Book Description

Already a proven home-study program, the Language for Children series is making noise with this updated, integrated book-plus-audio edition. Along with its charming visuals and lively activities, the series now provides in CD format the stimulating sounds of language to entice preschoolers through primary graders into learning a second language. Cute, catchy songs and the humorous, serial adventures of SuperCat are sure to captivate the imagination and foster language acquisition. Each set in the series contains an 80-page full-color activity book coordinated with two 60-minute CDs as well as a Parent/Instructor CD packed with helpful tips.

Together children and parents can master basic language skills, including making introductions, counting from 1 to 20, and describing objects. The perfect package for parents and teachers who want to familiarize three- to nine-year olds with foreign languages and cultures.

Reviews (4)

This was just what I hoped for
I am so happy I chose this item for my children. Although my daughters are only 3 and 5, I wanted something to help them learn basic words and phrases. The lessons are simple with lots of reptition and cute songs. I put the CD on when they are playing and sometimes they participate but just as often not - but later, I'll hear them singing the number song.

Teriffic!
My daughter loved this program! She is homeschooled, and listened to it on her own every day (over & over) with no nagging from me. Because of the use of songs, I feel that a child who enjoys singing will gain more from this program than a child who doesn't. (most children's language programs I've found use a lot of singing) The reviewer who disapproved of the use of witches etc. in the book may not understand that the text is very *German*... I found after living in Germany that Germans have their own ideas about what is appropriate for children. (I see no point in learning a language which has been disjointed from its culture.) My daughter was 8/9 yrs of age when she used this program (cassette version) and nothing was offensive or inappropriate. All in all, a wonderful start to your child's study of German! 5 stars for being fun, easy to use, and educational. I only wish there were a level 2!

what happened to positive reinforcement?
i feel that this program uses vocabulary that should not be introduced to children as primary words when beginning a foreign language. it talks of ghosts, witches and other "scarey" things. i just don't feel that those words are constructive, but that other positive more essential topics could have been chosen to sing and learn about.

Excellent and very enjoyable
I purchased this book and cassette program for my 3 young boys who have an interest in learning German. They LOVE the program! They sing the songs regularly. It's no wonder, the tunes are catchy and the lyrics are understandable.

I highly recommend this! ... Read more

Book Description

Kids love stuff that's gross. From the liquids, solids, and gases--especially the gases!--or their own bodies to the creepy, crawly, slimy, slithery, fetid, and feculent phenomena in the world at large, kids with a curious bent just can't get enough. Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty brings together, in one book, all the good things about some of the baddest things on Earth.

Exhaustively researched and impeccably scientific, yet written with a lively lack of earnestness, Oh, Yuck! is an ants to zits encyclopedic compendium covering people, animals, insects, plants, foods, and more. Here are vampire bats, which sip blood and pee at the same time so that they'll always be light enough to fly away; and slime eels, wreathed in mucus and eating fellow fish from the inside out. Oh, Yuck! explains why vomit smells; where dandruff comes from; what pus is all about; and why maggots adore rotting meant. Other features include gross recipes, putrid projects, 10 foods that make you airborne, and more.

With hundreds of cartoon illustrations and real-life photographs, Oh, Yuck! is the complete guide to the irresistible--at least to an 8-to-12 year old--underbelly of life.

... Read more

Reviews (10)

Iman's Review
This is such a great book. It has information on all "gross" topics. In it, there is everything from maggots to vomit. I think this book would be great for all 7-12 year olds. I especially like the "information boxes". The book has good illustrations also. Most of them are comical, but a few are scientific. Joy Masoff is a good writer that specializes in history books. Also, this would be a great find for a teacher or science teacher because all the things in this book is true science! There is nothing inapropriate in this book. The thing that I like about this book is that it is funny, yet educational at the same times. That is very difficult to find in a book now. The thing that I disliked most in this book is NOTHING! The bottom line is, THIS IS A MUST READ!

laugh-out-loud funny
I bought this book for my niece and nephew, one of whom is a reluctant reader. They were both hysterical laughing for hours and my nephew has spent many an afternoon sharing favorite parts with his friends. The pictures are mind-boggling. Best of all, I have a science background and knew that that the scientific information compiled is extremely sound. I knew they were learning while they were laughing. Plus, I now have a reputation for being the coolest aunt in town.

Subject matter intriguing - Reading level disappointing.
I thought this would be inspiring for a six-year old who is a reluctant reader, but after I received it, I decided to give it to his older brother instead. Categorizing this book for the 9-12 year old reading level is correct. Each topic is presented in 1-2 pages of text that even a brainy, eight-year-old bookworm got tired of reading. We all read it together during storytime, and while it kept the six-year old's attention, the blocks of text were much too thick and intimidating for him to attempt to read. The illustrations are also disappointing. The paperback is cheaply printed with one- or two-color line drawings or black-and-white photographs that are comical without much educational value. No diagrams or labeled body parts. Lastly, be prepared to hear about slugs and vomit for a few days -- and for the kids to share these topics during dinner with friends and family. It's too bad this wasn't written for a younger reader because I would encourage a pre-teenager to explore loftier topics.

Laugh Out Loud Funny!!
I purchased this book for my 12 year old son for Christmas. I have yet to wrap it because I am so interested in reading it! This is definitely a pretty disgusting book from a mom's point of view but I know my son will absolutely love it! Some of the illustrations are so gross they made me laugh out loud. There is a lot of scientific information hidden in this humorous encyclopedia. I have learned a lot already and I am only up to C. This book is a "must have" for any pre-teen or teenager, especially boys who are fascinated by disgusting things. I can't wait for another book by this author! Maybe social studies could be this humorous as well.

I'm a grownup and I loved it!
I bought this for my kid, no I didn't, she's only 3, I b ought it for me and she can have it when she gets older. And I'm buying it for two of my friend's kids. I've always been fascinated with gross stuff like snot, pus, poop, gross foods, etc., and so are most kids. And by the way, my kid, and the two kids I'm buying this for, are girls. The facts are there, it's fun to read, and it might even get the kids to read more and practice good hygiene while they're at it (microscopic photos of worms and such may answer a few questions like "why do I have to wash my hands all the time?" Excellent. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (12)

So you're life feels out of control?
This joint effort between organization guru Julie Morgenstern and her daughter, Jessi, is really a valuable read for teens. So many teenage boys and girls feel like their life is out of control and for many of them this manifests itself in the feeling that they can't find things, they don't have enough time in the day, that "stuff" is taking over. "Organizing from the Inside Out for Teenagers" accomplishes what the adult version does - it takes you through steps in order to evaluate what's important in your life and then helps you develop a system that works for you (giving you some non-binding advice about what has often worked for other people).

I think my only criticism of this book is that it really assumes that readers come from comfortable economic backgrounds where parents with ready cash can go out and buy containers or certain items to help teens organize themselves. While I'm sure any parent with the money will cheerfully buy anything their teen feels will help organize them, many young men and women do not have the financial means to accomplish these goals and will have to stick to the less expensive suggestions. Overall though, an excellent book that will have positive impact in multiple areas of your life should you implement the suggestions and get control over your stuff rather than it having control over you.

Feel you're never in control over your life? Buy this!
"Organizing from the Inside Out For Teens" is a wonderful book that teaches teenagers how to organize their life. It features sections on how to organize your personal space (locker,room,study area), and how to organize your time and life. Its very detailed, complete with illustrations, print out scheduales and item lists that would be good for organizing.
When I first was givin this book, I had no intention of reading it...but soon my curiosity got the better of me and I began to read it. My life has since greatly improved, I am able to keep my belongings organized and I have control over my life! From this book, Teens can learn great skills that will prove them succesfull in their adult years! I would reccomend this book to anyone is having trouble with organization. 4 Stars!

Best Reading Ever
I like this book because it helps teenagers like me, to be organized. It teaches you how to organized your life better. It tells you how we can balance our time with friends, school work and fix your own space. If you are organized, you could find things faster and you could spend more time with your friends and family. I really recommend this book to all those teenagers and adults that are disorganized; they should really read this book. I am sure that by reading this book, the possibility of been an organized person is one hundred percent.

Abracadabra!
I'm 13 years old, and a former mess addict. People would tell me that it looked like a tornado had just passed through, and they were right- you couldn't see the floor and the mess was literally a foot high. It was so disgusting, and I could never invite my friends over because there was actually a stench to my room and no place to hang out in.

I'd been trying to clean my room for the longest time but nothing seemed to work- I wasn't motivated enough and I just couldn't figure it out. Things never seemed to be in the right place and even if something worked initially, after a while the system grew old and I couldn't keep it up anymore. I tried all kinds of books and systems and was even considering hypnotherapy (!!!), but none of them seemed to last or even appeal to me, until I found this book.

I read the organizational part straight through and I got so inspired to organize that I just started cleaning the minute I finished reading the first part to the book (the second is time management). I finished in three days and have been able to keep it spick and span clean ever since (over three months). If there was ever a magical cure, this is it.

I think the magic to this book is that the systems aren't limiting- it's written as a guideline so you know where to get started and how to do it. This enables you to incorporate your personality and lifestyle so that you can actually keep up with the system that you yourself design. The time management part is excellent too- it really helps you cut down on wasted time. It is written in the same manner as the organizational part, as a guideline so you can tailor it to suit yourself.

This may be more directed to teens than adults because teens, like me, live mostly outside, in school, and in their bedrooms, and worry about different aspects of life than adults. While adults may deal with bills and their kid's important papers and that kind of complicated mish-mash, we're dealing with homework and social lives and our own kind of complicated mish-mash. Since we're living in separate worlds with separate concerns, I think it's only right that we have separate systems. I'm not saying that adults wouldn't appreciate this book- it gives lots of great ideas, but I think that the organizational and time management problems being dealt with in this book are directed more to a teen's world than an adults.

Something is Missing...
Okay, so this book isn't THAT bad, but there are better organization books that take a little longer to implelement but work much better in the long run. I recommend that teenagers should instead read the FlyLady cleaning book and use the control journal idea in conjunction with this book to keep their room clean. They must devise their own system and that takes a lot of time and trial and error, but this book won't solve all of the organization problems, it needs more. Trust me, I am 15, I spend about 10 minutes a day keeping my room neat, and it is always perfect. I also have tons of time for everything I want to do. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover the world of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayas -- their beliefs, rituals and flourishing civilizations.

Here is an original and exciting guide to the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas -- and the people who went before them. Stunning full-color photographs of weapons and tools, sculpture, metalwork and ceramics offer a unique "eyewitness" view of these rich and complex civilizations. See an Aztec sacrificial knife, a Teotihuacan mask made from turquoise and coral, a life-size statue of an eagle warrior and a Peruvian mummy bundle. Learn what a Mayan market looked like, why jade was so valuable to the people of Mesoamerica, the techniques used by Aztec goldsmiths and why the quetzal bird was so important. Discover why the Aztecs made human sacrifices, how to play the ball game, what sort of clothes Mayan women wore and how the Mayan calendar worked. And much, much more! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Wonderful Way to Spark A Child's Interest!
The Eyewitness series of books is primarily aimed at children ages 8-14. They are all full of many clear bright color photographs and illustrations that are each accompanied by a paragraph or so of factual information. The Eyewitness series is a great way to spark a youth's interest in a subject. They have books on just about every topic imaginable from Archaeology to Zoology.

Not too good.
This book wasn't that great because it was boring and didn't have that much imformation. It's scientific facts of the people wern't that good.

Beautifully illustrated but covers too much ground.
This is another in the delightful series of Eyewitness books for children. It is beautifully illustrated with excellent photographs and a terrific collection of illustrations taken from modern and historical sources. However, this book tries to cover too much in the alloted space. The book shows examples of clothing, tools, architecture, religion and arts from all 3 cultures (Maya, Aztec & Inca). Unfortunately, the book also includes examples from cultures preceding and succeeding these great civilizations such as the Moche, Mixtec, Toltec, Olmec and Nazca. This makes for a somewhat confusing situation, and you wish for a timeline and map to show when and where all these peoples are located. All in all, it's a very eye-catching book. I do suggest for future editions the Eyewitness folks should consider books that concentrate specifically on the Maya, Aztec or Inca, or at least one volume on Mexico and Mesoamerica and one volume on Peru. ... Read more

Book Description

Designed especially for the needs of the middle-grade and junior high students, this revised dictionary contains 70,000 entries, more than 1,000 revised illustrations, abundant word history paragraphs, synonyms paragraphs and example sentences. ... Read more

Book Description

This exciting new edition explains the most current business practices which provides an outstanding overview. This colorful, user-ftiendly textbook is regarded as the most comprehensive introductory high school business book on the market! ... Read more

Book Description

The complete home-study program to help children practice the essential math skills they learn in school. Matches the math curriculum so your children will reach their full potential in school -- and on important standardized tests! The successful way to improve your child's math. These workbooks have been compiled and tested by a team of math experts to increase your child's confidence, enjoyment, and success at school. First Grade: Provides practice at all the major topics for Grade 1 with emphasis on addition and subtraction concepts. Includes a review of Kindergarten topics and a preview of topics in Grade 2. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good review for standardized tests, and skill evaluation
We got this to supplement our daughter's Math studies, and it is very colorful and fun! It contains gold stars for every lesson completed, and when you're done, you have a chart full of stars to keep! A great help for parents working with their kids during a big year for six and seven year olds! The price is great and the quality is typical of DK...top-notch. You would pay closer to twenty dollars for something like this in a "teacher" store.

Great book for knowing the breadth of 1st grade math
I'm a homeschooling Dad who is the teacher for the first hour the day with my son, a first grader. For a part of that hour I spend with my son, I wanted to use a math workbook that would provide a comprehensive overview of the material a first grade student is expected to master by year-end. Quite randomly, I chose the Math Made Easy series workbook. I'm delighted I made that selection!

The Math Made Easy provides an incremental, comprehensive approach to teaching math. There are 156 pages -- lessons, if you will -- to work on. Early on, your student learns how to tackle simple math problems, and then those concepts are developed into more complex problems in later lessons. This is an excellent way of learning -- incrementally and progressively. So, rather than learning everything there is to know about reading an analog and digital clock for 10 straight lessons, the easiest concepts of all math concepts are presented early in the workbook, and then those same concepts are presented in more challenging formats (to a first grader, anyway) later in the workbook. That requires the student to recall the earlier learning that was done in the workbook, in order to tackle the more challenging problems that are presented later on. So, for instance, time-telling lessons appear on pages 29, 86, 87, 88, and 116.

My son and I generally complete 2 pages in about 20 minutes. Sometimes we do 3 pages, sometimes only 1 page. We started using this workbook in late September, and we'll likely finish our workbook by February -- a complete first grade math education in about 4-5 months!

Although we use the workbook for 20 minutes a day, we often spend more time -- up to 30 minutes more a day -- taking a concept presented in the book and developing it more fully on our own. What's nice, though, is if the lesson for the day is on, say, graphing, I can easily come up with ideas for graphing beyond the few problems presented on one page in the workbook.

Put another way, the goal for using this workbook isn't to see how quickly you can finish it, rather, it's how well can your student master the material in the workbook. The workbook provides the breadth of what a first grader should know, but you'll need to add depth beyond the workbook if you want your student to fully master the material.

The only things I don't like about the workbook is that it is not full-color inside (black and white or grayscale); too often the lessons require the student to draw pictures (it takes a first grader too long to draw them) or hard-to-draw shapes like stars; and sometimes the student is expected to write-out numbers, which is a problem if your student doesn't yet know how to read or write.

In contrast, what I like is the comprehensive nature of the book, the interesting presentation of some of the material (the less-than and greater-than symbols < > are fashioned into crocodile heads that always eat the larger number!), the star-sticker reward system for completing a workbook page, and that early lesson topics are revisited in more challenging formats in later pages of the workbook.

In a word -- I highly recommend this book!

Introducing Math to 6-7 year olds
This is the second book in the "Math Made Easy" series. It will help to prepare your child for standardized tests and supports National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards.

Not only will the lessons build confidence, all the parental notes and answers are included. You can easily tear those sections out of the back of the book. In the Answer Section with Parent's Notes, you will find all the answers to all the activities in the book. These pages will enable you to mark your children's work or they can be used by your children if they prefer to do their own marking.

The notes for each page will help to correct common errors and problems and will indicate the type of practice needed to ensure your children have an understanding of where and how they made mistakes.

This workbook will provide practice for all the major topics for Grade 1 with emphasis on addition and subtraction concepts. There is also a review of Kindergarten topics and a preview of Grade 2 topics.

Features a progress chart complete with stars so you can stick in a star when the corresponding lesson has been completed.

Contents:

Numbers
Numbers & Pictures
Counting Review 1-20
Counting by 10s and 2s
Halves and Quarters
Adding Animals - counting animals in pictures and then writing in the numbers
Sets
Money
Fun ordering stories - what happens 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
Time - writing time in each box.
Connect the numbers
Comparisons
Days & Seasons
Addition, subtraction, real-life problems, digital clocks, bar graphs, symmetry, matching fractions, shapes and places, odd and even, estimating length, equations, reading calendars, properties of polygons
Measurement problems
3-dimensional shapes.
Puzzles - reading clues to solve the puzzle. "I am a number between 20 and 30. If you
count by fives, you will say my name. Who am I?"

I don't remember school being this fun. ;) The pictures are
quite cute in all the Math Made Easy books. ... Read more

Book Description

This authoritative reference book brings world history to life, from early humans to the current war on terror. Along the way, it reveals riveting facts on the founding of the great Roman Empire, the revolution that changed France forever, the war between the North and South that unified America, the start of World War I and the Great Depression that followed, the first moon landing, and the end of apartheid in South Africa.

The encyclopedia is organized chronologically and then thematically within each time period. A timeline runs across the top of each page. Each section includes biographies of important people and features on art, architecture, and technology. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Start your history studies here
Learning Family Book Review

If you could only have one history book in your home library, this should be it. Written like an encyclopedia of historical events, the Illustrated History is an incredibly easy to access work, covering almost any historical even you could imagine. The illustrations and photos are excellent. The text is brief, but enough to get a basic understanding. I've begun using this one as a first source for history subjects, to get myself oriented, then continue into more specialised books as needed. The chronolgy is listed in the outside column of the pages, which makes thumbing through it quite easy. Though it isn't a history course in one volume, all of the more major events in history have several pages devoted to them covering archaeological data, social background, art and more. An outstanding book.

An eye-catching disappointment
I have recently begun homeschooling my 6th grader, and am using The Well Trained Mind as a curriculum guide. This book was listed as a must-have for a classical education, which is based heavily in literature and history. I must say that when we received the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, it looked very impressive. It is a hefty volume, with colorful pages and a timeline which runs across the top of the pages. However, after only a few weeks of use, my daughter has come to dread the sight of this book whenever it is time for history lessons. It is very dry reading. The one to two-page spreads for each topic/culture/era have so little valuable content, that there is little opportunity for the spark of interest to be ignited. They have so condensed the information, that it is mostly a list of dates, names, etc. And there are boxes every couple of pages listing the same dates over again. The text is written chronologically, so each time you turn the page a different culture is discussed, and what they were doing during that time period. This concept sounds better on paper than in practical use. While the time periods overlap somewhat, it does tend to jump around a quite bit. The continuity of what should be exciting and intriguing becomes very choppy and disjointed and as a result frustrating and boring. What might be interesting stuff becomes distracting and in some cases irritating when it interrupts another story. For example, the rise and fall of Rome, while severely abridged, may have still interested my child, if it had not been broken up by seven other topics. Huge chunks of time (several centuries)are condensed into a paragraph, or even a sentence or two. Other chunks go unmentioned. For example, the Qin Dynasty in China lasted less than 20 years, and got the same attention as the Celts, who were around for 500 years. The first 400 years of Christianity are covered in the same amount of space. So I am seeing my daughter becoming confused about the significance of these subjects, and not really grasping the "chronological order", despite adding new information daily to the 8-foot timeline we keep on the wall. Also,I am constantly amazed at what the makers of this book did not see as important enough for further discussion. For example, in our studies so far, The Great Wall of China has been depicted in a 1/4 page illustration, but only the date it was begun and a sentence or two on why it was built is listed. Julius Caesar is mentioned briefly, and simply that he was assasinated(!?), and I have yet to find any mention of Cleopatra. Overall, this book might be a good addition to your library just to have around for kids to leaf through, or as a springboard for other reading. It does mention cultures I never learned about in school (i.e.,the Guptas )but is not very useful as a reference tool, as there really is not any in-depth information on very many things. In it's effort to cover all bases in a single volume, Kingfisher fails to teach children what history really is -- a really great story.

Disappointing
Beware -- this is not the update to the highly regarded Kingfisher Illustrated History. Instead, it reformats the previous work, departing from the orderly 'accent of western civilization' theme, de-emhasizing Greek and Roman history in favour of lesser known, minor world cultures and in general, adds aggresive PC editing. Using this book as a homeschool reference will result in you needing to spend time explaining the PC biases to your children, and ultimately, needing to purchase an additional reference book.

OK
This book is OK but then again I'm only twelve.
I would probebly give it 4 if I was an adult. I don't like History very much, but this is one exeption. I use it at school
and read it just for fun. It really is a great book. But remember, I hate history.

Wonderful, I recomend to all!
I absolutly love this book. My friend is home schooled and let me use it a few times and I learned a ton of stuff about places and people I had never even heard about before. I definatly suggest it to all schools and parents of children who are home schooled. I just can't stop gushing about this book to people. Not only will parents love it, but the kids will love it to. It has pictures, time lines, and tons and tons of information. I love this book it is so great. If you ask me I say Buy it! I give it an AAAAAAAAA+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ... Read more

Book Description

Already a proven home-study program, the Language for Children series is making noise with this updated, integrated book-plus-audio edition. Along with its charming visuals and lively activities, the series now provides in CD format the stimulating sounds of language to entice preschoolers through primary graders into learning a second language. Cute, catchy songs and the humorous, serial adventures of SuperCat are sure to captivate the imagination and foster language acquisition. Each set in the series contains an 80-page full-color activity book coordinated with two 60-minute CDs as well as a Parent/Instructor CD packed with helpful tips.

Together children and parents can master basic language skills, including making introductions, counting from 1 to 20, and describing objects. The perfect package for parents and teachers who want to familiarize three- to nine-year olds with foreign languages and cultures.

Reviews (4)

A good way to start out with a second language for kids
I bought this set for my 5 year-old and 8 year-old. For the most part, they and I like it, but I must admit it takes a wee bit of getting used to. You won't be able to just put the tape on and walk away with this set, you'll need to sit with your kids and go through it together. But if you're willing to do that you'll reap some very real benefits, and your kids will too!

Fun Learning for the Young
This is a great set to introduce Spanish to young kids. I have been using it with my four year old with great success. The book and cassette compliment each other well and really hold his attention. Each chapter contains several simple yet creative games to help reinforce the vocabulary and phrases being taught and ends with an on-going story in the form of a cartoon. I enjoy the program too!

Spanish for Children (Passport Books)
This is a wonderful program that I have successfully used with children from kindergarten through grade three. The kids love the songs and games. It's lively and a lot of fun. Just what learning should be!

Fun and Effective!
This is a great way to introduce your children (and yourself) to Spanish. The book is colorful with lots of songs and games. The cassette recordings are very clear and the instructor is warm and cheerful. My 5-year-old daughter and I absolutely loved this! The only problem is, now that we have finished it we are looking for the next step. Highly recommended. P.S. My daughter often serenades us in the morning with her Spanish songs. ... Read more

Book Description

The complete home-study program to help children practice the essential math skills they learn in school. Matches the math curriculum so your children will reach their full potential in school -- and on important standardized tests! The successful way to improve your child's math. These workbooks have been compiled and tested by a team of math experts to increase your child's confidence, enjoyment, and success at school. Fourth Grade: Provides practice at all the major topics for Grade 4 with emphasis on multiplication and division of larger numbers. Includes a review of Grade 3 topics and a preview of topics in Grade 5. Includes Times Tables practice. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A good summer review
This workbook was an excellent review of all topics covered in 4th grade math with an easy to manage number of problems per page and excellent examples. The 5th grade book covers much of the same material, so I wouldn't buy both

Not really fourth grade level in my school district
This is a nice math workbook, however, it's not really equivalent to what fourth graders are doing in my school district. I bought this hoping to give my daughter a head-start for fourth grade, but 90% of it is a review of what she has learned in the third grade.

Great Workbook!
I am homeschooling my daughter and this is a great math workbook. She finds the lessons enjoyable. It covers all areas of 4th grade math. It is not enough to be used alone, but a wonderful addition for extra practice in all areas. Your child will love this book!

Introducing math to 9-10 year olds
By the time you reach the fourth grade book, there isn't much to color! What this book provides is practice in all the major topics for Grade 4 with an emphasis on multiplication and division of larger numbers. It includes a review of Grade 3 topics and a preview of the Grade 5 workbook. You will also find plenty of Times Tables Practice.

This is part of a series of workbooks designed to encourage children to practice the essential math skills they learn in school. It matches the math curriculum so your children will reach their full potential in school and in important standardized tests.

The all-important "Answer Section with Parents' Notes" provides all the answers to all the activities in this book. This enables you to mark your children's work. The notes for each page help to explain common problems and gives advice on how to ensure that your child understands where and how they have made the errors.

They include a Progress Chart complete with gold stick on stars and a Certificate to show achievement and completion of this workbook.

Contents:

Reading and writing large numbers
Multiplying and dividing by 10
Rounding Numbers
Subtracting three-digit numbers
Adding decimals
Division with remainders
Problems involving time
Areas of rectangles and squares
Bar graphs
Probability
Speed Trials for Multiplication Tables
Times Table Practice
Ordering sets of measures
Naming Polygons
Problems involving time
Congruency
Lines of Symmetry
Renaming fractions
Column Addition
Multiplying by two-digit numbers
Place Value for Decimals
Word Problems
Conversion Tables

The successful way to improve your child's understanding of math! You might want to think up some extra rewards besides stars for completing some of these pages! Maybe for every so many stars, they get a bigger reward. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is based on the simple idea that every writer has a "tool box." Instead of awls and hammers, a writer's toolbox contains words, imagination, a love of books, a sense of story, and ideas for how to make the writing live and breathe. I wrote this book to give you some practical strategies to throw into your toolbox. I hope you'll try them, because these are ideas that can make you a better writer.

This book is titled Live Writing, and you may be wondering what I mean by that. Most of us have read (and written!) the opposite kind of writing-dull, drab language that sounds about as interesting as a city phone book. By "live writing" I mean the kind of writing that has a current running through it-energy, electricity, juice. When we read "live writing", the words seem to lift off the page and burrow deep inside us. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Third in a Fantastic Trio by Fletcher
Ralph Fletcher has written a trio of fantastic books for young writers. "A Writer's Notebook" is about gathering material; "How Writers Work" is about the process of writing; and "Live Writing" is about craft, or how to write well. Most importantly, these three books are written directly to kids, in a warm and personal rather than "textbook" manner. I don't know of any other author who writes books on writing for kids, and this genre is so needed! Plus all of Fletcher's books are very engaging and well-written.

Fletcher selects what he feels are the most important aspects of craft for this book. My notes on some of them follow:
Characters
· Characters are the most important part of a story.
· The plot should grow out of the characters, and not the other way around.
· Characters must first be born in your mind.
· Build characters from people you know.
· Give physical descriptions of your characters.
· Characters should be complex, containing both good and bad.
· Write letters to and from your characters, asking them questions!
Voice
· Best way to develop it is through your writer's notebook.
· Think of writing as chatting on paper.
· Always have a particular audience in mind.
· Be honest!
· Writing is trying to get readers to see something as you do.
Conflict
· Types of.
· Don't wait long to develop it.
· Don't solve it too quickly.
· Don't end a story too abruptly or predictably.
Time
· Writing time isn't the same as real time.
· Slow down "hot spots."
· Skip over unimportant time quickly.
· Narrow the time frame to key points.
· Flashbacks are usually needed; they represent memories, what makes a character tick.

Great for Teaching Writing
This easy to understand book is good for writers of all ages. I have used lessons from this book to help my middle school and high school students improve their writing. Fletcher concentrates on specific aspects of writing, like leads or characters, and uses simple but powerful examples that implicitly show students how to improve their writing. If you are using a workshop class, many of his ideas lend themselves to effective mini-lessons.

Live Writing
I think everyone should go and buy this book. It is worthy of 5 stars.This book trys to help you become a better writer by sharing some of Ralph Fletcher's experiances. If you like this book I reccomend you read Spider Boy or A writer's notebook. ( The book before Live Writing) ... Read more

Book Description

Featuring an extra-sturdy library binding!

Everybody knows that spies wear white dinner jackets, drive sports cars, like their drinks shaken not stirred, and carry electric saws disguised as watches. Or do they? Certainly, some real spies are sophisticated members of the diplomatic service, but most are ordinary people from all walks of life. Spy is a journey through the history of espionage, from biblical spies who helped bring down the walls of Jericho to today's technological intrusions on the internet. Real-life spying equipment and gadgets are as amazing as those designed by Q for James Bond. Eyewitness Spy shows how, after the Cold War, and despite the new spirit of international cooperation, there is still a place for the spy in the modern world. Written by Richard Platt, author of the best-selling Cross-sections! Man-of-War and Eyewitness Pirate, Spy is a unique introduction to the dangerous lives of those who exist in the shadowy world of espionage. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best spy book its got cool gadgets and thats what counts
This was a excellent book and I would like to see more good stuff like this ... Read more

Book Description

The complete home-study program to help children practice the essential math skills they learn in school. Matches the math curriculum so your children will reach their full potential in school -- and on important standardized tests! The successful way to improve your child's math. These workbooks have been compiled and tested by a team of math experts to increase your child's confidence, enjoyment, and success at school. Fifth Grade: Provides practice at all the major topics for Grade 5 with emphasis on addition and subtraction of fractions and decimals. Includes a review of Grade 4 topics. Includes Times Tables practice. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Who's Curriculum?
This has many "worksheets," no explanations, no really interesting problems, and did not match our fifth-grade curriculum. It doesn't even match our fourth-grade curriculum--way too basic! It's just drill, drill, drill. At least it offers good practice for basics that many fifth graders already have nailed. I appreciate its easy-to read design.

Couldn't be better
My 10 year old son loves this book! He's already completed more than 1/3 of the book and it's only September 19.

I like the outline, plenty of review exercises (to increase a sense of mastery) and it appears to cover enough topics to match this year's curriculum. I've already ordered the 3rd grade version for his younger brother.

Math Made Easy: Fifth Grade Workbook
This book is full of great additional practice related to our state math standards. For children who are struggling with Everyday Math and need more paractice in multiple formats, this series is "the cat's meow." Children will love the star reinforcement stickers and the progress chart which help them to track their skills. Parents and teachers will love the answer key in the rear where you can not only check work but make a record of specific errors on minatures of the actual worksheets to guide later review and practice once the worksheets have been completed or sent home. These books are a great supplemental tool. I have actually purchased several different levels and find them all well thought out and highly useful for grade appropriate math skills remediation.

Introducing math to 10-11 year olds
The last book in the Math Made Easy series of workbooks. Each workbook matches the math curriculum so your child will reach their full potential on the all-important standardized tests. In fact, these books have been compiled and tested by a team of math experts to increase your child's confidence, enjoyment and success.

You will find practice pages for all the major topics covered in Grade 5. There is a definite emphasis on addition and subtraction of fractions and decimals. There is a review of Grade 4 topics and plenty of Times Tables practice. There is also a Progress Chart with gold stars to record achievement.

At the back of the book the "Answer Section with Parents' Notes" provides answers to all the activities in the book. The notes for each page also help to explain common problems and solutions are given to ensure that your child understands how and why they made errors.

Contents:

Multiplying by 10, 100 and 1000
The simplest form of fractions
Changing improper fractions to mixed numbers
Rounding decimals
Decimal addition and subtraction
Converting units of measure
Speed Problems
Interpreting circle graphs
Naming Quadrilaterals
Converting Fractions to Decimals
Simple use of parentheses
Multiplying Fractions
Finding the Greatest Common Factor
Identifying Patterns
Multiplying by two-digit numbers

The successful way to improve your child's understanding of math. ... Read more

Book Description

Snap-Apart Question Cards That Build Comprehension & Spark Great Discussions About Character, Plot, Setting, Theme, & More
Great for Literature Circles! Build Reading Comprehension!
Instantly stimulate meaningful discussions, reinforce story elements, and get kids really talking and thinking about what they've read. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great source for teachers
Want to stir up discussion after a reading selection? This is a great book to do so. When teaching literary elements such as analysis of character, story plot, setting, etc...this book provides cards to promote discussion in group settings or students can sit at their desks and work independently. This is also a great way to motivate your students into a lessson. I recommend this book to any teacher who would like to spruce their reading lessons up. This book also has very creative prompts that students can relate to. ... Read more

Book Description

These easy-to-understand handbooks How to Be School Smart, How to Write Terrific Book Reports, How to Do your Best on Tests, and How to Write Super School Reports have offered students clear, commonsense advice on how to successfully organize and carry out school assignments for over a decade. Now these great guides have been completely revised to reflect the needs of today's technology-savvy kids. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great
This book and another book called SURVEY OF 300 A+ STUDENTS
by Kenneth Green, are the two best books on study skills,
in my opinion. ... Read more

Book Description

Ever wonder how to remember that dessert has two s's? Think of Something Sweet! This and more than 150 other clever tricks will help kids spell with ease. With an alphabetical listing of over 15,000 words, useful rules, and an index of commonly misspelled words, this guide can help any student conquer the spelling dilemma. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great for beginning writers
I got this for my 6 year old daughter and it has given her so much independence in her writing homework. It has cut down on "mom, how do you spell....." It is an excellent reference for any child. Very easy to use. It's a great confidence builder too!

easy learn how to spell
This book is a big help for my child to learn words and to learn how to spell the words, so it's very useful ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Only if you use in conjunction with the videos
I bought this cards thinking that they had true photographs of the actual objects. Instead, the animals are the stuffed creations from the videos and not photos of real animals at all. I thought this was very disappointing, especially since I loved the concept of the different languages on the cards. I think this set is only useful when used with the videos.

Warped
The concept for these cards is great, but I do not recommend you buy them. The pictures of the animals are not of animals at all, but of stuffed toys that barely even resemble the animals "depicted." Children would be confused by, for example, a frog that barely even resembles a real frog. I pulled all of the "warped" cards and have used the remaining ones with my daughter.

Best Baby Einstein item I've bought!!!
My son and I absolutely love these cards. It's very educational and my son spoke his first word as soon as I pointed to one card. The quality is great; each card is laminated to last you many years. All the items in the cards are found in other Baby Einstein videos/dvds. I especially love the teaching aides and words in various languages on the back of the cards to help parents use the cards effectively. I found that it's not only educational for the child but for the parent as well. ... Read more

Book Description

Transformers: The Ultimate Guide is a detailed look at the fantastic world of these mechanical marvels. Follow each character's history and witness the amazing evolution of the Transformers, from physical structure and weaponry to personalities, alliances, and important battles. Detailed illustrations show exactly how each character "transforms" from warrior robot to high-powered vehicle. Special feature spreads cover all aspects of the Transformers' world and include specially commissioned maps and detailed city plans of their home planet of Cybertron, descriptions of the giant space ark in which the Transformers traveled to Earth, major wars in Transformers history, and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

How Ultimate Is It?
This is a book that has guts - with its back cover proclaiming it to be "the first fully authoritative history" of the Transformers, and the interior introduction claiming that it is the "one true history" of G1, hardcore Transfans would not be frowned on for finding such statements insulting, sounding for all the world like the book will be dismissing the original comics and cartoon in favour of what IT says is right and wrong.

Thankfully, the reader will discover that this is NOT the case. The "one true history" that the entire G1 section revolves around proves to be that of the latest incarnation of G1 - the Dreamwave comic book series. While perhaps a little disrespectful to the cartoons and comics that CREATED the universe that these comics have to thank for their existence, it's understandable that this is the route taken - and the cartoons and comics themselves are hardly set by the wayside, getting multiple pages to cover their own stories. With everything from the geography of Cybertron, the history of the civil war, massive cutaways of Optimus Prime, Megatron and Unicron, profiles on selected individual soldiers and sub-groups like the Dinobots, Constructicons, Headmasters and Pretenders, the book provides a wide, general look at the G1 universe. However, it is in the cartoons and toy sections that its weakness shows, as scribe Simon Furman's lack of knowledge outside of the DW and Marvel comics results in several niggly factual errors - he's done his research, but he hasn't gone far enough to eliminate all his errors. The look of the pages is worsened by the fact that many of the toys photographed are mis-transformed, or look somewhat worn. It would have been child's play to find fans with toys that looked better than this, but they didn't bother.

Of course, the book doesn't stop at G1. There are sections for all the ensuing series - Generation 2, Beast Wars, Beast Machines, Robots in Disguise, Armada and Energon. The Beast sections are some of the nicest-looking ones in the book, with beautiful CGI art from animation company Mainframe, but each section could have done with just one or two more pages to add a little more details on the events of their latter seasons, with information on the BW events relating to G1, Transmetal 2's, or BM's Noble, Botanica and Megatron's numerous bodies limited only to the vague episode guide page (like every section of the book dealing with cartoons, the episode guide only has enough to room to include selected key episodes, so the whole story evades the reader even in these entries).

The G2 and Robots in Disguise sections, however, leave a bad taste in the mouth. There is very little to say about G2, and the section required nothing more than a comic summary and toy pictures, but in addition to this, it's been padded with an entry on G.I. Joe crossovers and fanfiction - two things which, while presented and written perfectly fine, are simply needless, and whose pages would have been bettered served elsewhere - namely in the RiD section, which is stuck only showing pictures of toys, lacking any real information on the cartoon series or characters (speculation was that this was because Disney, who own the show, wouldn't allow competitors DK access to it in time for print, but other comments by Furman imply it was bumped for the Energon section). Worsening the matter is that most of the pictures for the section are taken from adverts and package art for the toys, and feature some pretty bad mistransformations and missing parts.

The book ends with a look at Armada and it's current, sequel series, Energon, then a brief look at the Dreamwave comics, two of the best-handled sections of the book.

Looking back at what I have written here, it seems overly critical - but please, make no mistake, I heartily recommend this book. It's a brilliant overview of the history of Transformers and as concise a written guide as you could want - but it's just infuriating to me that DK's other guides for characters like Superman and Spider-Man, with their 60 and 40 years of history, could be so comprehensive, and yet the 20 years of Transformers has to be so abbreviated, with so many characters and episodes flat-out left out, to make the book an acceptable length. I am not pointing the finger of blame at anyone, however - Transformers simply has a *massive* history of characters, concepts and scenarios, making it all the more impressive and enduring. Furman's name power may make him come off as the most qualified person to write a book such as this, but some fan assistance would not have gone amiss. This would have stopped the mis-spellings (Elita One becomes "Eleta-1", for example, or the Armada episode "Cramp" becomes "Clamp") which are just the result of carelessness and not enough research, and would have provided superior toy pictures, and more accurate information about them. The toy pages are truly the weakest sections of the book - not one of them goes by that a factual error is not made. A fact-checker who truly knows his stuff - or perhaps several of them, one to each category, toy, comic, cartoon - would have caught these errors, and the book would have felt as though more care had gone into it.

Bottom line - this book is by no means an "Ultimate" guide. Entirely too much is left out, generalised or glossed over for that. But it's still a brilliant overview of Transformer history that both hardcore and casual fans should not hesitate to add to their collections.

More Than Meets The Eye
Every Transformer fan, new and old, needs to have this book. People who are only familiar with the newest incarnations can learn how it all started and long time fans will appreciate having a complete chronological account of the phenomonon. The book starts right where it should - before the original toy line or TV show and eplains the history of the Transformers homeworld Cybertron and the beginning of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. What follows is a detailed examination/explanation of EVERY incarnation of the Transformers up to and including Energon. Character bios, selected show synopsis, toy descriiptions and inner workings of key players are all covered and supported by detailed artwork and photographs. Multiple pages are givin to the Japanese toy line and continunity as well as the US and UK comics, including the latest from Dreamweave. What more could you ask for?

Before reading this book I was skeptical about it's ablity to cover the entire Transformers universe with the detail it demands. Now that I've read all 141 pages, it has become a jewel in my Transformer collection. For once the title "Ultimate Guide" has been used appropriately!

These Transformers ARE more than meets the eye!
When I first picked up my copy(today) I thought "I'll just pick it up for Nostalgic Value and to put on my coffee table along with every other DK book" This book rocks!!!! It has like every thing Transformers ever! It has Transformers things that came out like 2 months ago! Thats really suprising to me. This book has toy guides, episode lists, detailed character bios, and comic book runs! My nitpicks about it are...
1.No prices on the toys(I have about 100 of them!)
2.Episode Listings only have about 10 eps for every season. If youre going to do it at all,do it right!
3.Major characters get 1/4 of a page bio. Bumblebee NOOOOOOO!!!!
Anyway, buy this book if you like any form of Transformers. If it be G1,Beast Wars, or even Armada...

This IS The Ultimate Guide!!!
As a longtime Transfan who hasn't even gotten halfway through this book yet, what can I say but...WOW!!!
I'm well aware of just how comprehensive and attentive to detail DK's series of guide books are - from the Marvel and DC Comics character guides to the Star Wars books, from that super-cool James Bond guide detailing every movie up to 'The World Is Not Enough' to the Lego Book which contained almost every bit of info on the Lego company you could cram into print. But the Transformers guide goes above and beyond to appeal to both the rabid fanbase and those uninitiated in the multiverse of the Robots In Disguise. If you're not a diehard Transfan but are fascinated by that little toy line that became something of a pop-culture phenomenon, then this is the perfect place to acquaint yourself with the Transformers saga.
For starters, the first part of the book deals primarily with the story that started it all - the Generation One saga. And it's pretty expansive. Everything you could possibly want to know about the Transformers - from the geological makeup of the planet Cybertron to the exact inner workings of Optimus Prime and Megatron themselves, to the personalities that make up the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons - is covered here in glorious full-color detail. Veteran TF scribe Simon Furman was the right man to put in charge of cataloguing every little detail, smartly melding elements of both Marvel Comics' continuity and that of the G1 cartoon AND the newer Dreamwave Productions comics into one cohesive timeline. Furman does pick a little at the continuity conflicts and errors that have cropped up in the past twenty years of the franchise, but it's largely unimportant as the most critical elements are still covered. And there are some elements injected therein that even a Transfan would crack a smile at: Macadams Old Oil House, for one (complete with a transforming bartender who more or less looks like an Old West barkeep in robot mode), and even a chapter outlining Optimus Prime's many deaths and resurrections (I'm not sure, but I think only Dracula has come back from the dead more times).
But there's more. The book also covers the ill-fated Generation 2 segment of the franchise, the Beast Wars days and Beast Machines, Robots In Disguise and even the Armada-Energon continuity, all with the same depth and informative style, although not nearly as much as G1 given the rapid succession of these later series. And apart from character schematics, historical data and episode synopses galore, the book also hits upon the toys themselves, detailing some of the greats and even touching upon their Japanese upbringing in lengthy exposition. It allows for a great sense of prehistory to the Transformers franchise, explaining how the original G1 line was culled together from figures included in a multitude of toy lines released in Japan by Takara.
The comic book continuities are not left out, either, making up quite a bit of the foundation of the G1 backstory. Publishers and entire story arcs are referenced here, as are some of the defining personalities who helped flesh out an ever-growing mythology - from original TF writer Bob Budiansky to innovative TF artist Don Figueroa. There are segments dealing with both Marvel's American comic and its UK counterpart (both written, at one point, by Simon Furman, which gives him further credential for bringing this thing together).
But I would be remiss if I did not mention some of the more tantalizing, more mystic aspects of the Transformers saga brought up in this volume. Specifically, the origin of Cybertron itself, and of the everlasting duel between the heralds Unicron and Primus. Their struggle adds something not expected in a toy brand involving robotic characters: a defined mythology to their world. The Transformers' religious reverence for their origins highlights another dimension to the saga that, in the big picture, may enable the unseasoned reader to understand why these big lugs continue to ignite the 'sparks' of countless legions of fans.
When they say the Transformers are 'more than meets the eye', you'd better believe it...and if you don't, get this book. Kids will be drawn in by the outstanding graphics, and the young-at-heart who enjoy all things sci-fi and fantasy-related will not be disappointed. It's worth ever penny.

the ultinate guide transformers
This book is absolutely fabulous. The illustrations and graphics are wonderful. Definetly worth the wait and money. My son is 5 and adores this book. This is his new bible. ... Read more