Education Books

I bought these books for my granddaughters and we have enjoyed them together. It's a wonderful way to encourage young artists to expand their talent. My daughter is a teacher and is excited to use them also.

These books are incredibly helpful for teaching art, and for a supplement to science and history. We use something else for handwriting but no matter - they are a huge asset even if you just use them for learning to draw. I highly recommend splurging and buying the whole set at once as it makes the cost of the books only $7.50 each (at $60 for a set of 8) and then you have a wide variety of subject matter handy when you need it. I must say that for whatever reason though, this item took forever to get to me. I love Amazon and had never, and have never again experienced such a long delay, but of couse it was well worth the wait!

We love these books. We home-school and have been using these books since the beginning of the school year. My two boys are older, 3rd and 5th grade, but we still use this to practice cursive writing and to work on basic drawing skills. It has really helped the boys to break down their drawing subjects in simple shapes. The kids really like the animals in the last few books. We would recommend these for any family.

This book set is engaging and fun for children. The books show pictures that were drawn by other children. Each lesson has an object or scene for drawing and writing. The lesson includes a picture which has about six to eight consecutive and detailed steps to help the child complete the picture. The child is encouraged to look at the whole picture and then focus on the simple and common shapes that are arranged together to complete the picture. There are teaching tips that are easy to implement. The writing portion of the book is suitable for younger, early elementary aged children, however the drawing portion of the book is suitable for older children as well as younger. It is easy to adapt the writing portion to meet the needs of the older child.

This is a well-rounded approach to developing fine motor skills and an inspirational resource for learning how to draw better. The only critical remark I have is that IMO it would have been better to have the handwriting samples in slanted 'modern' manuscript (a.k.a. d'nealian), rather than the standard manuscript. Graded levels of difficulty in handwriting copy work would also help. As it is, it seems that the drawings are relatively more complicated than the writing.

I really liked this book. It made you think about what would be the best way to set up a school really interested in helping studends learn. I was a little confused for a while that it was non-fiction but now know that it is fiction. Interesting way to use fiction to express ideas on education.

Josiah Bunting has written an incredibly thought provoking book on higher education. If you are a parent about to send your child to a Ivy League school, read this book...and weep. This is not the education that your child will receive.

Josiah Bunting takes a unique approach to the problems of American education and society in general. A millionaire philanthropist has left funds for the creation of his "dream college".Concerned with the training of mind, body, and soul, this college has as its' main goal the creation of disinterested servants of the nation. I can't praise this book enough. As a teacher, I particularly liked the chapter entitled "Who Shall Lead Them"? The ideas about what defines effective teaching and engaged learning will inspire all teachers even if Generlal Bunting's college never becomes a reality.

Bunting uses the incredibly wonderful "letters" of a billionaire and the "writer" to outline a wonderful vision of what education could be. Because it's embedded in a story, Bunting is able to be much stronger than he might have been able to be in others forms.

This book is both challenging and great to read. I highly recommend it!

General Bunting sets forth his ideas for an education that will prepare our students to be "virtuous and disinterested citizens and leaders of the Republic." Were any American college or university to adopt this work as a blueprint for their curriculum and operation, our country's state of being would improve almost overnight simply for gaining such leaders. This book is an absolute "must read" for the educator, historian, and patriot who wishes more for themeselves, their communities, and their country.

This story is superb in conveying the message that no matter what we do in life, it's helping others and being a good friend that matters most. The story is funny and entertaining and Ella, center-stage, keeps it sweet!

This book is far from bad - the illustrations are well done, and it has a positive message - but it's not nearly as good as the first two books. There are too many side characters, some of the pages just seem like filler, and the use of her hat is forced and un-magical.

If you can only buy one Ella book, get the second one, "Ella Takes the Cake". My daughter loves the map.

Great book. We read this with our kindergarten-aged son because he was terrified of his school's upcoming performance. We even bought a few copies for his teachers and they agreed to let him, like Ella, serve the production behind the scenes. He had a blast and didn't feel left out at all... thanks to Ella.

Cute, animated story that demonstrates to readers of all ages that if you put your mind to what ever is your trying to do, you'll figure out the answer. It's about the journey and the lessons along the way. Easy book to engage kids into; identifying with Ella, etc. Fun!

I really love the "Ella" series... The books are nice and sweet, and presents a marvelously imagined, self-contained world that will strongly appeal to little kids. It has a similar feel to the "Curious George" and "Babar" books, except without all the weird, disturbing undertones that make those classics a bit troublesome. A great choice for some fun books that you don't have to worry about. (ReadThatAgain)

Anyone who cares in the least about the future of our country needs to read this book. You want to laugh, and cry, but most of all you want to scream at the wasted minds, wasted money, and wasted lives adrift in a sea of despair. It's an insight you won't get any other way. (As a Pennsylvania taxpayer, I'd like to know why we have scarcely a farthing to really fix this problem, but all the money in the world for prisons?)

Every teacher should read this book, especially if you have ever taught in Philadelphia public schools. Asquith kept me turning the pages to see what the students were going to do next. Thank you, Christina, for writing a book that shows what it is really like in many Philly middle schools.
Buy it, read it, share it!!

This book chronicles the year a young woman spent as an inner-city Philadelphia sixth-grade teacher. She came to this position during a recruiting campaign, which the city began when they realized that it was the middle of the summer and they still had more than 10% vacancies with their qualified candidates already exhausted. Scraping the bottom of the barrel, the school district accepted individuals with no experience or background in education, just trying to get bodies in the classrooms. Asquith is a journalist who would like to change students' lives, but is concerned with the fact that as the year begins she has no training, staff development, or idea what is going on.

Quote: "What happened to the teacher who taught here last year?" "He left. He refused to ask for help. He thought he was Jaime Escalante or something."

This is an excellent work, although I don't know if it would have the same appeal for a non-teacher. Asquith's year has its ups and downs, successes and failures, which makes "The Emergency Teacher" a well-balanced work. It is neither a rainbows and sunshine story, nor a doom and gloom story, but one that seems typical of a new teacher. It also makes some important political points about the use of teachers without the appropriate certification- Asquith makes the point that while these individuals are important to school systems that are in need of help, it is also important for the school and the school system to support these individuals with some training, development, et cetera, instead of just throwing the people into the fire and walking away.

The Emergency Teacher by Christina Asquith (a former reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, published works in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Chronicle of Higher Education with a master's degree in Educational Philosophy from the London School of Economics and Politics) is an engaging story of the struggle one woman faced when first entering the education field. From a corrupt principle, to the unwarranted approval of student's grades, The Emergency Teacher takes the reader through the many mental and psychological barriers which Asquith needed to overcome when faced with the reality of the inner-city schooling. The Emergency Teacher is very strongly recommended reading for all novice teachers for its ability to relate to them what they might expect when first entering (ore re-entering) the realities of classroom teaching. The Emergency Teacher is also good and informative reading for non-specialist general readers with an interest in contemporary public education.

Before I start, I have a question. Who proofread this book? I started reading in a casual manner and, aside from the punctuation mistakes, there were many glaring grammar mistakes. As a journalist, Ms. Asquith should have spent a little more time proofreading. It was so distracting. It got to the point where I was actually looking for mistakes, yellow highlighter in hand! I wasn't reading the book! I had to reread the chapters so it took longer to read this book. And, to top it off, she taught English! To non-speakers! But, according to her book, she posted students' work in the hallway and there were several mistakes on completed work.

Yes, just like any first-year teacher, Ms. Asquith made a lot of mistakes during her year of teaching. You can get an idea of what happens within an urban school district but not every urban school district or urban school is the same. In fact, I have worked in the same area as Ms. Asquith for the past seven years and each year is completely different. I keep an on-going notebook of what works and what doesn't. I guess the one thing that saddens me the most is that this was her only year of teaching. She didn't give teaching a chance. I know the circumstances (no books, no supplies, no hands-on mentor) were tough but, by the first report period, she should have just given up. "Failure is not an option" was the principal's mantra, not Ms. Asquith's. Instead, Ms. Asquith can now go around and tell people that she tried her best but the system failed her and the students.

Covering educational "fluff" pieces for a daily newspaper isn't the same as going into the trenches and living it on a daily basis. It's all politics. They'll only let you see what they want you to see! That's why you never hear about the lockdowns or the drug busts or the shootings. It's all in the spin.

Wow! I'm so glad this book is still a hit. I still have the one that was issued to me in 1975 in ninth grade English. I have used it ever since, including for my bachelor's and two master's degrees. The spine is faded pink from sitting in the sun on my reference bookshelf for the last 33 years. This book is single best source you can find for grammar specifics; language structure; expository writing; or tweaking your writing for the essay section on the SAT or a back-to-school paper. A true treasure that is as useful today as it was long ago.

This book was issued to me in my senior year in high school in 1976. I have kept it by my side, has helped me through my college years and then with my children, and now that I have decided to go back to school and am studying translation, I have taken it out of the bookshelf once again because the books we were assigned do not even come close to the perfection (in my idea) of this book. It has traveled with me through the different countries that I have lived in. It is truly a jewel of a book as far as how it is organized, explained and the exercises are very helpful to reinforce what you are trying to learn.

I purchased this book to add to my library after reading several reviews on Amazon. The book has some valuable information, but you can obtain most of the same information from Strunk & White's "The Elements of Style."

I have the 1965 (!) version of this book! I used it in GRADE SCHOOL. I used it as a reference in HIGH SCHOOL. I used it as a reference in COLLEGE. I used it as a reference in GRADUATE SCHOOL. My daughters used it (as a reference) in GRADE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE and now GRADUATE SCHOOL. My son is now using it! During homework, there was always a call for "Dad, can I borrow that red English book?" There isn't anything else like it, not today. It explains, illustrates and gives practical examples of English like no other textbook. it's built as a REFERENCE TEXTBOOK, something few books do today. Textbooks used to be like this once. I was on Amazon and wondered by chance if it were still available, I'd like to get an updated copy. I was stunned to not only find one, but find that every single reviewer felt that same way about this book! You absolutely MUST have this as part of your personal reference along with you home medical books and such! When your child asks, "So, dad, mom- is it "lay" or "lie?" - you'll go running for this book, I guarantee!

I picked up this book after it was recommended by Stephen King in his book "On Writing" pages 121-122 (hardback). Mr. King was right, this is a good book and it has everything you need to become a good writer. I have not reached that point yet, but I know I will eventually get there with the help of this book.

This book has lots of good ideas that can be implemented in writing workshops for any age.

This book gives great ideas on how to stimulate your child's interest in writing it's ideas are so practical and user friendly that anyone can start to apply it right away.

This is a great book. I just received it and have put it to good use with my students. I look forward to using it with my own children too!

I wish I had had this book when my son was younger. He learned to read and do math at grade level, but not writing. After I read this book in the library I decided to purchase it so I could work with him in the summer on improving his writing skills. This is a great book if your child is not having other learning disabilities, but struggles with writing.

This is a wonderful book for the homeschooling environment. First, the author is a tutor for children struggling with public school methods, so she offers enjoyable, imaginative alternatives to the plug and chug kids get in school. Second, as a tutor, the author works with children primarily one-on-one. These games, therefore, lend themselves naturally to the experience of home schooling. Third, the author provides meaningful explanation of the kinds of writing and thinking skills each game addresses; in this sense, these games are more than games. Finally, many of these games can be tied in easily to whatever other content you may be covering at the moment. For example, I found a wonderful game in here that I plan on using when my son and I cover the artistic concept of "line". I also appreciate the chart in the back of the book that categorizes each game according to grade level.

On the whole, the author takes a "bottom up" approach to writing. Ditch the spelling tests and grammar grind for now, and teach kids to love writing by providing writing exercises that they'll love. She respects and celebrates the kidness of kids.

You can really get several years of use out of this book, even with no other writing book.

Who doesn't like Cliff Notes? We used them to help our kids do several projects for Language Arts class. Teachers assigned a lot of projects and they were difficult...this helped a great deal for different ideas and angles on the story.

This is a book for all ages. Although the book is at a low reading level, it has a universal concept of difference and the effect on the world today, that is better used even as a high school student or adult. The Giver is undoubtedly one of the best books I have ever read,and it has educated me on how differences are so important, although cliche, this brings a new meaning to conformity and a world without differences. The first word that comes to mind about this book is beauty, although in this case, that comes to me with the unsettling feeling of this perhaps a truth of the future.

I have always wondered what this book was about, and I finally found the time to read it for a LA project. The author used a lot of imagination and was very creative when she formed the perfect world that Jonas lived in. This book has some good morals behind it, but I think it is rather dull and could use more suspense. I was very disappointed with the shortness of the book and the ending. Even though I do enjoy making up endings on my own, Lois Lowry has stopped the book right at the climax. I believe that she should have elaborated and given more information that would help bring the story to a wonderful ending. Over all this book is a great book to read for pleasure.

I like the book it is different, because of the way she uses the different world how they can't make different choices. I thought that she used new words to express the feelings about Jonas and The Giver. I also thought that she used the advantage of them not having choices, because it made them realised that "Elswhere" really exixted.
I didn't like the ending it was making me hang of the edge of my seat. It made me think about the ending and how Jonas got to elsewhere. She needs more of the ending or the sequel to the book. I do agree about the way she described about not having a sequal though.

My teacher read this book to us in English class for a unit. I really liked this book because it makes you think or imagine what could have happened to Jonas and Gabe. I know in my class when we finished the book, my teacher asked us what we thought happened at the end, so we all gave our ideas. Some kids said that he got a job or got married or died. Anything could have happened to them. Thats why I liked this book.

Having completed a B.A. degree in youth ministry, no textbook was more influential for my ministry than this one. I read it again and again to remember why I chose the career path I did. Far from explaining "how to" of "what", this book inspires the reader to answer the question "why". Not a model of ministry, but a theology of transforming lives. Reading this book helps me remember my roots. A practical guide to build a foundation of incarnational theology to youth. In other words, this book helps its reader live as Jesus calls us to.

Working with teenagers in a Catholic highschool, I needed this information and all the stories that went with each theme.I not only was encouraged and inspired by this book,but informed so that I can share this information with those who teach in my department. THANK YOU!

This book, more than any other I have read to date, describes the changes that must take place as youth ministry enters the 21st century. The authors focus upon the necessity of having spiritual, youth relationships rather than just social, youth recreation. The crying need today is for churches to minister as only they can do to the emptiness young people face in their lives. Rather than competing with secular programming, Christian youth ministries are called to offer something entirely different from the secular world.

The authors describe in detail various measures to be taken that will energize youth in their Christian faith. This title is far from a book of programming ideas, but rather a very readable volume of philosophy and theology on youth ministry. I recommend it highly to all youth pastors, and other Christian professionals who will interact with teenagers on a regular basis.

This book reminds those in youth ministry why we are here: to be "God-bearers" to the youth whose lives we are entrusted with. This book is not about methods, how to grow a youth groups, or how to impress the rest of your church. This book is about realizing that at the core, youth ministry exists in order that we can form authentic relationships with young people. This book is a great read for a new youth pastor in order to make sure you have the correct focus in ministry. It would also make an exceptionally good read for the youth pastor who doesn't feel "successful" in youth ministry. Reading this book will encourage you and strip you away from the pragmatic standards of success and remind you that youth ministry only needs to have one authentic relationship with a young person in order for it to be successful.

I didn't give this book five stars because of the way in which it deals with Mary and some of the extra-biblical assumptions it makes. I found this part to be molded to fit the authors' desired point. Neverthless, this was a fairly minor drawback for me and I believe that every youth minister needs to read this book.

While the focus is on youth ministry, the ideas and principles in this book should be read by anybody who is a minister within the church. The "radical" idea of the book is that the church should be focused on changing the heart of people and society in order for all people to reach and strive for a relationship with God.
If you are looking for another gimmick in order to make a youth ministry program grow, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a book in how to minister to youth, thier families and the people who work with them, then this needs to be on your shelf.

An absolutely wonderful book even if you aren't interested in pursuing an assistance dog it is a must read. The authors ability to share not only her family's experience but others as well is deeply touching. I found it informative, educational and heartwarming.

Patty Dobbs Gross presents an inspirational story of her personal struggle and triumphs as she tries to find the best resources for her son with autism, one of which is a service dog. Patty is honest and direct as she explains her feelings of isolation, frustration, and sometimes even anger and embarrassment with friends, the school system and Danny's peer group. Later chapters in the book focus on training and incorporating service dogs into the lives of children with developmental disabilities. These chapters are contributed by experts in their fields and should act as a model for any service dog organization.

This is the definitive text on the use of assistance dogs for autism from an author who has placed more dogs for autism in the United States than anyone else. She speaks with authority and the compassion of a mother who has raised a child with autism through the assistance of a service dog. I highly recommend this book to all those with a family member who is affected by autism.

This was a great book with a great deal of useful information. My only caution is that you need a box of Kleenex when you read some sections...it is very moving. This book gives great insight into how a well trained dog can help with an Autistic child. It also gives useful information on how to train a dog to work with an autistic child but it is not a do it yourself book...professional help is needed.

I bought this book to help guide us through the process of possibly getting a dog to help our 4-year old son w/ autism. What I found is that this book is so beautifully written, touching on the very essence of living in a family with a child who has a disability. It's inspirational, heart-breakingly true, yet heart-warming and realistic. I highly recommend it for all parents or older siblings of family members with autism.

Angel loves doing art, but is still finding her place within the scope of it all. Her work is labeled "whimsical", but she wants to up it to "realistic". However, when bad boy Miguel approaches her saying she has the perfect style to be a great graffiti artist, well, what else can Angel do but say yes to lessons? But as the days go on, she gets wrapped up more and more in the sometimes seedy underbelly of the world of graffiti art. Will she be able to pull herself out before it's too late?

I really enjoyed this book. Told in a very raw, honest, and realistic way, this novel portrays the Latino culture in a way I don't think I've seen before in YA literature. The events in this novel feel very real and make you invest so much into Angel and her life, leading up to a killer climax. I almost cried while reading this book and that is extremely hard for someone to do. This book is highly recommended.

The Sista Hood: On the MicAngel reminded me of myself as a young girl writing in California. Kelly felicidades on your first novel, it's great to see Latinas writing postive novels about subjects that young people can relate to. I felt you weaved Angel's personal journey as a writer and growing young women with humor, realness and craft.

Parra weaves the conflict of a races, multi-hertiage, and defining one's identity in this fast-paced novel. Labeled YA, the novel can be enjoyed by a broad range of ages. It is difficult to believe this is Parra's debut work--such a terrific job!

Personally, I will never see graffiti the same since reading of Angel's struggles. While the book began a bit slow for me, the pace heightens quickly and won't let you go. The situations are real, so are the conflicts and the decisions that Angel faces throughout her journey. Parra has a fantastic YA voice, and I look forward to her next creation!

I read this book in two sittings, which should tell you that it was downright entertaining.

Graffiti Girl is labeled young adult, but the themes in the story can appeal to a much broader audience. The protagonist, Angel Rodriguez, is a young artist who has an incredible need to express herself, yet struggles to embrace her unique style. She jumps right off the page-the kind of tough, sweet heroine who isn't concerned with prom dresses and makeup. Angel has real issues, driving internal conflict, and a message. She'll stay in your thoughts a long time after you finish her story.

Parra creates a seamless balance between the edgy and wholesome-an accurate description of setting in a racially diverse, small town high school. The prose is snappy and clean without being weighted down by excessive slang or references to pop culture, something a writer with less experience might use to remind us that we are reading contemporary fiction.

Well written, and well worth my time. I'll be looking out for Parra's next.

Angel is a teenage girl whose life, or much of it, at least, is about her art. She loves art, but when she enters a contest for a mural, and doesn't win, she's more than a little disappointed. In her disappointment, Angel turns to another form of art, one that's more often than not practiced illegally: graffiti.

Miguel shows her his artwork, his graffiti, and even lets her into his graffiti crew, Reyes del Norte. She finds her voice in graffiti, and also finds herself drawn more and more to Miguel.

However, Miguel's not the only guy in the picture. Nathan is a much more clean-cut, wholesome guy, whose art is a lot more conventional, too; he won the mural contest that Angel wanted to win.

To say Nathan and Miguel don't get along is an understatement. And with both of them taking a rather sudden interest in Angel, their rivalry is getting even more intense. What side in it all will Angel pick--and will she stay true to herself and her art?

I was very excited to pick up this book; the summary sounds pretty great, and also really original. For the most part, GRAFFITI GIRL lived up to my expectations and was pretty awesome!

I love the characters, especially Angel, and I was impressed with the way the difficult decisions Angel had to make were realistically fuzzy and grey rather than clearly black and white, the way these sorts of choices (picking between two guys, for example) so often are to the reader.

The writing in the story was excellent, and the subject matter was fresh and interesting, making this story well worth reading. Kelly Parra is an impressive new voice in YA literature--keep an eye out!

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce