and Marion Lyman-Mersereau] work and to the organization of the books is a school-wide, monlthly focus on a particular virtue, such as respect or courage. In this, the authors are addressing one of the core problems with our schools' efforts to respond to the current call for character education. Instead of psychobabble and talk of "inappropriate behavior" and "adjustment," their approach is a return to an older, richer language system of words, like "responsibility" and "cooperation," the language of character and human excellence.

Character formation has been described as what we do to help our young know the good, love the good adn do the good. These books address all dimensions of that description. The great power and benefit of Character Education is its appeal to the student's head, heart and hands.

This four-book series is a goldmine for educators looking for practical ways to engage their students in substantive character education. The book's materials, developed and tested at one of our country's truly outstanding schools, merge solid academic content with character education. Together the books reflect a complete plan for engaging a school-community in the misson of character development. Central to the authors' [John Heidel and Marion Lyman-Mersereau] work and to the organization of the books is a school-wide, monlthly focus on a particular virtue, such as respect or courage. In this, the authors are addressing one of the core problems with our schools' efforts to respond to the current call for character education. Instead of psychobabble and talk of "inappropriate behavior" and "adjustment," their approach is a return to an older, richer language system of words, like "responsibility" and "cooperation," the language of character and human excellence.

Character formation has been described as what we do to help our young know the good, love the good adn do the good. These books address all dimensions of that description. The great power and benefit of Character Education is its appeal to the student's head, heart and hands.

I've done a lot of Internet searches for information about spina bifida. This book is the best overall source I've found. I highly recommend this book for parents and caregivers of children with spina bifida. My daughter is now two years old, and I still refer to this resource often.

I purchased this book when my daughter was prenatally diagnosed with Spina Bifida. Since she's been born I have purchased more copies for family members. This book is an excellent resource for parents and loved ones. It teaches about the condition and related concerns in an easy to understand manner. This is by far the best book I have found on Spina Bifida. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is expecting/has a child with Spina Bifida. I would also recommend it for family members and caregivers of children with Spina Bifida.

This book is a wonderful book for anyone who knows of someone dealing with a child or teenager with spina bifida. Its very organized, informative, and even has several photos of kids with spina bifida. I highly recommend it!

I am the nurse practitioner in a spina bifida clinic. I give this book out to all new parents of children with spina bifida. Many of them tell me that they refer to this book often.

This is one of the two books we ordered when we found out that our baby would be born with sb. We have read lots of books since then and still think this is the best. It is very comprehensive, presents the information well, and I have referred to it often over the past 8 months. We ended up purchasing several copies to give to our family members so they would understand what is going on with our son.

John Merrow's book is a thoughtful and well-informed guide to finding excellence in public education. It is both an insightful look at what constitutes excellence and a great "how to" book for parents who are trying to choose schools for their kids (I especially like "questions to ask" at the end of each chapter). Best of all, while critical throughout, Merrow remains hopeful that public education can be excellent and offers real solutions for some of the most pressing problems in education today.

This book is entertaining and remarkably thoughtful. It is filled with the wisdom and insights we have come to expect from John Merrow, whose work many of us have followed on NPR and PBS. If you care about our future, read this book. He is critical where criticism is warranted but every chapter contains many useful suggestions for improvement. Every chapter includes the questions we need to ask of our educators and of ourselves.

How do you choose a good school? John Merrow gives you guidelines to follow and questions to ask in your search. This book is a "must" for all parents. The questions at the end of each chapter are especially helpful.

This is a book that every parent will want to read. It's full of useful information, it's easy to understand, and it's positive in nature. The pathway to better schooling, and to a better experience for children, leads through this brilliant book. Buy it, or borrow it from your library, TODAY!

This is an immensely useful, irreverent look at public schools. The author is a former teacher and an award-winning journalist who has worked for National Public Radio and PBS. He is creative and extremely insightful. He says, don't use just one way to judge schools. Do most teachers leave right after the students? What do schools do if there is a bully? Is the school orderly without being rigid? Is excellent student work displayed? Is it creative, or does it all look alike? These are only a few of the excellent, unusual questions Merrow asks.
He also urges families not to make assumptions about a school - whether it's a charter, magnet or neighborhood school - it's location and classification just don't tell you enough.
This is a great book for families to read, even if they are not actively selecting a new school. Merrow describes wonderful - and awful things he's seen in schools all over the world. He is funny, creative,and immensely useful.
Joe N - St. Paul, Minnesota