Education Books

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

You've Got Manners is a delightful, creative book which makes learning manners a fun and interesting "game" for children of all ages. It can be used as a learning tool whether at the dinner table, eating out or traveling, and all family members can participate. I love the author's use of illustrations and vivid primary colors which are instrumental in keeping a child's attention. The author also cleverly incorporated another learning tool, the alphabet. I can unequivocally recommend You've Got Manners for every family's library.

The charming characters, bright colors, and friendly verse make this book a delightful learning experience into the world of manners, for children young and old. I recommend it highly.

This book is an excellent way to introduce children to table manners. It's fun style and examples make learning fun!

I ordered this book for my young granddaughter who, at nearly 3 years of age, is ready to consider simple discussion of table manners. I am generally delighted with the book and believe it is one that can grow with a child, having applications even into adulthood.

I was startled, however, to find lie-lay errors on pp. 7 and 55. I also note numerous other small changes that would greatly improve a future edition. For example, some pages are written in the imperative, some are written in the declarative....some are in the third person, some are in the second person, and at least one (p. 44) slips into the first person plural. In addition, frequent use of unnecessary quotation marks is distracting.

The book fills an important niche in a child's library, but it is limited by the above weaknesses. I do not mean to be critical....I have corrected pp. 7 and 55 in my edition and will enjoy this charmingly illustrated book with my granddaughter. You could do the same.

Christy Miller can't wait to finally see summer-fling Todd again. She plans to spend every moment of her Christmas break in Newport Beach making up for the long months they have spent apart. However, in YOURS FOREVER, the third book in Robin Jones Gunn's Christy Miller series, she finds all of her carefully-laid plans falling to pieces.

Christy wants to spend Christmas morning having a romantic picnic on the beach with Todd, as they had always done during the summer. However, Christy's strict parents are not about to let her on any kind of date until she turns 16, and the picnic becomes much less romantic as it is chaperoned by her younger brother David. The morning proves to be a complete disaster --- her carefully cooked breakfast is destroyed and Todd opts to spend his time surfing with David.

It's not only her parents and their rules that are a problem; Todd doesn't appear quite as interested in her as she had hoped. In fact, he seems to be going out of his way to avoid her. She desperately tries to capture his attention, but each attempt only draws her further away from Todd, her friends and her family.

However, Todd isn't the only one who's been acting strangely. Christy herself hasn't mentioned the large amount of time she's been spending with heartthrob Rick Doyle back home. Confused and jealous, Christy takes a bad piece of advice that threatens her relationship with both Todd and best friend Tracy. At the same time, Christy's relationship with her family becomes even more strained, as she struggles for more independence and learns some well-hidden family secrets. However, a letter from a surprising source may be just what Christy needs to strengthen her relationship with Todd, understand her often confusing family and renew her faith in God.

YOURS FOREVER is certain to please fans of the Christy Miller series. Readers will be glad to have Todd back on the scene following his notable absence from A WHISPER AND A WISH. While not moving as fast as the previous two installments, or advancing Christy's story very much, the book still tackles some important issues about relationships --- especially those between friends and family. It doesn't follow the typical plot lines of a teen novel, and readers may be either pleased with or frustrated by the very unconventional relationship between Todd and Christy.

Still, YOURS FOREVER is an enjoyable read that is much on par with the rest of the series. A surprise twist at the end will leave audiences anxiously awaiting more of Christy Miller's adventures.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

So so so sweet! I will never stop reading Christy, they're so amazing! Christy and Todd are the sweetest, and they're so cute together. You are cheering for them to get together. I love the breakfast on the beach!

This book is so good! I read it about 5 times in a row while waiting for the next book. you just fall in love with Todd and become best friends with Christy. I encourage all girls to read this that are from ages 12 and up. You'll get attached!

This book is so so good, the picnic on the beach,the New Years' kiss, Oh so romatic with a Christian point of view. These are just a few reasons I started reading the Christy Miller series, but my first book was Sierra Jensen series, and from then on it was them and nothing else I don't read any other books but these. Mrs.Gunn I think you are a very great writer but one thing what happened to Paul and Sierra? Please write more or have them made into movies or something. But no matter how you look at it these books rule. Thanks agin Mrs.Gunn

This book rocks! The whole series is great, but this book shows what true do for eachother. Christy finds it difficult to live with the realization that she and Todd are just friends. She soon learns, though, that it's better to have him as a friend. A true friend forever.

The school I began teaching out is a small, rural high school that has no mentoring program. In lieu of such a program, the principal gave each of us new teachers 101 "ANSWERS" FOR NEW TEACHERS AND THEIR MENTORS which we read through and discussed together during our first year on the job. The book is a combination self-help/encouragement book. The 101 "answers" in the book are basically just tips for teachers who are starting out in their careers. The sections in the book are divided up into six categories: classroom management, planning, instruction, professionalism, motivation and rapport, and a teacher's influence. Most of the "answers" are words of encouragement. Overall the book is directed more towards elementary teachers than secondary teachers. Some of the situations and advice given just aren't applicable with high school students. I did find a few of the tips in the classroom management and planning section to be useful, such as giving students productive bellwork to work on at the beginning of class. However, tips like these that I actually found helpful, are only a handful of the 101 "answers." Most of the "answers" have to do with things like reminding yourself why you went into education, treat everyone you meet with respect, you are making a difference, and Rah! Rah! Rah! Go Team! Go!, you can make it after all. Overall, this is just an average advice and encouragement book directed more towards elementary teachers than those at the middle school and secondary level.

We have purchased this book for the last three years for all of our new teachers. In addition we are purchasing it this year for every mentor in our district. It is an excellent resource for new teachers as they experience the range of situations presented to them in their teaching environment as rookies. It is a practial resource for mentors and a reminder of their importance. Many of the practial tips are used in our induction program and as conversation topics at monthly support meetings. In my opinion, this book is a must have for every teacher!

This is one of the best books I could have ever bought. I am a student teacher right now and I learned a variety of strategies just from reading this book. It makes you want to just go out and conquor the classroom. I would reccommend any teacher, or prospective teachers to buy this book! It is wonderful. Thank you Ms. Breaux!

Hands down, the best book for teachers on the market. Very practical and extremely user-friendly. I ordered a copy for all of my teachers - not just the new ones and mentors. The `Answers' in this book are for EVERYONE.

I like this book because I feel it is very important for all teachers, whether or not they are mentors or beginners, to remember what it is like to be a new teacher. I think that everyone can benefit from being reminded how to act appropriately with their students and their fellow teachers. The tips presented in the book are easily accessible and easily implemented.

I have also had the pleasure of hearing Ms. Breaux speak and was very impressed. She speaks like she writes!

I purchased a book for every teacher. Their responses have been very positive. It has renewed the spirit of the veteran teachers and has provided another learning tool for the new teachers. Thanks to Annette Breaux for this common sense book!

Our family and circle of friends have a wide variety of kids' ages, from two years old to fourteen. This book contains many activities that can be split up among age/capabilities of the kids involved, making it both useful and fun for everyone. Even older kids outside of the recommended play activities can participate by helping get things ready for the younger kids.
There's very little that can't be set up during the course of an average toddler's nap time, another plus. Highly recommended for anyone who needs to wrangle a diverse age/capability group on a weekend afternoon.

I wish I would have known about this book earlier. We could have been having this much fun sooner! My son is turning 3 and it is perfect for him. The layout of the book is great. It lists the supplies you need, details variations you might opt for, and lists resources.

I really like the resources being listed. I plan themed days in advance and I look for the books and/or videos listed in the resources at the local library to help with the theme for that day. For example if it is "airplane day" I look up books and videos on airplanes at the library so we can learn about them before we dive into the other activities.

At first I thought "wow this book has so many themed day I will never have time to do everything listed". Now I see that some themes really only work planned in advance but others work well at last notice. I mean we all know with toddlers events are unpredictable!!

Great book for anyone with children or those caring for them.

Well organized. Comprehensive. Creative. An excellent resource for teachers, parents, and caregivers. As a mother of girls aged 4 years 9 months and 3 years, I was searching for activities that they both would enjoy and that I could adapt to their different levels of development. This book is a lifesaver! For each theme, the author, Pamela Waterman, provides several Art projects with simple instructions, a few Indoor activities, suggested Musical activities or songs to sing, activities to do Outdoors, Books to check out from the library or buy, Videos to rent or buy, and special snacks to make. All theme related. Most using supplies that are easily found around the home or inexpensive to purchase. There is even a section called Hints for Your Own Situation that includes tips for older children. You can follow the themes from A to Z, or skip around to various favorites as I do. With 52 Weeks of Themes, here are a few:
Astronomy
Bugs
Circus
Detectives
Firefighting
Hair
Musical Instruments
Pirates
Restaurant
Surprises!
Theater
Wheels
Zoo

I was pleased to receive my copy of this book as it provided me with many valuable tips, games and ideas to occupy two very active children and their friends.

The style of the book is easy and comfortable, giving valuable advice in how to constructively occupy growing minds in an appealing manner.

The children, and their friends, have enjoyed many of the activities, so far, and I'm sure will continue to do so.

Thanks to Ms Waterman for this invaluable resource.

Absolute Best Play Days, by Pamela Waterman, is an extremely valuable resource for planning themed activities for children. This is a book that we librarians will use to get ideas for our 2-to-6-year-old story times. We like to structure our story times around various themes and the ideas presented in this book are great--really creative--and also very do-able! That's definitely a plus! Thanks!

It has been said there are three approaches to dealing with mistakes: Dumb people make mistakes and do not learn from their mistakes; smart people learn from their mistakes, and really smart people learn from the mistakes of others.

Dr. Deryl Leaming provides that third approach in a way. This is not to say he made mistakes in his many years as a college administrator, but his excellent book does provide the reader the opportunity to learn from his significant experience.

He has been there, done that, so to speak, when it comes to leadership in heading a program.

His latest work deals with all the key aspects of being a university department chairperson -- legal issues, faculty matters from hiring effective faculty to dealing with faculty problems, and student matters.

Through the tips in his book he provides experience-based advice that can be of significant benefit to the new or even veteran department head.
He has been a university professor, department chairperson, director of a school of journalism and dean of liberal arts. The reader of this second edition of his academic leadership book can learn from his experience to avoid mistakes in leading a department.

He covers a great deal of advice on procedures, including a number of forms that will be useful.

This second edition is a good read and provides practical advice, particularly for the new department chairperson.

REVIEWER: Ralph J. Turner, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Marshall University
lph J. Turner, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Marshall University

This second edition of Academic Leadership: A Practical Guide to Chairing the Department is an extraordinarily comprehensive treatment of ways to address the variety of challenges facing department chairpersons in institutions from all types and sectors of higher education. The author, Deryl Leaming, provides an inviting and accessible style of writing that joins abundant references from relevant authorities with occasional episodes from his personal experience of several decades as chair and dean at some four different institutions. The result is a preeminently practical primer that will give new department chairs a valuable roadmap to success in a notoriously difficult position. It is excellent reading for those contemplating serving as a department chairperson or other academic leader. The volume is so comprehensive that even experienced chairpersons will find the book to provide a helpful review of ways to meet their responsibilities and challenges.

This new volume is almost twice as long as its predecessor, offering an expanded treatment of issues raised in the first edition and reflecting more emphasis upon the complexities of today's financial realities. Major sections deal with common concerns about leadership, handling matters of department vision and management, addressing legal issues, contending with a large variety of faculty and student matters, as well as attending to one's own career. The 30 chapters are compact and quite accessible. All are useful and contain lists of web and print resources. I particularly appreciated the units on sexual harassment and the implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as the one on dealing with chronic low achievers. Some 17 appendices provide helpful examples of different policy guidelines and methods of communication.

Anker Publishing has a large variety of often-expensive volumes for academic leaders. Some overlap and others lack originality or comprehensiveness. By contrast, this is a stand-out value that will set a standard for some time to come.

Dr. Leaming is truely a gifted writer and instructor. He has given more to his students than some are capable of comprehending. The books he has written and his experiences throughout his life make him a special gift to all who read his work or get to know him. He is an extremely precious gift to his students. He goes out of his way to encourage and teach his students. He makes sure his students are preparing for life within their current level,but more importantly,for their future endeavors. A gifted person who only wants to share what he knows in the hopes of helping others.

I wish the dean had given me this book a year ago. It would have made my life much easier. The book is easy to read and has solid ideas on how to be a more effective chairperson.

If only I could get some of the administrators of my university to read the book!

I am not only new to academic leadership, but I am new to this country. Deryl Leaming's book has served as an enlightening guide for me, and has helped me earn the assistance and respect of my faculty. This book is among the best investments I have made in my academic career. Thank you.

I recieved Aeschylus: Agamemnon right on time and it was crisp and new!

First in a trilogy about the return of the Greeks after the Trojan War. Powerful stuff. Such horrors and tragedy as only the Greeks can master. Agamemnon's father killed his brother's children and set their flesh before him to eat, unknowingly. Agamemnon himself killed his own daughter as a sacrifice to the gods for success in the Trojan War, and when he comes home after ten years (which is where the action begins), his wife, Clytemnestra, stabs him to death in a plot with Aegisthus who was the son of the father who ate his children, and in the next part, Orestes, Agamemnon's son will return and kill them both. Please don't think I'm giving away plot here. Plot is not the point, the writing of it is all. To see it staged by first-rate actors must be a real thrill indeed.

It would be good to have two years of college Greek behind you before starting on Denniston and Page's AGAMEMNON, a Greek text with modern commentary. As a single-volume edition for students, this one could not be bettered: everything is explained and difficult passages are translated in the notes -- about three lines a page are difficult enough to require this treatment. And I mean difficult for everyone, the world's greatest Greek scholars included. The difficulties are very thoroughly discussed. Another reviewer here has said Denniston and Page are dogmatic; not at all: they point out where passages are unclear, disagreed about by scholars, or outright lost. Most of the choruses contain passages so distorted scholars have to guess at what was written, and (assuming their guess is right) exactly what the passages mean. Aeschylus writes a little like Shakespeare in MACBETH: very poetically and not always clearly. In spite of all this, passages, sometimes quite long, of powerful poetry leap out of the page. The play has been compared to KING LEAR and called, along with LEAR, one of the two best tragedies of all time. What's more, it makes you feel, even with Denniston and Page's constant help, that you can really understand Greek if you can understand lines from this play.

I always liked Homer and Sophocles, but I still have a preference for Aeschylus. What makes "Agamemnon" such a great story is that not only is it a story in itself, but it is only part 1 of the trilogy. (Part 2 is "Libation Bearers" and Part 3 is "The Eumenides.") Now "Agamemnon" was of course written centuries before Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida." Nevertheless, the events of "Agamemnon" take place after Shakespeare's play. If you read that play by Shakespeare, you know that it deals with the last stages of the Trojan War. In Shakespeare's play, Agamemnon is pictured as a reasonable and competent king who is frustrated at the length of the war, is repulsed by the vanity of Achilles, and shows reasonable strength in diplomacy. Onto the material at hand. The chorus is basically a group of older men who can comment on the situations, but they can't really interfere. (Kind of like the narrator in a play.) The chorus tells us that Troy has fallen and Greece is triumphant. We then meet Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra. She blames Agamemnon for the death of her child Iphigenia. So, she naturally wants to kill Agamemnon. The chorus seems to admit it was strange that the war was fought over the abduction of Helen who was a willing prisoner. Nevertheless, the chorus sides with Agamemnon when he arrives. But an Isaac Asimov proverb seems to explain this nicely: "Such a keen sense of honor is often praised by those who are safe at home." But of course, it is a different story to those who are directly involved. But of course, almost any time romance is involved, the voice and sense of reason take a vacation. Moving on, Agamemnon seems to be a good king in showing his piety in the light of victory. But there is one flaw. He has kidnapped Hector's sister Cassandra. (She was a virgin priestess to Apollo, and that would be the equivalent of kidnapping a nun for the purposes of pleasure.) Cassandra has the gift of prophecy, but because she tried to run with Apollo's gift 'without paying for it' Apollo cursed her in that no one would believe her prophecies. Showing reason, she curses Paris for starting the war with the utterly stupid kidnapping, and she tries to tell that Clytemnestra is plotting against Agamemnon, but of course no one will listen. She also tells of how Orestes will avenge his father and kill Clytemnestra (in Part 2). But back to the main plot. Clytemnestra plays the devil and uses Agamemnon's vanity against him which leads to his destruction. (How disturbing that vanity was the downfall of many men centuries ago and often still is.) In comes Clytemnestra's Aegisthus. He talks of the crimes of Agamemnon's father against his father. What happened was Aegithus's father slept with Agamemnon's father's wife. In revenge, Agamemnon's father tricked Aegithus's father into eating the flesh of his own son. The theme of revenge is further emphasized. It is of course a never ending circle. Though I do find it interesting that Aegithus finds it fit that Agamemnon suffers for the crimes of his father. (YET IT WAS AEGITHUS'S FATHER WHO STARTED IT!) So Aegithus and Clytemnestra can be together now. But of course, we know in Part 2, they will get their comeuppance. Overall, it's a great story that emphasizes the evils and the seeming eternity of revenge.

[Note: This edition is a text in ANCIENT GREEK with notes in English. It has no text in English if you are looking for one. There are many to recommend. The best translation of the Oresteia, of which this work is the first part, is in Tony Harrison's Collected Works; the worst, in my opinion at least, was written by Ted Hughes. All the rest are good.]
This is a superb edition with one caveat. At the moment, educated consensus generally holds that a line of poetry seldom has one meaning. Denniston and Page's text plus commentary of Agamemnon apparently was written before this consensus formed. Denniston and Page are feisty, dogmatic, and insistent that they are right, and are largely reacting to Fraenkel's massive text plus commentary to the same play. They take issue with Fraenkel on a number of points while acknowledging his immense erudition. I have no reservations, however, recommending this edition. It was very useful and well-thought out. I give it a high rating.

This book is an in-depth study of the unsearchably rich Christ as typified by the land of Canaan in the Old Testament. Witness Lee shows that the land of Canaan in all its aspects (water, food, minerals) is actually a type of Christ for believers to enjoy and experience practically and subjectively today. Christ is not only typified by all the items that are in the land, but He is typified by the land itself. He is vast, inexhaustible, and unsearchable in all that He is to His believers in their experience of Him. Therefore, He is "the All-inclusive Christ." Eventually, the enjoyment and experience of this All-inclusive Christ by God's people issues in the temple and the city, which typifies the church, the Body of Christ, as His fullness. The opening up of the Old Testament types in such a clear way makes this book rich and enjoyable. The numerous applications of those types to daily Christian life make it delightfully practical.

Christ is revealed in so many ways in the Bible. He is everything to us! He is our life! He is our sustenance! He is our living water! The list is endless. What a wonderful Christ! Read this book. It will change your life.

This book changed my life. After reading this book, I realized that I owed it to myself to read everything Witness Lee has ever written.

This is certainly one of the most worthwhile-to-read books on Christ. Highly recommended.

This book uses the Old Testament figures of the promised good land of Canaan, the tabernacle, the temple, and the city of Jerusalem with corresponding New Testament verses to unveil how rich and multifarious Christ can be in the personal and corporate Christian experience. The history of the children of Israel from their exodus out of Egypt to their entrance into and possession of the good land with the subsequent building of the temple in Jerusalem is shown to be the potential experience of the present-day believer in Christ. By reading this book, the reader will discover that the Old Testament is no longer just a book of seemingly unrelated stories. It is a book that reveals in types, figures, and shadows what is God's purpose and how He accomplishes it through the believers in Christ.

This book has enhanced my apprehension of who Christ is! For example in one portion, I was helped to see that Christ is like a flowing river in me to water, refresh as well as strengthen me and even to flow out of me to water, refresh and strengthen others. Now, I know Christ not just as a historical figure in the past or a wonderful Savior far away in the heavens. He is the Christ flowing inside of me all the time! This realization has helped in my prayer and fellowship with the Lord and with other believers.

The Alphatales Library is a great tool for introducing letters to young children. Each book has extra ideas for parents and/or teachers, a practical page that asks to find items beginning with the letter, and a cheer for each letter as a way to review with energy and enthusiasm.

I teach students with various levels of social and cognitive skills. Alpha Tales stimulate and educate all! Alpha Tales and the suggested lesson guides printed on the back inside cover of each book benefit children of diverse learning styles. C. Hodgins

I bought this set for my preschool/kindergarten class to help them learn their ABC's. These books have short stories filled with fun characters which keep the audience entertained. The large pictures on each page make it easy for students to see them during story time. Even my own 6 year old daughter, who ALREADY knows the alphabet, enjoys reading these books.

If you are trying to teach kids the alphabet this is a fun way. They actually do have a seperate book for each letter. Some alphabet series combine some of the letters at the end, because they are more difficult to write about, but these have actually achieved what so many before have failed at, they make complete stories about even the most difficult letters (for example - X) and it is still fun. It doesn't seem like a stretch. I also love these because they read like any other story, not like something educational. This way it doesn't bore children. My daughter really likes them and she thinks they're funny. I always let her be my critic because she has a very short attention span and gets bored very easily.

I'm an intermediate elementary school teacher...I bought these books for my son, when he was three. He loved them so much that I also bought them on cd. He would fall asleep at night listening to these stories...I think he memorized them at first, but he was really reading by 4. In nursery school, and now in kindergarten, I send in the book which corresponds to whatever letter of the alphabet his class is learning. His teachers love them too. I also bought the handwriting book that goes with the series, but that seems more difficult, or for older children than the books themselves.

This was a great book. My daughter loved it and all her friends have since read it. Very funny. This author has found a new fan in my daughter and her friends.

This humorous story, written like a diary, is about Jamie Kelly, a girl not-so-happily attending Mackerel Middle School. In her diary, she writes about stuff like the perfect girl, the number eight cutest boy, her ugly lump of a dog, and disgusting meatloaf. With Isabella, her weird best friend, she tries to win Hudson, a.k.a. the "Eighth Cutest Boy" from Angeline, the perfect girl. Isabella is known to be pretty gullible sometimes, or even makes up some stuff of her own. One day, Jamie makes a comment about the horrifying meatloaf, and Miss Bruntford, the cafeteria lady hears, and tries it. She then has to leave school for a while, and handsome Mr. Prince substitutes for her. Suddenly, love notes are appearing for Jamie, and she spends days thinking of Mr. Prince writing out his affection... but it is really him?

Do you like dumb books? Dear dumb Diary [Am I the princess or the frog?] is for you. In this book Kelly doesn't want to eat her meat loaf but Mrs. Bruntford said she had to. You will have to read the rest to find out. Recommended for 7 year olds thru 13 year olds.
by; Morgan

Am I the Princess or the Frog is a funny book. It is a girl named Jamie Kelly and her diary. In the book she goes through many obstacles. Her mother is a very bad cook, but she doesn't know it. Jamie Kelly also has a friend named Isabella who tends to be a little mean sometimes. They both go to "Mackerel Middle School". Their enemy is Angeline who is pretty and perfect. Jamie Kelly has a crush on Hudson (the seventh cutest guy in school). In the book she gets notes from a secret admirer. Who could it be? You'll have to read the book to find out. This book is for girls ages eight and up. It is a great book.

This book is really funny, because there are a lot a twists. (A lot of things that you would not think would happen) I have never read a series that is so funny! So if you do get ths book you might want to get book # 1,2 first. This is a great book!

Mr Freiler was my teacher this year for AP Euro. As one of his fellow teachers said, "Mr Freiler really is the man who wrote European History." His book really help prepare anyone for the test. I would use it to prepare for my regular test in his class and was able to really good on them. He breaks everything down for you so you don't have to be boged down with the some details of other books. His system of giving you the information helps you see everything in a clear light. Freiler you are the man!!!

this book is great for review and highlighting major points to expect on the ap exam

I've taught AP European History for 10 years and never recommended a review text to my students, until now. Unlike other review texts, the AP Achiever is comprehensive; well balanced in terms of political/diplomatic, intellectual/cultural, and social/economic history; user-friendly; and even entertaining at times. Freiler manages the broad scope of European History with humor, clarity, and the expertise of someone who has been on the inside of creating the AP Exam. I strongly recommend his text for both students and instructors.

This is a very concise review book that basically covers anything and everything you need to know for the AP exam. Throughout the whole course of the school year I Struggled to maintain a B average in the class, due to the fact that I never touched the text. This book saved me on the AP test. With diligent application and studying of the material presented, there is no reason as to why anyone would even need to bother with the text book. I managed a five, and actually found the test to be relatively easy due to the information i got from it. The chapters are reviewed in Chronological order, and end with 10 review questions that are good estimates of one's understanding of the chapter. There are many essay examples throughout, and detailed explanations of why they were good or not. The practice tests in the back were also very good examples of what appeared on the AP test. The only qualm I had with the book was a lack of an index of key terms; this wasn't too big of an issue, since the chapters were organized nicely, but this would have been a helpful addition. All in all, the review book is great as both a companion and as a stand alone review of the material in the course.

The AP Achiever is a very solid review book. If used in context with a good text, notes, and other supplements, it should help students to earn an extra point on the test.
Like all review books, it's not enough by itself.