Ward Books

This whole wonderful series (Scholastic Success With Maps by Linda Ward Beech) is so much fun and perfect for asynchronous learners. It is so colorful and clear and beautiful. A great deal for a full-color workbook series that goes step-by-step through all the map reading and map using skills. Five stars for all five books!

You're probably familiar with the game Hangman, but just in case you aren't, here's how it works with two people: an individual comes up with a word or phrase while the other must guess it. At the bottom of the page are blanks representing letters. As the player guesses the letters, they are written in the appropriate spot. However, if a wrong letter is guessed, a body part is drawn on the gallows. If an entire body is drawn before the phrase is guessed, the one doing the guessing loses.

In his clever Scratch & Solve Hangman, Mike Ward offers a neat twist on an old favorite. You know how instant lottery cards require you to scratch off the metallic finish to reveal what's underneath? That's exactly the way this book works.

For each of the 96 puzzles, there are three components:

*Silver eggs for A through Z
*A dotted-line stick figure on the gallows
*Numbered blanks at the bottom

Here's an example of how a puzzle works. For puzzle one in the Scratch & Solve Hangman #3, I guess the letter "E". When I scratch off the silver egg under "E", it shows the numbers 6 and 8. I go to the bottom of the page and fill in the letter "E" for blanks 6 and 8.

I then guess "R", which revealed a stick figure sticking his tongue out! This means that the letter "R" is NOT a part of solution. If I had revealed six of those faces--which indicates drawing in the head, arms, torso and feet of the body on the gallows--then I would have lost!

However, because I guessed the phrase (poached eggs) before I drew all six body parts, I win! (Admittedly, I had the head and both arms drawn in before I guessed it! Whew!)

This little book is very portable, providing amusement and distraction just about anywhere. Highly recommended if you love Hangman!

Not rocket science entertainment here but overall a good deal for the price. All you need is a coin and a pen. Great for travel.

You're probably familiar with the game Hangman, but just in case you aren't, here's how it works with two people: an individual comes up with a word or phrase while the other must guess it. At the bottom of the page are blanks representing letters. As the player guesses the letters, they are written in the appropriate spot. However, if a wrong letter is guessed, a body part is drawn on the gallows. If an entire body is drawn before the phrase is guessed, the one doing the guessing loses.

In his clever Scratch & Solve Touch Hangman #3, Mike Ward offers a neat twist on an old favorite. You know how instant lottery cards require you to scratch off the metallic finish to reveal what's underneath? That's exactly the way this book works.

For each of the 96 puzzles, there are three components:

*Silver eggs for A through Z
*A dotted-line stick figure on the gallows
*Numbered blanks at the bottom

Here's an example of how a puzzle works. For puzzle one in the Scratch & Solve Tough Hangman #3, I guess the letter "A". When I scratch off the silver egg under "A", it shows a face in profile, sticking his tongue out. This means that I have to draw in one of the six body parts because "A" is NOT a part of solution. If I had revealed six of those faces--which indicates drawing in the head, arms, torso and feet of the body on the gallows--then I would have lost! And, as it turned out, I only guessed the letter "S" on correctly on the first one...which means I got hanged!

I then tried puzzle 2. I scratch of the silver egg under "T", which reveals the numbers 1, 5, and 9. I then go to the bottom of the page and fill in the letter "T" for blanks 1, 5, and 9. Fortunately, I solved this puzzle with just 4 body parts drawn. Whew! (The answer was "trustworthy")

This little book is very portable, providing amusement and distraction just about anywhere. It's much more challenging than the regular Scratch & Solve Hangman Games so if you find that series a bit too easy, try the Tough Hangman series! Highly recommended if you love Hangman (and brain farts)!

Since his achievements as a music publisher are familiar, may I recall that Don Gillespie's biography is a masterpiece of historical recreation--personal and yet factual, detailed and yet thorough--about an obscure but influential music figure in American music a century ago. For those who don't already know, Ward taught Delius, assigned to manage a plantation in northern Florida, more than he learned at the Leipzig music academy a few years later. One charm of Gillespie's book is incorporating his research efforts into the narrative. Indeed, were I a professor of graduate musicology, this is the sort of book I would give to my best students as an example of how to do uniquely valuable scholarship with otherwise forgotten eminences. The awards this book did not receive upon publication are hereby discredited

For me personally this was one of the most meaningful books I have ever read. It is a parable of a spiritual journey of a couple facing the last half of their lives. The story leads the characters through a process of discovery of their purpose & meaning in life and how it is inseparably connected to God's unique purpose for each of us. As a reader, one is drawn into one's own process. I thoroughly enjoyed the story but, I benefited far more from the process of discovery - a process that I know will lead me successfully into the best season of my life.

I really like this curriculum. I have it for Preschool/K - 2nd Grade, which is all that is offered. Most of our information is gathered through suggested library books though once we're at the library we find even more material to bring home!

The Christian curriculum is really well balanced for the age group it focuses on. It's been fairly easy to modify, too. I was unable to get the phonics program right away so we substitute another curriculum for spelling but really he is already reading so I wasn't too worried about phonics. All subjects seem to overlap as he is practicing his writing by keeping a journal and he is reading like crazy both chapter books and the research books we pick up for history and science. I've found that with some good books and the direction of this curriculum we are out doing a lot more than just seatwork and prepared reading. It's been a lot of fun and we've all enjoyed what we're learning.

Secret Blessing tells of a beautiful relationship that was destroyed based on one lie. A chance encounter at a fundraising event bring Shari and Derrick face to face to deal with the ghosts of their past.

Secret Blessing is filled with emotion. You will fall in love with some of the characters, and hate a couple of the other ones before the last page is turned. I recommend this book to lovers of good romance stories.

This was one of my favorite childhood books, but I forgot the title and author, and finally found it, thanks to the booksleuth forum on abebooks The story takes place in a fishing village on the coast (I thought it was New England but a forum member says it was England). A girl finds a silver pen that writes messages from a sea captain ancestor. I was captivated by the tale, and want to get a copy to reread (my sons, unfortunately, are too "old", but hopefully I'll have grandchildren in a few years to read it too!).
Bill Brown Xiamen University MBA Center Xiamen, Fujian
amoymagic.com

From her Outline of Vision, An Understanding Heart, Humility, Soul, Gentleness of Spirit, Imagination, Emotional Stability, a number of quotations jumped-out to me. Under the SOUL: "Soul is music and art and fun and love and new ideas and pause. You have to cultivate it. But once you do, no amount of death can take it from you." Under Gentleness Of Spirit: "Gentleness of spirit is what preserves calm in the midst of chaos." Both appear to be focused on the contrasting of one's personal being and doing.

Since reading her earlier books, 'specially "Called to Question" I have returned to this "lectio divina" in connecting scripture to pursuit of insights into "Seeing With Our Souls." Each chapter gives her unique personal reflection for key qualities of the soul. Her insights into chapters on the Soul and Gentleness of Spirit speak loudly to my personal need of daily spiritual encouragement and strength! As Professor Brueggemann called her, "one fearsome lady," I easily agree with his lively personal evaluation of her profound influence upon many readers! Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood "Barbara377" (Fayetteville, GA United States)