Family Resources Books

"Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership" looks at the paradox of personal dysfunction. The book addresses three issues, understanding how the dark side develops, discovering the issues experienced most often by leaders to help the reader determine their dark side, and a five-step plan for redeeming or overcoming the dark side.

The authors, Gary McIntosh and Samuel Rima speak from their own discovery of personal dysfunction and share how they recognized their dark side and began a life long journey of self discovery, healing, and fulfillment in their ministries.

Stories from the lives of well known public figures, from Biblical leaders, and from classical stories are used to illustrate the dysfunctions of the compulsive leader, the narcissistic leader, the paranoid leader, the codependent leader, and the passive-aggressive leader.

I personally found the "targeting insights," and "applying insights" features at the end of each chapter to be excellent tools for self examination and self discovery. The appendix listing available personality profiles, an accountability group covenant, a sample personal constitution, and a performance evaluation were also helpful resources.

Significant and relevant, this is an important and helpful book for pastors, and leadership at every level of church ministry.

Excellent book that enabled me to re-examine my past and accept my weaknesses now as strengths.

The author's main purpose is to make every one realize, particularly those in or considering ministry, that the drive that causes effective leadership has a dark and dangerous side. They not only identify the symptoms and potential dangers, but seek to provide practical ways of mitigating the effects of the past.

This work is very insightful and practical. First explaining how our dark sides are problematic but also how they grow out of some very positive characteristics that serve us well. Then, the authors name and describe five different types of dark sides and how they play out in our lives. These are made very helpful by the inclusion of a tool that assists the reader in determining their individual mix of dark side tendencies and share a five step method overcoming them. Engaging and helpful in giving direction, this is one of the best tomes I've read to see one's personality make up from a uniquely helpful perspective.

In the light of the many failures and downfalls of Christian leaders, this book examines what may be the cause of many of these downfalls. The failures of Christian leaders have actually put many barriers between the general public and the savior. The cause of Christ is losing ground if Christians cannot stop this alarming trend. The first step in overcoming these problems in Christian leadership is to first recognize the problem, and this book labels the problem the `dark side'. This obviously represents the defeated sinful nature inside every believer, but it also represents the different traumatic experiences that the sinful nature can use in our lives. The author argues that the ability to `overcome' the dark side is much more important than the managerial or leadership skills that are so often espoused in contemporary leadership thought.

The book does an excellent job of showing the painful reality of victory that leaders' dark sides have accomplished over many Christian leaders. The dark sides of these leaders do not develop and appear over night, but downfalls of Christian leaders happen slowly, often so subtlety that the leaders often are blind to the development. A lot of psychology is used to explain how the different types of `dark sides' develop and control leaders. And self-tests available in the book are helpful to discover if you personally may be susceptible to one of the different types of `dark sides'.

The last part of the book is the most helpful, showing HOW to overcome the dark side of leadership. Five helpful steps are provided for leaders to follow in order to prevent the dark side from gaining control. First, the leader must recognize the dark side. Second, the leader must examine his or her past. Third, the leader must resist unrealistic expectations. Fourth, the leader must be continually feeding himself or herself and checking himself or herself. And finally, the leader must have a strong sense of self-identity in Christ. I believe these are very helpful and a chapter is devoted to each of these steps.

The book is written very well, and especially helpful are the numerous examples and illustrations (including the lives of the authors). The book does a great job of showing the urgency of this issue, but it doesn't stop there. A well thought `remedy' is given for overcoming the dark side, and it isn't an easy fix that you find in many self-improvement books. I believe any Christian leader would do well to read this book and apply it to his or her life.

I have always recognized the existence of my dark side, but I have never understood the complexity of it. Although I had a hard time placing myself into one of the four types of the dark side given in the book, I could see things that I could possibly be susceptible to and I also saw things that I have actually experienced in the past as a result of my dark side.

Especially helpful were the five steps at the end of the book. I believe these steps are founded upon biblical principles, and they are very simple, but it is amazing how hard it is for Christians (and leaders specifically) to apply these truths. I learned that more accountability would be helpful in my life. I was also reminded that having a firm, continual acceptance of my identity in Christ is vitally important. So many problems from the dark side come from insecurity issues and issues with our relationships, but if the Christian leader understands his identity and security in Christ and also that this relationship is the most important relationship that can possibly be cultivated, these problems can be avoided. This leadership was a great encouragement to me.

Parents, especially with autistic youngsters, need this book. It provides comforting and reassuring information to parents who are often confused and angry after a severe diagnosis. I also had a chance to interview Judith on my radio show on Newsradio 1330-WHBL in Sheboygan. She is a very articulate and talented advovate for parents. Thank you for writing this book, it will do a lot of good in the world!!

Sincerely,

Jeffrey McAndrew
Author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

I was disappointed in this book. It tries to cover too many things and does not do a really excellent job of covering any of them. I believe this is because the author's scope is too large and her definition of 'special needs' is too inclusive. She defines special needs as basically any impairment/challenge a child faces which requires some sort of medical attention. That runs the gamit from life threatening conditions to large birthmarks. Personally I consider 'special needs children' as those with physical or cognitive challenges that significantly impact thier ability to live a typical lifestyle and/or children with life threatening health conditions.

As others have stated she regularly makes mention of her challenges parenting a child with a cleft lip and pallete as a medium to relate to her reader and validate her expertise in writing the book. This approach did not sit well with me. A cleft pallete is certainly a hard thing for any parent and child to face, but I don't feel most would define it as making a child 'special needs'.

The author would have been better off, just writing the book based on her research and not relating her story or by gearing it to parents of children with mild birth defects.

The fact that the author has a daughter with cleft lip/palate does not mean she has experience raising a disabled child. It is hard to find the empathy between the lines. While raising a disabled child is not a prerequisite for aquiring knowledge on the subject, if experience is mentioned at all, it should be relevant.

SPECIAL KIDS NEED SPECIAL PARENTS is a unique and wonderful resource. (I'm so thankful that the Orange County Register, in the LA area ran several excerpts of the book in their paper--that's how I learned about it.)
What I love about SPECIAL KIDS NEED SPECIAL PARENTS, besides the fact that it gives practical, upbeat advice, is that it's not just one person's perspective or story. Many, many people (professionals and family members as well as others across the country) put in their "two-cents." And their "two cents" are great! Indepth, on-target insights, advice and even, wisdom. The book is inspirational, spiritual, practical and very well written.
Both of my children have different special needs--one is on the austism spectrum and the other has had a slew of medical challenges. (She is mildly delayed and has learning disabilities.) Honestly, SPECIAL KIDS NEED SPECIAL PARENTS was a lifesaver. It helped us understand ourselves and our dynamics so we could cope better with the situations at hand.
It is an engaging and easy read. The author put a summary at the back of each chapter, so you can get the highlights of the chapter in a snatch if you're too tired to read. Recently, I copied the summary page at the end of the advocacy chapter and took it to a school meeting so I could remember what to say. Believe it or not, using the tips and approaches this author provided, helped me get extra services for my daughter!
What's more, there's a fabulous resource guide--about 40 pages--in the back of the book.
If you have or even work with a child with special needs, this book is an absolute MUST. It is unique and answers so many questions for so many types of people.
I want to thank the author for writing SPECIAL KIDS NEED SPECIAL PARENTS. You really gave us something wonderful.

SPECIAL KIDS NEED SPECIAL PARENTS is a wonderful resource. As the mother of a child who has a rare syndrome that causes deafness along with other disabilities, this book is not only chocked full of insights and tips from people all across the US, but also has an extensive resource guide in the back which helped me get some extra support.

The book is easy-to-read and enabled me to deal with some complex issues I was having within my own family. It is exhaustively researched and full of compassion. I carry this book with me--the pages are dogeared and underlined. Thank you Ms. Lavin for your help!

Richardson provides a basic framework of systems theory and applies it to churches. He creates a stressful situation/story handled very differently by two churches. The more adaptive vs. maladaptive responses are used to demonstrate different components of systems theory. He covers basic systems within systems function: diagramming, the central role of anxiety in unbalancing systems, life forces of togetherness and individuality, the close/distant (pursuers/distancers) dynamic, fusion and differentiation (related to foolishness and wisdom), patterns of reactivity (compliance, rebellion, power struggle, and emotional distancing), triangulation, over/under functioning, and birth order. He places systems constructs in biblical context and makes individual, congregational, and church leadership applications. Each chapter has individual and group thought-provoking questions. Richardson provides excellent instruction in how to assess a congregation using a systems approach, and concludes with practical advice for church leaders to change their part in the system so that the whole church will be healthier. Although I found the book uneven in parts, I clearly was able to identify my own reactions towards fusion when anxious. I was given a clear theoretical framework for assessing and understanding a church in distress and tools to work from within for greater health.

Richardson uses the church parish system as a backdrop to illustrate the existence of various family systems and sub-systems. The emotional system is highlighted and described as "one of the most powerful forces in any church or in any group of human beings."

It is crucial that we acknowledge, observe, understand and interact with the emotional system within a church, group or institution. Emotional skills development is essential to the life, health and well being of the person as well as the church, group or organization.

This was a very interesting and practical book.

We have bought many copies of this title for our church library and the minister has asked us all to read and study it to help us get through a very difficult church merger. Two aging Methodist churches in our downtown area voted to merge before we agreed on such important issues as which church to keep and who would be the new church officers. I hope no other churches make this mistake, but am counting on this book to help us achieve harmony between factions. There are pointers here that should help us learn to at least "get along". Virginia Gleason

Drawing on the work of Murray Bowen, Richardson presents a valuable discussion of the emotional system that is part of a congregation's life. The book begins with an introduction titled "When Bad Things Happen in Good Churches," in which he paints a portait of two different congregations dealing with similar issues. One of the portraits is laced with anger, hostility, resentment, and blame. The other portrait demonstrates responsible deeds and words on the part of all parties in the system. The difference between the two is stark, and Richardson attemps to describe in these pages what healthy congregations actually look like, and how a congregation can become one.

The book incorporates the learnings of family systems theory and applies them to a congregational setting. Richardson discusses anxiety, forces for togetherness and individuality, pursuers and distancers, fusion and differentiation, patterns of reactivity (including compliance, rebellion, power struggle, and emotional distancing), triangles, and leadership. One chapter is devoted to "signs of serious problems in a church" (which includes a section on overfunctioning and underfunctioning). Along the way, Richardson offers some reflection on biblical passages to support the theory, though it felt to me as if this material were added in later, after the bulk of the book had been presented; the biblical material did not feel integrated into the whole of the book.

One chapter is devoted to birth order and leadership style, drawing on the work of Walter Toman. Personally, I have not found Toman's work as helpful (or as "on-target") as I have found Bowen's family systems theory.

The final two chapters, which are very helpful, are devoted to "assessing your congregation's emotional system" and "becoming a better leader" (which includes a discussion about self-differentiation and the negative reactions that differentiation usually leads to, initially).

All in all, this is a very helpful book. I found it to be a useful summary of what I had learned about family systems theory and its applicability to congregational settings from other writers, notably Edwin Friedman. Richardson does not write with the wit and passion that Friedman writes with, making this book to be somewhat more bland, but Richardson's book may be more organized than Friedman's books are. After soaking in Friedman, I did not find much here that was new. Also, if I hadn't soaked in Friedman, I'm not sure I would have fully grasped the power of the model that Richardson offers. This is a very helpful book; I just wish that reading it were a bit more exciting!

If you've read, "Generation to Generation" by Edwin Friedman or are familiar with "family systems theory" you'll understand of the value of "Creating a healthier Church". Richardson playfully compares two Churches "Valley view" and "Third Church" to juxtapose healthy Churches and dysfunctional Churches. The main ideas in the book: How well do the people in a system handle two types of anxiety (Acute/Chronic), the problems of triangulation, and for the minister to be able to mess with the congregation yet have a sense of individuality or healthy separation from the group. As a Minster of just over 13 years, I recommend the book highly. It has been labeled as an introductory level book by several others, but I think even veterans will gain immense value from reading it. The book will provoke thought and introspection while providing applicable methods to better minister to the complex groups we work with.

I've heard a lot about Magda Gerber while living in Hungary, but this was one of my most valuable purchase on babies and infants.
I tried all the little tricks on my 3 yo niece who cried (way too much in my opinion) and had no boundaries and was a bit difficult to be around with.
Literally everything in the book worked for the first try.
Wow.
(We have two friends who are childcare professionals and they both rave about this way of raising children. Even the WHO did a study on this system!)
It is written in no non-sense way, very straight forward and sometimes very awakening when you realize that you make those particular mistakes used as an example in the book.
I recommend this book to all mums. IT IS A MUST HAVE!

This Gerber book of instuctions helps the parents and teachers a lot. Refreshes what our Center policies are all about.

This book is a great introduction to the RIE philosophy. If you think treating your baby with respect, allowing him the space to explore and learning to read his cues are worthy parenting goals, this is the book for you. It is short and to the point. The writing is not as good as Your Self-Confident Baby: How to Encourage Your Child's Natural Abilities from the Very Startwhich was written my Magda Gerber (the founder of RIE) along with journalist Allison Johnson. That said, it is a great summery of the RIE concepts.
Dr. Jenn Berman
www.DoctorJenn.com
Author of The A to Z Guide to Raising Happy, Confident Kids

My wife and I followed Magda's philosphy (RIE) for our daughter since she was 3 months old. Now that she's almost 3 years old, all we can say is this book made us better parents, and as a result, our daughter is a healthy, self-confident and social child that she is today. Even our 6 hour drive from LA to San Franciso, she required no DVDS nor annoying noise making toys to occupy herself -- instead she was happy to entertain herself by singing, looking at the scenaries, and asking questions about what she saw. Many parents tell us how perfect our daughter is -- and it's all because of this book. If you follow this book, you realize that good parenting doesn't mean providing passive entertainment for the child, but to provide environment where she can grow at her own pace and explore the world as it meant to be. This book changed our life for better, and made pareting easy for the first time parents like us.

This is a bizarre book in that some chapters made perfect sense and others completely missed the mark. For example, her ideas about cribs and diapers were very rigid and traditional in a bad way. She actually called the family bed a fad. That's one of the many places she totally lost me; that's ridiculous. Also, she assumes that parents will be diapering the baby for 3 years, not taking into account that most of the world does not diaper in the western way, but instead practices EC. Therefore her views on toilet training were very limited and underestimated the infant's capabilities. There's also a LOT of leaving the babies alone in this book, it was excessive. Other separate chapters, for example about taking your baby outside, or observing baby carefully were beautiful. I have never disagreed more and agreed more with ideas in the same book before. I think the ideas about letting child develop naturally at his/her own pace can be found better (without the bizarro stuff in between) in "You are your child's first teacher" which explains the good ideas in this book, such as avoiding battery operated toys and television for children and creating a peaceful environment.

Excellent book and a quick read. The author has "been there" in terms of working with people with developmental disabilities; he really makes us think about how we've segregated these folks from mainstream society in the name of taking care of them. They truly are people first, and the author's story helps change your perspective to see that.

One of the great hidden scandals of our time is the treatment of people with significant disabilities, who are subjected to actions and practices that for any other group would be considered disrespectful, prejudicial, abusive, and a clear violation of fundamental civil and human rights. Yet, the existence of such practices is either ignored, or worse yet, considered acceptable. "Raymond's Room" sheds some much needed light on this issue, and does so in a way that is truly engaging and thought-provoking. Dale DiLeo is to be applauded in his willingness to pull no punches in his critique of the all too often dysfunctional service system, as well as his own self-reflection and self-criticism regarding his role within this system. This book is a call to action for all social justice and human rights advocates, as well as a must read for anyone who considers themselves an advocate for people with disabilities.

I was eager to read this book and was not surprised that it paralleled many of my own experiences in the field. Dale shares valuable experiences and insights that people, whether they're in this field as professionals or not, need to know. I ended up buying a copy of this book for each of the graduate students in my "Disability Systems" course in the Rehabilitation Counseling Program at San Diego State University! This book will definitely go on our reading list for all our students as a "must read" item. Thanks Dale!

Because my career has paralleled Dale DiLeo's, I can testify that he's got it right. Thirty years ago many of us were insprired by leaders in the disability field who provided a vision for change based on a combination of the latest research and the civil rights movement of the 60s. What happened? Progress has been made incrementally, instead of the expected broad shifts in perspective. Federal law has provided direction, but the states have failed to implement the intent of federal legislation. Why? The disability services bureaucracy AKA the DIC (Disability Industrial Complex) has their fingerprints all over it! Thanks, Dale! FREE OUR PEOPLE!

This book has some very good information on the disabilities field and I plan on using it in my introductory course on disibilities. However while the author rails against the Disability Industrial Complex (DIC), he does not stress enough the real problem with servcies to people with disabilities in this country: their de-valued status which results in inadequate funding, low pay for service providers and extremely high turnover. There are too many "experts" in this field who have left management and direct service to become consultants; resulting in what could be called a Disability Consultant Complex (DCC). So while they may fill hotel meeting rooms for their presentations about what is wrong with the system, the reality is over half the people that attend these sessions will leave the field within one year's time. If more consultants stayed in the field to direct services, advocate politically and practice the philosophy, the service system could improve. There are simply too many people "talking the talk" in the disabilties field.

This is one of the books that you can say "Don't judge it by its cover". When you see it at first you could say "This is only for couples" but you will get wrong. It's excellent for couple adoptive parent like for single adoptive parent. It's very detailed, it even mention topics that not many adoption book covers. I highly recommend this to anyone that is looking for adoption either you are single or not.

Wow, this book is packed with information! It is an excellent starting point for anyone considering adopting.

This book provides a solid overview of the adoption process. However, it was written a decade ago, and much of the information is now out-of-date. For people considering international adoption, I'd recommend Dawn Davenport's book, The Complete Book of International Adoption. The two books are similar in content, but Davenport's is current. The Gilman book is still worthwhile, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

This book will forever be intimately associated with the happiest and most important part of my life.

For all those touched by adoption. Dispels the myths.
I also recommend:
For Late Discovery Adoptees: "Adoption Forum" by Kasey Hamner
For anyone touched or interested in a true-life story: "Whose Child?" by Kasey Hamner
"Primal Wound" by Nancy Verrier

I have been going through infertility treatment for two years. I have read a lot of information and talked to several doctors. This book, however, was the most informative literature that I have read yet. I learned things in this book about my infertility that I had not even heard mentioned from my doctors. Dr. Jansen did a wonderful job of explaining a wide range of infertility challenges and answered any question that I had. His book was easy to understand and filled with excellent information. I was able to use some of the information that I learned in this book to have intelligent conversations with my doctors and recommend treatments not suggested.

It is unfortunate that in this day of managed health care we, as consumers, often have to be researchers and take control of our own health care. However, it is to our advantage that we have wonderfully informative references such as this!

I bought this book in search of answer to my problems, and I found it. Along with my physician I have a beautiful three months old daughter after three years of wait. I think it ease my spirit.
The only problem is that it haslanguage that sometimes get too scientific to be understood.

I have been going through infertility treatment for two years. I have read a lot of information and talked to several doctors. This book, however, was the most informative literature that I have read yet. I learned things in this book about my infertility that I had not even heard mentioned from my doctors. Dr. Jansen did a wonderful job of explaining a wide range of infertility challenges and answered any question that I had. His book was easy to understand and filled with excellent information. I was able to use some of the information that I learned in this book to have intelligent conversations with my doctors and recommend treatments not suggested.

It is unfortunate that in this day of managed health care we, as consumers, often have to be researchers and take control of our own health care. However, it is to our advantage that we have wonderfully informative references such as this!

I have read and searched for answers from many sources. I found this book to be a wealth of information! The book is well set up. It goes into depth on specific problems as well going over the basics. The chapters and headings are labelled and organized well. And the index is very extensive and it is easy to find what you are looking for. The author is not only an expert in this field but also is able to get the information across so that readers without a medical degree can understand. I have been able to use this book in conjunction with receiving treatment from a fertility specialist. It confirms and helps me better understand what my doctor is doing. I highly recommend this book!

This is a comprehensive guide to the medical or technical aspects of infertility. It contains lots of helpful information about the mechanics of getting pregnant and explains in some detail what can prevent pregnancy from happening. It also discusses various forms of treatment, including IVF, GIFT and ZIFT. What prevents this book from being a top-notch fertility resource: (1) some of the information is already out-of-date due to advances in the field (for example, there's no discussion of Antagon, commonly used with injectable fertility meds and IVF, because Antagon was still being developed at the time the book went to print); (2) the author runs an Australian infertility clinic, and his take on the fertility process is somewhat different from his American counterparts (although he does occasionally mention what is commonly done in the US and Britain); (3) a somewhat cumbersome style - e.g. valuable information is taken out of the main text and put into boxes; extremely technical information is mixed in with the practical stuff a patient needs to know. There is lots of valuable information in the book, but you'll need to supplement it with your own research and other reading.

This book has completely educated me on what my eleven-year old son needs to know for his 6th year. I have read the book and can say that if everyone in the country knew everything in this book we would all be better off. As a matter of fact, I know very few adults that know one quarter of what is in this book. This has motivated me to add this to my son's daily routine. We work it together and have wonderful mom-son time alone. A book you can't do without!

This book was recommended to study for the CSET test for teacher licensing. I only bought this book to study for the Fine Arts and Music Section of the test. It is very easy to read, however, it is not a revised book like for grades 1 to 4. The reason I say this is because in the visual arts section, the paintings are not in color. I had difficulty trying to understand the lingo of art without seeing the color. Plus I am not a fan of art.

On page 239, the author talks about an African-American artist Henry O. Tanner and when the author writes "it would easy to imagine a story by looking at it"...I looked at it and still didn't understand the story. How can a regular person who has no experience in art be able to understand a painting?

On the same page, the author writes "light filetering in from the left makes a bright glow behind their heads, so that we tend to pay attention to this part of the painting." When I first look at the painting (black and white) I didn't notice the glowing heads...I noticed the father and son playing the banjo because they were only ones in black and white in the center of the picture! Many people have different ways of seeing art and how can an author says that "we tend to pay attention to..."?

I really enjoyed this book. This is a must for parents and teachers of a 6th grader (the grade level really does not matter). Categories covered are Language Arts, Geography/World & American Civilization, Fine Arts, Math, and Natural Sciences. What an excellent resource with key fundamentals in one book.

This is a great book with a wealth of information for upcomming teachers who have to take the teacher tests (this is how I found out about it). There is knowledge from standard English through music and the arts. It covers everything and is great for anyone looking to increase their knowledge of education.

I found this book and all of the Core Knowledge Series books to be very helpful. They allow parents to see what their child should be getting in each grade and add to the classroom education at home if needed. These books are full of common sense! My daughter has been in public elementary school as well as a private Episcopal Day School and the books are helpful in both circumstances.

Give your child the background on which the rest can be built.
Teach them the contents of the needs-to-know series, then the school text books will make sense.

This is an excellent book for those wishing to ensure that their child's school or home school curriculum is meeting a proper criteria for each grade level. The curricula is very specific and broken down by subject matter and grade level. It is an excellent companion book to The Educated Child by William J. Bennett. I plan to order one each for each of my children to ensure my grandchildren's schooling is up to par.

This is a must have resource to help you guide the education of your child, whether your child is educated at home or in a brick and mortar setting. A valuable aid in helping you get to the core of what your child should read in order to have a well-rounded education. It provides a generous list of books by grade level and subject, along with a summary of the books recommended. Simple and straight forward, it is an excellent place to start either building a homeschool curriculum, or supplementing a public/private school education for your child.

Millionaire in 365 Days: The Daily Plan to Get There

You have to help the kids, since the schols will not...here the the guide to all the sources.

I've been on a children's book and/or education kick, which has meant discovering for the first time the world of book guides for children. My intention is to only *buy* books of lasting home-library value; everything else, and there must be so much, can come from the public library. This book has exceeded all others in advising on what references, storybooks and educational resources belong in the home of a child who loves learning.

I recommend the NYTimes Books for Children and the The Read-Aloud Handbook book as well, but it's the Hirsch book, specifically the "Core Collection" recommendations, that has led me to the most interesting learning materials!

I also love that he's not afraid to refer to or at least mention quality out-of-print materials. What good is the Internet's vast book culture if not to find out-of-print materials that are wasting away on a back shelf in some store across the country? For example, he mentions a history series by Olive Beaupre Miller. I found a woman in Texas who was selling her set, they came yesterday, and man am I ever jealous! How come I didn't get to read those when *I* was younger? Another example of why I think OOP book should not be ignored in these kind of guides is a treasure I stumbled upon in a used bookstore the other day. "A Classical Storybook" by Morris Bishop is a treasure trove of Greek and Roman stories from the histories and poetry of the era. Enchanting! I went online, and as it turns out Morris Bishop was BFF with Vladmir Nabokov, was a hugely important Romantic literature scholar and apparently an altogether lovely man. Suffice it to say, I have ordered the medieval, Renaissance and Romantic storybooks for my children as well. If more reader guides mentioned these treasures of the past, I believe the spike in demand by interested parents would lead many of them to be reprinted. God love the profit motive!

Anyway, back to Hirsch: I'm relatively comfortable when it comes to identifying quality resources in the humanities, social sciences and liberal arts, but I'm a little foggier when it comes to most kinds of science and mathematics. I was thrilled to see that Hirsch gives those subjects their due as well, and I've already been thrilled to discover through him H.A. "Curious George" Rey's amazing books about constellations, astronomy and the night sky (The Stars: A New Way to See Them, Find the Constellations). What a treat!

I've been scribbling all over this book, taking notes, starring items and dog-earring pages. I can't say that's the case for most of the booklist books I've read, although expositionalish :) introduction to the Read-Aloud* guide will definitely been getting multiple reads from me.

Anyway, this book is highly admirable, and I hope it, itself, has many printings, revisions, expansions and future editions to come. Invaluable.

This is an easy book to implement right away. I made a recording sheet and it was easy to use the lessons to write the words from the word sorts. My kindergarten students have fun guessing what words I will give them next. It gives students experience with word families and looking for similarities in print. I'm very happy with the purchase. My only criticism is that I don't necessarily use the lessons in order beecause some of the earlier lessons ask students to sort more complicated rimes. In kindergarten I'm beginning with very simple ones.

I am currently student teaching and my cooperating teacher uses this book in her classroom. It is a great resource to have if you are teaching word families.

Judy Lynch has done it again! No surprize there!

If you enjoyed her first book, you will be thrilled with this one, and if you are discovering this Reading Expert for the first time. . .congratulations!

Nothing else I have worked with has come close to providing as successful instruction for word families. . .as this book does.
Lessons are sequential. Lessons are user-friendly. Lessons will make you want to teach them (and we all know as teachers that that doesn't always happen!) Lessons will leave your kids feeling successful as word family learners!

Make sure you get two copies so that you still have one when your teaching partner borrows yours and keeps it forever.

I recently switched to 2nd grade, so I bought this book to review phonics and spelling skills. However, I found the pages very similar to the Four-Block making words activities (by Carson Dellosa), which our school had already purchased. I ended up not using the book after I purchased it due to that fact. If you already have/use the Four-Block activites in your classroom, then this book would not benefit your class. If you don't have the Four-Block working with words book, then this would be a great substitute.

This is a well-structured book. Each lesson has a plan, as well as the example for how to use the lesson. Despite its structured layout, I find I don't like the sequence of word families. The first lesson goes from -at and -an right into -an and -ash followed by -am, families which I find too complicated to introduce that early in the study of word families. Also, the letter indentification component seems to be out of place for students who are ready to learn word families. If you teach kindergarten, this book won't be usable until probably mid-year, and by the middle of the book, the lessons are easily first grade material. Overall, I prefer the sequence in "Words Their Way" much more to the one presented in this book. If you want a set of canned word family lessons, you'll probably like this book, although the repetitive structure would be boring to students after awhile and you will still need supplemental materials. You get lessons here, but almost no ready-to-use material (mini-books, word sorts, etc, are NOT included). I think there are better resources available.