Reviews (3)

Brimstone Journal-Will they survive?
Robert Koertge's book Brimstone Journal is remarkable. His choice of format (journals) was very effective. It allowed you as the reader to understand each character emotionally and personally, as well as draws you into the fictious world of Branston High School. Brimstone Journal is written as a collection of journal entries from what seems like 15 typical high school students: the cheerleader, the jock, the promiscuous girl, the rich boy, the fat kid, the smart one, the lesbian, the anorexic.... and the ANGRY Boyd who has created a list to get rid of anybody who ever blew him off or made him mad. However, as you engage yourself in each entry, you discover the hidden demons that are eating these students alive bit by bit. Boyd who has just met a new and dangerous friend Mike has developed a list of enemies and with Mike's help has devised a plan to take them all out. Many characters begin thinking of joining Boyd and his plan, and others find themselves wanting to buy weapons from him to put an end to their problems. Entry by entry you become closer and closer to the Big Day when Boyd will put his plan into action. Will someone tell? Will Boyd succeed? Will they survive? You will never know unless you read Brimstone Journal. The characters in this book would appeal to high school students. Due to some of the content and language, I feel this book would be appropriate for grades 9 and up. Through the eyes of 15 teenagers, this frightening situation becomes reality. 5 stars all the way!

Just typical teens
I really liked Ron Koertge's book, The Brimstone Journals. It was an interesting quick read about suburban high school kids and it gave me some insight into the mindset of kids who plot shooting rampages. I was equally intrigued by what the author wrote at the back of the book, "Usually I choose characters and settings that are humorous and off beat. The Brimstone Journals, however, chose me. I began the book before the tragedy in Colorado, and the characters woke me up at night."

There are fifteen haunting student voices. All are seniors at Branston, a suburban high school. This story, written as journal entries, focuses on the many problems that suburban teens find themselves struggling with. The journal opens with the geeky kid, Lester, playing with his father's gun and toying with the idea of "getting back" at the jocks and girls at his school who have "dissed" him. Damon is one of those jocks and is also very controlling with his girlfriend, Kelli who is struggling to break his hold on her. Then there is Sheila, who wonders if she's a lesbian because she loves her best friend, Monica. Boyd is an outcast at school and neglected and abused at home by his alcoholic father. Joseph is an environmentalist and the offspring of two "weird" parents who "drink a lot of wine and boogie to the Grateful Dead". Allison is being sexually harassed by her stepfather, who her mother makes excuses for when she complains. Kitty is the fat girl, Jennifer, a religious zealot and Meredith has "loose morals". Neesha, Tran and Carter are the minorities. Neesha has black revolutionary leanings, Tran, Vietnamese, is under pressure by his immigrant father to fulfill the American dream and Carter is a rich black kid who flaunts cashmere sweaters and drives an expensive sports car. The plot centers around a plan by the geeks to do a "Columbine" at their school targeting the minorities, jocks and anyone else who crosses their newly-formed secret brotherhood. Interesting, easy to read, good insight into suburban high school life.

Awesome
I loved this book. I connected with all the different characters, they were just like kids at my own high school. This is a must read for any teen, and even any parent of a teen. It seemed so true. Almost as if the author wrote it from being a student at my school. ... Read more

Book Description

Rhyming verse and delightful illustrations inspire confidence infirst-time students. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good for the "First Day"
This is a cute book to read in the first few days of school. It discusses some of the typical worries that students have about starting school and helps to relieve tham in a humorus way. It is written in a rhyming fashion so students will want you to read it again and again. ... Read more

Book Description

True stories, inspiring quotations, thought-provoking dilemmas, and activities help elementary school children build positive character traits including caring, fairness, respect, and responsibility. From the best-selling author of What Do You Stand For? For Teens. Includes updated resources. Previous Title: Being Your Best; black & white photos & illustrations, 7 1Ž4" x 9", 9 reproducible handout masters, ages 7-12. ... Read more

Book Description

Smarter. Fresher. Better.

And now with new content, and new packaging.

Announcing the 650,000-copy, $750,000-marketing-budget relaunch of Brain Quest, America’s #1 educational bestseller with over 23.7 million copies in print. Featuring a complete updating of the content and an eye-catching, brainy-retro new look with easy-to-stock-and-shelve packaging, this is a dazzling makeover, inside and out.

For kids, it’s fun unplugged. For parents, it’s the easiest, most trusted way to know if their children are keeping pace. Assisting in the relaunch is an advisory panel of ten of America’s top educators, each of them winners of Teacher of the Year or Milken National Educator Awards. The result: completely revised questions and answers, with up to 20%new material, to bring each deck up to the standards of today’s curricula. The content is the same that kids will find on standardized tests, handled in such a way that it promotes mental flexibility.

The new Brain Quest is rolling out this Spring with a national “Thinking Cap” College Tuition Sweepstakes promo-tion; official spokesperson (Milken award-winning teacher and Brain Quest user Patty McGee); national publicity; and a revamped Web site (www.brainquest.com). Because it’s no tonly OK to Be Smart®—it’s absolutely essential. ... Read more

Book Description

Making the Most of High School Success Secrets for Freshmen offers advice and practical strategies for middle school and freshmen in high school students. The book infuses anecdotes from real students about how to navigate the choppy waters of adolescence with humor and real-world instruction for how to get the most out of high school and beyond. I feel this book excels in raising confidence and providing a clear path to success. I also like the self-improvement portion of the book. I felt much more motivated to excel after reading it. ... Read more

Book Description

Smarter. Fresher. Better.

And now with new content, and new packaging.

Announcing the 650,000-copy, $750,000-marketing-budget relaunch of Brain Quest, America’s #1 educational bestseller with over 23.7 million copies in print. Featuring a complete updating of the content and an eye-catching, brainy-retro new look with easy-to-stock-and-shelve packaging, this is a dazzling makeover, inside and out.

For kids, it’s fun unplugged. For parents, it’s the easiest, most trusted way to know if their children are keeping pace. Assisting in the relaunch is an advisory panel of ten of America’s top educators, each of them winners of Teacher of the Year or Milken National Educator Awards. The result: completely revised questions and answers, with up to 20%new material, to bring each deck up to the standards of today’s curricula. The content is the same that kids will find on standardized tests, handled in such a way that it promotes mental flexibility.

The new Brain Quest is rolling out this Spring with a national “Thinking Cap” College Tuition Sweepstakes promo-tion; official spokesperson (Milken award-winning teacher and Brain Quest user Patty McGee); national publicity; and a revamped Web site (www.brainquest.com). Because it’s no tonly OK to Be Smart®—it’s absolutely essential. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Always fun for everyone
I got this for my daughter when she was 2 1/2 and she had a lot of success with the questions.She often amazes me with the things that she does know, and takes great pleasure in these "surprises".I like this product because it covers so many different areas - letter identification, colors, numbers, and everyday knowledge.Her 7 year old sister also enjoys "quizzing" her, and they pass quite a bit of time this way on car trips.Now they can use their Brain Quest together.I do several pages for one while the other listens, then we switch.I started off with Brain Quest Toddler and plan to use them all as my children grow.

Brain Quest for Threes
Our very-verbal two year-old LOVES this deck of questions, and she'll continue to get a lot of use out of it since there are many she can't yet answer.Very practical things that all kids should know are presentedhere.

Fantastic Edu-tainment
I happened to stumble across Brain Quest for Threes and bought it because it's compact packaging looked convenient.I put in my car to pull out whenever I brought my 3 and 5 year olds to appointments or weekends away. I was thrilled to discover that my kids really enjoyed playing the game andI could easily play with them both by taking turns.There areso manyquestions that the cards always seem new.My 5 year old often pulls it outto play by herself and the easy to understand answer cards allow her to doso.I have purchased other Brain Quest products for the subsquent agegroups. ... Read more

Book Description

Smarter. Fresher. Better.

And now with new content, and new packaging.

Announcing the 650,000-copy, $750,000-marketing-budget relaunch of Brain Quest, America’s #1 educational bestseller with over 23.7 million copies in print. Featuring a complete updating of the content and an eye-catching, brainy-retro new look with easy-to-stock-and-shelve packaging, this is a dazzling makeover, inside and out.

For kids, it’s fun unplugged. For parents, it’s the easiest, most trusted way to know if their children are keeping pace. Assisting in the relaunch is an advisory panel of ten of America’s top educators, each of them winners of Teacher of the Year or Milken National Educator Awards. The result: completely revised questions and answers, with up to 20%new material, to bring each deck up to the standards of today’s curricula. The content is the same that kids will find on standardized tests, handled in such a way that it promotes mental flexibility.

The new Brain Quest is rolling out this Spring with a national “Thinking Cap” College Tuition Sweepstakes promo-tion; official spokesperson (Milken award-winning teacher and Brain Quest user Patty McGee); national publicity; and a revamped Web site (www.brainquest.com). Because it’s no tonly OK to Be Smart®—it’s absolutely essential. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Smooth sailing
Long car rides can be boring for anyone.Our eleven year-old used to have a very hard time with them.That is, until we discovered Brain Quest.We quiz him and he quizzes us.Along the way, he seems to be learning quite a few things.And the time flies.

Questions and difficulty level are age appropriate.Graphics on the card are repetitive and could be stronger.We also like the Smart Attack line.Better graphics and a bit more challenging.Animals and Original are our two favorites.

Overall, a great product!

It's great to be smart
The dumbing down of American kids is staunchly opposed by the BrainQuest series that stimulates kids in the back seat of the car or the airplane or anywhere they'd be otherwise bored to oblivion. The 1500 questions andanswers (kind of like Trivial Pursuit crossed with a deck of cards) areeasy to read, cross and wide range of subjects and challenge and stimulatereaders of all ages (even grownups will love them.) Best of all, theinherent assumption is that your brain never tires of challenge! Too oftenon a trip, kids lapse into the "covered wagon syndrome" wherethey kind of stare blankly off into space, waiting for the trip to end.Brainquest cards (they come in a gazillion levels and varieties for allages) really keep kids' brains attached to their bodies. My only criticismis that often the questions are too hard for kids to read and they hold itup for me to read in the rear view mirror (I drive a lot) and if it were inmirror writing, I could read it. Oh well. Small criticism I suppose. It's agreat series. Keep a couple stashed under the car seat or in the glovecompartment. The only thing even remotely as good as Brainquest isGeoSafari (which costs ten times as much and is the size of a laptopcomputer). Take time to try some of the Brainquest cards at home, thenenjoy them in the car or on the plane. They also make great presents forteachers. ... Read more

Book Description

"These pictures of the students of Ballet Tech are beautiful and true. They show a new generation of American ballet dancersas varied as America." --Mikhail Baryshnikov

Through a striking combination of color and black-and-white photography, Jim Varriale takes readers inside Ballet Tech, a school where city kids ofall shapes, sizes, and backgrounds have the chance to become professional ballet dancers.

Ballet Tech is America's first public school just for ballet. It has a uniquephilosophy: to find dance talent in the New York City public-school system. Each year, more than thirty thousand elementary-school students areauditioned, and about a thousand are invited to take classes, free of charge. Jim Varriale follows the children's training from their weekly beginningclasses through the full-time schooling they receive as young adults. With quotes and candid photographs, he shows the elements that shape their new lives as dancers--barre work, toe shoes, demanding teachers, long subway rides, camaraderie, competition, performances, and, for the few with exceptional talent and perseverance, places in professional dance companies.

Like Ballet Tech itself, this book will encourage new groups of childrenfrom diverse backgrounds to love dance and to appreciate the power it hasto change lives. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Visually exciting with clear descriptive text
You can see the joy on these kids faces. And the text seems to get to the heart of what dance is all about.

An excellent new book about the training of young dancers.
In images and words, photographer Jim Varriale has captured the essence of dance -- the irresistable urge to move to music with every inch of one's being -- in Kids Dance: The Students of Ballet Tech. His photographs capture Eliot Feld's scholarship students' infectious passion; their unselfconscious delight in dance as a means of personal expression; and their willingness to embrace the discipline and study that makes "jumping for joy" on stage a very real possibility. Attractively designed, the book is very well written. Varriale's text is both simply stated and engaging, offering just enough explanation and detail to complement the magical photographs they accompany. In repose and on the move, these NYC public school children invite the reader to share their hard work and dreams. This is a new kind of "ballet" book, a collectible for all dance lovers, regardless of age. I cannot recommend it too highly. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Many Ways to Learn: Young People's Guide to Learning Disabil
My 10 year old son and I read this book together because he was resistant initially. He immediately connected with the mountain climbing analogy that the author uses to explain the challenges of a learning disability. He smiled and acknowledged his strengths and weaknesses when the text challenged him to do so. The book also has a very helpful and clear explanation of different learning disabilities, the nature of intelligence and intelligence testing, and methods of intervention. While I am a psychologist, and have explained a fair amount to my son, it is always helpful for him to hear it in another way and from another source. We plan to return to some of the tips for school when school begins. I think we will return to the mountain climbing analogy often. ... Read more

Book Description

Smarter. Fresher. Better.

And now with new content, and new packaging.

Announcing the 650,000-copy, $750,000-marketing-budget relaunch of Brain Quest, America’s #1 educational bestseller with over 23.7 million copies in print. Featuring a complete updating of the content and an eye-catching, brainy-retro new look with easy-to-stock-and-shelve packaging, this is a dazzling makeover, inside and out.

For kids, it’s fun unplugged. For parents, it’s the easiest, most trusted way to know if their children are keeping pace. Assisting in the relaunch is an advisory panel of ten of America’s top educators, each of them winners of Teacher of the Year or Milken National Educator Awards. The result: completely revised questions and answers, with up to 20%new material, to bring each deck up to the standards of today’s curricula. The content is the same that kids will find on standardized tests, handled in such a way that it promotes mental flexibility.

The new Brain Quest is rolling out this Spring with a national “Thinking Cap” College Tuition Sweepstakes promo-tion; official spokesperson (Milken award-winning teacher and Brain Quest user Patty McGee); national publicity; and a revamped Web site (www.brainquest.com). Because it’s no tonly OK to Be Smart®—it’s absolutely essential. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

it is wonderful
i wish they will continue publishing about children stages up to teens.

A complete Kit
Just like Baby Brain Basics, this is more than a book-- it is a kit containing four products: The Toddler Brain Basics Book, a book for the baby, a CD with songs from the book on it, and a toy buying guide for 12-24 month olds.

The book is spiral bound and very easy to hold and read. It has tabbed off sections so you can very easily locate the topics of interest to you. Some of the topics include research on brain development, language acquisition, and music as an aid for development. The last sections of the book give specific information for activities to do with your toddler at each stage. For example, activities that are best suited for 12-14 month olds, 15-18 months, etc. Some of the activities are ones parents seem to naturally do, which reinforces their benefit (such as singing to your toddler or playing peek-a-boo). However, I have found a bunch of new activities, that are simple, and use either common toys or household items that my toddler loves. Some of the activities suggested would be a safety concern if there weren't constant adult supervision. So heed the author's warnings that this is an activity for the two of you together.

The child's book has things the child can touch and levers the child can pull to make it interactive. The words in the book are words to songs that are found on the CD. My daughter loves it when we look through the book and I show her what all the levers do.

The CD contains the songs from the book in three different formats. The first format is a sing-a-long version. The second format plays the songs at a more upbeat tempo so you and your toddler can get up and dance. The third format plays a relaxing, instrumental version of the song that I found very enjoyable.

The toy buying guide is the best. I never know what to buy and this takes the guess work out of it. It gives suggestions for toys for different developmental goals, as well as different ages and even gives ideas about how to play with this toy with your child. I know that seems like a no brainer, but it's been a long time since I was a toddler and I need retraining in different ways to play. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's never too early to build a child's vocabulary, and the updatedMy First Brain Quest--designed specifically for 2- and 3-year-olds--is a fun way to get started. The tall, skinny plastic box contains three decks (the cards are attached so they fan out on a hinge) with a total of 400 questions, and a spongy, nontoxic Max toy monkey. The idea is to have the toddler bond with the monkey, so the child associates the cards with playtime! Deck One offers a full day with Max from the time he wakes up until bedtime. For example, a full-page cartoon of Max in his colorful toy-ridden bedroom asks, "Who just woke up? What is Max wearing? What do you see in his room?" The cards break down into smaller illustrations with object and activity identification ("What is Max doing? He's putting on his slippers" or "What is this called? A clock.") We follow Max through breakfast, school, music lessons, and more. Deck Two introduces children to seasonal activities, including trick-or-treating and playing on a snowy day. Deck Three explores the world, following Max from the mall to a picnic in the country to a farm. The Brain Quest series is a wonderful vehicle for parents to play and learn with their wee ones, and paves the way for a lifetime fascination with words. (Ages 2 to 3) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Holds his attention
I bought these for my 1 1/2 year old son who loves picture books. He was instantly taken with "Max Monkey" and happily pointed him out on all the pages. My son was not so happy with the fact that he couldn't take the "Max cards" apart. Looks like this is a common theme in the reviews.

Anyways, the cards are educational, easy to read, great for taking in the car and cover a lot of topics (seasons, clothing, food). I don't mind that they don't come apart since they won't be lost. :)

Not what I expected....
I totally agree with the review about the toy monkey provided, my son who is almost two put it right in his mouth, and it was ruined that very second.(Maybe max could have been a little plastic character instead of foam)I expected a plastic box full of hard cardboard cards that my son could look at and inspect himself; and not something that is bound so tight that he can't look at them himself.All & all it is still a good learning tool & my son is not two yet so maybe he'll grow into them.We look at them every night before bed when he's sleepy and willing to listen without wanting to grab & throw things.

Brain Quests are great fun!
My older daughter loves Brain Quest, and I ordered this for my 2-1/2 year old son.They are great fun, and we often "play" with the decks instead of reading at night.Max the Monkey is fun, and my son enjoys looking at the pictures.I have been surprised at words he both does and does not know.

Some of the "answers" provided by Brain Quest are not words in a toddler vocabularly--for example, a picture showing what appears to be a box of crayons asks, "What are these called?" and the correct Brain Quest answer is "colored pencils."In another series of pictures, Max's slippers look more like shoes.However, these are minor things that are easily worked around--the parent can choose their own "right" answer.There way the questions are written easily lead you to make up your own questions.

The two things that could be improved upon:the is a 4" tall Max the Monkey included with the decks.It is supposed to be a child's playtoy, but it's made of FOAM.Needless to say, it was torn by the second day.Also, the plastic rivet that holds the cards together needs to be changed.It has the deck so tightly bound that I can't let my son turn the cards on his own--the cards would be terribly bent or torn.(The last Brain Quest I purchased had this same problem.)

Despite my negative sounding review, I am a big Brain Quest fan, and do like this Toddler's series.I would encourage any parent of a toddler to give this a try.Everyone learns from it, but in a fun, learning-through-play manner.The pictures are engaging, and a deck can easily be carried in a purse or backpack for outside the house.

The 2-3 year old guideline is appropriate.Very verbal, older 3 year olds will likely find this easy (which is great for their self-confidence), but may enjoy the challenge of the next level.

Brainy Toddlers
How do you make a smart preschooler? You ask them questions about everything, help them develop keener powers of observation, and guide them to be pattern recognizers. My First Brain Quest will help build toddlervocabulary, will lead little ones to keener observations and will keep upinteraction between adult and child. Caregivers and foster care parentswill love the structure provided by the sturdy cards hinged with a plasticrivet that keep the cards together and handy for constant use. Folks whoprovide CDA training and foster parent training, as well as parent-childinteraction instruction will appreciate the slow pace and good feelingengendered by the BrainQuest preschool cards. They're a great way to trainparenting skills of interaction (rather than imperatives) because they arefounded on questions. The box also holds Max the Plastic MOnkey for thekids to hold onto while answering the questions, although he will probablyget gnawed on as well as held in the hand. In preschool children, the nameof the game is vocabulary. Being able to name your world is to have powerover it. Brainquest does just that in a compact way. Great forpediatricians' offices, hospital waiting rooms, and other places you findparents and bored kids spending unstructured time. ... Read more

Book Description

Challenge yourself or a partner to a game of wits and knowledge with this exciting self-standing Flip Quiz. This spiral-bound flip chart can be used flat or will stand on a flat surface and has more than 1500 questions covering fifteen subjects with three levels of difficulty. Visual clues provide help for answers when competing with a partner. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Are we as different as we think? I say sol. You say sun. But no matter how we say it, it is the same one.

Somos un arco iris/We Are a Rainbow helps young readers begin building the cultural bridges of common human understanding through simple comparisons of culture from breakfast foods to legends. Colorful cut-paper art and gentle language deliver this universal message eloquently. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

All the ingredients needed for the next Picasso
This book is layed out very well - one project per page with all the ingredients needed right at the top. Many of the projects utilize styles or techniques of famous artists with suggestions on how you can expose children to their works while still in a fun creative environment. The book is written from an artist's perspective exploring texture, color, space etc. We love the projects and vignettes about the artists. ... Read more