Nonfiction Books

I was very happy with this book for my son going into 5th grade. I wanted him to keep up his math skills - the book is wonderful for that! There are some sections (social studies, history) that I ended up crossing off because I thought it was just too hard. Some of the writing I changed up a little to make it more interesting for my son (who doesn't want to write!) I will definitely do this again next summer.

Summer Bridge Activities-we have used these for 4 years. We use them to help the children keep up their school/academic skills over the summer break. They are a GREAT adjunct to summer reading. The books have various "exercises" covering all subjects in a day by day format and have "grading" pages with stickers and stars for completion. The children initially balk at doing them but soon enjoy "remembering" what they did in school!!!

I really like this workbook for summer practice, review and introduction of new material. This book includes a variety of subjects especially math.

My daughter loves these workbooks. They have a great calendar and pacing marks. She sets the goals and goes for them.

I have used this series for my children for years. This year they actually reminded me to purchase them. Much of what was learned in school can become fuzzy when mixed with the sand and surf of summer. This workbook series helps keep it fresh. We usually do three pages every three days, paired with 30 minutes of daily reading. Still plenty of time for swimming, water balloons, and catching fireflies, and your child will return to school knowing that Marco Polo is not just a game you play in the pool!
This edition has a good balance of math, science, social studies, and language arts. By reviewing what they learned in 4th grade, and using the opportunity to research included information that they may not be familiar with, your child can start the 5th grade with confidence.

I just finished this book and truly enjoyed it. I love history and especially this era. A great overview of Washington's life without being overly tedious in the details as some biographies can be. I finished this book fairly quickly as I was hooked once I began. Loved the photos that were included also.

It is sad. The author has made big bucks on a book that essentially is aimed at bringing George Washington down to the level of today's politicians. There certainly is an audience for this kind of interpretation of our Founding Father and it can only be accomplished by someone who has a perspective and wants to use his skills to slant the reader's view toward his own negativity. I much preferred to read David McCullough's history, "1776," which dwells primarily on Washington as a person and a leader, but without the hidden agenda (whatever it is) of the author of "His Excellency," which is really an attempt to rewrite history and bring Washington down to the level of a Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon in a colonial setting. Shame on you, Mr. Ellis, although you are entitled to your opinion -- which is what this book is all about.

I found this book to be a refreshing look at the life of America's greatest founding father. Ellis does a fantastic job of getting to the meat of a seemingly endless list of resources including numerous pieces of personal correspondence, and provides a more personal look into the mind of the notoriously elusive George Washington. This work does what many other similar books don't, and that is look at Washington in the context of the broader social and historical realities of his time. Without this, many of Washington's actions seem illogical or empty. Some reviewers don't appreciate the more critical aspects of the work, but it is naive to believe that Washington was totally devoid of personal flaws and internal conflicts. In fact, I believe, as Ellis describes, that these flaws are part of what made him a great leader; what he learned from his mistakes helped guide him on his journey through a very uncertain and volatile time in world history. What is more impressive, is that Ellis is able to condense such a rich and interesting life into a relatively short volume that doesn't seem lacking. It provides enough insight for those who are looking for the basics, but gives enough for those looking for more in-depth analysis and provides a foundation for more intense study. Overall, Ellis has created a fantastic biography that I would recommend to anyone interested in early American history.

Too much of what is "known" about George Washington is based on myth rather than fact. This book strips away the glossy veneer and paints a portrait of a remarkable man who, despite his flaws, influenced the path that our early nation took more than any other person. Despite its relative brevity, this well written biography provides much insight into Washington. We learn how his business and personal dealings led to his disaffection with England and his support for the revolutionary cause. We see the evolution of his views on slavery. We understand how indispensable he was in establishing a strong and "energetic" (to borrow his words) federal government. I came way from this book with a much better appreciation for the "father of our country" and a clearer understanding of his contributions to the formation of our nation.

I was extremely disappointed in this book. This book was purchased as a gift for me, and I looked forward to reading it. From the beginning, I was disappointed by the tone of the book, which casts a negative tone on the father of our country.

As I researched some of Ellis' sources, I found that in several parts of his book, he stated items as facts that were completely false.

Ellis, following a popular trend of today, insinuates that George Washington was in love with his friend's wife, Sally Fairfax, and that he felt passionately in love with her throughout his life.

Ellis admits that all we do know is based primarily on three letters Washington wrote to Sally (Fairfax). The last letter he cites was one Washington wrote near the end of his life. Mr. Ellis states that "in this letter, he confessed to an elderly Sally that she had been the passion of his youth, that he had never been able to forget her, 'nor been able to eradicate from my mind those happy moments, the happiest in my life, which have enjoyed in your company."

I decided to research his references, and look up the text of Washington's letter on the Library of Congress website. They have actual images of all of the original letters of George Washington. What I found relieved me greatly and set my mind at ease. It also made me feel disgusted than an author who claims to accurately represent the life of such a noble man could be so purposely deceptive.

The actual letter was written by Washington in his later years, with his wife. He talked about how he was remembering the times of harmony and friendship that he and his wife spent with Sally and her husband at their home. He describes these times as some of the happiest of his life. At the end of his part of the letter he says "Mrs. Washington is about to give you an account of the changes which have happened in the neighbourhood and in our own family."

Mr. Ellis said that in this letter he confessed that she had been the passion of his youth. That is simply a blatant falsehood.

Ellis also states that there is no evidence to show whether the relationship between Washington and Fairfax ever crossed the sexual threshold or not. Why does he even feel the need to include such a ridiculous statement? It is akin to saying that although someone spends some time at the local bank, we don't have evidence to show whether they were a bank robber or not.

Attempting to insinuate that the framers of our Constitution such as Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin were immoral men, is happening more and more often in our country.

In an excellent book "The Rewriting of America's History", there is an example of how deceitful this influence can be. The book explained how in an earlier edition of a school history textbook it stated that George Washington had a hot temper that he kept masterfully controlled. In a later edition of the same textbook, it simply said: "George Washington had a hot temper." I think that is a powerful example of how a subtle adjustment can completely change our thinking of his character.

I have found that this is happening more and more frequently in our world today as I have studied the founding father's lives including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and others.

I could continue on with how careful research contradicts the opinions of Mr. Ellis, but I will simply recommend a much better book. "The Real George Washington", published by The National Center for Constitutional Studies.

I love the graphics and the paper that this book is printed on. Be aware that most of the cutting is pretty challenging, even for my first graders. If your child doesn't have great fine motor skills, be prepared to help them with the cutting. That being said, it is great for developing those skills that teachers don't have a lot of time to teach these days- like cutting and gluing.

My mom always said, give your kids a pair of scissors and they'll be happy for hours. She was right, but even more so with this book. When my oldest was in pre-K, the teachers encouraged us to have her cut, color, and draw at home to develop fine motor control and hand strength, as pre-writing skills. This book gives your kids something fun to cut, and by the end, they're cutting much more complex configurations, without pain. Highly recommended!

The only thing not to like about this book is why, at almost $7, could they not have perforated the pages?! I've bought coloring books at the dollar store with perforated pages. I'd take off a star for this, but the book itself rates 6 stars in my book...

My 3 yr old daughter is almost done with this book now, and we'll be getting more Kumon books - and that great Chicken Socks cutting book, too.

I teach three year olds. I bought this book to help them with their cutting skills and I really like it. I only have to say "Who wants to do a page out of the cutting book ?" and I have a full table and some waiting in line. They really like it.

I really am quiet pleased with this book, I know how hard cutting can be and to help my daughter. My daughter loves this book and the others we have and actually wants to do the work book or to go and do "homework" as she calls it.

The book starts out with very basic cuts and then as the pages progress the cut work gets more challenging. The artwork is cute and I can say that this book has helped my daughter cut with confidence and her cutting has gotten much better. She's only been in pre-kindergarten for 2 weeks and my daughter's teacher says it shows that we've been practicing cutting.

The other Kumon books we have and like are: Lower Case Letters and folding which is also another really neat task for your child to get good at and also has some really cool photos and pictures.
My only complaint is that I wish the pages where perforated for easily removal.

I know this already has great reviews, but I just had to write what an amazing job this book has done for my 5 year old son. I just gave him one page a day to cut, and I can't believe the improvement in his cutting. Even better, I never corrected him, just said what a great job he was doing (this is what the book says to do). I was skeptical that this approach would work, but it has!! Best money I ever spent on a workbook.

The Truth: I'm a Girl, I'm Smart and I Know EverythingAnother great book from American Girl. This book really brings up so many of the 'sticky' situations that we all face growing up and also brings up lots of situations that thankfully we never face, but it is good to know what to do. For example, I certainly almost threw up in school and it was a real fear. On the other hand, I never was worried about a tornado, but still as a kid I would have enjoyed reading about how to protect myself.

As a positive psychologist and also the author or a book for girls, The Truth, I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything, I am always looking for books that help to quiet fears and give girls courage to express their feelings and inner thoughts. This book is in that category and I would recommend it. It is a very quick read that can be kept around the house and used as conversation material and/or reference material for daughters and moms.

I found that my daughter was coming home every night with "so & so did this" or "someone said that or did something." Having this book gave her a place to look and read about it and have some tools to handle the situation on her own the next day. It helped her tremendously.

I bought this for my 10 yr old and she couldn't put it down! It gave us lots to talk about and opened several conversations. I am very glad we found this one.

Before your young lady starts Junior High School please add this litle book to her library. This books offers answers to the preteen on handling situations that could be potentially embarrassing. This book will help your child develop more self-assurance.

A Smart Girl's Guide to Sticky Situations is an absolutely wonderful book for preteens about some of the weird situations that people of any age can find themselves in. With very appealingly silly illustrations, the book covers the expected items like flunking a test, not getting picked for a team, looking goofy in photos, etc.

However, there are some serious situations that are beautifully handled. For example, information about what to do if you are separated from your family in the city could save a child's life. Knowing how to handle false accusations could save a child's sanity!

Little sidebars called "Disaster Blasters" provide information to prevent all manner of inconvenience, embarrassment and grief! While some reviewers have stated that this is merely a compilation of common sense, keep in mind that maturity comes with age and experience, and this book is aimed at a very young audience.

I really do wish that I had this book, myself, many years ago, and I highly recommend it for any young lady in your family circle.

For beginning writers, this book could be useful. The 'journey' image is sometimes overused, but this is in part because it responds to a deep need in us. Preachers often use the image of a journey; indeed, many stories in the Bible will use the journey as part of the tale (if not the integral part of the tale). Mythological figures often have their lives and exploits told in journey images -- from times as ancient as those of Gilgamesh, through to modern times, the journey is important as a storytelling device. One can think of Gilgamesh, or Odysseus, or Aeneas in the ancient world; one can think of Moses and Martin Luther King, Jr. in search of the promised land; one can even think of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, seeking the Emerald City, when in fact she's looking for home.

The characters along the way in the journey also represent key elements in our lives -- dangers, strengths, things to love, to hate, to avoid, to embrace. These are archetypes. As others have noted, there are other guides to these (Campbell being perhaps the best known, and perhaps the best writer of these), but Christopher Vogler's use of these mythic structures and the journey process to help beginning writers puts the framework into an interesting and accessible guide.

This is a work with a journey of its own -- as a third edition, there are stories within the making of it. Vogler relates some of these, which include some major motion pictures experiences (one of the primary storytelling vehicles of the twentieth century) in his introduction. This has developed also in part due to critique and questions Vogler has received over time. One of those is that this is formulaic. Films, television shows, songs, poems, stories -- all of these are susceptible to being formulaic, and there is a fine line between following a form and being a slave to the formula.

This guide is practical. For those with experience writing, it can be a bit of a retreat, and, in truth, a bit simple. But for those looking to break into writing and have little experience with how to craft a story, this can be a good guide. While we are surrounded by stories in our lives, many of us don't quite know how to tell them well. Vogler's book gives insight into a process for making meaning and making sense while doing so.

Based on content alone, I would have considered three stars; however, I have a hard time accepting *writing* advice from a book so badly written. I realize Mr. Vogler is a story analyst, not a writer. Still, the style here is atrocious, often to the point of distraction.

As he describes various films, he frequently jumbles his characters and his actors, creating a rambling, grammatically nightmarish style: "Recurring mentors include 'The Chief' on 'Get Smart', Will Geer and Ellen Corby as the grandparents on 'The Waltons', Alfred in 'Batman', James Earl Jones' CIA official in Patriot Games and The Hunt for Red October, etc." (For the record, I typed this sentence exactly as it appears in the book, other than my inability to italicize the Jack Ryan titles. Yes, those commas are found outside the quotation marks; yes, Mr. Jones's name is made plural possessive.) This utter disregard for parallelism can be found on nearly every page. In addition, Mr. Vogler refers to some characters only by their names ("In the film The Last of the Mohicans, Major Duncan Hayward is the rival of hero Nathaniel Poe..."); he refers to still others as only the names of the actors ("James Stewart forces Kim Novak to change her hair and clothing ..."). I was left with the feeling of a first draft, as if Mr. Vogler hadn't yet looked up the names he couldn't recall.

If you can overlook these stylistic eyesores (obviously, I have a difficult time doing so), you might find something useful in these pages. Or you might not. As demonstrated by the variety of reviews, this book's usefulness really depends on the reader.

Do you have an intermediate grasp of mythology and archetypes? You'll be bored by this. Have you read Joseph Campbell's _The Hero With A Thousand Faces_? You'll probably wonder why anyone bothered to publish this, because Mr. Vogler quotes and paraphrases Mr. Campbell to a worshipful degree. Do you write with characters in your mind first, and let them "tell you what to do" in terms of plot? You'll want to approach this book as a road you can wander from, not a roller coaster track you must stick to or die. Do you have some fully developed characters you'd love to explore, but struggle with plot? This book (as well as any study of archetypes) can help you find some signposts to guide your way. Are you entirely unschooled in archetypes and mythology but would like to learn? This book isn't the best starting place available, but I doubt it's the worst.

Before you start reading, examine your writing goals and your knowledge of archetypes to decide if this one is worthwhile for you. (Oh, and examine yourself for grammatical-OCD tendencies to decide if you can endure it.)

As a teacher my interest in the book was not so much in the hopes I would learn how to write a smashing new hit for Hollywood as how I could better see the patterns in narrative and relate them to my students. Certainly Campbell will remain a first choice in that regard but this suggests some interesting new facets as well. Perhaps a problem with contemporary story telling is the need to shock. Understanding the patterns that have traditionally worked may not help directly in a postmodern world that has seen the death of art though they may still be useful as a via negativa. Congratulations to those who have succeeded in their writing careers despite having read the book.

As someone who applied Joseph Campbell's earlier work to my own 'Virtual Trilogy' of novels ( see Virtually Maria (Virtual Trilogy) and A Matter of Time) I found this book a useful interpretation of Campbell's theories to the modern medium of film and contemporary novels.

However, it is by no means as comprehensive as the original on which it is based and anyone reading it would be well advised (in my view) to read Campbell's work in depth. Nevertheless "The Writer's Journey" is a useful addition to any writer's reference library and fun to think of when you are watching any of the movies to which it refers.

Great book, but I was dismayed by the tiny print in it, the font size of the text. It's smaller than just about any other book I've ever read. I wrote to the publisher and was told that's how it is and that there's no hardcover edition with a larger font.

Slightly less gorgeous than I had envisaged from the pics on Amazon. This is because it's a board book, so the colours are a little duller than if it was printed on paper stock. Plus I find I get less tactile pleasure from a board book as compared to a hardback (maybe cos I'm not three years old?).

Still, Charley Harper's designs don't disappoint, and this is a reasonably priced 'entry level' book for those wishing to learn more about his work.

I have always loved the illustrations of Charlie Harper and this children's book is no exception. You and your child will love it.

I've been keeping an eye on the release of this book and it was worth the wait!
This is a very fun book with a clever and funny mix of some of Charley Harper's most notable images. Each time you open the book, there is a classic picture that will make you want to go through the whole book.
Delightful for any age and an excellent gift for any Charley Harper fan.

This ABC book is beautifully illustrated. Pleasing for both a child and adult to look at.
The one thing that strikes me as strange is that the whole book follows the "A is for Ape, B is for Bird" pattern until you get to "N is for Nest", then "U is for Underwater???", "W is for Web" and "X- how many X's Can You Find?". It would have been nice to have animals on all the pages.. well I guess X is a bit hard. Perhaps they didn't have any illustrations from Charley Harper to fit those pages?
But otherwise I love this book. Would even look good on the coffee table!

I loved this book! The illustrations of animals on each spread are graceful works of art. The delicate use of line, color and shape sometimes looks Japanese, sometimes like a collage made of construction paper. Others are loose pen-and-ink drawings.

You can tell the late Charley Harper loved animals, as his affection for them jumps off the page. There is so much personality! In D is for Dog, the smiling spaniel has dirt on his nose and legs, and you can almost see him panting. In I is for Iguana, two giant lizards battle for a captive tiny pig, swinging their tails and rearing up. Q is for Quail shows whirring wings on a fat and happy bird.

The inside covers show a collage of dozens of other Harper animals, most of which are not used in the book.

The board book itself is a little more sturdy than most. It will hold up well.

Charley Harper's ABC's is an outstanding way to introduce fine artwork to young children. Other good choices include Zen Ties and Walt Disney's Cinderella.

This book had everything we needed to go on a survival hike and camp. It had tons of good ideas, fun games, lists of what we needed, etc. I would highly recommend this book.

Some parts of this book are quite interesting in its ideas for activities. All the games described are basically hide & seek while making animal sounds. the recipes are easy and fun for kids, the packing list and common sense tips are straightforward, easy for kids to follow or read. the songs and stories are typical, been there, done that, nothing new. Illustrations are quirky and cute.
reccomend for the 1st time camper or if you want to give your kids something to read before the trip.

Camp Out! is full of creative and informative lessons and fun activities. Truly a unique book. Any kid from video game addict to natural born scout will find this book engaging! it contains kid-level explanations without talking down to kid-level. As an adult I enjoyed reading this book and felt the cartoons weren't too cutesy. Good for both boys and girls.

Camp out is great! It's filled with fascinating facts about the outdoors. I have enjoyed reading it with my children.

This is a great book that will spark many wonderful experiences with my daughter. For sure 5 stars!!
Major sections include activities, crafts, nature, and cooking. This was a logical organization, but as the father of a younger child I think it would have been nice to have some guidance and organization by age appropriateness.

Writing and reading came to me about as naturally as breathing. Even as a child I read books the way other people eat popcorn, and when I was about 8 a family friend had a tee-shirt made for me that said "I'd rather be writing my novel" (actually, I had the plots for THREE different novels going before I was 10).

Therefore, I sometimes struggle to teach writing BECAUSE it came so natural to me. Want me to write somethin'? Sure! Like Ishmael I cry "Get me a condor's quill! Get me Vesuvius' crater for an inkwell! Friends, hold my arms!"

Until I remember that there are a great deal of students at every level of education who struggle with writing for various reasons: it's boring, it's too tedious and confusing to create and then animate characters, English grammar is boring and difficult, or--as Ms. DiPrince and Ms. Thurston point out in the introduction to "UnJournaling"--it's too personal.

Actually, I hadn't thought about that last one. Not everyone is comfortable sharing details about their lives with classmates or teachers, and yet that's one of the most popular writing genres out there: "tell me a story about a time when..."

That's where UnJournaling comes in. With 200 different prompts, excercises and story starters, none of which are personal, even the most reluctant writers can be drawn out of their shell.

What's more, these aren't all just some story starter ideas, most are downright challenging, starting right off with #1: "write a paragraph about a girl named Dot, but use no letters with dots (i, j)" and moving right into #49 "you can use 25 words--no more--for a billboard advertising a product called `Zebra Wink'. Sell your product with those 25 words."

The authors are clever. Slipped in prompts teaching metaphor and simile (describe a car by comparing it to food), generating topics, finishing starters, language use (use the word "crumpled" in three different sentences and create a completely different feeling in each sentence) and describing things in great detail both by using and by NOT using certain words. Of course, there is the distinct possibility that any of the 200 excercises in this book could lead to a full-blown piece of polished writing; many schools here in FLA require students to have at least 5 polished pieces of writing in 4 different genres, and to have at least 10 published/polished pieces of writing by the end of the year.

These really are interesting, un-boring topics and I found myself highlighting many of them right off as I plan for the beginning of the 07-08 school year. "ooh! I could USE that!" I think, especially considering our School Improvement Plan heavily emphasizes writing this year, and I'm excited about sharing this book with other teachers in my school. In fact, I'm SO excited, I can hardly wait for the year to begin just SO I can use some of these prompts!!

...well... maybe not THAT excited...

Highly recommended for anyone who teaches any child of any age anything about the process of writing. Get this book, and it will quickly both have a place of honour on your bookshelf. In fact, you might need two copies--the first will probably get dog-eared and worn out right away.

This book is chock full of really good ideas that will get students writing. The "answers", or examples of written responses to each writing prompt, though, will either limit the follower-type, or encourage the creative writer to think "I can write better than that!" For teachers, a good book to use for writing prompts - just don't share the examples unless the class is really at a loss. The prompts are a lot of fun; definitely not your run of the mill classroom self-starters.

Not every student knows that he/she can write, and many students are hesitant to share personal experiences. This books is perfect for bringing out the writer in every student while allowing them to express their creativity without revealing their innermost feelings. Perfect start to a journaling activity or as a base for a more drawn out composition.

The quality of the writing prompts is beyond what I expected. I just received the book from Amazon and have used the prompts on writing students with great success. Highly recommended.

I recently purchased this book and immediately put it to use. I teach 8th grade writing and was looking for a book with prompts that would help students develop skills in all types of writing. The prompts in this book cover narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive writing. My students have seemed eager to write and share their responses to prompts they have been assigned so far. I also like the fact that an example of a response to each prompt is given in the back.

This book is great with a ton of wonderful ideas. Can't wait to actually sit and read instead of browsing. I've already selected several items that I want to build before the summer is over. Will write more when I read it cover to cover.

The book has a lot of devices that stood the test of time. Is great for those that are woodworkers and also going back to nature. It has money saving ideas that can be used today as the day it was written. I feel worth the money.

I love the book and it has been passed to three other people already. Anyone that likes implements to do odd jobs and those that were used by our ancestors, will love this book. Perfect book for the person that is trying to be self sufficient on a small farm or acreage.

If you like "old school" technology or "low tech", this is the book for you. You'll find things forgotten or that you never knew existed. Very handy for self sufficient folks.

We purchased this book hoping for some old fashioned helpful hints, instead we were charmed by the nostalgia. I wouldn't consider this a "do it yourself guide" but, an industrious builder/ engineer could get a kick out of attempting these fun old ideas. Not overly useful but thought provoking.

This book reminds us of the kind of fun we had when we were kids. I am middle aged and my kids are grown but have used the ideas in the book for friends' children that have come to spend the night with us. It is a great shower or baby gift as well.

I purchased this book about six months ago and have used it repeatdly. It is something I can grab when my children are getting restless and bored and I am not going to let them watch TV for another minute. The games are easy to understand, only require items that I usually have around the house and are just plain fun. Many are games I played when I was young but had forgetten about. I especially like the layout of the book, it makes it easy for you to find activities for various ages.Unplugged Play: No Batteries. No Plugs. Pure Fun.

My title says it all. That is exactly why I wanted this book. The only reason it got a 4 star was because it didn't have anything special for infants or small babies. Basically a lot of the games I have to wait until my baby is older. On top of it, I was able to actually show that there was more to TV for children, especially educationally.

I absolutely love love love this book. I am not a creative mom and I hate my kids vegging out in front of a video game or DVD. This book has such great ideas for engaging your kids in activities that are hands on. I have three kids (1, 3, 6) and this book has activites that are applicable to each of them. I highly recommend this book to any mother that is looking for some great activites for their kids that don't involve a controller!

After reading many great reviews I purchased this book thinking it would be a useful resource for games and activities for my children. I was greatly disappointed. Almost every activity is the same, just a different variation. Most require yet another trip to a store to buy some plastic "toys" If a parent already had what the author has listed as a "well-stocked" toy room they should have no problem thinking up the games listed in this book. For any parent or caregiver with even the slightest bit of imagination this book is unnecessary. In place of this I would recommend Playful Learning from Le Leche League or any book from Bev Bos. They require more imagination and less trips to a store.