Educational Books

The commentary, questions and answers by Vos in this book are very good. I only saw a couple of problems in his comments. Going through the Catechism with my family and Bible Study group using this book as a guide has been a tremendous blessing on all of us and our relationship with God.

This is the book that I wish I had a long time ago. Very well written. Easy to understand. It's written in a "catechism on the Catechism" format. Lots of questions and answers on each question in the Westminster Larger Catechism.

While the Larger Catechism itself is an outstanding work that carefully and succinctly explains our Christian faith, this is a work that takes each question and breaks it down further. Insightful commentary and fitting Scripture citations round out each selection and make this an easy to use resource for quick reference. Highly recommended.

This book is a treasure! Compiled from Vos' articles in "Blue Banner Faith and Life," this commentary on the Larger Catechism lays open an often-underused resource of Reformation theology. Vos proceeds through each question, giving helpful Bible references, and then organizes his comments in a question and answer format. With a little adjusting, we were able to use this for family worship - it took us two years to get through, but what a blessing!

I have a large number of books on Reformed Theology including a number of books which seek to use the Westminster Confession and Catechisms as a springboard to explain the intricacies of Calvinism, but even with all that at my disposal I find this work is something special. The clarity of thought here is miles beyond anything else I've found. The format is simple: A question from the catechism, the relevant scripture passages identified and summarized in a single sentence, then a series of brief questions and answers on the passage. The Larger Catechism of the Westminster Confession has unfortunately been rather neglected, both in churches and in the written word (Thomas Ridgely's two volume commentary is the only other I can think of, and it's much too complex for most readers) but this volume makes all the theological complexities crystal clear. A must read.

The teachings here are mostly beliefs of historical Presbyterian churches and Calvinists. I believe there has been modification in beliefs among certain of the Presbyterian Churches and other Calvinistic religions, softening selected teachings in this book.
The book however, is among those every serious Christian should read, along with The Westminster Confession of Faith, Reformed Baptist of 1689, Book of Concord - Lutheran Confessions. Nothing helps you more in understanding religious differences and truths than to study the history of the Reformation. Today's TV evangelical churches are in serious need of another reformation as people are being misled with doctrines of Freud, feeling good, becoming properous, and entertainment. It is not Biblical (or possible) to make a personal decision to believe as faith is a gift of God. In additon, faith comes from sound doctrine in the form of Biblical scripture, not man's doctrines. The Bible warns of this pitfall, and your soul is at risk if you fail to understand this, 2 Peter 3:15-16. There exists a serious lack of spiritual knowledge and doctrinal discernment. The key to salvation is Grace through Faith, itself a gift of God. Finally, reading and studying the Bible is the most important thing a person can do.

In spite of all of the drama this young woman went through, she accomplished her dreams. I loved this book - especially what she said about life being like a puzzle and how we need to just take all of the pieces as they come and we will see the complete picture over time. Her life was full of heartbreak and struggle, but it appears to me that the seeds of wisdom planted by her grandmother caused her to pick herself up and brush off and get going no matter what. I could hear the love for her daughther and even for her husband. I loved her honesty about every aspect of her life including her naive perspective in her early college days. The psychologist in me couldn't help wonder why she was not as honest about her contribution to the strain in her marriage at the very end, but I do like the way she told her story overall. I would highly recommend this book after reading her first book, of course.

Words can't express how this book made me feel! For her to recount the horror and pain she underwent in Little Rock, was so touching. Her actual experience was personally felt. Ms. Beals has an extraordinary way of expressing herself. She brought out so many emotions in me. I would love to be able to personally write to her - she has truly brought me to a new level of strength. Reading her book has taught me that keeping your faith in God will ultimately show you that all the blessings he has given you should not be taken for granted.

Melba Pattillo Beals' journey through a time of prejudice shows a woman's courage. After trying, to integrate into an all white high school and being harassed by the K.K.K. Melba Beals is relocated by the NAACP. She starts her new life in California, a much different environment than the one she left behind in Arkansas. Melba hits a turning point in her life as she forgets about her studies and things to try to fit in. This non-fictional story drives your emotions as it talks of how cruel our world can be. It also showed how it only takes one person to make a difference. This truly inspirational piece will leave you screaming for justice.

If you are at a crossroad in your life or you want to reach a deeper awareness about life then this book is for you. In its easy to read language, Melba Beals recounts her life story using sections from her diary that began as a youth and she continued until adulthood. This book is romantic, comical, inspirational, and riveting. I thoroughly enjoyed walking in Melba's "moccasins" as she recounts the extraordinary events that have shaped her into a terrific human being. I loved reading the book! Thanks Melba, you've done it again!

"We were concerned about much more than breathing- we were trying to save our lives- racing from room to room, slamming our windows shut and locking them as fast as we could." Melba Patillo Beals writes the story of her life, and what she had to go through everyday, as a result of her being one of the strong teenagers that integrated Central high in the year 1957. This book, the sequal to Warriors Dont Cry, makes you feel the pain, suffering, and hurt that Melba experienced living as a young african american in Little Rock Arkansa. The book was not all about the tough times she had, but also about the good times that her and her family shared, the things she accomlpished, and how she got to where she is know. In the book, Melba is living with her young brother Conrad, her grandma India, and her mother Loise, where she is trying to graduate high school, and then hopefully leave her small town of Arkansa. The book is very touching and I got emotional reading it, as i did when i read her first book. A quote that made me want to keep reading was in the beggining of the book, when she writes in her diary"Oh, god, please help me find my way. I don't want to disappoint anyone. Don't I deserve to have a senior year? Can't we have intergration but not have me participate? This is such a big problem, only you can figure it out. Thy will be done. Please give me courage." This passage showed her courage, and i wanted to keep on reading to see what she would do.Melba travels to San francisco were she meets with the Santa Rosa NAACP, and realizes that the hatred that she once thought all the whites had, was not true, and that she would begin a new life. She dealt with growing up with a white family, getting married, having children, and having her husband leave her. Overall this was a good book, and i enjoyed it. If it could have been different i wish it would have been a bit shorter, and more descriptive about her life as an adult.I recoment this book to others, and suggest it, for a book to read on a rainy day. Enjoy reading it, and check out her other book.

A perfect little gift for kids who like to color and learn at the same time.

Fantastic. These books are the best I have found to find pictures to use as templets or stencils for designs to paint on silk.

This coloring book is the best animal safari! Your child will see wonderful close-ups of a variety of animals. This coloring experience is what you would hope for in a zoo trip. Along with the detailed animal drawings, a desciption is included at the bottom of each page...just in case your child wants to know many facts about these amazing animals.

The product came quickly. It was exactly as advetised and met expectations. Thank You.

I just purchased these Dover COloring Books for my mother and she loves them. The detail is out of this world and the variety of colors you can use are only limited by your inagination. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Love this book. It will give you so many ideas to try and explain a few things;)
highly recommend.!!

I liked this book. It is fun to read. Relaxing after a hard day of work

If you are intelligent, sensual, and yes, even spiritual, this is a wonderful collection of essays by a thoughtful, wise, self-actualized woman. I am merely a voyeur to the world of BDSM, but her descriptions of fetish worship, empowerment of women, treatment of others, sexual freedom all spoke to me, and were applicable in other avenues of my life. I highly recommend this book to all explorers, whether their explorations are conducted from the safety of a large, overstuffed armchair in front of a fireplace, or from the tethered confines of rope or the metal clasp of handcuffs... It feeds your mind, your imagination, your soul, and is also educational. Midori is a treasure.

Midori is a fantastic teacher of the arts of love and sexuality. I love her style. This book is not a how to, but lots of great sex education comes through. Loved it.
Annie Sprinkle, Ph.D. Artist/Sexologist

The psychology, aesthetics and philosophy of erotic power exchange, D/s and S&M. Written with wit, imagination and intelligence. For someone new to BDSM it may help with self-acceptance and confidence. For all levels it may enhance your own understanding of what it is that we do.

This book seemed a bit pricey for a paperback until I saw the sample pages on their web site. If you're interested, I recommend you check it out.(...)

It shows sample pages from this book and the activity sheets that they sell to go with it. Really great illustrations and fun borders. My kids dove right into it, and it made them feel extra smart because even the little one could read it quickly... which he did over and over again.

The activity sheets are a real bargin. There are tons of games, and things to keep kids busy in the summer. This isn't like those give-away booklets at restaurants. These activity pages are really well done (better than anything my 1st grader has brought home from school)! And there are somthing like 45 pages of things for kids to do. I copied the sheets so both of my sons can do the projects.

Both the book and activity pages are well worth the money. I'm really glad I got these for my kids.

Great pen and ink-style drawings that remind me of the books I loved when I was younger - Mulligan's Steam Shovel, Make Way for Ducklings, etc. Writing is for very young children - story is actually a song, but also great for reading out loud. The repetitive verses have been helpful for my five year old who is learning to read - he's been recognizing some of the words as we read.

Only complaint? This book would be great for little hands in a hardcover version, however, as my youngest son already gave the front cover a good rip.

This book is truly a treasure - a gem among the new tradition of children's books that look at all different types of families. I ordered this book based upon the reviews of other parents who bought it for their families, and I was even more thrilled with it then expected!

The book is for very young children, I'd say ages 6 and under, and gives kids a simple explanation and basic understanding of why we have work to do, but that we all have time for fun as well. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!!!

I found it SO easy to teach my 2.5 and 4 year old the days of the week with this book. There is a little song that goes with it, and the kids love it.

I am a single mother, and I love that this book shows all different kinds of family units, not just 2 parents and 2.5 kids. It shows mothers working, and playing with the kids, as well as fathers and grandparents. In this day and age, it is a delight to see a book address the modern, as well as traditional family. Work-A-Day Week also shows people of different races.

It is beautifully illustrated, and has really cool borders. My kids and I went through naming all the cool pictures related to the different jobs. Great for vocabulary building.

I also recommend the Work-A-Day Week activity sheets. There are about 50 pages of games, paper dolls, projects, mobiles. We just got started on it, but the kids want to do it every day. They even printed these pages in black and white on single sheets, so they are easy to copy and use over and over. They kids can color and cut the copies out, so ... oh, I guess I should write this review for that book.

Buy them both! You won't regret it, if you have kids under the age of 8.

I just wrote a longer review under the matching activity book for Work-A-Day Week, but just wanted to write and say how wonderful this book has been for my children and I. I was a stay-at-home mom for eight years, and returned to work this fall. My three childre, ages 3,5, and 8 were having a tough time with the change... but this book helped to explain to them that all parents, grandparents, and even kids have work that they must do... but that there's also time for fun.

My kids love this book - the 5 year old is already reading parts of it, due in part to the poetic and repetitive nature of the story. The illustrated borders on each page are stunning - my kids like to all look for things hidden in the borders together. My 3 year-old wants to read it every night before bed - and this book is so refreshing that I actually don't mind!

I highly recomment purchasing this book, and the matching activity pages. I purchased an activity set for each of my children!

This book was a find at a yard sale and is a joy for both my husband and I as well as my daughter since she was 2. It introduces all kinds of subjects like veterinarian medicine, not to mention the obvious seasons cycle and life on a farm activities. The illustrations are simple and detailed enough to even keep an older childs attention.

I love this book, along with "Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm."

In this factory-farm era, it's a great look into farm life the way it used to be, and for a lucky few, still is. The illustrations are both funny and sweet, the writing tender but matter-of-fact. Both were done by the owners of an old-fashioned family farm.

The authors take the reader on a through-the-year tour of their farm, introducing them to the various tasks and animals as they go. Every animal has a personality (even the sheep), and every month has its ups and downs--things the average suburban child, and even the average suburban parent, knows little about. Every child should own these two books!

This wonderful picture book takes you through a year at a farm (great for us city dwellers who have never step foot on a farm). It is very informative and interesting. The pictures and the story are enjoyed by my children. We are very pleased to have this book in our collection.

We got this book as a companion to 'Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm'. I have to say, I love 'Our Animal Friends' best, but this is also a great book. I like it as a companion to Our Animal Friends. The book goes through the months of the year, and what happens with the animals in each month. Humorous and interresting for our 3 and 7 year olds.

I just bought this book for a gift, and seeing it on Amazon's website makes me want to go find it on my daughter's bookshelf, and read it myself. And I'm 43!

What a sweet, beautiful, educational, pleasure of a book. It's a great size with gorgeous illustrations. The text is fun to read and fun for a child to listen to, and the whole book is non-fiction and very educational. The perfect combination of a book. I just love it and love to give it! It just bounces and is very engaging. You'll want to read it every season for years.

Enjoy!

Full disclosure: we're distantly related, but sharing the same last name is how I found this gem! And, I'm so glad I did! This book reminds me of what a great connection and understanding Dianne has with children. I heartily recommend this to anyone who wants a fun, compassionate picture book for their kids, on how they can just be themselves, but a minor degree of conformity is required :0 Definitely a fun book on a great subject.

A great children's book with great illustration and text. I have 3 boys, and they absolutely love this book (what little boy wouldn't?), especially my youngest, a 4 yr old preschooler (calls it the "nakey" book). It is currently his favorite book, and he can't get enough of it!

This is a great book for preschoolers or children just starting school. The story keeps your attention and the colorful illustrations are marvelous. I have purchased several copies for my young nieces and for friends to share with their children and grandchildren. This is a book that a child will want to "read" over and over again.

My 22 month old daughter loves the illustrations, especially the costumes on the last page. The story is fun and hilarious, and we both thoroughly enjoy it. I recommend this book, especially for children preparing to go to school or day care for the first time.

What a darling story and illustrated so well.
The pictures are large and easy for a child or classroom to see. The print is legible and the story darling. I bought it for my Granddaughters Birthday and beginning Kindergarten present.. Thank you for a great addition to her beginning library of books. I will also give on to a school library in the District where I work.

The book is really a great reference for education majors that want to find out how to run book clubs in their class. I have marked many passages to use as a reference when I have my own class.

At a time when countries like USA, Australia and Great Britain have registered their concern over literacy standards in schools by subjecting students to an ever increasing battery of standardised tests, it is refreshing to read a book by an experienced educator which emphasises a human and humane approach to putting the joy back into teaching reading. Jeffrey D Wilhelm's response to teaching students with reading difficulties is to make books "live" by using drama and art activities to enable readers to see and feel the text as well as to read it. He maintains that reluctant readers feel submissive to texts, seeing them as codes to be cracked rather than as containing meaningful stories and experiences. These students become so preoccupied with word identification and pronunciation that they never experience sentences and meanings. It is not until the teacher intervenes to reinforce reading with visualisation and actualisation activities that some students begin to "see" stories in their imaginations for the first time. Wilhelm's resistant students move from rejecting reading altogether as being irrelevant and boring to actively interrogating texts to check the validity of their artistic and dramatic performances - they learn to enjoy reading. It's worth wondering whether any basic skills test or comprehension activity could claim to have had that effect on even the most enthusiastic of readers. As an educator of beginning high school English teachers in Australia, I found this book to be both inspiring and topical, given the debate about literacy standards, particularly in relation to boys. One of the most frequently asked questions from student teachers returning from their practice teaching experiences is, "How do you get kids to read anything these days?" This book provides some helpful suggestions - firstly, get to know the students, without labelling them as failures, secondly don't be afraid to use texts they enjoy outside school, especially comics, and then present literature in conjunction with other forms of art so that students can see their experiences represented. Wilhelm is insistent that once students can "see" the worlds written about in literature, then they can enter the story world and from there encounter texts at gradually deepening levels of insight and enjoyment. It sounds like it might be worth a try.

I recently went to a teacher conference here in Idaho that had Jeffrey D. Wilhelm as a guest speaker. He was phenomenal and provided great insight into teaching reading to children. I won this book as a door prize and continuously use it as a reference. This book really gives teachers some ideas into how to make reading more engaging and meaningful.

When I read this book last year, several months into working with an 8th grade remedial reading class consisting of all boys but two, I felt great relief to see that I was not the only teacher having such difficulties. Wilhelm used his difficult years of teaching remedial reading to kids who insisted on hating school and hating reading, and turned this experience into a practical approach to getting reluctant readers involved in a good story. His premise is generally that many struggling readers have difficulties because they are unable or unwilling to visualize what they read. He oulines practical ideas for helping readers visualize, generally by using process drama and tableaus in class. The book concentrates on a few different strategies, but he goes into some details on them, and just reading about these few strategies is enough to get you thinking about other ways to help your students. I'll never forget my macho boy students interpretating Charlotte from Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, sashaying around the front of the room. Once they got over their embarrassment, they enjoyed the drama and said such activities helped them remember and understand what they've read, as well as helping them connect with the characters.

Now I'm in graduate school, but I used to teach 8th graders in a low SES school. If I think his ideas are usable, which I do, they would probably work in almost any middle-school classroom from a management point of view, which is the problem with many similar teaching suggestions. If you're familiar with "learning styles" you will understand what he learned from his research, but he explains how to help students who need visualization (art) and kinesthetic (drama) to become better readers. I also recommend "Strategic Readers" and am planning to read his more recent books.

This book really impacted me and the direction to go in my administration and teaching roles! I am a better leader and teacher b/c of the principles taught in this book! Gives a great approach on how to inspire others to accomplish more and succeed. Easy book to read! It is set up in a fictional story. The story was slow to grasp at first because I kept saying, "get to the point". Once the story was set up it began to pour out applicable information that the fictional story really brought out insights into. I really liked it after that. that is why i recommend this book to all educators. It doesn't make you feel like a failure. We are just normal and trying to do the best we can and wonder why everyone seems so exhausted and bored in schools. This book gave me a great approach to create energy within others! And it is a very simple approach.

Note: This book doesn't really talk about discipline or methodologies or theories, but provides a practical approach of how to improve the quality of instruction, and increase student and teacher satisfaction. Through the fiction side of the book it allows you to observe a successful school and one that is failing and how the failing school becomes a success! I now am going to take my classes to a new level of energy b/c of this book!

Easy read! At first it doesn't seem like it is going to apply b/c it is building the story. Then it catches steam and flows with good stuff.

Clearly, one of the best books I've ever read regarding education. This book was a required reading for a graduate course, but it should be required for any educator who truly wants to help make children more successful. It made me examine how I have been ZAPPING (encouraging, motivating) students and colleagues and SAPPING (demotivating, discouraging) students and colleagues. Although I can't go to the 12th dimension with Ralph, I'm hoping I will look at my students, my school in a way that will allow me to be more of a ZAPPER and less of a SAPPER.

This easy-to-read book sends a powerful message concerning the importance of empowerment and ownership in education. The lessons that can be learned from this publication will remain beneficial as long as education is an existing institution. Everyone should place himself/herself in the shoes of Joe Mode and see how the empowerment process can and should be implemented. To see firsthand how empowerment can improve teacher and student performance is totally astounding.

This book should be required reading for every school administrator starting with the State Commissioner of Education.

This book is light-hearted and easy to read. It provides the reader with a real sense of how to empower employees to create the best school possible. After reading this book, you will feel empowered to make a difference in your school. A must for all practicing school administrators.

Zapp! should be required reading for every educator in the USA. Its an easy read and an inspirational account of a principal who wants more for his students, staff and himself. The power to empower is underestimated in our schools today. Zapp!could change any educaator with the desire to grow.

Recieved item on time, right when we were told it would arrive. Book in very good condition.

Educators already know that intrinsic motivation is preferable, but finding a viable way of doing that can be challenging. This book provides 150 (author was not exaggerating ; ) specific, doable activities for motivating the reluctant learner. I checked it out at the library~ it was so good, I immediately turned to the computer to order on line!

The ideas in this book can be adapted to just about any grade level. The strategies are fun, easy to understand and apply, and don't cost a fortune. I especially like the 'wanted posters' idea. This is a great way to teach diversity in the classroom.

My experience in the teaching work was improved with this lecture

Mr. Raffini has put together a great resource for motivating students. This book shows ways to use active versus passive learning practices. These methods are all classroom tested and designed by successful teachers. He understands what motivates students and what activities leaves lasting learning. Even a few of these suggestions will help make any classroom a better learning environment.