Schools and Instruction Books

There is a reason "The Teenage Human Body Operator's Manual" is in its 5th printing. This is an easily accessible and entertaining manual for preteens and teenagers tackling the tough issues facing today's adolescents. It provides candid and helpful information on topics including nutrition, hygiene, communication, physical health, stress, anger, depression, substance abuse, STDs, sexual assault, abusive relationships, steroids, eating disorders, tattoos, piercing, and branding, safer sex, condoms, sexual preference, [...], birth control, and pregnancy. It also presents a helpful 5 step process for changing bad habits. As a school-based behavioral health psychologist who has worked with over 1,000 adolescents in the past decade, I highly recommend this book for teenagers, teachers, health educators, counselors, parents, and anyone else who has the opportunity to work with kids.

This book--printed to look like an automobile owner's manual--is just the right blend of humor and seriousness. I use it to help teach groups of foster children about basic lifeskills. We always start with the last half of the book, that includes the "Routine Checkup." This is a questionnaire (multiple choice) that helps kids get in touch with their habits, and helps them learn how to change a habit and develop good ones.

Kids often laugh at the book when they get it, but it is there for them with accurate information when they have a question about anything that comes up in their teenage years--peer pressure, drugs and alcohol, sexuality, exercise, eating right, taking care of themselves, anger, body changes, etc.

Some of the illustrations (all ink drawing/cartoons by the illustrator) were a bit goofy looking for my taste, but my son says, "Dad, you're trippin'. They're cool." It's the best $12 I ever spent for my own son, and I highly recommend this book.

This well written book is an invaluable resource for me. I would recommend it to anyone interested in quality learning.

This step-by-step introduction of concrete strategies to enhance learning is based on sound theory. The stories themselves are what make the book come alive, however.

John Barell's WHY ARE SCHOOL BUSES ALWAYS YELLOW? TEACHING FOR INQUIRY, PRE K-5 surveys methods for challenging young learners, inviting them to develop inquiry and critical thinking skills in all children. Chapters outline the inquiry process and discuss its importance in classroom management, surveying successes through real classroom examples perfect for teacher applications.

"Why Are School Buses Always Yellow" by John Barell, Professor Emeritus, Montclair State University encapsulates years of theory into workable practice. I probably would have saved thousands in college tuition loans if this resource had blessed me decades ago! (virtual "Wish I'd had a V-8" moment)!

Barell gently reiterates that questions signal higher-order thought processing which is the goal of effective classroom interaction and innovation. He reminds us that student questions are the attainment of the highest thinking skills.

Too many books declare WHAT an important concept inquiry teaching is. But, what teachers continue to ask for is actual implementation: HOW TO DO inquiry-oriented teaching. It's about time that a book came along that speaks to "HOW" to reach and develop inquisitive questioning.

Barell's visits to classrooms and discussions with both teachers and students form a dynamic role-play model. You will no doubt relate to the student responses and learn from modeling Barell's effective inquiry teaching practices. I also appreciate the structure of the chapters, Barell allows space for reflection, an often overlooked phase of learning.

Granny Newlen always admonished us kids to "Learn, discuss, then get up and move." She used such a phrase to get us up off the couch for a learning-walk where we would tell her what we had learned at school that day.

Start your own "learning walk" and buy this book. :)

This is a great book for anyone who has children. Easy to follow instructions and the kids love the projects. Great gift ideas for grandparents too.

The book kicks off with a quick-read intro to teaching art to young children that seems to cover all the basic (and not-so-basic) issues that will be encountered. The suggested monthly "schedule" of projects makes so much sense. And then the outline form within each month is so user friendly -- no need to reinvent the wheel ... follow this proven lesson plan and you'll be golden!

I also really like the teaching style this art teacher encourages. While nurturing children's creative spirits, this teacher seems to know how to maintain control of the class! Most children will thrive in this environment!

Using an easy to read format for both kids and their teacher or parent, 1-2-3 Draw is a wonderful resource for budding young artists ages 6-10. Throughout the book, the author uses practical tips to teach techniques (sketch lightly, store work in order to save it for later), getting organized (a materials list is provided at the beginning of the lesson), and an index for those quick art activities.

I found the lessons to have a consistent format and style, which is crucial for self-directed study or art lessons from a novice instructor such as parent or older child.

A must-have for every household library!

The 1-2-3 Draw books are so much fun! I am 35 and still draw the same as when I was in grade school. My kids ages 9 and 7 are always are asking me to help them draw something but they draw better than me so I am no help at all! Now that we have these books, we all are learning the little tricks you need to know to be a better artist. It's simple, very clear and easy instructions to follow, fun AND everything turns out looking great! They'll be teaching their friends how to draw before they know it. I wish I would have had these when I was a kid.

These are such a great series. I love how simple they are at teaching how to draw things. I plan on buying the whole series. Its a great time to spend with my kids. We (me and my older ones) draw pictures and my toddlers color them. Its a lot of family fun!

Do yo have the book Abstinence: Pick and Choose Activities for Grades 7-12 in Spanish?

this is a very valuable book for anyone interested in creating illustrations involving humans, dogs, horses and other animals. I first fell in love with it several years ago in highschool and searched and searched until I could find a copy of my own.

It has very acurate illustrations and if focudsed somewhat on comparitive anatomy drawing. I could cry almost when I see book illustrations with deformed lumpy horses because this book really explains them well too (which is good for fantasy artists/horse hobbyists) and the whole book offers very good study on the range of movement, which is particularly useful.

If you want a book to show you how to draw anatomy this is the one! it doesn't necessarily mean it's the only one you need, but it's by itself the most comprehensive (in the range it covers of various animals as well as human anatomy) and also brilliantly put together and very scientific without being too dry.

Five stars!

I purchased this book for my art history class. The pictures are wonderful to reference to and the concise and clear summaries of modern styles, schools, and movements are what made enjoy my class.

This is a wonderful book not just for students, but for anyone interested in UNDERSTANDING modern art. After this book, you will have a more profound connection with exhibitions at your local MOMA.