Reviews (1)

Terrific
This is a great book to use to work with your child a little (10 minutes) every day during the summer months to keep the basic math and language skills up to snuff. It has lots of motivating rewards built in and my kids actually agreed to do it, in order to get the rewards. It was also a good opportunity for me to sit down with each of them and learn what they did and did not know from the expected grade-level skills. And to focus on the short-falls. I have used each of the books in the series now for the last 2 years and will again this year. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good activity book for summer.
This book is a nice introduction to kindergarden work. I'd particularly recommend it for kids who already like doing "worksheet" type activities. My son's older brother has started the 45h-5th bridge activity book, so both signed the contracts in the beginning-if they complete 20 days they get a trip to the toy store, and both work on their books at the same time. This is no substitute for interactive learning, or playing, or reading to them, but keeps skills from getting rusty, and in the case of my pre-kindergardener gets him thinking about the sorts of things he'll be doing next year. ... Read more

Book Description

This new book addresses the number one concern of millions of parents and athletes, age 9-19 in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, rugby, field hockey and tennis: "How can I improve speed in short sprints for my sport?" Step-by-step instructions show you how to first locate your weaknesses, then eliminate them by completing just 30 specific easy-to-follow workouts. This must read and must do book produces amazing results with a program that will also work for you. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

From a parent and age group coach
Eleven of my age group soccer kids completed the 30 workouts in this book in ten weeks. After seeing the improvement in acceleration and speed, the other 8 team members and their parents are sorry they didn't join in. The 30 workouts alone are worth the price of the book. You don't need a sports science background. If you are looking for a "just do-it" approach that improves speed in short sprints, this book is for you. The book cuts to the chase. There is no need to dig out anything. Everything that is included is important and the program works.

Univ Prof., Track Coach, Author, Former NFL Speed Consultant
March 3, 2004

Reviewer: George R. Colfer, PhD.


After reading two mixed reviews from 2002 and 2004, I decided to read and review this book. Considering who the book was written for (i.e., young athletes), I would recommend it as a Resource and Guide for Speed Improvement. No book is ever perfect for all audiences regardless of size, length or type. When I see a title for "young athletes," I usually hold my breath as most imitate what works only for highly skilled athletes. The first thing I liked about the book was the introduction including "How to use the book" (pg. 11) and Chapter 1, which offers assessment to determine readiness for certain components of the workouts. Another example was regarding Plyometrics (pg. 90) where the author states a leg strength requirement and who by age level should avoid plyometrics, although I would rather see this at the beginning of the section as many youngsters "do" and don't read. Dr. Dintiman is very knowledgeable and also proven in the area of speed and running improvement. He has a much higher level book now in it's 3rd or 4th printing. Speed Improvement for Young Athletes is readable and follows a "how to do it" approach without a lot of "hype." My experience with speed is that it first requires self-motivation. There is a lot of material and equipment necessary which is why I think a youngster following this program would need the guidance of a coach, very knowledgeable parent or as part of a camp or clinic-type setting. The information and programs are proven to be effective with no doubt. Implementing them from reading about them may require some assistance as Dr. Dintiman mentions in the introduction (pg. 11-#1). Speed endurance is a relatively new term and is well covered in Chapter 7, but a more complete definition may be helpful. In the next edition, I would recommend updating some of the strength training photographs and I would find an index at the end to be very helpful. However, these do not detract from the content and program construction of the book (i.e., the 30 workouts), which achieves the author's purpose.

Clinical Exercise Physiologist
Dr. Dintiman, an international authority on speed improvement, has produced a much needed text which offers excellent instruction on how to improve sport specific sprinting speed. What makes this book unique is that it is the first text specifically geared to the young athlete. The concepts in the text are based on internationally accepted research and proven instructional methods. The assessment program offered by the author is finely tuned to specifically uncover the young athlete's strengths and weaknesses. This allows valuable training time to be focused on specific points of identified weaknesses. Speed Improvement For Young Athletes: How To Sprint Faster In Your Sport In 30 Workouts, is a must purchase for any coach, parent, or individual who desires to produce a faster and quicker young athlete.

Value
The book is very simple and tertiary. Lightly discusses a number of topics. Details related to form and execution are lacking for someone who claims to have their Doctorate. The illustration is worse than what I can create on my home computer. The real issue I have is that the author and the publisher are both deceptive in their practices. Although the book appears to be a significant volume...in fact, it is triple spaced text with 20-26 font all to increase the number of pages to appear as if the book is a significant volume. In addition, the basics for any book such as an Index are missing entirely. This book is a joke even if it was priced at $3-$4 it would not be worth the shipping & handling.

A Parent, Coach, and University Professor's Review
While focusing on several insignificant items, the reviewer for the "School Library Journal" missed an opportunity to fully appreciate an excellent book, concisely written with a practical approach, by the leading expert in the world. The favored work of the above reviewer,for the "School Library Journal," consists only of illustrated exercises with no workouts to follow, no specific information on training programs and little help to anyone, including young athletes, coaches, or parents. "Speed Improvement for Young Athletes" has more useful information on previously tested and proven techniques than anything ever written. It is a book that "gets to the point" and prescribes 30 specific workouts for age group athletes for all sports. This is not a research book and there is good reason to keep it clearly organized and understandable for the young athlete. "Speed Improvement for Young Athletes: How to Sprint Faster in Your Sport in 30 Workouts" is by far the best book on the market, and I highly recommend it for the young athlete who wants to move from the theory to actual practice and conditioning with effective gains in foot speed for their sport. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great fun, and educational, except for an occasional error.
This game is exceptionally diverting for boring car trips and waiting time for medical appointments. The kindergarten game does seem more appropriate for 4 year olds rather than 5-6 year olds if the child has had a lot of exposure to letters, colors, shapes etc. There are a few dreadful lapses in accuracy, among the worst being the placement of a penguin next to an Eskimo and igloo. The Eskimo/igloo cliche is annoying, but the transposition of that poor little penguin from Antarctica is inexcusable. Our pre-schooler concluded the penguin must be just visiting.

educational and somewhat challenging in a fun format
My son has used the preschool version and the Kindergarten version and loves both of them. It is a wonderful quiet activity to do together and portable enough to take on the road to the doctor's office or on a car trip. The questions are age appropriate and teach well. The characters are cute and engaging. A wonderful gift for boys and girls. My son learned a lot from these cards, and we had a great time together. He would also look through them by himself too. I would recommend these to anyone. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Greatbook
This book was one of the best books i have ever read. It has a lot of action and mystery.

An Amazing Read
I loved The Last Shot. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I read it. I also really admire the character, Susan Carol Anderson,she was just so outgoing. She also didn't care about what other people thought. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to read it.

Middle School Adventure
As a middle school teacher with 18 years of experience, I found Last Shot to be a solid, if somewhat old-fashioned, mystery that should be recommended to all middle school students, most definitely adolescent sports fans, who may be reluctant readers. The plot includes enough suspense and suspicion to captivate the reader, yet is free of harsh profanity and other objectionable material that is so abundant in today's young adult fiction.
Especially refreshing are the two main characters, who will stop at nothing to 'right the wrongs' they've encountered on their unique adventure. They demonstrate intelligence,motivation,and resourcefulness in their mission to out-wit a few loathsome characters in the NCAA arena. Last Shot is an easy read and worth the time.

excellent sports book for teens
This book is full of factual background on the Final Four from the author's experience, which makes it really interesting.I'm buying copies for several teens I know.It's the kind of book that when the teen leaves it lying on the coffee table, dad or mom will wind up engrossed in it.

There are, at this date, two reviews of this book with attacks on the author but no comments on the book.I have no idea what theman is like, but this book is really good either way.The author he could be a total jerk or an angel for all I know -- he's probably just some guy who annoys other people.There are a lot of those.

However, I can say that this book is most likely NOT derived from another author's book on blackmail in the Final Four; both books would be derived from real life scandals of the 50's and 80's.The idea that blackmail or other unethical/illegal techniques would be used in the highly lucrative field of professional sports is not a recent one nor one which need be derived from fiction.One can find both fictional and real-life cases of this going back a lot farther than the past decade.

Great read by Feinstein
As an adult drawn to this book by Fienstein's 'non-fiction' name, I was incredibly surprised how much of a page-turner this was. Mr. Feinstein has performed the difficult task of creating two highly likeable and lifelike characters, while at the same time building a suspenful plot that contains numerous twists and turns the average reader won't be able to predict.

Anyone with teens and pre-teens should be buying this great book as a favor to their young readers.

And by the way, adults will enjoy it too! I certainly did. ... Read more

Book Description

Robert Snyder, national chess master and noted teacher, introduces this timeless game to the young beginner. Snyder teaches the basic principles and then builds on students' knowledge, giving clear instructions on how to choose and employ opening, middle, and endgame strategies to win. In twenty graduated lessons, with over 275 diagrams, Chess for Juniors covers:

-- Basic Rules

-- Check, Checkmate, and Castling

-- Opening Systems, including the Ruy Lopez, the Sicilian Defense, the Nimzo-Indian, the Queen's Indian Defense.

-- Basic Endgame Strategy

-- Tactics such as the Hanging Piece, the Fork, and the Pin

-- And more.

Robert M. Snyder's students have included the 1989 and 1990 national elementary and junior high school champions. He is the founder of the Chess for Juniors chess club in Garden Grove, California, the country's largest club for young people, and his school seminars have been attended by a total of over 50,000 students. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Best Introductory Chess Book Ever Written
I own over 1000 chess books and teach beginning chess classes for children.
This is my text book. After having examined over 20 other books that introduce chess to the beginning I can say with confidence that this book is far superior than any of the others.
CHESS FOR JUNIORS provides the most logical progression to introduce the rules and then basic strategy. A common fault with many other introductory books is that the author lacks experience in teaching things in the most logical order. CHESS FOR JUNIORS avoids those pitfalls. This Author has introduced chess to over 160,000 children (the world record).
CHESS FOR JUNIORS provides a clarity beyond any other book in making the material easy to understand. An average 4th grade student doesn't need to have a parent read the book to them and explain things. So many other books have wonderful pictures and diagrams that catch the eye while you are in the bookstore. However, these other books require an adult reader. CHESS FOR JUNIORS is at the right level for kids, and adults will love to learn from it as well!
CHESS FOR JUNIORS is well balanced covering in lessons that build on each other. Once students are introduced to the basic rules they learn the ideas behind the openings, are given a basic system to start with, learn the most important tactical concepts (forks, pins, mates, etc...) and the most basic endgames are covered.
ALL THIS IN ONE BOOK that is reasoably well condenced. My research has revealed that this is the best selling chess book in the United States and one of the most popular text books used by school chess programs.
If you are looking for a first (or maybe even second) chess book as a parent for you or your child, or if you are a teacher in need of the best text book for running a chess class this book is what you are looking for.

My favorite beginner's book
This was my first chess book that I got a couple of years ago when I was in [school]. After reading it I greatly improved my game and was able to go on to advanced books.
The book has 20 lessons. Lessons are on rules, and the different parts of strategy like openings, end games, problems with checkmates and winning pieces. Each lesson gets more advanced and builds on the earler lessons.
The book as great sayings and stories that makes it fun to read. Also, it is a very easy book for a kid to understand. The other kids in our school chess club (...) really like it too.
I have not seen any chess book written as well as this one.

Best Seller For a Reason
This book is a best seller for a good reason. It contains lessons formatted based on many, many years by the author who has taught chess to over 160,000 children and 35 of them have won the National Championships.
The book contains 20 lessons. The lessons build on one another starting with the basic rules (explained in the clearest language I have seen anywhere - a 7 year old can understand it). Humor is used to enhance children's interest - not pictures but words! "A Knight on the rim is dim, its chances are very slim". And, many funny stories, relating to the lesson at hand.
A nice introduction to the opening, endgames and tactics is provided giving the beginner a well balanced introduction. This is indeed the best introductory book (and great for the advanced beginner too!) - look no further - BUY IT!

Easy to Understand & Up to date
I got this and the author's "Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors" for my 11 year old son. I was at first concerned that "Chess For Juniors" might have been too basic since my son had already been introduced to the basics. I found "Chess For Juniors" to start off at the very beginning (assuming no knowledge of chess), however, it wasn't before long that the author was providing my son (and I!) with new material that we never new existed. In other words the book takes you up to Intermediate Level from the very beginning and makes sure that you have a SOLID FOUNDATION before continuing on to more advanced chess books.
The book has twenty lessons. Each lesson progresses and adds on the the previous lessons. All important parts of the game are covered. It starts off with basic rules but soon you are learning openings, endgames and tactics. The writing is clear and easy to understand. The author uses the right degree of humor for kids to make it fun.
The book is a total pleasure to read!

A Must for Any Chess Teacher or Beginning Student
As a chess teacher I have found this to be without any doubt the best first book for a student and the best book for any chess teacher who wants prepared lesson plans all set out for you!
Chess Teachers: If you want an outline for your lessons - see the table of contents of this book. If you want to know what is the proper order to cover things and want to miss nothing - then follow the lessons in this book!
Beginning Students: If you want to learn chess in the most logical format that has ever been put in print follow the lessons in this book. It will make learning the basics easy!
I have already heard that this book is the top selling chess book in the United States. It is widely used by school programs around the country as the text book for students and guide for the teachers. ... Read more

Book Description

In Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors, game master Robert M. Snyder takes games played by the world’s best players–including Bobby Fischer, Reuben Fine, Samuel Reshevsky–and creates lessons designed for rapid game improvement. Targeted at 8-13-year-olds, this book explains the ideas behind every move in a format that both the advanced beginner can understand and the intermediate player can greatly benefit from. As he did in his best-selling Chess for Juniors, Snyder provides clear step-by-step instruction in clear language. He applies the lessons learned by the greats to the games that every student plays. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Great Instructiional Tool For Chess Trainers and Students!
As a chess teacher I find this book to present very high quality chess lessons by a quality chess instructor. This book's layout not only comes highly recommended for kids in the 9 to 16 year old age group, but provides a chess teacher with some wonderful lessons to provide to their own students.
What I especially like about this book is the wide range of ideas covered and using players of various playing abilities in these games.
The way the games are formatted into lessons, allows a student to gain and understanding of all aspects of the game.
Take Fischer's games against both Bryne and Shocron for example. The analysis and explanation in this book is far, far superior than that found in Fischer's own book, My Sixty Memorable Games. As a fairly highly rated player I carefully analyzed the differences in the analysis - and by golly, I cannot find a single analytical error in Unbeatable Chess Lessons For Juniors! OK, so the analysis is of very high quality. What is even more important is that important things such as "General Rules" are explained as applied to the games at many points. The student is challenged to find the best moves throughout the games.
This book is not for the absolute beginner. But anyone from advanced beginner to expert will learn a lot from this masterpiece of a work!

Important Concepts Covered
This is a Wonderful Book for an Intermediate Level Chess Player of any age. Following the idea of analyzing every single move to build lessons based on games used by the author in his private lessons. The author (a master) uses games played by himself (which, any teacher would understand best) and other very strong masters to cover a wide variety of openings and concepts.
What is especially instructive is showing the flow of things setting up interesting tactical and positional themes. This is better than just having a position asking "what is the best move"? The student is challenged in this book by asking what the best move is at different points of each game - you can see how the positions were reached with a clear explaination of what is going on.
A very strong point of this book is that it explains general rules, which apply to what is going on in the game. This is especially effective in providing quality instruction.
There is no arguing about the success of the menthods used in this book - the author has trained more national scholastic chess champions than any other coach in the country - 35!
The games within this book are not only instructive but having interesting ideas within thim.
A must buy for any interested player serious about improving their game!

Don't Be Fooled - Not Only For Kids!
This book's title reveals its target audience - kids who play chess and want to get better. However, I've been playing chess a long time and I know a lot of adult players who should read, re-read, and study this book. It contains a lot of chess wisdom for any chess player that is struggling to understand why he or she can't win at chess consistently. This book is nothing less than an outstanding achievement for author Robert M. Snyder who has devoted his life to helping not only juniors but chess lovers of all ages understand the game of ages!

I couldn't put this book down!
My son takes classes from the author who drives up to Cheyenne every summer. After a couple of years my son, who is now 12 got this book (the Author's second in what I was told is a 4 book serious in progress). Well I have actually combated my own kid for time to read this book! We both love the games, which provide a the next step after the author's first book, "Chess For Juniors".
The book gives a wonderful approach to learning all phases of the game from opening to some games that reach an endgame. My son plays in some tournaments and has won numerous trophies after reading this author's books.
Highly recommended!!!

Clear, Accurate, Well Balanced & Great Opening Coverage
I love this book! It is written in a clear, easy to understand language that most kids and teens will find at their level. My very first book was the author's CHESS FOR JUNIORS, which I found to be well organized and very easy to understand (with a fantastic since of humor!).
This book is far more serious than the author's CHESS FOR JUNIORS book. Though, it would be logical that students of a more advanced level don't require "entertainment" to hold their interest.
The book has fantastic opening coverage for a student in the 800 to 1500 rating range. The most important opening lines are covered with a move by move commentary on every move in every game. The author doesn't go into too much depth so as to lose the student in detailed variations (though going into detailed variations should be reserved for a follow-up book for the next step)- perfect for the range of students this book is aimed at.
The book only has 3 endgames in it. Though these endgames will prove to be instructive and tie into the rest of the game.
The majority of the 24 games covered contain interesting and instructive tactical ideas and show how to build an attack, and what should be done to defend (also important!).
One thing that makes this book unique (setting it a notch above both Nunn's and Chernev's books which use a comment on every move)is the wide range of players. It covers top notch world class players and games against strong amateurs - which allows the author to show how to punish moves made by weaker players as well (important, since lower rated players usually play against other lower rated players in tournaments!).
The author has a unique insight into the mind of the player/student (I read about this in some of the other reviews here and feel I must say I do indeed agree with that!). The typical questions that pop-up in the students mind seem to constantly be touched on throught the 24 lessons. Based on the success and experience of the author when training his personal students.
The one weakness of this book - it needs a follow-up book to cover more games and openings - perhaps for an even more advanced player who has completed this one! Really not a weakness - but a suggestion to the author and publisher: More! ... Read more

Book Description

Shirley Temple Wong sails from China to America with a heart full of dreams. Her new home is Brooklyn, New York. America is indeed a land full of wonders, but Shirley doesn't know any English, so it's hard to make friends. Then a miracle-baseball-happens. It is 1947, and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is everyone's hero. Jackie Robinson is proving that a black man, the grandson of a slave, can make a difference in America and for Shirley as well, on the ball field and off, America becomes the land of opportunity.

Notable Children's Books of 1984 (ALA)
Best Books of 1984 (SLJ)
Notable 1984 Childrens' Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
Children's Books of 1984 (Library of Congress)
1984 Children's Books (NY Public Library)
1985 Jefferson Cup Award (Virginia Library Association)

Reviews (45)

nice book about cultural changes
On the other side of the world from Brooklyn, New York there lives a little girl known as Bandit. After living in China for 8 years, Bandit's clan gets a mysterious letter from Father, announcing that Bandit, her mother and he will go to Mei guo, meaning beautiful country, which is America. Her new American name is Shirley Temple Wong. That's how Bette Bao Lord begins her book about Shirley. As far as I know, that's pretty much what the author experienced herself. This is a great book about cultural changes, making friends and 'America's Favorite Past time', Baseball.

As I already mentioned above, a kind, but a little bit shy, girl called Shirley comes to America without the knowledge of a single English word. Shortly after that she attends an All American school. Even though she knows a bit English after a few months, she still doesn't have any friends. Then, on one nice day, when she played Baseball for the first time in her life she makes a spectacular Home Run. The next day Jackie Robinson isn't only the Dodger's hero, but also Shirley's.

After you read this book, you will probably know more about China, then when you first touched this book. Many of the changes that Shirley has to make are described funny, some even hilarious. You, no matter how old, or what gender you are, you should definitely read this book.

In the year of the boar and Jackie Robinson
This story is about a little Chinese girl, Shirley, who goes to America and interacts with foreign friends. She couldn't speak English and she had a hard time with adapting to the new culture of America. She got interested in a game called stickball but she spoiled all the games because she didn't know how to play. Everyone ignored her. Read the rest of the book to find out if Shirley gets a best friend or not.
I like the way the author describes the new school and the children in the class. " The room was large, with windows up to the ceiling. Row after now of students, each one unlike the next. Some faces were white, like clean plates; others black like ebony. Some were in between shades" -page.44
I think people who live in new countries other than their home country should read this book because author makes the story interesting and you'll know what it was like for Shirley and what it was like for you. I felt this book was good for class time but I wouldn't choose for myself if I was not in a foreign country.

my book review
(...)

This book starts out in China where a young girl, named Bandit is forced to go to America. She must go because her father wants Bandit and her mother to move to America and make it their home. Bandit is not sad however, because she'll finally get to be together with her father. Bandit takes the name of Shirly Temple Wong and starts her trip to America. At first she struggles but soon, she learns to play baseball and starts making friends.

Something i like about this book is the way it is clear and understandable and also a little funny. Many people would be able to relate to some of her embarressing moments. I think the book is very understandable because there are no big words and the sentences are kept simple. I could just read through the entire book without going back to make sure i read some paragraph right."One sunny afternoon, Shirly leaned out the third story window of P. S 8 slapping the chalk from the class erasers." This quote is one of the good ones. It is clear and the author keeps it simple with enough detail to satisfy the reader.

One part that was funny, and i could relate to was when shirly got lost on her way back from the store."What a fool she was! Nothing but a fool. Utterly ashamed, she hid her face in her arms." This quote from the book describes Shirly after she is lost and gives up. I remember many times when i was young and would get lost alot and start getting scared.

My favorite part of the book was when Shirly is told to go home. She thinks that the kids hate her and want her to go home, but really they meant to get her to run to home base. It is funny how some things can be misconcieving and how people may think very differently from others.

Multi-Cultural Clash?
My book is called In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. The author of this book is Betty Lao Lord. This story is about a girl named bandit. She gets a letter from her father telling her she is coming to America. It's a long plane ride and a long train ride but she finally made it. Then she thought about what she had to do to fit in in America. She had to speak English and make new friends. Well that didn't go very well. The first person she met punched her in the face but the next day she apologized and taught her how to play stick ball so she wouldn't get in trouble. When she ran the bases everyone called her Jackie Robinson because she was pigeon-toed. Then she started to get interested in baseball. She watched every game from there on that Brooklyn Dodgers played. She was heart-broken when they lost to the Yankees in the World Series. But her next quest was to become class president.
I thought this was a great book. I couldn't put the book down. I would give the book five stars. I would give it five stars because it kept me guessing until the very end. It was also very funny.

The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
Reading this story I feel as if I am the protagonist, Shirley Temple, of the book. I think the author has done a good job by writing this book such a story as this, especially for children who move from one country to another. Bette Bao Load's style of writing is so vivid. I can picture Shirley. I like the author's style. This story is about Shirley being in a new country, with no friends and she can't speak English properly. Later Shirley is able to make friends. We can learn a lesson from this story of Jackie Robinson. Shirley wanted to make a difference in her life as well as in America. The book is really good and it makes you realized that we are here for a purpose come what may, with strong determination life will be good . ... Read more

Book Description

Inspired by the issues discussed in Loving Your Body / Loving Yourself, this journal gives teens the opportunity to explore their own feelings about their bodies, themselves, and other related topics in a unique, personal way. Author Kimberly Kirberger provides commentary, questions, and suggested writing activities to help girls use the journal to work toward loving their bodies and themselves. Body image is the #1 issue among preteen and teen girls. This journal is specifically designed to help them express and work through their feelings on this powerful, important topic.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great journal!
This is a great journal for teenage girls to discover their personality, values and stuff like that. lol. It's really fun to fill in! I recommend this to every girl from age 11-16. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (7)

Thinking outside the box
I got this book, along with 3 other Sloane & MacHale lateral thinking puzzle books for Christmas one year. At first it seemed like a sorry excuse for a gift, but as I read this one first, I found that it was a challenging endeavor of the mind. Lateral thinking, it seems, is taking a situation and finding a solution that is not the most obvious, but usually the most logical. That said, this is challenging to say the least. A good book for people who enjoy mind games.

Lateral doesn't mean implausible
There are some very clever puzzles in this book, and it is a lot of fun trying to rationalise a seemingly impossible situation. However, some of the puzzles have not an ingenious answer, but an implausible one. It works, but it makes no sense. The best way to back this up is to demonstrate. This is on of the easy puzzles taken from the very start of the book, so giving the answer away is no big deal (but stop reading if you don't want to know it):

One night during the Second World War, an allied bomber was on a mission over Germany. The plane was in perfect condition and everything on it worked properly. When it had reached its target, the pilot ordered the bomb doors opened. They opened. He then ordered the bombs released. They were released. But the bombs did not fall from the plane. Why should this be so?

Some clues are given, and the eventual answer is that the plane was flying upside-down. Now, lateral thinking it might be, but it makes no sense that a plane flying a mission during a war would order its bombs to be released over a target while it was flying upside down. A good puzzle encourages thinking, but anyone who seriously tries to answer that puzzle would discard the given answer as making no sense.

There are still some very clever puzzles to be found here, and the book is worth buying if you want a collection of lateral thinking puzzles, but beware that sometimes Sloane crosses the fine line between ingenious and implausible.

Review
I am a trainer at a teleservices agency. I have found this book to be full of puzzles that engergize my classes and make them think. It contains some really good puzzles that are not far fetched like some of the ones found on the internet. My only complaint is that it is rather short; there are not enough puzzles. If you are looking for a book with a lot of puzzles, pass on this one.

Great book
This book is an excellent resource for teachers. I have used it with my 6th graders often. It is the perfect thing to fill in an extra five or ten minutes and really boosts the students thinking skills.

Lateral To The Max
When I bought this book at a school book fair, I had kids begging me to swap with them, but I blatantly refused and I'm glad I refused because this book has served me hours of mind-boggling entertainment and it's time I got another one. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Fun for grownups, too!
A friend of mine gave me a copy of Ed Emberley's "Fingerprint Drawing Book" and some colored stamp pads for my birthday last year. I had so much fun with it, that I bought the "Complete Funprint Drawing Book" for my five year old niece. We both have lots of fun making "thumbies", and she's able to follow the steps very easily.

I enjoy decorating blank cards and envelopes, and have created scenes using combinations of various fingerprint figures. For example, on one card, I created a winter scene using the skiier, ice skater and snowman, and another using the football player and cheerleader figures. I also use a variation of the queen "thumbie" on the membership cards I've created for my local chapter of Sweet Potato Queens, known as The Couch Potato Queens.

Fingerprint art is fun for everyone, and the books are great!

Easy for anyone
I'm not crafty and this was so easy for me, my 7 year old son, and even my 2 year old daughter. A terrific activity for our cancelled school snow day. Simple instructions to follow and a great sense of self esteem for the children as they accomplish their creations. No frustration for mom trying to explain it either. I'm telling all my girlfriends about this book.

Fantastic book for all ages - easy to follow instructions
I borrowed this book from our local library to use for my daughter's kindergarten project. The drawings are very easy to follow.

I was first introduced to Ed Emberley's books when I received his animal drawing book as a young child. I spent hours drawing animals. It helped me to become creative.

This book combines 2 of Ed's books - thumbprint and fingerprint drawings. It is nice to have the choice because with the different sizes in fingertips, you can create different sized animals and depth within pictures. I especially love the section on fingerprint drawings. The detail and color suggestions are wonderful.

I highly recommend this book!

fun fun fun
What a fun book. My 5 year old son loved it and has already improved his drawing quite a bit. Thumbs up!

Why should kids have all the fun?
I love to be creative when sending out birthday cards and notes. The characters that you can create with Ed's books make you feel like you have an artistic flair...even if you failed art in grade school. What is nice is that there are a variety of ways to use the materials and make your own versions of cartoons by incorporating different faces, etc. I bought the first book by Ed for my son when he was in gradeschool and I promptly hid it...why should he have all the fun? You can make the prints in plain black ink and use colored markers to make the pictures pop. It is well worth the $. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My baby loves these!
My baby loves his cards. We use them many times throughout the day. They are usually all over the place as he uses them to communicate with us as well (we saw fish at the aquarium and he pulled out all the fish cards). I wish we had purchased these sooner. My son is 12 months old but would have enjoyed these months ago. They are especially interesting if you have the accompanying DVD's.

We use these cards almost everyday.
I love that the cards are made of heavy paper and the pictures are very colorful. We own the whole series and use them almost everyday. The one thing that I did notice is that we seemed to lose them after they would get thrown everywhere. I solved this problem by single hole punching them and then using a binder ring to hold them all together. Now my son and I can just flip through the pictures.

The pictures are brilliant!
I love these cards! The pictures are great and the information on the back is wonderful. I only wish that the author had put the names of the animals in different languages as she did on the Language Discovery Cards. One small point, I am not sure why she has some broad category animals, such as "dog" and then more specific ones, such as a particular type of fish. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Count to 10, explore the alphabet, discover shapes, learn about opposites, and find the missing teddy bear in this big, colorful board book. Sesame Street's beloved Elmo guides young readers to lift more than 60 flaps to reveal humorous and edifying surprises. Over the word "dry," Grover gazes unsuspectingly into a garden hose. Turn the flap and guess what happens! Grover learns all about "wet." A towering pyramid of alphabet blocks contains objects starting with the same letter behind each flap: alligator, book, cookies. Large, sturdy flaps allow rough-tough toddler hands to clutch and pull as much as they want with minimal risk of tearing. Children will adore the bright, bold illustrations of Jim Henson's familiar Muppet characters and beg to return to this book again and again. (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A MUST HAVE
I purchased this book for my son who was not even 2 years old at the time and wow! This book was a huge success. It was a great way to introduce numbers, letters and opposites. My son could not get enough of it. He is nearly 3 years old now and still loves this book. It is a lot of fun to watch your child know what to expect from the pages and play along with the pictures. Although it is now extremely "used" and in need of replacement due to excessive use (my son may have loved it a little too much!), it is well worth the money of purchasing a new one. My daughter who is currently 6 months will now get her chance to experience Elmo the same way my son did.

Alphabet!
We gave this book to our 16 month old daughter for the holidays and she simply hasn't put it down since. She actually says "alphabet" when she wants to read it, opens to the pyramid of blocks, and proceeds to name the items under each of the letters' flaps. She really loves it. It's also helping her learn her shapes as well as the other Sesame Street characters names. The drawings are beautiful and it's really a lot of fun.

My Daughter Loves This Book!
I bought this book for my daughter as part of her birthday present when she turned 1. I did not think that she would love it as much as she does. She is now 17 months old and she still carries it around everywhere. Here favorite part is at the end when Elmo needs help finding his beloved teddy bear. When we find it together, she always gives the bear a big kiss and claps HOORAY!

Great for Travel
I bought this book to keep my 22 month old daughter busy on a 7 hour flight. She LOVED it! She was so excited to open all the little doors to see what was behind all of them. It kept her busy for at least an hour! It's a sleek book, although large, and fits right down the side of my diaper bag. The little doors tear pretty easily, but we taped them back. She loves carrying it around with her wherever we go. AND the price here is better than the discount store!

My Son LOVES It
My son is 12 months and enjoys looking at all kinds of books. And this is one of his absolute favorites. (I even like looking at it!) The pages are sturdy and the pictures are great. Very classic Sesame Street. He loves looking under all the flaps and pointing at each character. I'll definitely be buying this again if it ever wears out. ... Read more

Book Description

Cupcakes have captivated the nation, and Clare Crespo makes them like no one else.In Hey There, Cupcake! 35 Yummy Fun Cupcake Recipes For All Occasions, Crespo bakes up tropme l'oeil cupcakes for every occasion, proving they can look like balls of yarn, fried eggs, or peppermint candies-and taste just as fantastic as they look. Cute, accessible, and colorful, this cookbook contains 35 wildly inventive recipes, including: · Cupcake Burgers: Chocolate and yellow cupcakes sliced and frosted to look like a burger topped with lettuce and tomato on a sesame seed bun. · Cubcakes: Caramel cupcakes frosted to look like koala, panda, and grizzly bears. · Pollination Cupcakes: Honey-flavored cupcakes frosted to look like flowers, topped with candy bees. · Six-Pack Cupcakes: Cola-flavored cupcakes stacked and iced to look like a six-pack of soda.In her acclaimed debut title, The Secret Life of Food, Crespo created recipes that rallied families to approach birthdays, holidays, and picnics with devilish creativity.Enthusiasm for Crespo and her food creations landed the irrepressible author on Today, Good Morning America, and a raft of cable shows, including the Food Network's Extreme Cuisine, Top 5, and Roker on the Road; HGTV's Smart Solutions; and the Style Network's You're Invited.The book also garnered high praise in publications as diverse as Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and the Los Angeles Times Magazine, among others. ... Read more

Book Description

Jack and Annie are off on another adventure! This time they are sent to

ancient Greece, where a very important event is taking place. Join them as they

race against time and witness the very first Olympic games!




... Read more

Reviews (10)

Take An Hour And Read This Book
The book you are going to read about is called Hour of the Olympics. Mary Pope Osborne wrote it and she is a great writer. This story is about the first Olympic game. The two main characters are named Jack and Annie. This book comes from a series of books, so this is only one adventure. The problem in this story is that Jack and Annie are at the first Olympics and no girls are allowed. Annie sneaks in and gets caught. Can Jack get her out of this mess? To find out you will have to read Hour of the Olympics.

Hour of BOREDOM
I did not like this book because it had the most boring mysteries I have ever read.Like most boring books,the kids go somewhere, find what there looking for and, in the case of this book, fly back on a horse with wings.They say boring things along the lines of "how did you learn to read and write?My opinion is that it is a very boring book.

Fantastic in more ways than imaginable
"Hour Of The Olympics" is good because of the ways you learn about the Olympics, and the Olympic events, plus the legend of Pegasus, the flying horse. So amazing, I almost applauded so loud my neighborhood could hear me! Trust me, you can't miss out on this one.

Fantastic in more ways than imaginable
"Hour Of The Olympics" is good because of the ways you learn about the Olympics, and the Olympic events, plus the legend of Pegasus, the flying horse. So amazing, I almost applauded so loud my neighborhood could hear me. Trust me, you can't miss out on this one.

Magic Tree House #16: Hour of the Olympics
Magic Tree House is the Harry Potter for the ages 6-9 crowd. The stories are always delightful, and they always have action in it. This is a very good book. I recommend to all kids from the ages 6-9. Kids younger than that can have parents read it to them. ... Read more

Book Description

Chester and Wilson had their own way of doing things, and they did everything together. When they cut their sandwiches, it was always diagonally. When they rode their bikes, they always used hand signals. If Chester was hungry, Wilson was too. They were two of a kind, and that's the way it was - until indomitable Lilly, who had her own way of doing things, moved into the neighborhood.

Reviews (9)

Belly Laughin Four year old!!!
My four year old loves this book, when Lilly does her stuff my son loses it, he actually gets belly laughs. We read his book five nights in a row when we first got it, and we didn't mind reading it over and over. Lilly really is a crack up. The moral is great. I have since bought "Julius Baby of the World" and we have read this the past three nights in a row, and we look forward to reading more by Kevin Henkes.

School Counselor
We are going to be using this book on our unit on Friendship. We will discuss the likes of each of the characters in the book, and how different they may be, but how they are friends. Kevin Henkes has a wonderful website as well, where you can get reproducibles. As a counselor and parent it is an invaluable resource!!...

My Eye
When I read this book it made me reminisce about my friend and me. We do everything together.
When Lilly moved in, it was bad for Chester and Wilson to not like her. Then it was nice of her to help them out when they were in a predicament.

Kevin Henkes is humorous and clever, even for adults
I purchased this book because my maiden name is Chester- honestly, it's the only reason I got it! What a delight to find that the story is amusing and worth every penny. Chester is a mouse who does things his own way- he always eats the same thing for breakfast, he always uses hand signals when he rides his bike, and he never leaves the house without double-knotting his shoelaces. Chester's best friend's name is Wilson (my mother's maiden name- another delightful surprise!), and he and Chester are inseperable. When Wilson accidentally swallows a watermelon seed and cries because he's afraid he'll grow a watermelon in his belly, Chester swallows one too, so Wilson won't be alone in his predicament. This pair are like two peas in a pod...and then Lilly moves into the neighborhood. Lilly has HER own way of doing things, and Chester and Wilson avoid her like the plague. That is, until she scares of some neighborhood bullies trying to pick on Wilson and Chester. From then on, the three of them go everywhere together, and Chester and Wilson find that Lilly has many of the same interests that they do. An amusing and chuckle-out-loud story for all. Be sure to get "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse", too.

Chester's Way is Wonderful
Kevin Henkes is an absolute treasure. His stories are a treat for both children and adults combining rhythmic prose and engaging artwork. "Chester's Way" is a delightful book about friendship. Wilson and Chester are the best of friends, and that's the way it was...until Lilly came along. Lilly does things differently than Chester and Wilson. However, they eventually become friends and learn from one another. My son and his best friend liked the story so much that they dressed as Chester and Wilson for Halloween one year. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Can you spy "a tortoise, a hare, a tea bag, a key/ a clock, and a flag on a house in a tree"? It's not easy--but readers of all ages will have a whole lot of fun trying. With more than a dozen I Spy picture books under their belts, including I Spy Gold Challenger, the award-winning photographer/riddler team of Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo are masters of their art form. And in Treasure Hunt, they've outdone themselves. Readers search for subtly hidden objects on every beautifully composed and photographed page. At first glance the setting seems like any other quaint seaside town. Take a second look and discover that it's in fact a very realistic model, with giant pencil erasers filling truck beds and gargantuan pennies nestled among the boulders of an island. The result is stunning, a surrealistic adventure.

Children will love to pursue the mystery of the pirate's hidden treasure, narrowing their search with every delightfully cluttered page. Looking for an additional challenge? Try the extra-credit riddles. For the inspired reader, Wick and Marzollo also include pages on how to create I Spy riddles and pictures. (Ages 3 to 8) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (12)

I love the pictures of miniature settings!
I picked this book out because of the beautiful photography and the clever way objects were inserted into miniature settings. The 12 pictures in I SPY TREASURE HUNT are beautiful and fascinating to pore over. Sometimes the photographs are a bit blurry or hazy, though, which made me wonder if I was missing something. I wasn't always sure what I was looking for. Or you only see a tiny part of the thing you're supposed to find. And the extra credit riddles need to be on a foldout page so you can refer to them without flipping back and forth. Still, it's a beautiful, clever book and a lot of fun.

These are wonderful books for all ages
I didn't pay much attention to the "I Spy" books until I bought one for my niece. I thought it was strictly a children's book, and I only bothered looking at it to make sure it contained nothing objectionable. Ten minutes later, *I* was hooked! So now I have several for my 3-year-old niece and several that I'm "holding" for her.

"Treasure Hunt" is my favorite "I Spy" because the pictures relate to each other and when followed tell a story. "Spooky Night" also does this. The rest just seem to contain pictures that follow the theme given in the title but don't relate to each other. The challenger books don't have original pictures; they use the pictures from the themed books and give them new, supposedly harder, riddles.

In my opinion, the earlier books are the easiest and the later books are quite a bit harder (and maybe more suitable for older "children").

I personally prefer the themed books to the challengers and the later books to the earlier, but I heartily recommend any, or even all, of the "I Spy" books.

Looking for the seashell?
Iv'e enjoyed the priceless moments with my children looking for hidden treasures in this book.

I Spy Treasure Hunt
We love the I Spy series of books. We own them all and our kids have never failed to find the object they're seaching for, until this book. Page 22 and 23. We cannot find the seashell. Oh sure, your imagination leads you to believe certain shapes, objects, lights, holes, etc. appear that they could pass as a seashell, but nothing is conclusive. We have written letters to Jean Marzollo, but no response. We found Walter Wick's website, but it says his schedule is too busy to respond to an email. Frankly, we don't think it exists. If you know, please type in a review. Thank you!!!

Want Hours of Fun Stimulation For Your Mind? Here It Is!!
I absolutely *adore* the I Spy picture riddle book series, and have a number of them in my personal library collection. I am 19 years of age, yet I don't find these books to be for "little kids only". This book is outstanding in its ability to ignite the brain power in people of ANY age. For that alone, I'd give it five stars! The pictures are whimsical and creative, the riddles fun and challenging even to the "older" crowd. A great read, and DEFINITELY one to place on your family's Christmas list! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Hard To Follow
I found this book hard to follow. The author put a lot of effort into trying to make this an easy book. There are 79 hand pictures of the basic hand claps with the movements described in words, but I just can't get it. Music notes are included for each rhyme. I wish the author would have included rhythym as well. I have yet to use it with my students.

High Five for Mary Mac'K
I am an elementary physical education teacher and I have thoroughly enjoyed using many of the hand clapping games in my classes. The students love the hand motions along with reciting the rhymes. This is great practice for coordination and rhythm. I would recommend this book for any educator looking for fun and exciting ways to engage students in hands on learnning. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

We Liked This Story
This story is about Arthur going on vacation with his family. Arthur didn't really want to go away with his family. He wanted to be with his best friend. At the end of the story, Arthur really does have fun and comes back to show his friend all the pictures. We liked this story because Arthur did a lot of fun things with his family.

Arthur's Family Vacation by Marc Brown
It's the last day of school and Arthur wants Buster to come with him on vacation instead of going to camp. Arthur's mom and dad say that he can't come so he's disappointed. Everybody packs their stuff and they load the inside of the car and the roof. Arthur's family gets to the hotel. They only have one tiny little room for all of them and the pool is smaller than D.W.'s bathtub, she says. They have problems on their vacation. First, only the parents enjoy their dinner, then they try to write postcards, but they haven't done anything yet. Next it rains. Arthur fixes their trip by planning out a whole bunch of fun stuff for the family. On Friday it stopped raining and it was the best day yet. They went to the beach. When they got home, Buster was already there. Arthur and Buster had missed each other, but Arthur had a great time with his family on vacation. This was a good book, but not the best I ever read. Marc Brown is one of my favorite authors. I'd recommend this book to a second or third grader who likes to watch the Arthur T.V. show. ... Read more