Invaluable guide for librarians/teachers/ parents
920396
I have all three guides in the "Best Books" series. The ones for Grades 6-9, and Grades 9-12 were purchased because of my teaching background, but this particular guide was bought as a parent trying to put together an age appropriate reading list for my preschooler. As with the other guides in the series, this book is thematically arranged, i.e.

Literature [Books for Younger Readers, Fiction for Older Readers, which includes world literature,Fairy Tales [includes world literature],Mythology,Poetry & Plays
Biography [adventurers & explorers, artists, composers, entertainers, and writers, contemporary and historical Americans, scientists, inventors, and naturalists, sports figures, world figures]
The Arts and Language [art and architecture, communication, music, performing arts]
History and Geography [in general, paleontology & dinosaurs, anthropology and prehistoric life, archaeology, world history, geographical regions]
Social institutions and Issues [business and economics, ecology and environment, government and politics, religion and holidays, social groups]
Personal development [behavior, careers, health and the human body, sex education and reproduction]
Physical and Applied Sciences [general science, astronomy, biological sciences, chemistry, geology and geography, mathematics, meteorology,physics, space exploration, technology, engineering and industry]
Recreation [crafts, hobbies, jokes, puzzles, riddles, word games, mysteries, monsters, curiosities, and trivia, sports and games]

There is also an author index, illustrator index, title index, and subject/grade level index at the end. Highly recommended reference tool for Grades Preschool-6.
4906305
Author Gwen Snyder Kaltman brings yet another fantastic resource for early childhood teachers in her book, "More Help! For Teachers of Young Children, 99 Tips to Promote Intellectual Development and Creativity," (Corwin Press, 2006), sharing experiences from her 25+ years of experience in working with children, parents and teachers to provide insight and inspiration. The book supplies teachers with a template for creating classrooms that foster curiosity and creativity, giving children "the freedom to control their learning without letting a classroom get out of control." The format for the book makes it enjoyable reading, starting with a concept, illustrated by one of Gwen's personal stories, a review of the lesson learned, then a self-assessment for the teacher to help identify where changes need to be made. She provides lists of activities to support each concept and her engaging stories are ones teachers can relate to, making implementing them into their own classrooms that much easier. The author is an advocate for children, supporting teachers in their quest for finding the balance between teacher planned activities and child lead. Her focus is on the children, following their interests, and creating an environment that supports their creativity. The book is filled with practical, use-it-today type of activities that teachers can take to make a difference in the learning atmosphere in their classrooms. The activities provide outlets for the child's natural urge to explore their world and learn about it and their place in it. The self assessment tools after each concept challenge the reader to be honest about their current practices in order to implement real change and improvement. Teachers will not only be inspired by the engaging stories, but be provided with the means to bring those same stories to life in their own classrooms. "More Help" is exactly that - help for teachers, a helping hand and friend to guide you along the way, the kind of resource you will use again and again, the one you will turn to when things go array because you know it will get you back onto the path of success!

Patricia Dischler is the author of "From Babysitter to Business Owner: Getting the Most Out of Your Home Child Care Business", and national speaker at early childhood conferences promoting professionalism and creativity.
2443703
What a time-saving resource!  "Books to Grow With" is a wonderful resource for busy parents who want to help their children learn and grow with literature.  "Books to Grow With" places the power of good literature at every parent's fingertips.  Coon includes only quality fiction books that have literary interest to engage a child's thinking.  Themes both ordinary and sensitive - from thumb-sucking and bullies to sickness and death - can be gently introduced to children through stories, creating an opening for further discussion and exploration between parent and child.  Homeschooling parents may find this book particularly useful for planning.

Coon has done her homework so parents don't have to - book listings are helpfully summarized and include key information to help find a suitable resource for a particular child. She offers practical tips for using literature to help children and includes several indexes to help you find resources quickly.  This book is an invaluable reference that belongs on the shelf right next to Jim Trelease's read-aloud books or, if you use books as I do, stuffed in the tote bag, dog-eared, Post-it noted, and ready for the next trip to the library.

Where was this book when my children were young?

Ann Lahrson-Fisher

Author, Fundamentals of Homeschooling: Notes on Successful Family Living

Columnist, Home Education Magazine
1714345
Ever since I wrote&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Show-Your-Work/dp/1118863623/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Show Your Work</a>&nbsp;I've been fielding requests for more examples - and I admit I didn't expect to find them (mountains of them!) in a book aimed at people who teach kids. But Tolisano and Hale have assembled an exciting, informative, inspiring, visually rich compendium of ideas to spark new thinking and spur reflection for learners and workers of any age. This big book covers everything from documenting things -- processes, engagement, flow -- to how and when to use different tools and approaches, like video, text, and public sharing like blogging. This would be a great resource for any teacher but also for adults interested in or guiding the process of documenting with the goal of sharing and amplifying ideas, leaving useful instructions for the next person stepping into a role or picking up a task where a predecessor left off, for sharing ways of working out across organizational silos or communities, or otherwise breaking out of the familiar, and mostly useless, report-activities mindset. I'd say a good 90% of the content is relevant to adults and workforce learning/documentation. A truly excellent, valuable resource!
4270587
This book is an invaluable resource for all teachers, whether science or not, to put student ideas into succinct and organized form.  I am grateful Kellie wrote this, I'm just sorry I didn't think of it first!
1101452
This is an excellent resource for parents, teachers, and therapists working with AS kids. It is written in a user friendly way that even I as a parent with a newly diagnosed child could understand. It explains what the child feels and how he/she thinks. It also goes through the way the brain actually processes information in an AS child and best of all, how to help the child recognize their own challenges with strategies to overcome them. How parents and teachers can help and make life better. I have read it twice now and pull it out as a reference frequently. We also bought copies for our babysitter, family, and teacher. I highly recommend it.
3967278
Interesting information for all - parents, educators et al
3138726
Invaluable resource for parents/teachers/stakeholders who are questioning and researching why their child is talking late. Well researched and well written!
2985614
I have a 10-year-old boy who is NOT a reading fan.  Although he is a good reader, most books, especially chapter books, do not capture his attention.  However, he has enjoyed reading my old Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes collections.  I have been searching for additional comic books he might enjoy to read.

This book is a great guide for that.  I never knew there were so many comic books (or "graphic novels" as they are often called) available, nor was I aware of which comic books were aimed at which age group.  This book lists several comic books, sorted by grade level, ranging from pre-K to 8th grade.  The book begins with instructions on how to use the book.  For each comic book, there is a general summary and review, a listing of books in the series, awards (if any), educational tie-ins (such as bullying or technology), "heads up" (warnings such as minor instances of cartoon violence or name-calling), and what's next (recommendations for similar books).  At the back of the book is a listing of title information including all volumes in each series and ISBN numbers so the books can be more easily located.

As far as obtaining the recommended comic books, you can locate many of them at your local library should you not wish to purchase them.  If your local library does not carry them, check to see if your library participates in a sharing system with other libraries.  Our local library uses MeLCat, which is a statewide system that allows library patrons to borrow books from libraries throughout Michigan, delivered to our library at no charge.  It is a great way to gain access to literally millions of titles!

I look forward to checking out some of the titles in my son's recommended age group.  I recommend this book to others who would like to locate some age-appropriate comic books for their children as well.
4218788
An excellent reservoir of ideas and insights for parents and teachers looking to provide a supportive environment for children. Couched in succinct summaries of the academic research supporting each concept, Novak does an excellent job of presenting numerous ideas for real-world situations that work for children of all types. An engaging read that will give you confidence as you work to support your child, no matter their unique needs and style!
422431
I am a school counselor for a large urban school district and also an itinerant staff member at a local university teaching a course in Child Development for graduate level school counseling students. Early in the summer I was introduced to these books and immediately had to have them. As a school counselor I find them an invaluable resource to use with parents. The information is solid, timely and relevant to raising kids in today's environment. I have already introduced these books to my principal and the Sun School Coordinator (after school enrichment) and the PTA president. Based on the quality of the books and their accessibility to the parent community we are planning on starting at least two discussion groups for parents this year. Our parent population has been eager for this type of parenting information and this is the best new parenting resource I have seen in ages.  The district counseling group I work with is planning on having the author come and discuss her books and the topics in them this fall for a professional development day.

Aside from being a very useful tool for parents, I introduced and used these books as supplementary texts for my students in the Child Development class I teach during the summer and plan on using them winter term as well. It totally changed my approach to the class, incorporating them into required reading as well as using some of the activities outlined in the book. The student counselors loved the information. After reading much child development theory they were surprised, relieved and enthusiastic about how practical the information is - hearing real stories of real families raising children. The books also turned the theory of child development into something immediately accessible. For example: understanding the theorist Lev Vygotsky's view of cognitive development was easier than in the theory book I use to discuss that type of information.

I have not been so excited about a new parenting resource  for years and I have purchased a couple of other books to give a gifts to young parents I know raising children now.  Thank you for such a wonderful comprehensive resource.
4053074
I started reading Will Richardson's book to educate myself about how teachers and instructors have been utilizing web tools into their curriculum. In October 2007, I attended the Computers in Libraries conference and participated in a workshop called "New Research Tools" where they discussed practical and successful cases of educators using various online tools, like Flickr, Clipmarks, or RSS readers.

As a librarian, a 2nd year educator, and one who personally uses these different tools, I really am interested in incorporating these tools into the curriculum.

During the course of reading this book, I have started reading Will Richardson's blog - Web-logged - as well as other educator and librarian blogs. This book has inspired me to try to incorporate the different tools that I enjoy using personally into the curriculum.

Richardson's enthusiasm for these various web tools is conveyed through each chapter. He devotes chapters to each tool. For example, there is a chapter on Blogs, one on RSS and one on wikis. It is easily explained and whether you use these tools already or not, his writing is easily accessible. I have been promoting this book to my colleagues and have also pointed some of them to his blog.

His chapter on Wikis has caused me to reassess my hesitance towards utilizing Wikipedia as a valid source of information. I am still skeptical but one should be skeptical when approaching print media as well.

The chapters are short and easy to understand. He has an excellent list of resources and great examples of people who are already incorporating the read/write web into their classrooms. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Web 2.0, education and technology.
3290021
Fabulous book to use on your own in a journey of discovery and self-growth. Also great for teachers & librarians #WomensHistoryMonth --or anyone, honestly. It's listed as #YA, but the book is not just for teens. I know many adults who would love this. And the HerStory sections & TRY THIS! activities can be used in the classroom w Ss (boys too) as young as 5th or 4th grade. Gayle Pitman gives us a toolbox to raise awareness of and counteract those mindsets and behaviors we should have outgrown long ago.
20020
This is an amazing book for children that can be read on a variety of different levels with all of the themes that Luis has woven into the story. History, transportation, friendship, veteran issues, and national monuments, are just a few of the themes. This is a terrific book for teachers, librarians, and families alike! The photographs are rich and vibrant, helping to tell the story of Luis and Tuesday's healing journey. As an educator and librarian, I highly recommend this book to anyone with a child in his/her life - or anyone who is a child at heart.
2289232
As the author of a similar book on this subject, I offer kudos to Julia Thompson on a work well done!

As the title suggests, this work is formatted in checklist fashion, and organized quite nicely into sections regarding professional growth, classroom environment, lesson delivery, resources, etc. It is long on practicality and short on philosophy, although brief discussions on the NBPTS and NCLB are not to be missed.

The strength of this book is its brevity and specificity. Though nearly 200 pages, the author offers specific activities to try, and specific questions to pose, in helping new teachers succeed in the classroom, and avoid the pitfalls that are often recognized only in retrospect.

While experienced teachers may recognize 80% of the suggestions checklisted, the remaining 20% will be found novel, useful, and appreciated. Helpful websites are also furnished, and new teachers would do well to spend a summer considering the information that is (obviously) gleaned from the author's--and other teachers'--lifetime in the classroom.

Highly recommended especially for teachers of middle school and beyond.

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Teacher-Under-Construction-Things-I-Wish-I-d-Known-A-Survival-Handbook-for-New-Middle-School-Teachers/dp/0595330940/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Teacher Under Construction: Things I Wish I'd Known!: A Survival Handbook for New Middle School Teachers</a>

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/So-You-Want-to-Become-a-National-Board-Certified-Teacher-A-Handbook-of-Teacher-Tips-for-Successfully-Completing-the-NBPTS-Certification/dp/0595327281/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">So, You Want to Become a National Board Certified Teacher?: A Handbook of Teacher Tips for Successfully Completing the NBPTS Certification</a>
3394190
Once again, with "Better Than You," Trudy Ludwig captures an issue at the heart of conflict in kids' social lives today: how to deal with bragging, boasting, arrogance. Through her spot-on story telling, she offers insights into what this behavior looks like and what kids and the caring adults in their lives can do about it. The book is a great tool for parents and teachers alike to use as bibliotherapy, to help their children grow strong in character and in friendship skills. I highly recommend the book--and all of Trudy's other wonderful additions to the character-building genre.

Kathy Masarie MD
Family Empowerment Network
Author of "Raising Our Daughters: The Ultimate Parenting Guide for Healthy Girls and Thriving Families"
904920
I was fortunate to read this book and meet the authors while my children were still in elementary school.  I can't stress enough how valuable it was in our journey to help our children in their educational endeavors.  Today's students (and parents) need to start thinking of their child's future educational opportunities earlier than ever, it's just they way the contemporary system is structured.  By middle school, they can be on track to the classes that will help them reach their goals.  This is equally valuable for those students on the "fast track" to collegiate success, and also for students who are not yet sure what path they will take, and every student in between.  At any grade level, students and parents can be proactive in preparing for the future, and this book is the ultimate guide in doing just that.